tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post6335178934263629110..comments2024-03-18T10:19:55.782-04:00Comments on The Velo ORANGE Blog: Thinking About Bike ComputersVelo Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835615331417822722noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-62042164850219746952009-08-11T06:17:50.622-04:002009-08-11T06:17:50.622-04:00Its a new kind of invention but its pretty good.Its a new kind of invention but its pretty good.cheap computershttp://www.electrocomputerwarehouse.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-78384088657259523902009-02-16T18:52:00.000-05:002009-02-16T18:52:00.000-05:00Interesting responses. The problem I've found with...Interesting responses. The problem I've found with the directions from locals is that perceived distance varies by region.<BR/><BR/>In Maine, ask an old Mainer and they'll say "you can't get there from here". <BR/><BR/>In west Texas or southern New Mexico, they'll say "the store is 'bout 15 minutes down the road" - that's 15 minutes in a pickup going 60mph into a 25mph headwind. <BR/><BR/>Here in the southeast, they'll say "take a left a Mac's barn, go down to Ted's pond and take a right, and turn left at the stop sign with the big tree." <BR/><BR/>I read a journal of Nathaniel Hawthorne's experience of riding a donkey through rural southern France in the 19th century. When asking directions, he received similar vague answers.<BR/><BR/>Of course, throughout history many an indiginous local has purposely mis-directed a "furiner"!<BR/><BR/>Having said that, some of my bikes have computers and some don't. It depends on the purpose of the ride that day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-86917539871401873002009-02-16T17:33:00.000-05:002009-02-16T17:33:00.000-05:00I used to use one because I had a seasonal mileage...I used to use one because I had a seasonal mileage goal, but gas prices went up. Now I ride anytime I don't specifically need the car, so my old mileage goal gets passed sometime around June. They are pretty much useless to me now.Marchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11240252773932276478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-18289686093919726312009-02-14T12:08:00.000-05:002009-02-14T12:08:00.000-05:00Here's a twist.Combine a commuter light with the c...Here's a twist.<BR/>Combine a commuter light with the computer and make the contraption able to "secure the end of the bar wrap. Here lies an opening for other "combos", such as a radio, mirror (for personal grooming while on the move), beer opener.....etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-7912557434742287492009-02-14T08:19:00.000-05:002009-02-14T08:19:00.000-05:00I ride with a GPS on tours. It's handy to be able...I ride with a GPS on tours. It's handy to be able to find bike shops, restaurants, supermarkets, etc. in unfamiliar towns. Also nice to get back to a route after I meander.ablejackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17943952045338139458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-71632733168597593402009-02-13T22:51:00.000-05:002009-02-13T22:51:00.000-05:00Definitely not! I don't need a constant reminder ...Definitely not! I don't need a constant reminder of how slowly I'm moving :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-80597685542532467812009-02-13T20:39:00.000-05:002009-02-13T20:39:00.000-05:00I use a wireless computer/GPS/HRM combination, but...I use a wireless computer/GPS/HRM combination, but have to admit I hate the way computers look on a bike (new or vintage). I've yet to find place to mount one on my 70's Gitane that doesn't mess with the aesthetics of the bike. <BR/><BR/>Of all the features, the HRM data is most important to me right now...that may change once I get better at judging my effort level at the beginning of a long ride (so I don't feel like death in the last 10 miles of a century)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-7994604814118582792009-02-13T15:23:00.000-05:002009-02-13T15:23:00.000-05:00I've never cared much for computers, but I learned...I've never cared much for computers, but I learned to really dislike them when I was a mountain bike guide. I recall one guest storming up to me at a lunch spot, which I had earlier predicted was "a couple of miles away." He didn't seem to have been impressed with the topography or geology we passed over those coulpe/few miles; instead, he raged, "That was the longest damn two miles I've ever seen! I've got 3.4 on my computer!" <BR/><BR/>I don't use exclamation points lightly--but his reaction certainly indicated them. When I asked what else his computer could tell him about the trail everyone else had been enjoying, he stormed off. <BR/><BR/>It's about quality, not quantity, as my father has alway told me. Dad does have an old Huret cyclometer, driven by a tiny o-ring-like belt, on his old Trek, from mid-70s, back when they were a frame shop. He uses it for maintenance intervals, as someone here noted, though I prefer to check for actual wear myself. I think he also likes knowing how many miles are on the old steed, though I give him credit for appreciating the quality of those miles as well. <BR/><BR/>Happy Trails,<BR/>Ron