Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - computers

Do any of yall use one of these? I'd like to know how fast I go sometimes and how far, but I don't like anything on my handlebars ( not even brake levers). Is there a way to mount it on your stem, or toptube?
Thanks.

Sorry, absolutely no computers allowed on fixies.

funny

Get a cheapo discontinued wireless one (think Nashbar/Performance has the old Cateye Cordless for $35 or so), mount the sensor on your fork, then put the computer in your pocket...inconvenient for current speed, I suppose, but you can pull it out of your pocket at the end of the ride so you'll know how far you went.

At the risk of sounding like a total loser, then again perhaps I am, I'd love to have cadence available when I'm spinning down a hill. It's easy enough to look at a chart when I get home, but I'd like to know it in real-time without having to do math...."gee, if I spin just a bit faster I'll be at 150 rpm"...something along those lines.

Y'all are elitist fixie bastards.
I run a computer, though I run it on my handlebars. It would be simple to run one on your stem or top tube, though it would be sideways. Can't be that hard to read. Or if you really want to be cool, get a wireless setup and mount the computer on a wristband so all you have is the goofy thing on the fork and nothing else on the bike.
The one I'm running right now is a cateye (I think) and it uses a rubber band type thing to mount the computer so it comforms to a bunch of different tube sizes and would mount in a lot of places. Be creative and don't let any of these wank3rs tell you what to do. They all suck anyway.

Forgot to mention that since you reside in Hawaii, you are absolutely allowed a computer on a fixie. If anyone gives you crap about it, it's the little-known "riding fixie on volcano" rule. Man, I miss that place. You should try that 32 mile downhill ride on the volcano (can't remember its name) in Maui. On your fixie. Maybe a 55 or 56 tooth in front and an 11 in back. No brakes, natch.

put the computer in your pocket...

No wireless computer in pocket whilst riding a fixie....ever. Even on a volcano.

-Elitist Fixie Bastard

inkd: it's your bike, put a computer on if you want to. i (and most everyone else) down at the track use computers. i think if anyone has authority over what's "right" and what's not on a fixed gear / track bike, it's people who actually use these track bikes for their intended purpose. racing. not trying to look cool and impress others.

I run an old Cateye Vectra comp on mine...It's old and matches the old bike well. It also was included with the $10 I spent on the bike. Currently it resides on the handlebars but it was previously mounted on the very back of the top tube or alternately on the seatpost and had the sensor on the rear wheel. It doesn't look pretty but I have a set amount of miles that I want to get each day with the intent of increasing my mileage and speed. Having to get off your bike and look under your seatbag isn't fun so it now is on the handlebars, where I can see my mileage. Of course this is a 25 year old Raleigh conversion. When I get my Cinelli (when I can save the money) I may refrain from putting a comp on it.

Yes Sigma Sports has a stem mount kit you can get for their cyclometers. I guess you could mount it on your top tube but I think it would be difficult to see.

No wireless computer -Elitist Fixie Bastard
I hate to say it, but I agree with Schiek. I've consumed way too much damn Kool-Aid to put pieces of plastic tinsel all over my bike. All that wind drag, you know...

inkd:.....it's people who actually use these track bikes for their intended purpose. racing. not trying to look cool and impress others.......hmmm... does that hold true for mountain bikes ridden on pavement or basketball shoes worn off-court, for instance? .... ;)

George

i think if anyone has authority over what's "right" and what's not on a fixed gear / track bike, it's people who actually use these track bikes for their intended purpose. racing. not trying to look cool and impress others.


......hmmm... does that hold true for mountain bikes ridden on pavement or basketball shoes worn off-court, for instance? .... ;)

George


Poseur fight!!!

It has really been too long since we had one...

it's people who actually use these track bikes for their intended purpose. racing. not trying to look cool and impress others.
yes it isn't. look back to the history of the bicycle and fixed gears before you make another statement like this. While they didn't have computers, they were used on the street.
And then you have insulted anyone who has ridden a track bike on the street and subverted your own cause for individuality. Tsk tsk...

I hate to say it, but I agree with Schiek.

Well, it's about effin' time.

