Stoker computer/speedometer
 

The last couple of years, I've had a computer/speedometer on the stoker handlebars. Works fine, except I had to splice some wire into a wired unit to reach, and the wire runs up the top frame tube and droops, etc. And I just got through re-soldering it after it got yanked on, and time to replace, I thing. And, I was thinking somebody had said they made a double-wireless unit- anyone know what that is? Anybody have any better ideas for keeping the stoker informed as to speed and mileage?

I don't need cadence, GPS, etc., just miles and speed in a reliable, hopefully, waterproof form.

Doing a google search pulls up 6-year-old threads on this website, which is informative for knowing what people used 6 years ago, but not much help now.

IME a Garmin is pretty neat for randoing. My stoker has an 800. I use a Flight Deck and a Cateye Stealth. The Garmin sensor on the rear wheel transmits info to the 800 and the Cateye. There are several ANT+ compatible wireless receivers on the market that will pick up speed and cadence from the Garmin sensor.

I installed a Garmin Edge 200 for my Stoker and she loves it.

Planet Bike sells a long wire mount for their computer. We had that, but switched the stoker to a GPS.

I had a Sigma BC2209 MHR on my half bike. Full wireless with speed, cadence, and HR. I picked up a second one when we got the tandem. Found that the sensors were a bit range challenged compared to a half bike but it would work. Put the cadence sensor on the captains crank and the speed sensor on front wheel (I put both on back on my half bike). Worked quite well but with one limitation: we only had capability of one HR monitor. So either I could see stoker HR or stoker could see mine.

Then one day stoker was complaining of no readings... so now we have a set of Garmin Edge 510's which use ANT+ sensor tech and should be able to give us dual HR monitors.

Turns out the stoker had not put the Sigma all the way into the mounting bracket. Fully in the bracket and readings were rock solid. But we had already purchased the Garmins at that point and had been trying to figure out dual HRM anyways.

So there are a couple ways to do it.

If you have a computer with ant+ sensors, then just use your wife's phone.
There is a free IPBike app on the google play store that will do what you need. It will also display a map for navigation.

I have a Garmin 1000 with its ant+ speed and cadence sensors, but any ant+ system will work. Both my computer and my wife's phone can pick up the sensors simultaneously. I can also see my heart rate on the garmin and she can see her own on the phone. She normally carry her phone anyway so I just add a little mount for it on her handle bar.

CJ

If I recall correctly StephenH rides brevets a on his tandem so I anticipate that battery life is an issue. Any GPS computer has a relatively short battery life before requiring recharging. There are non-gps computers that read the same ANT sensors, will go thousands of miles between charges, and use replaceable batteries. They are much cheaper than GPS models as well.

I have tried a Bontrager model and had constant trouble trying to get it to read the sensors. I recall another poster having the same problem. Bontrager support was nonexistent. I suggest avoiding any Bontrager unit.

My stoker has always used Polar from back when she was running. She found one with a really large display which is easy for her middle aged eyes to read. It works well and the battery lasts about 5,000 miles but Polar does not use ANT protocol so we have to have two sets of sensors on our tandem.

I just purchased a O-Sync Navi2coach GPS with a replaceable battery. It is basically similar in function to a Garmin 500 except you can turn off the GPS. With the GPS on the battery life is similar to a Garmin. I have just put about 10 hours on it with the GPS off and the battery indicator still shows all bars. I think it will las longer than my wife's polar. Cost is about $250 since it has a GPS. It uses a standard cell phone battery. I purchased a new one as a spare from Amazon for $5. A stand alone battery charger was $15. Here is a review of the unit.

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/05/n...-computer.html

I would try a non-GPS O-Sync like the Navi-move. I have not tried it but I love my navi2coach and am glad I did not buy another Garmin.

There may be other non-GPS ANT compatible computers on the market. That is the direction that I suggest. Longer battery life and much cheaper while using the standards ANT sensors.

I don't like purchasing equipment with a battery that the user cannot replace. It seems to me the unit is designed to have a life limited to the life of the battery. I think that is about 500 charges if treated properly. Perfect designed obsolescence.

