WATCH: Nike Oregon cycling watch
WR: 100m
DISPLAY: Digital
CASE: Rubber/brushed aluminum
BAND: Integrated rubber
BUCKLE: MOV'T: Quartz / battery
FEATURES: Backlight, multiple alarms, timer, chrono function
PACKAGING: Cardboard bok w/ warranty, instructions and CD containing virtual instructions as well as video interveiw with an adventure racing group.
OVERALL: A lightweight, sturdy watch. Wears thick on the wrist although it is not too thick; the knurled buttons are located well and easy to operate. Integrated band provides a fit par excellence, but of course has longevity issues as it can't be replaced.
THE PACKAGE: Packaging far exceeded expectations as did the virtual tour of the watch provided on the CD which I watched out of curiosity after figuring out how to set the watch by myself. The Visual / audio instruction medium is something I wish more watch companies did, not cause I [or any competant person] really needs it, but because it is just neat to see a 3-d version of your watch! Also included were written instructions and a 2-year warranty in a bazillion lingos [including English!].
LAYOUT: The large numbers are easily read for the time. Seconds are small and not caught at a glance. Buttons located wear easily operated, even tho I am a lefty. The date is unobtrusively located at the bottom but easily read. The backlight is a reverse illumination, as opposed to the "glow" of the "indiglo" style backlights; the numbers light up and the background stays dim. If you hold the backlight button for a second it beeps and will stay on past the count of ten for longer veiwing.
OPERATION: The functions of the Nike Oregon are easily operated, much better than other watches I've owned, including my Times Ironman.
BAND/CLASP: The band is integrated into the rubber portion of the case; a feature that contributes to the swell fit but I wish I had the option of eventual replacement if needed. The clasp is wonderful and should be used by dive watches, with the buckle having a wide u-shapped tongue that fits into long notches rather than small holes as per a normal buckle. The end of the band has a metal tab w/the Nike logo which snaps into the sliding peice that normally retains it on a conventional band via friction. This is a very secure and confortable arrangement and almost makes up for the band's lack of replacability.
ON THE WRIST: The watch wears well under a jacket sleeve but it noticeable. People at the lbs [local bike shop] have similar ones [the version with the altimeter which is also offered in ti] and some have this version. I got it because I needed CBP for riding and it was inexpensive.
But I have to admit the idea of a "bike watch" [Armstrong wore the ti version in Le Tour] was a draw to me as well. The idea of having a watch that identifies one as a cyclist, even if in jeans or a business suit [yes I saw a guy on the train wear one with a suit] and out of cylcing clothes, was also a powerful draw. I buy a watch for me, not other people, but it is nioce at the same time to know that the watch will define me as I want to be defined. Perhaps that is why so many of use wear dive watches, which are tough, durable, and capable of handling pretty much any activity. The person seeing the watch says "that person's probably a diver". Another cyclist seeing this watch says, "that person is probably a bicyclist". It is like a recognition of mutual respect; the guys at the shop wearing Nike's look like cyclists -- even tho they are wearing shop polos and jeans, not cycling gear. Unlike the dive watch, however, the cycling watch is a new development -- so it is not as widely recognized. This means it is likely only another real cyclist or other active person will identify you as such.
It is also easily read when riding; at a glance you can tell your time. And the chrono function also resets easily unlike my Timex Ironman, whose chrono I still have not figured out how to reset [I know, I lost the instructions].
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