Beeline Velo 2 - Bike Computer with Navigation and Smart Routing

I just got back from three weeks of cycling in southwest France and very happy to share that the Beeline Velo 2 was not only an essential component of my gear but worked exactly how I’d hoped. I can’t imagine how the trip would have gone without it. For background, I bought the Velo 2 less than a week before leaving for the trip. Having read reviews and comparisons of different bike computers, it seemed the simple yet ideal solution for me. I needed to download about 30 GPX files from the FranceVeloTourisme.Com website, which provided turn by turn instructions for all the routes we’d follow. The information shown on the small, circular display kept us on track, even with my phone in Airplane Mode (to save battery). On those occasions where we needed to double-check because of conflict between the GPX files and road signs, I’d turn on the phone (still in Airplane Mode) to examine the route map in more detail. I’m not a techno geek, to say the least. On the contrary. And, I enjoy reading instruction manuals about as much as getting a colonoscopy. That said, about 15-20 minutes of reading, watching a couple super short videos, and playing with the device was just about all I needed to launch. The rechargeable battery usage was a non-issue. Each day, after 5-6 hours on the road, it never was under 50%, even in extreme heat. I wasn’t looking to create all my own routes from scratch on the device, other than a few very short, simple connector routes, so can’t comment on that process. Nevertheless, for what we did, the Beeline Velo 2 was close to perfect.

I purchased the Beeline Velo 2 for a 14-day cycling trip between London and Edinburgh. In the past, I would plan the route in Komoot and use my iPhone to navigate. This time, I decided to try Velo 2 for its simplicity and to avoid having my expensive iPhone attached to the handlebar and taking daily abuse. I was THRILLED that I gave Velo 2 a try! Full disclosure, I did NOT use the Beeline app to create the daily routes. I am really comfortable using Komoot to plan my routes, though I could have easily done the same in the Beeline app. Once I created 14 daily routes, importing them into the Beeline was a snap. Each days’ ride showed up in the "Ride" tab, so it was just matter of selecting the day’s route and heading out. I put my iPhone in airplane mode to save battery life and off I went. My riding buddy also had the routes and used his Wahoo to navigate. 99% of the time we were in agreement when to turn (and there were a million turns each day), and I would say Velo 2 was more likely to be correct. Each day we rode down a combination of paved, hard packed gravel rails-to-trails, and even a few spots along the eastern coast that could be called walking paths. For me, the Velo 2 simple display is pure genius. It gives you just enough information to easily anticipate turns, and an audio cue that is nearly perfect. My only tiny complaint was I am getting hard of hearing and wish the audio turn que was a bit louder - but it’s perfectly fine for most riders. Originally, I thought the audio que was coming from my iPhone but only realized that wasn't the case when I let my buddy try out the unit on his bike and realized the sound actually came from within the Velo 2. As you can guess, it rains a lot in the UK, so the Velo 2's water resistance was tested for many hours. I never had a problem. Not quite sure if it is in fact waterproof, so I don't suggest you forget to take it out of your jersey and run it through the washer - which I almost did! The claimed battery life of 11+ hours seems correct. We rode most days from 8:00 to 16:00 and the Velo had more than 50% battery life left. I charged it each night, so I never actually ran it until it died to find out the true battery life, but from my experience, 11+ hours seem reasonable. In summary, I LOVE the Velo 2 and will continue to use it as my cycling computer. Some reviewers had less than perfect experiences with their Velo 2, but my 14-day, 8+ hour per day, rainy, sometimes bone jarring ride, has sold me. I hope the developers at Beeline resist all attempts to make it more complicated. Its beauty is its simplicity. If you want a detailed color moving map, heart monitor, altitude, etc. then Velo 2 is not for you, BUT for the rest of us, it is an amazing solution.

I love the simplicity of this device. The turn by turn navigation is really nice and has made navigation of new trails super easy. It’s a little clunky at first in understanding how to interact with other apps such as Strava, but is quick to overcome. My only “issue” is that it continues to turn the screen off while riding so I am constantly having to turn it back on so that I don’t miss a turn.

I want to love this thing, Why did they make it so complicated to use? I never use it because it’s such a pain . You should be able to tap to turn on and ride.

