Drunken Chicken

Hi guys!

Well, I decided I wanted to get a computer (or whatever they're called) for my Hardrock. I do DH and some light freeride and I was looking for the following things in it:

* Distance travelled
* Current Speed
* Average Speed
* Max speed
* It has to have some sort of a timer function (click at the top of the run, timer starts, reach the bottom, click a button and the timer stops) since I might be racing DH next year and want something to train with
* Wireless
* If possible it has to withstand large impacts (DH) but if it's cheap enough that I can afford to replace it one time a year or so then it's OK

That's pretty much it for now, I have no need for a heartrate monitor or anything to do with me, I just want to know the stats of the bike.

I forgot to mention, it needs to be cheap.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
-DC

Dannihilator

It doesn't work well. It can be done, but be prepared to get new computer parts left and right.

Drunken Chicken

Yeah, that's another thing that I was weighing up. What if I put the computer near the stem on my riser bars? Then it may be somewhat protected from impacts and it being wireless would mean I couldn't snag the wire on anything.

free_pizza

the cateye micro wireless will do al those things

airpressure

I have a computer on my Trek 4300. It has held up really well, not one broken part on it. It does all the stuff you have mentioned and more. UN fortunatly it does have wires.
https://www.schwinnbike.com/products/...tail.php?id=53

AfterThisNap

the micro wireless is probably your best bet, but you'll smash your transmitter quite a bit. The only other thing that you may be able to do most everything that you requrire is a Garmin. You can keep it in your pack so it wont take direct hits, and you can get your run times by setting waypoints at the top and bottom of the course. You won't know current speed with it in your pack, but if you have time to look down to check out how fast you're going in a DH race, you probably aren't going fast enough.

Drunken Chicken

Sweet, I'll take a look at the Micro wireless then. I doubt I can buy the Schwinn one here in Spain since no one knows the make.
AfterThisNap: I was only going to use the computer for my usual DH rides (i.e. just chilling and having fun) and training for an occasional race, I wouldn't use it in the race. Is the transmitter what you put on your fork? I would've thought it isn't in a vulnerable position.

Thanks for the suggestions. Anyone know the price of the Micro wireless?

Maelstrom 

if you are doing real dh at speed, then it won't last. Mine lasted 3 runs before I started loosing parts. It just isn't worth it

mcoine

No offense, but I would be more worried about breaking your bike. I don't think the hardrock is really a DH bike.

Pheard

As soon as I saw the topic name I was wondering why? I can understand it for xc, because in xc we have to pedal our uphills. But it would be all downhill, kinda pointless.

Maelstrom 

BEing a geek, I would love to know if my line choice was fastest and most effective. Do 20 runs on the same dh trail you can pick and choose which lines worked best. HR monitor could tell you effectively if you are being lazyin sections or working the entire way down. Altimeter is just plain cool haha Current speed is completely useless as you shouldn't have time to look down at the bar anyways.

I can and do see a use, but it breaks so quickly it is pointless.

Pheard

Never thought of any of that, never dhed before.

Drunken Chicken

Maelstrom: I doubt I go as fast as you since I'm on a Hardrock but still, I'll have to rethink it then. What exactly do you mean by losing parts? Losing them in crashes, them simply coming off or...?
mcoine: No offense taken and don't worry, I've already replaced pretty much everything that was prone to breaking so no worrying about me breaking my bike.
Pheard: The thing is, I only take the funicular (in this case acts as a shuttle) up the mountain when I'm doing a second or even third run of the mountain, apart from that I usually pedal up from my house and that's a good 1 hour climb, non-stop gradient upwards. Even if I take the shuttle I still have to pedal 30 or so minutes from my house so it's not just DH. One run usually is 2-3 trails (depends on how you link them up) and even then I have to pedal a few minutes from DH trail to DH trail.

By the way, yeah I just realised that about the current speed. OK, there's no need for current speed.

Maelstrom 

Your bike will be shaking and rattling on dh runs. Unlike xc runs where the movements aren't so jarring. I don't know the type of dh you are doing but the bike works hard on runs. A ht is even worse for being jarring. the computer monitor will...and I mean WILL spin, the screws can come loose and it CAN fly off. Those quick release ones WILL break off. Not to mention crashing.

