[email protected] wrote in news:1165983960.292420.196720
@l12g2000cwl.googlegroups.com:
> I could not care less about the max speed being messed up. But it also
> messes up the distances travelled is left run alone for several
> minutes.
>
> So, OK, if I see this happenning I will try to change my x,y in space
> until it stops. Or I will turn off the computer. Wait... mine does NOT
> have an off button, it turns off when there is no movement... so when
> it wrongly thinks there is movement, it will never turn off. #$%#$
> great.
>
>
Do yourself a favor and replace the wireless computer with a wired one.
Yes, the installation is a much bigger pain, but once it's done, it will
be far more reliable and can even look MUCH better than a bulky wireless
unit. (Plus no sensor batteries to replace.)
A friend and I installed a computer on my new bike. It was a time
consuming task, but I'm extremely happy with the results. I uploaded some
photos to Flickr to illustrate the installation:
The computer wires are routed along with the front brake and front
derailleur cable housings using woven cable sheath (catalog photo):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68241631@N00/321927262/ so I don't have an
unsightly wire wrapped around the brake cable as most installations use.
You can see this braded cable cover on the two cables in this photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68241631@N00/321889543/) A trick here to
keep the ends looking clean is to fold the cut strands into the weave so
they don't fray. Note that you can also see the speed sensor and its wire
on the inside of the fork, but I had to take the photo at just the right
angle or you wouldn't know it's there.
The cadence sensor wire comes out where the derailleur cable housing
stops at the downtube. This is on a Klein, so the cables route internal
to the frame. The brighter red "dot" you see where the wire comes out is
just the camera flash reflecting off the end of the cablestop on the
downtube. (Sorry for the poor picture quality, but I just snapped them to
show what's going on and didn't set up proper lighting.)
The wire is routed to the bottom of the downtube where we used silicone
to "glue" it to the bottom of the tube. You can see both "fat" cables
compared to the rear brake and derailleur cables which don't have the
woven covering.
This photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68241631@N00/321889547/ shows
where the cadence wire routes on the bottom of the downtube and around
the derailleur cable guide. We mounted the cadence sensor on the bottom
of the left chainstay and the magnet was glued (more silicone) to the end
of the left pedal axle using a few small washers as spacers to make it
stick out from the hole in the crank arm. When we first installed it I
had put my old Speedplay X2 (steel axle) pedals on the bike and
everything worked fine. I replaced the pedals with X1 Speedplays and the
cadence sensor became intermittent. I added a couple of extra washers to
push the magnet a bit closer to the sensor which it seemed to make up for
the lack of a ferrous axle and it's worked reliably ever since.
You can see the head unit in this photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68241631@N00/321899650/ Note that any extra
wire is tucked under the handlebar tape.
Finally, here's a photo of the whole bike:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68241631@N00/316751635/ Although it's not
the best resolution, I think it still illustrates that the installation
is very clean.
I understand that this is not a job that everyone will want to tackle. I
didn't time it, but I think it took the two of us at least 5 hours.
However, to me, it was well worth the time (although I don't know if my
friend will agree since he also did a similar job on his girlfriend's
bike a few months before this one.)
Aside from just the esthetics, the lack of nylon cable ties means that
it's easier to clean the bike without getting caught on the ties. I also
think that the silicone keeps the wires from lifting away from the frame
and potentially getting snagged.
And while 10 man-hours might seem a bit "excessive", it's the last time I
will need to deal with the wiring on this bike. We did a similar
installation on my old bike and I replaced the computer a few times over
the course of more than 20 years - each time with a different brand or
model. But I was always able to use the existing harness and sensors.
(All wired computers that I know of use simple reed switches for the
sensors.)
I know this was a long winded explanation of this wiring job. But I just
had to post it here. After all, I'm quite proud of it and none of the
Rivendell fans at the local latte house would appreciate the elegance.
<grin>
Cheers,
David
