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Bike computer minimal speed threshold?

Old 10-27-09, 10:11 AM
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Bike computer minimal speed threshold?

Just wondering, do most bike computers average the speed over the entire trip, or is there a threshold minimal speed setting? In other words, if I'm rolling at 1mph, waiting for a traffic light, is this getting averaged in? I assume so. I know if I'm not moving, it will not continue to average.

BTW, I have a Cateye Astrale 8.
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Old 10-27-09, 10:25 AM
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Originally Posted by lineinthewater
Just wondering, do most bike computers average the speed over the entire trip, or is there a threshold minimal speed setting? In other words, if I'm rolling at 1mph, waiting for a traffic light, is this getting averaged in? I assume so. I know if I'm not moving, it will not continue to average.

BTW, I have a Cateye Astrale 8.
It may depend on the computer. I used an Avocet long, long ago for mountian biking and it wouldn't register below about 5 mph. Wasn't much use at all. A 20 mile mountain bike ride would register as a 3 mile ride

The electronics have improved somewhat since then and the computers are more sensitive to slow speed input. The Cateye Enduro I used to run had an A and B wheel setting. The A setting was for road bikes while the B setting was for mountain bikes. The B setting was more sensitive to slow speed input. I do suspect, however, that even for the road bike setting, the sensor would register when the magnet passes.

If you are stopped at a light (or track standing) just make sure the magnet isn't passing the sensor
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Old 10-27-09, 10:30 AM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
It may depend on the computer. I used an Avocet long, long ago for mountian biking and it wouldn't register below about 5 mph. Wasn't much use at all. A 20 mile mountain bike ride would register as a 3 mile ride

The electronics have improved somewhat since then and the computers are more sensitive to slow speed input. The Cateye Enduro I used to run had an A and B wheel setting. The A setting was for road bikes while the B setting was for mountain bikes. The B setting was more sensitive to slow speed input. I do suspect, however, that even for the road bike setting, the sensor would register when the magnet passes.

If you are stopped at a light (or track standing) just make sure the magnet isn't passing the sensor
When you say "register", do you really mean "read/detect on the display"? Because the Astrale definitely shows at slow speeds less than 5mph. I'm more interested in cutting off those data points on the trip average ... especially when my route takes me through a bunch of traffic lights. I doubt this is possible with the Astrale.
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Old 10-27-09, 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by lineinthewater
When you say "register", do you really mean "read/detect on the display"? Because the Astrale definitely shows at slow speeds less than 5mph. I'm more interested in cutting off those data points on the trip average ... especially when my route takes me through a bunch of traffic lights. I doubt this is possible with the Astrale.
Yes. I mean read. The old Avocet I used would read 0 mph for speeds below 5 mph. Wouldn't record distance either. But, like I said, computers are much better at reading low speeds now. Probably a bad thing for what you want to do You could always just slide it off the contact points when you are moving slow. Or install a cut out switch
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Old 10-27-09, 10:50 AM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
You could always just slide it off the contact points when you are moving slow. Or install a cut out switch
It isn't that important to necessitate mods or removing from the contacts. I was just curious.

As a designer, I would have had an initial config minimum speed setting, under which the average and elapsed time would not count. I would have also put in a "pause" setting/button to possibly eliminate certain segments of one's ride. I'm guessing some of the higher end models do this??

All that said, I think the Astrale 8 is a great little computer for the money. It has been rock solid for 5+ years.
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Old 10-27-09, 11:07 AM
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Originally Posted by lineinthewater
It isn't that important to necessitate mods or removing from the contacts. I was just curious.

As a designer, I would have had an initial config minimum speed setting, under which the average and elapsed time would not count. I would have also put in a "pause" setting/button to possibly eliminate certain segments of one's ride. I'm guessing some of the higher end models do this??

All that said, I think the Astrale 8 is a great little computer for the money. It has been rock solid for 5+ years.
I don't know of any computer that has a minimum speed setting or even a pause button, although I think you could take it off of automatic sensing mode and just go with the stop watch. From the manual on the Cateye Enduro 8:

Start or Stop of Measurements.
The computer can be programmed to run in either MANUAL MODE or
AUTO TIME MODE. In Manual Mode you must press the START / STOP
button to turn on and off the Timer, which records Distance and Average
Speeds. In Auto Time the computer turns the Timer on and off depending
on a signal from the sensor.
When speed is detected by the computer and the Timer is running, the
km/h or mph will flash. Speed will appear on the computer screen and
the Odometer will record, regardless if the Timer is running or not.
• Auto Time Mode (Automatic Measurement)
In AUTO TIME mode, the letters will appear on the computer screen.
Elapsed time, Average and Distance are recorded automatically and the
Timer, stops when the speed stops. In this mode the START/STOP button
is not operable.
Manual mode just means you have to start and stop your computer yourself. Most of the old computers required this. A royal pain, too. Nothing like being in the middle of a 50 mile ride and discovering you'd forgot to push the button
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Old 10-27-09, 11:19 AM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
Manual mode just means you have to start and stop your computer yourself. Most of the old computers required this. A royal pain, too. Nothing like being in the middle of a 50 mile ride and discovering you'd forgot to push the button
Thanks for looking it up!

Yes, I would never remember to re-activate the computer in MANUAL mode. I'm as absent-minded as they come!
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Old 10-27-09, 11:31 AM
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My Planet Bike computer allows very slow speeds, around 1 MPH. The distance counts up as long as it gets a pulse every 5 minutes (at which point it goes to sleep). The time counts up as long as it's getting a pulse fairly often, I think probably about every 5 seconds. While I CAN ride slower than that, I rarely do; that's more of a trackstand.
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Old 10-27-09, 04:22 PM
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My VDO had a minimum speed setting for the auto pause, and I think most computers that have an autopause would also. I used to ride with a fellow who had his autopause set to ignore speeds below 7mph. When we finished the ride his average speed was 16mph and mine was 12mph, we both rode the same route at the same time. He just couldn't stand to think he was that slow.

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Old 10-27-09, 05:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Torgrot
My VDO had a minimum speed setting for the auto pause, and I think most computers that have an autopause would also. I used to ride with a fellow who had his autopause set to ignore speeds below 7mph. When we finished the ride his average speed was 16mph and mine was 12mph, we both rode the same route at the same time. He just couldn't stand to think he was that slow.

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See, that is exactly what I was wondering. 12mph vs. 16mph is a big difference. I searched for "auto-pause" and "Astrale 8" and no luck.

I guess I'll just add 4mph to all my averages!
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