Use of Bicycle Computers?

[NC Steve]

While a bicycle computer can be a PIA to set up correctly, I think it is a very viable alternative to the stock unit.  Not as much fun as a GPSr (IMHO), but a lot cheaper ($20), and you don't have to wait to acquire a signal before it works.  And it is less tempting to thieves.
And it gives you a clock, and tripmeter and odometer and kilometers/miles and and and...

I don't think visibility in the daylight is as much of a problem as night time.  AFAIK, none are backlit.
You do need to make sure it will function beyond 55 or 60 mph.  Some do not.  A bicycle dealer can answer those questions.

I do not have one.  Since I already had a GPSr, and wanted to mount it anyway, that was my solution.

Here is a link to an installation http://www.geocities.com/toms_toys/bc80.html

Technology truly is an amazing thing. Having tried lubing up the speedo gears & oiling the cable as suggested here, with some, but minimal, improvement, I decided to check a bit further into the world of bicycle computers. Lo and behold, there are dozens, maybe hundreds, of these things out there, and cheap too, that promise to do everything but wash the bike for you. Particularly interesting is the lineup of wireless units, which may help to avoid many of the set-up headaches described in Rob's link, above. Most all are calibrated to run to 99.999 mph now, and many are backlit as well, so I'm having a hard time seeing the downside here.

Problem is, no one I've talked to locally has any experience running one of these computers on a motorcycle. The bicycle shop people seem intrigued, but mostly just think I'm crazy, and of course will not guarantee the success of their systems in such an application whatsoever.
So, my appeal: does anyone else here have any experience, good or bad, with using one of these things, particularly the wireless models? Any help, advice, etc. would be very much appreciated, and I'll be sure to write up a tech piece w/pics if I attempt this route.
Thanks. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Contact Stephen, registered here as Lurker no R65

He has one on at least one of his bikes.

I have heard the wireless are more trouble than they are worth.

The set-up troubles I referred to are programming the computer to read accurate distance, something that is identical whether wire or wireless, bicycle or motorcycle application.
You should not let this deter you.
But if I were to get one, it would have a wire going to the sending unit.

[Lurker_no_R65]

Here are my 2c worth:

...   I went to buy a SIGMA bicycle speedo Model No. BC1200, a 2005 model (http://www.sigmasport.de/en/produkte/bikecomputer/) as I heard good things about them and it also seemed a pretty straight forward thing to do. I bought the wireless version, but it requires "line of sight". I was not sure whether to even try that and bought the additional "Rear Wheel Kit" from Sigma (5 ft cable) and fitted that instead. Used some silicone to afix the parts. Works like a charm:




High resolution pictures:
http://www.stephenbottcher.net/BMW/GS/05mar06/DSCF0540.JPG
http://www.stephenbottcher.net/BMW/GS/05mar06/DSCF0549.JPG
http://www.stephenbottcher.net/BMW/GS/05mar06/DSCF0542.JPG

[NC Steve]

So, having opted for Sigma's "rear wheel kit" (installed on the front wheel, looks like), does that in effect make the "wireless" unit back into  "wired" one?
If so, would you suggest just buying the "wired" computer from the outset?

Thanks again.

[Lurker_no_R65]

Yes, in the end I used a wired bicycle speedo. On the issue of the rear wheel kit though: you will find that the cable supplied with a wired kit is not long enough as it was designed for the front wheel of a bicycle which has significantly shorter forks and travel compared to a motorcycle. Therefore you need the rear kit anyways. Unless some sets are sold directly for the rear wheel.

Best is to consider dual use: motorbike and bicycle!

[NC Steve]

Glad I asked, Stephen, thanks a lot for clearing that up: I'd have gotten the wrong parts for sure.
Sounds like, dollar for dollar, this route would be mighty hard to beat...

[Semper Gumby]

Hi Stephen,

Stephen is the source for the German Crankfire electronic ignition I was talking about.  Still works like a charm.

 

[Lurker_no_R65]

Hey Bill,

How have you been? I know these OMEGAs are hard to beat, glad your's is working as it should!

Stephen

[Ed Miller]

Steven, can you post (either here or on your site) a picture of how you routed the wire up around the suspension area?  Obviously quite a bit of slack would be needed to avoid breaking the wire when the forks are fully extended, and I was hoping you had a graceful way to do that.

Somebody recently gave me a mountain bike with a computer like that on it, but not a Sigma.  Unfortunately the moving part which attaches to the wheel snaps into the spokes of the bicycle, and I don't see a way to install it on either one of my bikes.  But it doesn't sound like those Sigmas are expensive.  Something about their web site always kills my web browser so I can't look around on it.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Yeah, it would be nice to find some coiled wire for that application.  But that small is doubtful.

[Lurker_no_R65]

Steven, can you post (either here or on your site) a picture of how you routed the wire up around the suspension area?  Obviously quite a bit of slack would be needed to avoid breaking the wire when the forks are fully extended, and I was hoping you had a graceful way to do that.

Ed, I mounted the sensor on the same side as the brake caliper (single brake in my case) and routed the cable coiled around the brake line upwards. You can also use electric tape or small cable ties if you don't want to coil it around. I will put picture on my website as soon as the bike's back together.

Stephen

[VaSteve]

That's cool.  How does the speed compare to the factory speedo?

I rode with a friend this weekend.  I had just bought this little stick on clock at the BMW dealer...$20.  He mounted a $5 Wal-Mart digital watch to his handlebars and probably had a dozen more features.    I love my bike computer on my Cannondale...this is very interesting.  

[NC Steve]

Va Steve, supposedly these things are dead accurate compared to factory guages, in both speed & distance. For those of us with "bouncy" speedos, stuck trip meters, etc., it's just too tempting to have a good fix for 10 -50 bucks!! Ebay's also full of the things.

PS: The are lots on ebay that are backlit now, and emails to several sellers indicate speed readings up to 100 mph or more are also available...

[jhebass01]

I have the top-of-the-line Sigma, believe it's the 1906 (or something) on my bike. Works perfectly and is amazingly accurate. This is the only backlit Sigma computer, which is why I paid the whopping extra $20 to get it. I think it was $35.

I didn't need extra wire, and I had high bars on my R65. Since switched to low bars so i need it even less. FYI the only mounting issue is the rubber tie that attached the sensor the fork. It wasn't big enough to go around the fork so I rigged some zip ties. One goes around the sensor to create a loop and two attach this loop to fork. Works perfectly. Also, I used some neodymium magnets I picked up from radio shack instead of the included magnet. I attached the first to the hub w/ a dab of super glue and then stacked the tiny magents until it was near enough to the sensor to actuate it. FYI, there's very little clearance between the magnet and the caliper, but it'll work.

The only problem I had was once leaning on the bars at highway speed to take a little left-hand breather only to discover that I had knocked off my first computer. The new one plugged right into the old mount.

Hope that helps.

[VaSteve]

Va Steve, supposedly these things are dead accurate compared to factory guages, in both speed & distance. For those of us with "bouncy" speedos, stuck trip meters, etc., it's just too tempting to have a good fix for 10 -50 bucks!! Ebay's also full of the things.

My question was more along the lines of "how inaccurate is the factory speedo"?