Use of a bike computer
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I just bought a cheap bike-computer that I'll be fitting soon. I'm wondering how many cyclists are using them and what the average speed is that people are attaining? I'm told most roadbikers hover around 20 mph on the flat. I'm looking forward to detecting my speed on the flat as well as during steep climbs.
I was surprised how cheap you can get them as I picked mine up for a mere 5 dollars, although the instructions take a little figuring out. I'm aware you can purchase computers that are far more expensive and have far more features.
Finally I'd like to ask what the best way is to secure the cable that leads from the fork to your drop-bars. I've been told to use masking tape but I'm anxious this might damage paintwork on the bike.
Originally posted by Carrera
Finally I'd like to ask what the best way is to secure the cable that leads from the fork to your drop-bars. I've been told to use masking tape but I'm anxious this might damage paintwork on the bike.
Zip ties or electrical tape
And remember to look where you are going!
Originally posted by Carrera
Finally I'd like to ask what the best way is to secure the cable that leads from the fork to your drop-bars. I've been told to use masking tape but I'm anxious this might damage paintwork on the bike.
From the sensor, use tape (any reasonably non-permanent tape -- I use transparent Scotch Tape, believe it or not) to run the wire along the inside of the fork blade. If you're nervous about paint, taping along that unexposed area gives you peace of mind.
At the back of the fork crown, have the wire jump behind the front caliper to the front caliper cable. Be sure to leave this "jump" a little slack; turn the bars all the way left and right to make sure there's enough give. Once you're at the cable, wrap the wire neatly up the cable housing in a spiral until you're at your bar.
Depending on how much extra wire your system has, you'll need to figure out how to manage the excess -- either by wrapping a tighter spiral around your cable housing, or by wraping a turn or two around your bar where the computer mounts. Either way, that's about as clean as you can do a fork-mount.
Have fun!
yech. scotch tape? masking tape? blech. only use those if you plan on replacing them often, IMHO. they both age poorly, and leave residue that can be difficult to get off. scotch tape eventually stops holding altogether.
use zipties, and wrap the wire meticulously around the cable housing. i'm not very meticulous about it and have been scoffed at for my sloppy wire-wrapping skills. but zip ties work really well, are cheap, and if placed well, can be inconspicuous as well.
good luck! i use mine mostly to maintain cadence, and check my overall average after the ride, unless i'm on a challenge to hit some mark.
Woah woah woah, there. I've had my current setup this way for quite some time and it works and looks great. Zipties are great where an ultra-stiff grip is required -- afixing the actual sensor to your fork, for instance. By all means, if zipties are appropriate there, go for it. I've got zipties holding my sensor on as well.
For a wee little baby-gauge wire, though, ties are overkill. All ya need is a little something to guide that puppy up along the inside of the fork blade, where it's out of site, doesn't touch anything, and simply needs to stay out of the way. In my opinion, a few small pieces of transparent tape are perfect for the job.
Once you get past the fork crown, I agree, it's all about dressing it neatly along the cable housing and bar.
transparent tape is one thing. scotch tape is something else. you mean the 3m brand scotch tape when you say scotch tape? those things in my brief lifetime have always appeared to handle poorly, particularly in wet conditions and low temperature conditions.
transparent tape, like packing tape is something else. those things probably adhere better. i don't recall anything i've used with that stuff (a) leaving gunk all over everything nor (b) failing miserably, cracking, and just breaking at the crease points, which scotch tape does readily.
but i see you are in a very temperate zone. maybe where you are, wetness and extreme coldness aren't much of an issue...
Lok! You didn't go wireless on your new bike?
Ok, ok; I didn't mean 3M Scotch tape. I mean a nicer quality (but still everyday) transparent tape -- I've had some on my ride for a long time and through wind and rain, sleet and sludge, it still looks nice. Nicer, at least, than a handful of zipties running up my fork.
The Bay Area, at least west of the hills where I am, BTW, is generally cool and damp.
;)
Scott, I haven't found a nice enough computer to go on my Klein. This wired job is on my Giant.
Come to think of it, I AM using 3M Scotch-brand tape on my Giant. Not the semi-transclucent stuff that comes in the green dispenser, but the transparent tape that comes in the red dispenser for about .20 cents a roll.
Don't make me post a picture of my fork, brightgarden.... :)
Originally posted by lokstah
Ok, ok; I didn't mean 3M Scotch tape.
ok. whew.
it must be a colloquialism. when i got married, i was confused about why sprite, orange soda, coke, and well any soft drink in general were all referred to as "pop" by my new family...
but there's no sense in having some poor reader put 3m brand scotch tape on his beautiful carbon fork! or, well, i suppose it may not be carbon either...
now, you did use scissors to cut that tape, didn't you? you wouldn't want all that raggedy tape-cutter (dirt collecting) edge still on your nice little pieces of tape?