Of course there is always the option of getting one of those schmancy Timex GPS/HRM things. This would give you your distance and speed and heart rate info without anything attached to your bike. Just don't let any fixed gear minimalists catch you wearing one. You might look silly if it was found out that you were wired up like Lee Majors under your urban cycling fatigues.

And then you have insulted anyone who has ridden a track bike on the street and subverted your own cause for individuality. Tsk tsk...

Kooliad flows.. thick in the blood here. We must break free. Listen to the words of the wise one...



Totalitarian regimes justify their existence by means of a philosophy of political monism, according to which the state is god on earth, unification under the heal of the divine state is salvation and all means to such unification, however intrinsically wicked, are right and may be used with out scruple. This political monism lead in practice to excessive privilege and power for the few and oppression of the many, to discontent at home and war abroad....

I am a weanie!

I have and use my polar HRM with wireless cadence and velocity mount thingys. I really love it. Great way to monitor and keep track of all kinds of info. I set the display for heart rate and cadence. I don't really care about speed or that other stuff when I am on the bike. I only mount the watch when I am using my fixed for training.

When I just cruise for fun I leave the watch off the bike. I still catch myself trying to see my heart rate and cadence occasionally.

i guess I'm a weanie too. I've got the same set-up without the cadence thing. I've got about a 30 mile commute and it's really nice to know how much more or less work i have to do to get to my office on time.
I know it's not aesthetically pleasing, but it keeps me from getting yelled at work and without the bike mount and all the wires the stupid transmitter doesn't get in the way.

Well, it's about effin' time.
I think...I hear...bells in the distance

Wonder what the original poster is thinking now? He comes in looking for a way to put a computer anywhere but on his bar and starts a real poopstorm. Inkdwheels, if you're still with us, screw it, just do whatever you want. You can smile smugly in your beautiful Hawaiian surroundings knowing full well how fast and how far you just pedaled through paradise. It's not like anyone here is gonna' bust you with, gasp, electronics on your fixie. Cheers.

Poopstorm? Here? I'll believe it when I see it.

The DeeBo is back...

Ha! I think i'll get a wireless one. I've been trying to stay off the kool-aid. Since i commute and i don't have a car, I figure i have to pick function over style sometimes.

Maybe a license plate on the seat, so as to draw attention away from the handlebar faux pas.

faux pas.

That sounds french you cheese eating koolaid monkey!

......hmmm... does that hold true for mountain bikes ridden on pavement or basketball shoes worn off-court, for instance? .... ;)

the only time my mountain bike sees pavement is on the way to the trail. (or when my the rest of my bikes aren't ridable.) as far as shoes, i can't stand basketball shoes. too gaudy these days.



yes it isn't. look back to the history of the bicycle and fixed gears before you make another statement like this. While they didn't have computers, they were used on the street.

they rode fixed gears because they had nothing else.



And then you have insulted anyone who has ridden a track bike on the street and subverted your own cause for individuality. Tsk tsk...

i poke fun at people who buy track bikes and never ride them on the track. if they want to ride them on the street, it's their own business. i sure as hell rode mine on the street, but you can bet your ass that every tuesday night i was racing my legs off in kenosha.

see, i got my start riding fixed because i wanted to race on the track. i think it's absolutely the most pure form of bicycle racing there is. there are very few things these days that'd make me happier than going down to the track when the season starts and seeing the number of people racing double. and the number of spectators quadruple. everyone and their brother these days are riding track bikes, or a fixed-gear conversion, but it's always the same people showing up to race.

i'm not saying that everyone who buys a track bike has to race it. i'm just saying it'd be nice if they'd at least try it. a mantra for the fixed-gear community could easily be "form follows function." evident in the cries of "less maintenance!" and "there's nothing to break!" well, guess what. the function of a track bike is to be ridden on a velodrome.

i laugh at people who build up a fixed gear, buy a messenger bag, start drinking PBR, and conform to a couple dozen other stereotypes i can name while at the same time snubbing others for doing what they want to do. be it wear lycra or put a computer on their bike.

Yeah, I figure whatever floats your boat. I ride a fixed gear and i use a messenger bag. But, I was a messenger up untill a few weeks ago. So now im a commuter that looks like a messenger. I think my kool-aid tastes funny.

