Test O-Synce Mini PC Free: O-Synce Mini PC - fully retro or ingeniously minimalist?

Modern bike computers are small, technical marvels. Thanks to GPS, they point you in the right direction, measure your heart rate and cadence, analyse the recorded training data and are networked with platforms such as Strava or Komoot. The Mini PC Free from O-Synce seems to have fallen out of time. This is also due to the fact that it was presented back in 2009. The now relaunched classic aims to score points with tech-stressed people who just want to cycle in peace. Digital detox in times of streaming, social media and AI. We have tried it out.

INFO O-Synce Mini PC free

• Wireless mini bike computer
• Dimensions: 35 x 33 mm / Weight: 18 grams
• Functions: Speed, average, maximum speed, daily distance, total kilometres, travel time, comparison of current speed/average speed
• Price: 29 euros including batteries

The big question: How many functions does a bike computer really need?

It's amazing: while digital development is finding its way into almost every area of our lives, analogue is celebrating an ever greater revival. Following the spectacular return of vinyl records, which had already been declared dead, analogue photography is now booming again. The why, wherefore and why has been analysed by trend researchers and behavioural scientists right down to the depths of the human psyche. Digital overpresence stresses many people out and often distracts them from the essentials. What use are millions of songs on Spotify and thousands of mobile phone photos if you just restlessly click through everything without really discovering the magic of an album or a picture motif? It's the same with bike computers. They literally shower the rider with data, analyses and information. But do you really need that? Deceleration through focussing instead of more and more options. This is the concept behind the minimalist O-Synce computer.

The question of whether you need email messages or cadence analyses on your bike computer is of course up to you to decide. After all, you don't have to use all the functions of your fully networked sat nav device. But the high-tech parts are practical. You don't need any accessories. Everything is automatically recorded via GPS signals. This means you can use the device for all bikes without having to reset the wheel circumference every time. But you have to dig deep into your pockets for such a high-tech part. The Mini PC-Free, on the other hand, costs only 29.00 euros and weighs just 18 grams. If you are mainly travelling on known or signposted routes, the mini-computer may be an option for you due to its low price.

The mini-computer requires some assembly work, but then it leaves you in peace

Installation is simple. The set consists of more components than a current sat nav computer because of the pick-up and the spoke magnet. However, everything can be mounted without tools. To prevent the handlebar mount from slipping, there is an adhesive rubber piece on both sides between the mount and the handlebar. The Mini PC Free can also be placed on the stem.

The spoke magnet is designed to fit any type of spoke, whether round or aerodynamically flat. Simply screw it on and you're done. It's easy to do by hand. A screwdriver is not required.

The so-called pick-up is mounted on the fork using cable ties. The exposed part on the downtube exudes a rather old-school look. But the Mini PC Free is also somehow a retro part. Discreet is different. After all, the data transfer from the receiver to the computer is wireless. Nobody wants to have the tangled cables of the past on their mountain bike today.

The pick-up and spoke magnet must be at the optimum distance from each other. Otherwise the magnet will grind. Or the signal is too weak. Alignment is no big deal. You turn and push everything into position until the computer display comes to life.

The tyre circumference: The Achilles tendon of classic bike computers

Somewhat annoying: In order for the computer to display the correct values, the tyre circumference must be set. This is done via the computer menu, which is explained clearly in the instructions. However, the value must be accurate to the nearest millimetre. The table in the leaflet lists the most common values that can be used. If you want to be sure or have special tyres, you have to measure the value yourself. That was a pain back then and still is today. After every tyre or wheel change, you have to check whether the value is still correct. Also, the computer cannot simply be transferred from one bike to another without adjusting the tyre circumference value.

After just 20 minutes, the Mini PC Free is mounted. Off to the test drive. Bravely set off. But oops! What's that? The display shows nothing. The cause is quickly found. When manoeuvring in the bike cellar, the pick-up has slipped. Now the distance to the spoke magnet is too great. The problem is quickly solved.

Expensive vs. cheap: Can a 29 euro computer be an alternative to a high-end model?

I cycle my home circuit. I don't miss the navigation function of my usual Wahoo computer. I know the route. The speed display, which is always shown at the top and extra-large on the two-line display, can also be recognised in bumpy passages. To switch through the other information, you have to press the bottom of the computer, which works like a kind of toggle switch. This works well in any situation. However, the lower row of figures, which is only half the size, is much harder to read than the upper speed display. Nevertheless, it tells you what you need to know. You quickly get used to calling up the smaller information displayed, such as distance or riding time, when the trail is not shaking you so much. And indeed: the Mini PC free doesn't tempt you to keep switching around, your gaze often remains focussed on the landscape. I use my sat nav computer to constantly check the altitude profiles, the paths that branch off and even the ambient temperature.

CONCLUSION Henri Lesewitz, BIKE editor

I was sceptical at first, but I was pleasantly surprised by the mini-computer. For 80 per cent of my rides, it would provide exactly the information I needed. Distance, journey time, average. The Mini PC Free is not annoying and doesn't need to be constantly charged or updated. Ideal as an everyday computer. But it does not replace a sat nav computer. Anyone planning challenging tours in unknown terrain will appreciate the modern, app-networked sat nav technology.

These are the advantages and disadvantages of a mini computer compared to a high-end bike computer

• + Favourable: A mini-computer like the O-Synce Mini PC Free costs only around a tenth of a high-end model at 29 euros
• + battery power: Classic mini computers have an extremely long battery life. The installed button cells often last the whole season, or even longer. The battery in the customer lasts a similarly long time.
• + No updates: Classic bike computers do not need to be updated. They always do their job without complaint
• - Little flexibility of use: The tyre circumference must be set to the respective bike. Spontaneous conversion to another bike is therefore not possible.
• - More accessories: A classic wireless computer requires a pick-up on the fork and a spoke magnet, which looks less clean than a sat nav computer that does not require a pick-up.