Bike Computers and Tire Size

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CharleyFarley

CharleyFarley

Senior Member
Location
Japan
More obsolete technology. Garmin/Wahoo/any other has rechargeable batteries. Plug in as you would a phone.
No disrespect intended but progress happens all the time and makes life easier - unless you are an ostrich.
The batteries lasted about four years. That's not bad. And even rechargeables have to be replaced at some point. And I don't have to take the unit off the bike or indoors to charge it. Changing the batteries is about a one-minute job, and setting it up with the mileage takes another minute, now that I know how it's done.
 
More obsolete technology. Garmin/Wahoo/any other has rechargeable batteries. Plug in as you would a phone.
No disrespect intended but progress happens all the time and makes life easier - unless you are an ostrich.

On a global basis the first part is undoubtedly true, but for an individual it depends entirely on what is important to you, how you define easier, and your opinion on costs/benefits.

Luckily we are all different, and it doesn't hinder technical progress.
 
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CharleyFarley

CharleyFarley

Senior Member
Location
Japan
Its down to personal choice, if you want a GPS device use one, if you want to use something else use that, or combine different devices if you want, theres no compulsion to use GPS.
I hate throwing good, working devices away if I bought a Garmin but I have considered it; I'd have no use for the two Cateyes. And I have no need for GPS. I know my way around the county quite well. I did get a Bushnell Backtrack GPS thingy a few years ago which simply points to where I live. It can be used in a big car park for when you can't find the car. When you leave home, or when you get out of the car, just press the button so it knows where you want to return to.

I used that Bushnell GPS, too, when I used to go kayaking on Tampa Bay. The first time I went out there, when it was time to return, I had no idea where I'd launched from. The shore line is about 2 miles long and has large bushes with openings through which I launched the kayak. From out on the bay I realized I could be hours trying to find my way back. I took a guess, and when got to the shore and peeked through the bushes, my car was nowhere in sight. I took another guess as to which direction I should go along the shore, east or west. I paddled for about 45 minutes and still found no car, so I turned around and paddled the other way. Storms blow up very quickly on the bay, so it's not a good place to be lost in a kayak. With the Bushnell I could point the kayak to the spot from where I launched. GPS is a great thing. I used it on my bike when I first moved here and was exploring the county's back roads.
 
I hate throwing good, working devices away if I bought a Garmin but I have considered it; I'd have no use for the two Cateyes. And I have no need for GPS. I know my way around the county quite well. I did get a Bushnell Backtrack GPS thingy a few years ago which simply points to where I live. It can be used in a big car park for when you can't find the car. When you leave home, or when you get out of the car, just press the button so it knows where you want to return to.

I used that Bushnell GPS, too, when I used to go kayaking on Tampa Bay. The first time I went out there, when it was time to return, I had no idea where I'd launched from. The shore line is about 2 miles long and has large bushes with openings through which I launched the kayak. From out on the bay I realized I could be hours trying to find my way back. I took a guess, and when got to the shore and peeked through the bushes, my car was nowhere in sight. I took another guess as to which direction I should go along the shore, east or west. I paddled for about 45 minutes and still found no car, so I turned around and paddled the other way. Storms blow up very quickly on the bay, so it's not a good place to be lost in a kayak. With the Bushnell I could point the kayak to the spot from where I launched. GPS is a great thing. I used it on my bike when I first moved here and was exploring the county's back roads.

I had a piece of kit like that about 17 years ago that I used on a couple of holidays in the south-west US when we wanted to go hiking some days in quite remote areas that we didn't know. Basic but useful.
 
Location
Kent Coast
Have you lost 72mm with each wheel revolution in the last 5 years?
Weclaimforanything will represent you on a no win, no fee basis. Speak to one of our highly unqualified illegal representatives tomorrow! And have your credit card handy, so we can take a holding deposit which you may get returned upon the successful conclusion of your case. Unless it isn't successful. In which case, you owe us more!
 
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CharleyFarley

CharleyFarley

Senior Member
Location
Japan
The battery on my current cateye has been going for over 5 years.
I guess it depends on how much one rides. The more miles, the longer it's on.

I had a weird thing happen to one of mine. I have one on my fat bike and another on a different bike. I went out after dark on the other bike, and the unit wasn't registering, so I took the one off my fat bike. That wouldn't work, either. So then I switched the sender unit on the fork. It still didn't work. It took me a while to figure it out. The rechargeable light was about two inches from the computer. When the light was off, the computer worked. Moving the computer a couple more inches from the light solved the problem. I tried the fat bike computer and set it right next to the rechargeable light; no problem. So it was the light giving off some kind of magnetic signal that messed with the computer. Whodathunkit?
 
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Deleted member 1258

Guest
I guess it depends on how much one rides. The more miles, the longer it's on.

I had a weird thing happen to one of mine. I have one on my fat bike and another on a different bike. I went out after dark on the other bike, and the unit wasn't registering, so I took the one off my fat bike. That wouldn't work, either. So then I switched the sender unit on the fork. It still didn't work. It took me a while to figure it out. The rechargeable light was about two inches from the computer. When the light was off, the computer worked. Moving the computer a couple more inches from the light solved the problem. I tried the fat bike computer and set it right next to the rechargeable light; no problem. So it was the light giving off some kind of magnetic signal that messed with the computer. Whodathunkit?

Up until recently I've been riding 4-5000 miles a year, I won't get close to that this year.
 
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CharleyFarley

CharleyFarley

Senior Member
Location
Japan
Up until recently I've been riding 4-5000 miles a year, I won't get close to that this year.
I'd ride more but Florida is too hot and humid for long rides. I do better in the winter months when it doesn't get above 70º. As it stands, I do 4 miles in the morning, on the fat bike, and four more in the evening on the beach cruiser. Occasionally, we get a day with low humidity and I'll do a midday ride or an early morning ride of upto 20 miles. I'm happy not to ride in the snow, now.
 

battered

Guru
As others say, for better accuracy measure a wheel rotation on the ground with you sitting on it and plug that distance in. By all means measure 100 rotations if you so desire.
 
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