Wireless cadence bicycle computerr
 

The time has come to replace the bike computer(s) on the ol' Cannondale and I would like to have wireless cadence. My question is can I have one for the stoker that runs off of the same sensors? Not looking for the GPS tell you where to go and how much it loves you and all that crap.

Thanks
Scott

Yes, you can run two computers off one wireless/cadence sensor. Make sure you get an ANT+ system, so when you come to your senses and get a GPS computer, one of you can use the GPS, and the other can still use the computer.

Examples of these are the Bontrager Node, and the Specialized SpeedZone.

I had a bad time with the Node. Seems to only pick up sensor from time to time.
The Joule comes in a non GPS version for $99 but I have not tried it. Just another option to consider.

http://www.amazon.com/CycleOps-Joule...d_sim_sbs_sg_1

There is a directory of ANT+ equipment, such as bike computers, at This is ANT+.

Nice, thanks. Now if I could just get my 305 to quit turning off every time I hit a big bump...

Ah, that is accomplished by sending your 305 to Dan at FixyourGPS.com.

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$T2eC16R,!ws...JPG?set_id=807



Dan can also replace its tired battery with a new, higher-rated battery.

The fix is to hard wire a couple of small wires in place of a pressure contact. There are instructions on the web. It's certainly doable by yourself, the hardest part is finding a suitable glue to hold the thing together when you're done. That being said, $35 is not a bad price!

So you can get a GPS but you need to rework to make it reliable?

We use a Garmin Edge 800 for the stoker, very reliable and trouble free. Captain has a Node 2.1, which does have reception problems from the sensor on the chainstay. I suspect that stoker would not have a problem with the Node, since moving captain's Node 6" makes a big difference.

We use Sigma Rox 8.0 computers. All wireless. One cadence and one speed sensor reads on both computers. The speed sensor is mounted to the fork. The cadence sensor is mounted to the boom tube by the captains cranks. This has worked great for us.

I'm do for new computers as well. Tried Bontrager Node 1. First one stopped working just before warranty ended. The replacement stopped working two months after that. Did some checking and found that most reports are negative on Node 1. For my money, never again!

I've looked at that. Is the Node still the only ANT+ ordinary bike computer that will work off the Garmin speed/cadence sensor and HR strap? Our Node 2.1 has worked just fine, except that it drops out sometimes because it's too far from the sensor.

To be fair, the Garmin Edge 305 was introduced in 2002, it's not anywhere near a current model. Mine developed the "turns itself off" problem a few years ago and was relatively simple to repair. It's still going strong on my daughter's bike - after many years and many thousands of miles.

I think the Joule (mentioned above) fits the bill, as does the Specialized SpeedZone. Interestingly, Cateye appears to have full-featured ANT+ computer now.

http://www.thisisant.com/images/size...0--220x300.png
Designed for the competitive cyclist, the Stealth 50 is GPS and ANT+™ enabled, so it works with CatEye or third party ANT+™ compatible power, heart rate, cadence and speed sensors.

Oh, it has GPS. It's a Cateye Edge 500!

Thanks. At $175-$180 - that's seems a bit much for a bike computer. If they were available without sensors and HR strap, they might make sense. Already have that stuff. I guess for now I'll get by with the Node.

Cateye does have GPS Node does not and it is $127 here (but read reviews):
http://www.amazon.com/Cateye-Stealth.../dp/B00B2PT3Y6

Joule (model without GPS) here for $99:
http://www.powertap.com/collections/...products/joule

It looks like Cateye is having some growing pains but it is nice to see them get into this market. They seem to have supported their other products well over the years. I hope they get the issues with the GPS worked out.

Joule is $99 w/o HRM. With HRM, it's $180. Unclear whether you get HRM functionality for $99. I've asked for clarification. $127 for the Cateye is good, too. I have a query in to both manufacturers as to reception range for captain. Will report.

It bothers me that Cateye estimates 300 recharges before battery failure, but doesn't show a replacement battery. The coin cell on the Joule might be preferable.

Thanks for your help.

Quick reply from Cateye:Sounds good. The Garmin 800 reads the Garmin chainstay sensor signal from at least 15' away, so it's a problem with the Node, not the sensor.

Do let us know how things work out. While the GPS is nice on new routes with our regular riding I yearn for not having to recharge as often. It appears all the units without GPS have quite a long battery life and some with easily replaceable batteries.

As time goes on, rechargable batteries become more common. This leads to a lot of recharging going on. Here's all the rechargable batteries to which we may have to attend, I count 8:

• Garmin Edge x 2
• Front light (Light & Motion HID)
• Rear light (Dinnotte)
• Cardo BK-1 Duo (x2)
• iPhone x 2

It's helpful to have a bike parking station with the regargers all plugged in and ready to go.

Back in olden times I manually logged mileage from my cyclocomputer into a spreadsheet.

With the Garmin I'm uploading to Strava for the same purpose. Since I'm plugging the Garmin into my computer after every ride charging is not an issue.

YMMV.

So what is so important about having GPS capability? Other than Strava, MapMyRide, or other similar apps?

A few points spring to mind:

• WIth GPS, especially with the Edge 800, the route can be downloaded onto your computer, and you can follow it on a map. This allows for more route adventurism, without the downside of getting off track, and losing stoker confidence.
• Uploading to programs such as Strava provides a record of your rides, to which you can refer. Otherwise, your rides are written in water, as soon as you are done they are gone.
• Cycling in general, and tandem riding in particular, is a gregarious activity. With your rides uploaded to Strava you become more aware of the cyclists, and tandem riders, around you. It facilitates the social side of cycling.
• GPS, and uploads such as to Strava, allows for competition, both against yourself and with others. Once you see where you rank on a segment, it provides interest to your cycling to climb higher on the segment.

A few of things I've learned to appreciate about our Garmin's:

• No installation of wheel magnets, installing the pickup on the fork, and routing cable to the handlebar.
• The fork no longer looks like a science experiment.
• Never have a wheel magnet become misaligned from the pickup.
• Swapping wheels is a non-issue.
• No wheel size calibration. Wanna move my Garmin from the tandem to a mountain bike? No problem!
• No buying those pricy "button" batteries at the least convenient time.
• Custom display. Show the data you care about and nothing more
• Installing a computer on a new bike takes 10 seconds, maybe 20 seconds on a bad day.
• Never have to set the clock.

I was a slow adopter with our Garmin, but after a month using it on the tandem stoker was adamant she wanted one for her bike.

YMMV.

:eek: I never plug my Garmin into a computer unless it's for an upgrade. Makes me nervous. I do everything with MicroSD cards and a reader. Cards are like $4. I have about 10 of them for different maps and routes.

We did a 410 mile tandem tour in the Czech Republic. I mapped the whole thing ahead of time and loaded TCX course segments onto a series of SD cards. There were over 600 turns. We didn't use a paper map and never got lost. We just rode our bike. We also had printed cue sheets as backup, though. I even noted locations of restaurants, possible camps, etc.

It's also nice for doing a group ride on a route we haven't done before. We can load the route into mapping software afterwards and can use it again. If we do make a wrong turn, it's fairly easy to figure out how to get back on route as long as we have a course loaded.

We also use our 800 for hiking, with a topo map on the SD card. We leave it turned off, but sometimes get it out if we're not sure which way to go, XC course to a pond, etc.