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Bike Computer

  • 18-06-2007 11:57am
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29


    Any recommendations for a trip computer? Are the ones that were in Lidl any good or would i be better off sourcing one from a bike shop?

    Also do wireless computers work ok or are they troublesome? I had one before on a mountain bike and it was a bit hit and miss - maybe they have improved since...

    Thanks
    Tagged:


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 2,991 ✭✭✭el tel


    I've got one of these Sigma BC1606L wirelass computers, together with a wireless cadence sensor. It's really easy to fit and very reliable with no problems with the sensors or computer even in extremly heavy rain. You get what you pay for and are better investing in something that will last for years. Cheap computers are a false economy as you'll likely have to upgrade at some point.

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=14370

    edited to add: I got mine in their sale (January) which was 25% cheaper than now


  • Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,261 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    I've never used the Lidl ones but I recall a few people on Boards saying they bought one so maybe one may come out of the woodwork.

    As for wireless, I've got a Polar CS100 and I've no complaints.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,078 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    Talking about Bike computers, anyone know how to programme the darned things? I have a TECHWELL one with a wire going down the forks (magnet driven) but since buying it several years ago I have lost the instructions & I dont know what Four Digit Code to input (wheel size)?

    I have an old Racer (27x1 1/4) wheel size inc tyres but how does that translate into the four digit code? (c 0000)

    I have tried several suggestions, but the distances do not correspond with what the Cars odometer says > I went for a spin the other day and the Bike said I had covered 7.75 Km (the same trip in the car said 8 Km)!

    Any ideas anybody?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,498 ✭✭✭Mothman


    Car odometers are usually inaccurate and in my experience usually overstate.
    I'd get your hands on a GPS unit and work from that.


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,102 ✭✭✭✭Pherekydes


    ArthurF wrote:
    Talking about Bike computers, anyone know how to programme the darned things? I have a TECHWELL one with a wire going down the forks (magnet driven) but since buying it several years ago I have lost the instructions & I dont know what Four Digit Code to input (wheel size)?

    I have an old Racer (27x1 1/4) wheel size inc tyres but how does that translate into the four digit code? (c 0000)

    I have tried several suggestions, but the distances do not correspond with what the Cars odometer says > I went for a spin the other day and the Bike said I had covered 7.75 Km (the same trip in the car said 8 Km)!

    Any ideas anybody?

    I'm not sure, but the four digit code might be the circumference in millimeters. I entered 2124 into mine and it seems reasonably accurate (I think). I wouldn't use a car to calibrate a cyclo computer; they're too inaccurate. Use a known distance like a running track.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,078 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    That code sounds interesting Slow Coach, I have been around the c2100 > c2200 mark, and I am getting closer to "Car Kilometres" not that it matters now, seeing as somebody has suggested that most cars do not record distances correctly in the first place :confused:

    I shall give your suggestion a try & post the result here tomorrow.


  • Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,261 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    Been a while since I set mine up, but it's mm alright and as far as I know it's tyre size that's measured. According to this reference chart, it should be 2199


  • Registered Users Posts: 911 ✭✭✭crashoveroid


    I use a Mavic Wintech ES with cadence and love it as the saying goes does exactly what it says on the tin


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,991 ✭✭✭el tel


    I use a Mavic Wintech ES with cadence and love it as the saying goes does exactly what it says on the tin

    I would certainly hope it does. So, what does it say on the tin?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,883 ✭✭✭Ghost Rider


    I bet it says "Mavic Wintech ES with cadence".
    el tel wrote:
    I would certainly hope it does. So, what does it say on the tin?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,078 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    I have finally discovered the magic code for my TECHWELL Bicycle computer & it is c2265, this now correspondes precisely to the Car odometer over a distance of eight Kilometres (round trip)!

    Dunno why the code is c2265 because it seems to make no sense, but it works perfectly on my (27 x 1 1/4) inch tyres even though one rotation = c2118.

    Baffled, but finally Happy (unless the car is wrong) ..................... :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,989 ✭✭✭✭blorg


    The car probably is wrong, if one tyre rotation is 2118 that is what you should be putting in. There are reports of motorsport people wiring up bike computers for more accurate readings.

