Mountain Biking - mtb spedometer

i was thinking i know they a have that thing that tells you how many miles/km you have gone. BUT is there something that could tell me how fast i am going? and do they work well?

i was thinking i know they a have that thing that tells you how many miles/km you have gone. BUT is there something that could tell me how fast i am going? and do they work well?


They're called computers. And yes they work well.

They can do speed, average speed, distance and basically anything practical.

Search "computer" on this forum and you'll find a lot.

"Cadence" (Pedal RPM) I feel is MORE important then your speed.

Get one that has both.

Good Luck,

WALK

I have a Cateye Enduro 8, comes with a heavier wiring set than most other models. Works great for me so far. Doesn't have the Cadence function, but does everything else for me.

Also worth considering is the Cateye Micro Wireless. Works well and has made it thru a few pretty hard dumps, which is all that I can ask of it. :) Check on eBay and it can be had to the door for under $35 if you're patient..

"Cadence" (Pedal RPM) I feel is MORE important then your speed.



Cadence on a mountain bike? Thats hardcore.

I can just picture me dropping to 10 RPM getting the freeride bike up that hill and some kind of alarm going off.

"Cadence" (Pedal RPM) I feel is MORE important then your speed.

Get one that has both.

Good Luck,

WALK
Who are you Lance Armstrong? I've said it before and I'll repeat myself (again :rolleyes: )You don't need a computer on a MTB

Who are you Lance Armstrong? I've said it before and I'll repeat myself (again :rolleyes: )You don't need a computer on a MTB

Computers are great on MTB's! (like I have mentioned to you a gillizlion times). Wireless are probably less likely to get ripped off, but if your not going extreem hardcore then they're fine. Heck I used one to measure the 2006 Commenwealth Games mountain bike course a few weeks ago. See, they do come in handy :)

Computers are great on MTB's! (like I have mentioned to you a gillizlion times). Wireless are probably less likely to get ripped off, but if your not going extreem hardcore then they're fine. Heck I used one to measure the 2006 Commenwealth Games mountain bike course a few weeks ago. See, they do come in handy :)
A GPS unit is far more accurate :p

A GPS unit is far more accurate :p

hahahaha...oh what a funny response....hehehehe....loser

hahahaha...oh what a funny response....hehehehe....loser
Don't bite off more than you can chew

hahahaha...oh what a funny response....hehehehe....loser

If you're creative, you can use your GPS to give trail elevation maps like this:
http://fox302.com/userdata/notfred/files/Biking/test.png

Try doing that with a cycle computer.

(the graph above is from fort ord public use trails, which is where they hold the sea otter classic. Unfortunately, the batteries in my GPS died three miles after the start of the trail)

:lol:

Just wondering, where would such a thing be hooked up? Would it be hooked up to a tire somehow similar to a car's setup?

Who are you Lance Armstrong? I've said it before and I'll repeat myself (again :rolleyes: )You don't need a computer on a MTB

Not too many HILLS there in Florida I bet?

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/11215-095_SETCV2-2-Accessories-27-Computers/Heart-Rate-/Sette-Quantum-X2-Wireless-Computer.htm
Just bought this one, used it today and it works great, put in 30 mile ride...and i know it actually was 30 miles.

ooh! ooh! Raiyin, can I tell him about the search function located at the top of the screen that will let him find other threads on this topic? or would you rather do it? and you are correct a GPS is more accurate than a computer. I used both and the GPS was balls accurate and the computer was not this past week

Are there any bike computers made out of carbon fibre?

ooh! ooh! Raiyin, can I tell him about the search function located at the top of the screen that will let him find other threads on this topic?

You can do it just this once. Just make sure to insult them if they find an old thread and bump it.

Walmart, $10, works fine on my MTB. (I'm not hardcore though)

A GPS unit is far more accurate :p

Depends how you configure your bike computer. If you measure right and calibrate, your cyclocomputer will be WAY more accurate than a GPS.

Consumer GPS only has 3m resolution under GOOD conditions. Add a heavy canopy (as is apt to happen when bikng in the woods) and the resolution gets worse (or it blinks out altogether).

Now add some hills and the accuracy of GPS gets even worse. Yes, GPS can determine your altitude as well. But that ads another 3m or error (under good conditions). You could go down a steep 10 foot hill and the GPS may barely register a couple feet of movement.

Here is a hint to those setting up your cyclo computers. Follow the instructions for marking out a full revolution of your wheel. But make sure you LOAD the wheel. When the tire deforms it decreases the radius of the tire ever so slightly. If you measure without load, your distances will be over reported.

Not too many HILLS there in Florida I bet?You say that like it's a bad thing. We have plenty of terrain that would challenge you. Try riding in a reclaimed phosphate mine sometime.
ooh! ooh! Raiyin, can I tell him about the search function located at the top of the screen that will let him find other threads on this topic? or would you rather do it? and you are correct a GPS is more accurate than a computer. I used both and the GPS was balls accurate and the computer was not this past weekBy all means. Here's the graphic.
http://img245.echo.cx/img245/9869/search7ro.gif

You can do it just this once. Just make sure to insult them if they find an old thread and bump it.
Old dead threads are for READING not for responding to months and years after the fact.

Depends how you configure your bike computer. If you measure right and calibrate, your cyclocomputer will be WAY more accurate than a GPS.

Did we miss the smiley? If I don't recommend a $20 computer why the heck would I seriously suggest a much more expensive GPS?

Did we miss the smiley? If I don't recommend a $20 computer why the heck would I seriously suggest a much more expensive GPS?[/QUOTE]

You have me a sassy smartass smiley :p

The smileys for sarcasm is the winky smiley: ;) and rolleye smiley :rolleyes: (though that's more relevant to people taking themselves too seriously)


As in WHATEVER :rolleyes:

Depends how you configure your bike computer. If you measure right and calibrate, your cyclocomputer will be WAY more accurate than a GPS.


Yes and no. On most trails a cyclo-computer will give a more accurate reading. But when you are measuring the roll-out of the wheel you are generally doing so on a smooth uniform surface. Realistically when you are mountain biking the front wheel will be lifting and bouncing, (or of course you are carrying the bike over stuff) and on a rough trail this can add up to a fair bit of error. The back wheel, if you have a long enough wire, would probably be a better choice. If you have a rough REALLY trail and good skyview, I find the GPS is sometimes more consistent.

It's unlikely in real life anyone would notice or care about this.