RecumBum

I have a new cyclocomputer on the way for my Burley, so it’s time to say goodbye to my old computers. Yes, that’s “computers”, as in two.

The first is a Bell SpinFit (the one on the right in the photo), which is what came with the bike when I bought it. It’s a pretty basic cyclocomputer, with all the typical functions (clock, speed, trip distance, trip time, average speed, maximum speed, odometer, and auto start/stop). The one unusual feature is has is a calorie counter. (See Spinfit Instruction Manual.)

The Spinfit is decent enough for a cheap computer. and worked well for me. The only thing I didn’t like was that the distance was only recorded in tenths of a mile resolution. That, and the calorie counter is only three digits (000-999), making it fairly useless for long rides.

The second computer is an even cheaper cyclocomputer. I don’t know what the brand is, but I purchased it from Target. It features only a few functions (speed, trip distance, trip time, odometer, and auto start/stop). I had it rigged to display cadence.

Any cyclocomputer can be used to display cadence (see Cadence Computer, Creating a Cadence Measurer, Improvising a Bicycle Cadence Computer), it’s just a matter of programming the right value for the wheel size, and setting up a sensor to measure pedal revolutions.

In my case, I duct-taped a magnet to my crank, and tie-wrapped the sensor to an extension off the derailleur post. Since the sensor’s wire was too short, I also had to patch in an extension. Originally, I had only rigged this up as an experiment (hence the duct tape), but ended up keeping it for six months or so.

I found it very useful to display my cadence (found out I wasn’t spinning quite as fast as I’d thought I was). This setup also had one advantage over a cyclocomputer with built-in cadence – it allowed me to track average cadence for an entire ride (most cyclocomputers only display current cadence).

So if this setup was working for me (which it was), why change? One, I wanted to clear some space on my handlebar. Two, I wanted to clean up the wiring. Three, a few weeks ago I dropped the Bell computer, which broke the battery cover off. It fit back on, but was none too secure. Four, the wiring for the Bell sensor had been nicked, and was beginning to fray.

In other words, the Bell was about shot. So I decided to get a new cyclocomputer. I’ll explain the search and installation in another post…