For 100 bucks you get a solid little device. I just took it on a simple test ride and it worked as expected. I always have my phone on me when I ride for my HR monitor so this just tags along as well. The mounting system fit over my stem perfectly and is solid. The app hooks into strava and komoot seamlessly. I would say the in app route design is a little touchy but is definitely serviceable, but if you don't like it you can easily create routes in those other apps and they instantly appear. You can also set favorite locations like home and just hit the button to get an instant route. I also liked that I could be in another mode like speed or climb and when the next turn was coming up it would flash over to directions before returning to the mode I was in. I purposefully went off course and was immediately recalculated back to route. Much better than having your phone on the cockpit and screen constantly on.

I like the interface and the mapping software. Unfortunately the device is flimsy. I have bought 2 of them and both have fallen apart. I won't buy another.

I did a lot of research about the Beeline Velo 2 before purchasing, so I didn't have any unrealistic expectations. I was looking for a cycling navigation device that is simple and streamlined, and without any fitness related functionality that I wouldn't use. I don't consider the Beeline Velo 2 to be minimal because, along with its app, it does provide a good bit of information. And the Beeline team is continuously improving its interface (for example the new elevation graph) and product support (for example the new silicone case), all based on customer feedback. The first time I experienced my Beeline Velo 2 was on gravel roads and forest service roads in southern Arizona. Using the Beeline app was easy and intuitive and recognized the entire route (mostly off-road) that I entered. The device navigated my path accurately and mostly in a very remote area. Its display is bright enough to see in direct sunlight and its audible beeps before an upcoming turn were easily heard and helpful. I read that some people don't like that the Beeline Velo 2 has to be used in combination with a phone running the Beeline app. Well, even if I was using the most advanced standalone navigation device available, I would still have my phone with me while riding. And I'm not going to mount my expensive phone on my stem or handlebar. I see the Beeline Velo 2 device as an extension of your phone, which enables the device to have a small form factor and be truly unique. I really like my Beeline Velo 2! It works for my non-competitive yet adventurous style of riding.

My Velo 2 died after 30 days and only a handful of rides.

I was slightly underwhelmed when I first unboxed it. The screen didn’t seem as sharp as the advertising suggested, the build quality was fine and the navigation initially seemed confusing. However since using it two or three times I can say, it’s a superb bit of kit, packed with great features, backed up by a useful app allowing you to plan and generate routes. While using, it keeps you well informed on the route, it switches screens so you see the most useful and relevant information, ie gradient display, while climbing, directions once approach turns. It will also reroute you, if you decide to deviate from your route. Great value for money, well built, great battery life and easy to use.

Tengo un Gatmin Explore 2. Va bien, pero es tosco y limitado. Este beeline es mas sencillo, tiene menos prestaciones y es totalmente dependiente del mòvil, hasta el pinto que si no lo llevas encima, el rquipo no funciona. Tampoco sabe buscar rutas, hay que hacerlo desde el móvil. Si quieres que mida tus datos biométricos, tampoco vale. Pero si aceptas que vas a llevar el móvil, entonces las cosas cambian: es pequeño, es fácil de utilizar, las instrucciones de ruta son sencillas, lee ficheros GPX, se ve bien en todo tipo de luz. Y el precio. Resumiendo, si no necesitas la biometria, y lo tuyo es hacer salidas casuales donde a lo sumo necesitarás que te indique, este puede ser el producto a utilizar. A mi me sirve, y muy bien!

使用感はかなり良いです。スマホをナビとして利用しているときに比較して、情報がシンプルで、読み取りの認知的不可が低くて、ポタリングを楽しめます。道を走っている時の環境への没入感を感じやすい。良いですよ。品物自体は、軽量、簡素ですが、必要十分という感じです。装着の難易度は低く、簡単です。きちんとステムに止まりました。ボタンの反応も良い。スマホをカバンの中に閉まっておけるので、落としたり当てたりして壊す可能性は低くなり安心感があります。これは買って良かった。

Routing options are pretty good, compass mode is actually kinda fun and helps you to discover new routes and also not worry so much about making the wrong turn and just head in the general direction (sometimes even faster than suggested routes). Accompany phone and app required to operate the GPS computer, which might be a deal breaker for some but perfectly find as I always carrying my phone with me on my rides. App is well designed and online route planner on Beeline website is a very good option, albeit still rough around the edges. All in, this is a compact and very neat device, especially if you don't want to mount your huge phone (I'm using a folding one) to the handlebar.