Georg<BR/>MoabAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-54277489248341976142009-02-13T07:43:00.000-05:002009-02-13T07:43:00.000-05:00I always thought bike computers were a waste of mo...I always thought bike computers were a waste of money and a distraction. Who cares how fast/far I'm going on the bike? If I really needed to know these things I could figure it out with a clock and a map later. I figured it would just break or get stolen, and yes I probably would never bother to replace the battery.lee.watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00650449275019133632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-90445366020430038982009-02-13T07:36:00.000-05:002009-02-13T07:36:00.000-05:00I don't have one on my bike right now. I found th...I don't have one on my bike right now. I found that I would put them on, keep them for a couple of weeks, and then take them off.<BR/><BR/>But.<BR/><BR/>If somebody made one that was small, maybe an 3/4" high by 1" wide, thin and curved at the back, maybe designed to be integrated with bar tape (this could be easily done), and that was *solely* a total/resettable trip odometer, I'd buy it in an instant. For new places and cue sheets, knowing how far you've gone is way more important than how fast you're going.Andy "What?" M-Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00678292315368970018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-13980165360820432312009-02-13T03:03:00.000-05:002009-02-13T03:03:00.000-05:00Computers on the two bikes I use for exercise, but...Computers on the two bikes I use for exercise, but not on the vintage bike simply because speed (and 'data') is not the priority. I am quite taken with the old-fashioned 'tour meter' displayed on the latest www.u2needyourheadsfixed.info post - not exactly a computer, but it kind of fits?<BR/>TimAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-15025079689997861172009-02-13T02:57:00.000-05:002009-02-13T02:57:00.000-05:00I just bought a new bicycle, although it's a 1992 ...I just bought a new bicycle, although it's a 1992 model, which came with a computer. After decades and decades of covering distances without knowing how far or how fast I've been going, I'm looking forward to enlightenment. The jury is still out on bicycle computers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-470302423191099552009-02-12T19:52:00.000-05:002009-02-12T19:52:00.000-05:00Joel, I think you mean Tuesday night in Salt Lake ...Joel, I think you mean Tuesday night in Salt Lake City.Ian Dicksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14721391514711042385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-52845260734599622632009-02-12T18:20:00.000-05:002009-02-12T18:20:00.000-05:00fuck computers. We need retro handlebar mount sho...fuck computers. We need retro handlebar mount shortwave radios so we can tune into the BBC to get Greenwich mean time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-9083276193810392622009-02-12T16:27:00.000-05:002009-02-12T16:27:00.000-05:00One thing those of you who do like keeping precise...One thing those of you who do like keeping precise bicycle use records need to keep in mind is that those of us who do not (and probably many of those who do) find your efforts to share such data about as much fun as Tuesday evenings out on the town in Milwaukee ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-83609144550189004872009-02-12T14:43:00.000-05:002009-02-12T14:43:00.000-05:00I do like having an odometer to judge how long tir...I do like having an odometer to judge how long tires last, and logging total miles for the year (as a commuter).<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, in this electronic age, you can't just get a simple odometer anymore, you get these multifunction LCD readouts that aren't aesthetically pleasing at all, for the most part.<BR/><BR/>knog.com.au has announced a lovely bike computer. It is called the NERD, and is small and unobtrusive and has a silicone housing which serves as a clamping mechanism (stem or bar mount), just like their lights. It is also wireless (though line of sight), so no clutter on your fork.<BR/><BR/>About the only way they could improve it, is to provide a feed for dynohub power so that it doesn't require a battery.keithwwalkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11808096138218041326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-54227647967744503492009-02-12T10:56:00.000-05:002009-02-12T10:56:00.000-05:00I have been tracking all my rides and mileage for ...I have been tracking all my rides and mileage for 35 years (over 120K miles), and it got a bit easier when bike computers were introduced. But I've been getting a bit too focused on nonsense like "where am I compared to 2006" so I'm just writing down the ride lengths, not totalling them up. Could be the first step on giving up computers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-1207149015876869912009-02-12T00:59:00.000-05:002009-02-12T00:59:00.000-05:00For years I've used a computer on my touring bike ...For years I've used a computer on my touring bike with tape over the display so I don't have to look at the readout until I want to check distance. This works for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-77434950452836330382009-02-12T00:21:00.000-05:002009-02-12T00:21:00.000-05:00My touring bike has one, because I do enjoy loggin...My touring bike has one, because I do enjoy logging trips and seeing how far I've ridden. My commuter bike ('73 English three-speed style) does not, will not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-23678350163756596672009-02-11T23:52:00.000-05:002009-02-11T23:52:00.000-05:00No computers! I took mine off last year and haven...No computers! I took mine off last year and haven't looked back for the exact reasons that you articulated, with the same caveat regarding navigation. But if I'm riding with a group, it's moot, and if I'm on my own, I can make due.