We ride with the Cateye V3. Two head units, two heart monitors and one cadence/sppeed sending unit. The Cateye has sufficient range to mount the sending unit in the rear and reach both head units.

+1 We use the V2c (same unit but no heart rate) on one of our tandems and our triplet. With the sensor mounter on the back it will reach the front of the triplet with no problem. We only have one sensor for speed and cadence on each bike and pair all 2 or 3 unite to it. It has good battery life. A Garmin bike GPS battery won't last through a lot of the rides we do.

Have you found a stoker computer useful when trying to maintain a moderate pace over
 

We are new to road bikes and tandems and have ridden our tandem three times now for a maximum distance of 14 miles on the flat MUP. I have a Cateye up front. My wife and I have a tendency to creep up our speed and I was wondering if a stoker computer of some type would help us hold the speed down and find a pace we can maintain for longer distances. We could agree to say 15 mph and then we would both see if we were creeping up and could adjust. Now we try to go moderate but end up increasing effort to 75 percent or so and then we need to stop after 6 or 7 miles. As an avid hill walker I am always searching for that go-forever pace.

We would also like to do some casual club rides to start and need to be able to hold a moderate pace for 10 or 15 miles.

As an amusing side note, we have always had dual computers on our tandem, the Garmin 800 since those came out. When we travel, I have always loaded our routes for navigation aid and this has worked especially well.

On the last trip we returned from a couple days ago, there was one especially long and difficult (climbing) ride we tackled. Prior to departure that morning, I goofed on preloading the route to my wife's Garmin, so she did not have the info to mull over while we rode. She told me it was just as well, and not to tell her the distance, etc. as she just wanted to put her head down and ride. She completed the ride which was a big milestone stretch from her typical range. So in this case... less was more.

What you really want to know is the effort each of you is putting out. Speed is relatively irrelevant. So what you really want to know is heart rate (HR). The least expensive way to go would be to buy a pair of Cateye V3 units, one for Captain, one for Stoker. Both of you will have heart rate monitor straps, but both Cateye units will be paired to the Captain's strap. Thus Stoker will know Captain's HR. Stoker can have any inexpensive HRM with no bike information since she already has the Cateye for that. Her strap will pair with her HRM.

We went a more expensive route, with Stoker having a Garmin 800 for navigation and my HR. I have a Cateye Stealth 50 for a computer and my HR. Stoker has an inexpensive Polar HRM for her HR.

The idea is that I set the pace for the bike. Stoker watches my HR and adjusts her HR so that her effort is similar to mine. We happen to have almost identical HRs at identical efforts, so that's very easy for us. Others would have to have each team member find their lactate threshold heart rate and use that to adjust HR and therefore effort. Or simply go by feel and learn what HR is appropriate to various effort levels.

Thus Stoker and I can go on very long rides and be equally tired at the end of the ride, plus each of us know that we are contributing equally to getting the bike up the road, no discussion necessary.

Thanks for the anecdote. We need to get back up that way. We were Vandals way back when.

This sounds like an excellent idea to me (the engineer-mountaineer) but it may take some time to bring the stoker around. She thinks we are taking Sunday pedals along the river and may object if I try to instrument her.

Yeah, I told my wife that we wouldn't ride the tandem in the rain . . .and we'd take a break every hour . . . every now and again she'll remind me of that as we pound along in the rain. She loves it though. You'll think of something. And of course you won't know her HR, so she's still in control.

x2 on the knowing effort rather than speed. That speed may be just because you have a good draft pulling you along :thumb:

Gotta put in the plug for the dual Garmin setup. We love our dual 510's. Share the speed/cadence and individual HR monitors. Stoker has learned that tapping out the Captain is not a good thing so I can sometimes call out my HR and inspire a bit more production from the back seat.

For long day rides we just make sure the batteries are fully charged and then leave them on all day with never a problem. Really the only problem we have had is the stoker scrambling screen settings.