First of, yes I drink PBR but I think that has more to do with being from Montana.....

I don't have a bike computer on any of my fixies, because I find it distracting. If the computer is there, I tend to pay more attention to my current MPH or Cadence, than the road and cars around me. Henceforth since I ride brakeless most of the time, the last thing I need are more distractions. I have a bunch of computers sitting around in my bike room right now, just collecting dust.

But really why should we care what other people do when they are on their bikes, the important thing is that they ARE on bikes and not in a H2 or some similar beast.

http://www.fuh2.com/

the only time my mountain bike sees pavement is on the way to the trail. (or when my the rest of my bikes aren't ridable.) as far as shoes, i can't stand basketball shoes. too gaudy these day
nice dodge


they rode fixed gears because they had nothing else.
maybe for some of the people in here, a cheap, thrown together FG is all they have. I just built up a new De Bernardi, and it cost one third what a road bike of similar quality would have. I have no geared bikes and haven't ridden one seriously since 1999 (I fell into the one geared thingee around 96 and it is too much fun/less maintenence/less likely to get stolen/more cost effective. Dare I use the word "fun?" Might I direct you to Sheldon Brown's pages on fixed gear for a few other reasons?


i poke fun at people who buy track bikes
I poke fun at people who use computers. We're even.


but you can bet your ass that every tuesday night i was racing my legs off in kenosha
respectable. I raced the Olympic Velodrome in Co Sprngs when I lived out there (when I had the time) and I loved it. Funny thing: I never owned a track bike out there, just an MTB SS. I managed to keep my legs on...I probably was not going fast enough.


see, i got my start riding fixed because i wanted to race on the track. i think it's absolutely the most pure form of bicycle racing there is
Some people in here would argue it is the most pure for of cycling PERIOD. I would concur.


there are very few things these days that'd make me happier than going down to the track when the season starts and seeing the number of people racing double. and the number of spectators quadruple.
that is a good thing. an even better thing - if that happens with all people. more people need to get off their collective asses and ride a bike. or do something physical. America is FAT.


everyone and their brother these days are riding track bikes, or a fixed-gear conversion, but it's always the same people showing up to race..
the same can be said about $7k road bikes or MTB bikes


i'm just saying it'd be nice if they'd at least try it...
agreed, the culture at the track is a rather fun thing to be a part of


well, guess what. the function of a track bike is to be ridden on a velodrome.
ok...so back to the Mountain bike comparison.
this narrowing of function on any bike can be applied to any accessory on a bike too then.
the logic here is absent.
if this is your own opinion, that's cool. but I have never seen a book of "How and Where to Ride Your Track Bike." Or one called "Why You Can't Put a Cycling Computer on Your Track Bike."
I think the point here is a clear.


i laugh at people who build up a fixed gear, buy a messenger bag, etc.
Now THAT'S cool. Do you mirror this action with everything else people do in relation to what you think is laughable? If someone wants to do th above for street cred, fine. If they go away in time b/c PBR tastes like butt to them, or their knees start to hurt, or they don't get the attention they need...FINE. Who cares in the overall picture? Don't tell us. Go tell Bianchi, KHS, Specialized and the other companies that make "street" track bikes that what they are doing is not acceptable. Maybe they'll stop. Just for you.


Start drinking PBR.
I served in the Army. PBR and Mickeys were always the cheapest suds around. Note: cheapest. Beer can have the same theory as "why ride a fixed a gear" = cost effective in a variety of ways. Let me know what I should be drinking now since I have a few more dollars to spend. I'd hate to see my money getting saved.


and conform to a couple dozen other stereotypes i can name while at the same time snubbing others for doing what they want to do. be it wear lycra or put a computer on their bike.
Once again, you fall into your own trap. Snubbing is snubbing.