<BR/><BR/>Also, and possibly more important, I didn't want to ruin the lines of my bike. I had mounted it low, on the top tube, which worked fairly well, but didn't like it enough to keep it.<BR/><BR/>I figure that I look at computer screens for about 60 hours a week, so when I'm out on a ride, the last thing I need is another fargin' LED to stare at.<BR/>--<BR/>BrianAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-91077587444857778312009-02-11T19:34:00.000-05:002009-02-11T19:34:00.000-05:00On our cycling honeymoon on Cape Breton Island, we...On our cycling honeymoon on Cape Breton Island, we met some American guy at a campsite who was bragging about how far and how fast he rode from one town to another, and he got his information from his computer. If we really cared about his trip instead of our own, it sounded impressive. That is, until we looked at a map and saw he had his calibration off, and his estimations were off by about 30% (i.e., he thought 70km was 100). I don't have a problem with computers on bikes, but as everything, are only as useful as the operator.<BR/>mbAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-59256090811428265542009-02-11T19:02:00.000-05:002009-02-11T19:02:00.000-05:00i used on on my tour last summer. my favorite mem...i used on on my tour last summer. my favorite memory was mashing as hard as i could into the unforgiving wind, looking down, and saw the depressing little 8.5 with a downward arrow next to it. <BR/><BR/>Other than that, though, no computers. I use a combination of Google Maps + Street View, local bicycle maps, memory, and veloroutes.org to plan my routes and do mileage followups. while i don't especially care to, i suppose i could get a rough average speed, too -- but i know it already: faster than most, slower than many.<BR/><BR/>by the time i'm fifty, i bet i'll be calculating mileage, grades, and averages with a topo map and a piece of string. most likely because industrial society will have collapsed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-5048211046242979772009-02-11T16:38:00.000-05:002009-02-11T16:38:00.000-05:00I've had such BAD "luck" installing, or rather blo...I've had such <B>BAD</B> "luck" installing, or rather blowing the install, on two computers on bikes I no longer try. Distance measurement is a job for string and a map.<BR/><BR/>That said, I find the distance information on the local (San Diego Randonneurs) brevet route sheets vital and highly important. If I know I'm going to be on, say Old Castle Road for approximately eleven miles, I just take note of the mile marker signs on the side of the road, pedal, look at the scenery, notice there's no "down" in any of the scenery, round the corner, see a big mountatain way ahead with a diagonal slash in the middle and realize I'm going to have to climb THAT.<BR/><BR/>I believe Trek came out with some extremely simple (low function, few buttons) bike computers for the 2009 product year. I'm not too interested because I KNOW I'll sever the cables or accidentally open the neighbor's garage door or something.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-91513609425239067042009-02-11T16:28:00.000-05:002009-02-11T16:28:00.000-05:00Never really even tried one. It might be nice to k...Never really even tried one. It might be nice to know exactly how far I've ridden total, but I'm trying to determine what I need on the bike, and subtracting all other elements. A computer doen't cut the mustard.<BR/><BR/>As for mph, HR, and time, those things aren't really what I'm interested in when riding. I'm either interested in a workout (and it's easy to tell when you're getting a good workout sans computer), or for the scenery.Erich Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14235008934121135779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-77472350477961754332009-02-11T14:20:00.000-05:002009-02-11T14:20:00.000-05:00I like the guy who remembers his Avocet computer f...I like the guy who remembers his Avocet computer from the late-1970's . . . especially because they weren't available until 1986 ! <BR/><BR/>So much for memory, eh ?<BR/><BR/>I also liked the idea of having one as an odometer but kept out of sight inside a bag. The last few bike computers I had always had some idiotic "average speed" arrow that did nothing but indicate how slowly I was going and how I never seemed to be working hard enough ! <BR/><BR/>Like I need some goddamn piece of plastic as another BOSS in my life ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com