Road Cycling - Gradiometer

Go Here (http://www-graphics.stanford.edu/~lucasp/bike-grade.html)

For all you roadies who love to know the grades of hills in your area this guy has a download for a gradiometer,it works great. I did it a little differently by superglueing a fine thread to the penny instead of the duct tape so it operates smoother. I used a CD case and then laminated the download so it would hold up to harder use. I then poked a small hole at the top and threaded the string with the penny and tied a knot at the back. Then I superglued the whole assembly to the CD case.I go around to all my favorite hills and check grades!

For those who are lazier, there is this -
https://www.adventurecycling.org/cgi-shl/webc.exe/advsales/st_prod.html?p_prodid=554&p_catid=32&sid=4n7d47YN

Well what will they think of next!!

My dad actually bought a little device that mounts on to the handlebar in the same manner as a cyclocomputer (but of course there are no wires, just the mount) called an "InclinoMeter" that uses a capsule of air in water to measure the grade of hills. Pretty cool.

EDIT: Stupid me, I posted before reading the links.

My specialized Pro computer gives grade, altitude and gain. Uses a barometer to figure altitude, so you need a reference, but if the altitude suddenly starts to change and you are riding flats, you know you are about to get wet.

I suspect the little inclinometer might be more accurate on an instantaneous basis. Might be fun to have both one of those and the altimeter, for comparison purposes.

I feel kind of silly after going thru all that trouble to build a gradiometer and then find out all this techno stuff is available. I would love having all that info on a ride,it gives me something to do while I suffer. Of course I have a computer but just the basic stuff.

I've got one too.. there are 2 versions. The standard Sky Mounti goes from -20 to +20. The special one from -10 to +30. I've hit a few 20+ % hills and was dying to know how much steeper these were.. and where I had to get off the bike.. I can cycle 18% for a little while (like 50 m?) but know people who don't need to get off their bikes on very steep hills.

Ivana

Your homebuilt inclinometer is probably more accurate. The SpecializedPro uses an equation(Logarithym?) to compare your speed with the rate of alt. gain to figure grade. So if you stop it goes to zero.