Most computers had a piece in the wheel and then a matching magnet thing precariously tied to the fork lower. The wheel warps a tonnes under dh pressure. The 2mm difference you need to make it work makes for an interesting time when the wheel warps enough to clip the magnet piece. Best case scenario you break both pieces...worst case it gets caught in your spokes and breaks one or two. No to mention crashing.

On a dh bike and a dh run you really don't want any dangly bits. Computers, lights anything ON the bike that can move. These items are frivilous and move a lot. Heck I broke one computer on a rough xc trail. I have also lost the computer because of poor qr system between the mount and the computer. The information would be good to know but a computer, at least the majority made, are for xc only.

Drunken Chicken

Damn... I think I'll have to drop the computer idea then. Good info as usual, thanks.

PS: Yeah, the DH I do is very rocky and pretty steep, couple all this with the fact that I'm riding a hardtail with 100mm of travel (well, soon to be a Marzocchi Dropoff II with 130mm ) it gets VERY rattly.
My forearms have grown to more than 150% of their size in under a year because of this.

Maelstrom 

Hopefully the biceps keep up, you don't want to end like popeye. Big calves and forearms and no meat anywhere else

MasterSezFaster

For DH a cyclocomputer is not realy useful. As others have mentioned you stand a good chance of breaking it.

In DH you are racing the clock, so knowing distance travled is a mute point and you can call the race promoters to find out the length of the course.

Avg speed can be help full so you can see if you are consistant in your runs.

Max speed will have nothing to do with your time down the course. You might hit 40 or 50mph on a stright but you may loose a lot of time in the corners or rock gardens. It is kinda fun to say "Hey, I hit 55+ mph on my bike" but other then that there is no need.

Current speed ... well, if you have the time to look at it then you are not going fast enough

I would say go out and get an inexpensive stop watch and a velcro strap to hold it to your wrist. Because of the delay you will have in starting and stopping it it wont be compleatly acurate but it will give you a good idea of how well you are doing. Once you times are consistant you then can work on getting faster.

Tip o' the Day - Pratice getting through the corners cleanly and smoothly. You would be surprised how many races are won or lost in the corners.

MSF

Drunken Chicken

Biceps are more or less keeping up cause of tabletennis but now my right biceps is noticeably bigger than my left. Damnit.

mcoine

I was actually talking about the frame and fork, which it looks like you haven't replaced. I hope you are light.

Drunken Chicken

That's the thing, I'd only race once or twice in the whole season, the rest of my riding would be recreational and the trails aren't official or anything so the only way of knowing the length is to measure it myself.
Max speed would be fun for me to try and push my limits and see how I have progressed in terms of keeping the bike stable and confidence.
Current speed... agreed.
I could but I'd still prefer to have the speed & distance info.
Thanks for the tip, I'll work on my cornering.

Drunken Chicken

Frame is still going strong, it won't break under me. I just got a Marzocchi Dropoff II (130mm travel with 32mm diameter stanchions) if I break that I have other things to worry about like my own health . It depends if you consider 110lbs/50kg light or not.
Bear in mind the frame has only gotten 10 or so months in a period of 18 months because of current injury which seems like it'll extend for many more months. In a year I'll turn 16 and I can start working which means I can buy a used full suspension frame and a "big" fork to go along with it therefore the frame only needs to hold up for another year and a bit.

Drunken Chicken

Alright, took a visit to my LBS, found the Cateye Micro Wireless and I decided that I'm not prepared to drop 50 euros on a cyclocomputer which will be prone to breaking.

Eatadonut

A computer that is cheap, stands up to a hefty amount of abuse, has no wires, and still tells you all you need to know for DH riding: Stopwatch.

superwombat

https://www.sigmasport.com/en/produkte/bikecomputer/

I have the 1606L (wired) on my bike... seems pretty solid. The rubber band mounting system has been trouble free for me, however I haven't done any downhill.

Hopper

Best set up I have seen was by a racer at Thredbo. Don't know the model but had sensor in back wheel and the transmitter on the inside of the swingarm. This thing had more electrical tap holding it down that I've ever seen. The computer was wireless and the reciever had a memory setting and was taped lightly (so can be remvoed to check previous run stats) to the inside of a gusset at the head tube. He then rigged up his own little kill switch he grabbed off a moto and wired it up so he could hit the start/stop button with the flick of his thumb on the handle bars.

The moto kill switch timer is a pretty common thing people rig up though for a timer device.