Aufgrund einiger "nicht-5-Sterne-Bewertungen" war ich ein wenig skeptisch, hatte mich aber nach einem absoluten Fehlkauf des Garmin Edge Explore 2 bewußt für eine komplett andere Art der Navigation entschieden. Ich wurde nicht enttäuscht. Im Gegensatz zur schon unterirdischen Bedienerführung des Garmin passte beim Velo 2 einfach alles: - Intuitives Interface - Spielerisch einfache Ersteinrichtung - Überraschend gute Kartendarstellung in der App - Sichere und auf 10m absolut exakte Navigation Ich hatte bis gestern das besagte Garmin zum Test. ich werde das Gerät in einer anderen Rezension noch bewerten. Hier geht es aber um das Beeline Velo II, und da bin ich äußerst positiv überrascht. Top: Das Beeline Velo 2 wirkt federleicht, ultramodern und einfach funktional. Die Routeneingabe kann gekoppelt per Beeline App erfolgen oder auch per Strava (nicht so meins und auch teuer) oder als Import von GPX-Dateien (z.B. Komoot). Insbesondere letztere App hat einfach die Nase vor bei MTB-Routen, das Beeline kann das einfach nicht, muß es aber wegen der Importmöglichkeit auch nicht. Der Import kostet nichts, die Route ist danach als Nebeneffekt sicher auf dem Handy gespeichert. Mein Vorgehen war simpel: Vorgefertigte Route von Komoot als GPX im Handy exportieren, in die Beeline App importieren und schon ist man startklar. Die Navigation - auch mitten im Wald - war absolut flüssig, Abweichungen abseits der geplanten Route führen aber zu Irritationen in der Navigation. Geplante Routen in der Beeline App sind aber auch offensichtlich auf Rennradsport ausgelegt: Straßen über alles. Die Planung also in Komoot. Die Navigation ist dann superflüssig in der Beeline App abgespeichert, die Anzeige erfolgt dann auf dem Velo 2-Display. Ich konnte übrigens das Display sehr gut ablesen, auch im hellsten Sonnenschein keinerlei Beanstandung, die Fotos zeigen das auch glaube ich deutlich. Wer hier meckert braucht eventuell eine besser entspiegelte Sonnenbrille. Mein Fazit - bisher: Tolles Gerät, sehr günstig und auf Straße ausgelegt. Wer wie ich Offroad fährt braucht eine andere App, von der man die Route dann exportiert. Das kann notfalls auch unterwegs geschehen, eine mangelnde Live-Unterstützung sehe ich - auch aus Kostengründen - nicht wirklich als Manko. Die Highlights - Schnelles und sicheres GPS, auf 10m genau, auch bei 50 km/h - Klare, schnörkelose Anzeige mit dezenter akustischer ("Piep Piep") Untermalung - Keine Sensorenunterstützung (Gottseidank, dafür habe ich meine SmartWatch) - Ausgezeichnet programmierte App mit erstaunlich guten Karten, schlägt Google bei weitem - Sehr einfache Erstellung von Routen mit Wegpunkten, intuitiv und schnell - Ändern von Routen durch Ziehen an Wegpunkten (Dreiecke), wie auf dem Desktop bei Google - Sehr niedriger Preis im Vergleich mit Garmin oder Wahoo und trotzdem übersichtlicher - Ein stylisches Leichtgewicht Negativ - Routenerstellung für Rennräder und Straßen optimiert (ist mir wayne, dafür benutze ich den Marktführer) So. Ich bin ganz offensichtlich sehr angetan von dem Velo II und vergebe 5 Sterne, ohne wenn und aber :) Das Gerät hätte meiner Meinung nach einen Red Dot Award für Design verdient. Goodbye ihr alten Platzhirsche Garmin und Wahoo. Aber auch so: Klasse Teil!