Overall fore:
I do understand your position, I just don't agree with it as it smacks of the same elitism that can be displayed in here (and on the roads too) about fixed gear/track on the streets. I joke around a lot and most people in here know when I am kidding around and when I am serious; if I confused you anywhere before, let me know and I clarify my statements. In the long run, people will do what they want. Asking someone if they have a preferred manner of mounting a computer on a track bike is a valid question. I am suprised you didn't find out where this bike was going to be ridden (Hmm...does Hawaii have a velodrome?).
Lastly, your signature baffles me (okay - this is where I begin kidding around):
"I ride bikes"
How are we to understand this? Can you tell us which bikes you ride where. We want to make sure we are doing it right.
;)
I am always happy to wake up to a good 'forum converasation'...it makes cheap coffee (uh-oh, is that too hip for me to have cheap coffee? ;) ) go down easier.
Cheers! :beer: (I think they are toasting with Schlitz)

If you want to keep your handlebar clean then this is what you need...

http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.asp?PART_NUM_SUB='3226-00'

...and of course this…

http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.asp?PART_NUM_SUB='3210-03'

...I can’t stand wires.

As much as I never tire of the fixie culture elitism v. poseur battle that has once again reared its pretty head, what I really want to know is whether I can continue to drink Tang, even though I'm not an astronaut.

As much as I never tire of the fixie culture elitism v. poseur battle that has once again reared its pretty head, what I really want to know is whether I can continue to drink Tang, even though I'm not an astronaut.
I must be a TOTAL Poseur...I drink grape Tang.

I never get discouraged when people call me a poser. When I started skateboarding at 12 I was called a poser. All those people weren't around to call me a poser when I was 27 riding a 12 foot halfpipe. People may call me a poser as they see fit butthe fact is that I will be cycling until I'm physically unable to do so anymore. If all goes as planned. I'll have a slew of bikes both geared and fixed and SS and choppers and cobbled together 3 speeds and whatever else I can dream/build up. Each day I'll choose what I want to ride. I've never ridden a velodrome, the closest I've been to one was seeing it from the highway driving through Indy. I've never been to a road race or a cyclocross race either much less raced in one. So should I sell my road bike too?

So should I sell my road bike too?
ROAD BIKE??? Poseur...
:D

Lastly, your signature baffles me (okay - this is where I begin kidding around):
"I ride bikes"


"i ride bikes" is a thing my friend's collegiate team (UW-Whitewater) uses on shirts and pint glasses and whatnot. i've adopted it as my signature. i never quite saw the point in listing every bike i own. since the topic has been brought up:

2004 Gary Fisher Tassajara - my fun-in-the-dirt toy
2003 Salsa Campeon - my training/road race rig.
1970s Chimo Cobra - fixed conversion, currently in pieces in my attic, was used for Bike Polo and commuting
1999 Bianchi Veloce - current rainy day commuter. fixed. geared at 53x16
1980s Davidson Track - frame waiting to be built. fedex has hold of this one since they damaged the headtube in shipping. once that gets sorted out either it, or the frame i get with the money from the claim, will be my new race bike.


as far as the rest of the conversation goes, i'm through. i dont think anything is going to come out of it except for me looking like an ass, which really is nothing new.

Actuall it's a cyclocross bike set up with road slicks...I get a posing twofer. But that's OK Mommy says I'll find my niche someday.

as far as the rest of the conversation goes, i'm through. i dont think anything is going to come out of it except for me looking like an ass, which really is nothing new.
Not my point at all. Just having a conversation.

two days ago I saw two kids looking at my pista while it was locked up. One was incorrectly explaining that my bike had a coaster brake! I explained that it was fixed gear and as I was leaving I heard him dismiss me for my "messenger-style." It honestly didn't bother me because I know I've ridden fixed through 2 Chicago winters. Heck now that bicycling magazine has pegged the pista the new hip thing I've come to expect some backlash, but the antidotefor me is rolling down Cortland Ave. and feeling the heat from A Finkel Steel or having a stroke while spinning out on the hills near the warren dunes of Michigan. Jeff

Not my point at all. Just having a conversation.

i know, it's just how i see myself coming across.

That sounds french you cheese eating koolaid monkey!

Cheese is fine as long as its on my Quarter Pounder. And supersize those freedom fries, squid.

The only time I drank PBR was when it was $7 for a pitcher and a pizza. You can't argue with the price even if it does taste like crap.