KNOG Nerd 12 Function Computer

The KNOG Nerd 12 function computer is a newish arrival to the bike computer scene. It uses the same silicon tension fit system that their popular bike lights use making it easy to install and remove. There is no need for tools or half a dozen of those rubber cut out things to have the computer fit on your bike! (I hate those things)

Simply wrap it around your handlebar/stem and the same with the wireless transmitter and you’re done with the “installation.” If you’ve ever used a rubber band successfully, then you’ll be an ace mechanic with this computer : )

Perhaps one of its most unique features is that it’ll take you about 45 seconds to reorient the display relative to the silicon wrapping thingy. This means you can mount it to your handlebar and to your stem without any tools. Simply pop-out the face and pop it back in. Easy as pie! The last bike computer that allowed me to mount it on the stem like that (a Sigma, I beleive), also required that I use a teeny screwdriver to reorient the mounting base. What a pain.

The ability to do that maneuver quickly and painlessly is almost worth the price of admission, but it’s also a fun little computer to use. The face of the computer is a giant button. It has a nice tactile feel that really invites you to click on it like a Pop-O-Matic Bubble that gives you a nice satisfying CLICK. By pressing the button you can select what function you want to see on the screen (Max Speed, Avg Speed, Trip Time, Odometer, Clock, etc.) or a “scan” mode that cycles through all the available screens.

The computer shows your speed (the numbers have an animated scroll) with a numeric and visual representation (bars represent your current speed vs. avg speed). It’s sort of like those funky Japanese watches that show you the time with a series of solid bars.

There are two other notable functions. The 12 function computer has a cool indiglo kind of back light. When activated, whenever you click the screen your Nerd will emit a hypnotic bluish light illuminating the information.

Secondly, and probably more appropriate to touring, is that the computer has a “distance per day” function, showing you how many miles you’ve traveled that day. It automatically zeroes itself at midnight. This lets you figure out how far you’ve traveled after a long day of travel without having to do any math! I’m for that. Simply jot the number down in your journal and gloat.

If there is one thing that I would criticize, is the display can be hard to read at less than ideal angles. When mounted on a handlebar, this can be easily fixed by just rotating the computer until you get it to that sweet spot. If it’s mounted to your stem and your stem isn’t a good angle for viewing, the display will be a little hard to read.

Conclusion:
The KNOG Nerd 12 computer is a fun take on the bicycling computer, an area in Bicycle Accessory Land that is decidedly boring or overly geeky. It comes in several colors to match your ride. It offers the easiest mounting I’ve seen a bicycle computer and it doesn’t get much easier than the single button operation.

The distance per day feature seems handy for touring and will probably satisfy those that love recording their mileage statistics. There’s a lot to like but it is admittedly spendy. But look at it this way, it’s so easy to install and remove that it could be your ONLY computer for all the bikes in your stable.

EDIT - Some people commented about the pricing. Apologies. It can be had at various retailers from $60-$80. Admittedly a little on the high-end for some, but it is a nice computer.