(just kidding)
actually, now that i look it up, seems like i was talking about just one particular type of scotch tape. drat that term. ah well. i guess all that matters is, don't just stick any ol' tape on your bike. don't use that matte "invisible" tape anyhow--now, don't tell me THAT'S the tape you're using.....
Originally posted by lokstah
Come to think of it, I AM using 3M Scotch-brand tape on my Giant. Not the semi-transclucent stuff that comes in the green dispenser, but the transparent tape that comes in the red dispenser for about .20 cents a roll.
Don't make me post a picture of my fork, brightgarden.... :)
oh now, you know you like to show off....
Originally posted by Carrera
I just bought a cheap bike-computer that I'll be fitting soon. I'm wondering how many cyclists are using them and what the average speed is that people are attaining? I'm told most roadbikers hover around 20 mph on the flat. I'm looking forward to detecting my speed on the flat as well as during steep climbs.
I use one all the time, it's really helpful because it can be surprisingly hard to judge your speed - stuff like headwinds, subtle gradients, poor road surfaces and of course fatigue can conspire to make you massively under- or over-estimate your speed. I tend to cruise at between 20 and 22mph on the flat with no wind.
Finally I'd like to ask what the best way is to secure the cable that leads from the fork to your drop-bars. I've been told to use masking tape but I'm anxious this might damage paintwork on the bike.
I just used zip ties to secure the cable to the fork and wrapped the cable around the front brake cable, as others here have described. Also, a zip tie placed at the top and bottom of the spiral keeps it nice and neatly wrapped, if appearance matters to you.
Originally posted by brightgarden
now, you did use scissors to cut that tape, didn't you? you wouldn't want all that raggedy tape-cutter (dirt collecting) edge still on your nice little pieces of tape?
(just kidding)
Hmmm... actually, I don't recall... I'll have a better look when I can get away from this bleedin' desk. I may have; I may not have. Either way, on the inside of the fork, the little black wire ends up being a heck of a lot more visible than a piece of transparent tape (of the Northern-English variety or not), particularly on a carbon-colored fork.
From most angles, ya see nothin', which is more than can be said for a zip-tied fork. I figured the 2 zipties holding the sensor on were enough cheap plastic for my bike, thank you very much.
:cool:
Thanks all. The advice is appreciated. I'll read all your posts carefully and take up the useful tips. Seems like loads of folks already use bike-computers. I think
I must be a dunce or something since I'm kind of mystified by this bike-computer. For example, the instructions on setting the 24 hour clock have me stumped. I'm told to press and hold the left button for 2 seconds, at which point the digits start to flash. Then I'm told to adjust the actual time by clicking the right button. However, when I click the right button not a lot happens. So I reinstalled the battery.
The other night I came up with digits that look something like this:
00:00:04 so it's all a bit odd.
I've fitted the computer and it seems to work on mph. All I have to do is set the wheel size average and include it in the data imput.
What I do find hard to believe is that my bike computer seems to do so much for a mere 5 dollars (it has about 8 different functions!!) How much do these computers cost on average?
P.S. I'm off on a bike ride this evening so I'll see how my computer clocks my average.
Originally posted by lokstah
Woah woah woah, there. I've had my current setup this way for quite some time and it works and looks great. Zipties are great where an ultra-stiff grip is required -- afixing the actual sensor to your fork, for instance. By all means, if zipties are appropriate there, go for it. I've got zipties holding my sensor on as well.
For a wee little baby-gauge wire, though, ties are overkill. All ya need is a little something to guide that puppy up along the inside of the fork blade, where it's out of site, doesn't touch anything, and simply needs to stay out of the way. In my opinion, a few small pieces of transparent tape are perfect for the job.
Once you get past the fork crown, I agree, it's all about dressing it neatly along the cable housing and bar.
$5 does seem really cheap - mine cost GBP30 (I guess around $50 - $55 or so) and is only a fairly basic model (no cadence, isn't wireless), although it is quite nicely finished and solidly constructed.
yes. $5 for a new computer is pretty good, but if your instructions are that indecipherable, i guess you get what you pay for.
mine was on sale at performance for $24 (cateye astrale 8). I like it, and didn't find the docs too confusing.
$24 for an Astrale 8 is a great deal -- it's about dealer cost, actually.
Dammit, the UK is so expensive! :-(
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