    As to type, I have used two Cateye Mity 3s, the older for around a decade in all conditions and it is still going strong. This is a cheap (c. €25) cyclocomputer, basic but very reliable.

    Personally I wouldn't bother with wireless, you are paying more and have extra components and batteries for very little benefit. Computers are very easy to wire neatly to the front wheel, wrapped around the brake cable and then the fork. Where wireless does have a benefit is if you want cadence or to use a turbo trainer and so want the magnet on the back wheel. (I do have a GPS with wireless cadence and heart rate.)

    I did buy a Lidl one once but for whatever reason it would never turn on.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,461 ✭✭✭mcgratheoin


    Best way by far is to get yourself down to an athletics track - UCD is very handy for this - and calibrate your bike there.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,078 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    So if my car speedo is that far out, does that mean that most second hand cars have odometres that are out by thousands of Kilometres, or maybe even (tens of thousands)? surely the AA and the various road authorities in Europe would be onto this scam!

    Pretty scary I say.

    P.S. when I measure the diameter of the wheels (inc fully inflated tyres) they measure as 71cm instead of the 70cm that you would expect from a 27" tyre .......................... :confused:


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,989 ✭✭✭✭blorg


    Yes, it does, and there have been lawsuits over it. Supposedly the "voluntary standard" in the US is +/- 4%. If you think about it, tyre choice, inflation pressure, etc. all conspire to make them further inaccurate.

    You will get an accurate measurement from a rollout test (or indeed you can calculate from an athletics track) - where exactly did you get your figures 2118 and 2265?

    Having said that you need a rollout 2118 sounds more like an old racer than 2265. See this chart for estimations, it puts 27 x 1 1/4 at a nominal 2161. (The number is circumference in mm, by the way.)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,078 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    The c2118 came from one rotation of my front wheel, and the c2265 came from trial & error after going through about ten various codes until I got one that made the Bike correspond precisely with the car on a journey of eight kilometres ..................

    Next step will be to take the Bike to a running track & re-calibrate the odometer from that!

    Watch this space ~ it will be very interesting to see what happens, & if the bike now matches the track + the car.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,119 ✭✭✭Quigs Snr


    I have an Aldi wireless computer on one bike, it works fine, when you are riding it only gives speed in .5km/hr increments i.e. you won't see 28.1kph, however it averages out correctly. Everything works, you will very occasionally see it go mad under power lines, no more so than many lower end bike computers in my experience but there you go. They are not lookers thats for sure, but if you don't want to spend big bucks, they are fine, plus the heartrate monitor that is built in works pretty well also. Cateye / sigma wireless computers might be a little better but for similar functionality cost a lot more. Up to yourself depends how serious you are.

    On my race bike, I have a 300 Euro Polar CS400 computer and its the business ! If only I could figure out how to work it ! The Polar CS100 isn't cheap but as far as basic computers go, its very good. There are very few bike computers out there that won't do the basics to a decent enough standard though.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 437 ✭✭vesp


    blorg wrote:
    I did buy a Lidl one once but for whatever reason it would never turn on.

    lol. surprise surprise. ( not )


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭oneweb


    Hope you don't mind me jumping in here - are there any cycle computers which can hook up to a pc to keep track of cycle times / distances etc? if so where's the best place to find them and how much would i have to shell out?

    It is what it's.



  • Registered Users Posts: 616 ✭✭✭arch_stanton


    It may be more than you're looking for but the Polar CS300 does a good job. It measures heart-rate, speed, distance, calories etc. etc and it's a nice looking watch too.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 15,989 ✭✭✭✭blorg


    oneweb wrote:
    Hope you don't mind me jumping in here - are there any cycle computers which can hook up to a pc to keep track of cycle times / distances etc? if so where's the best place to find them and how much would i have to shell out?
    Yes, besides my decade-old cheap Cateye I also recently bought a Garmin Edge 305 which does this, along with tracking your actual route through GPS, elevation (very encouraging), heart rate and a host of other stuff. Very happy with it indeed. A lot of the Polar heart-rate monitors also do PC logging but lack the GPS bit.


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