Bike Noob

Because I'm Always Learning Something New

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

I Am Such A Noob

07.14.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 10 Comments

After my crash during the week, I was anxious to get back on the bike. The road rash was painful (at this writing, still is), but would rub against nothing while in the saddle, so riding wouldn’t be a problem.

But I needed to replace my trusty old Schwinn bike computer. It had been flattened when a car ran over it right after my crash. I swung by Wal-Mart after work Friday and picked up a new one.

compNot exactly like the old, but pretty close. Instead of the Schwinn name, it was by Bell — the helmet and cheap bike accessory folks. It has the familiar two buttons below the display that the previous one had had, and operates the same way. More bells and whistles, though — this one also has you input your age and weight, so it can calculate calories and fat burned during a workout. Oooh! Who needs Strava?

So, I sat down with the instruction booklet Friday evening and set the computer. I inputted the wheel circumference (after manually measuring it in my driveway), and all the other stuff you’re supposed to do. Saturday morning, I mounted it on the bike for its first ride.

Immediately, I saw that something was wrong. As I pulled out of my driveway, still with only one foot clipped into a pedal, the computer was reading 15 mph. Farther down the block, once I started cruising, it showed a speed in the high 20s.

Hm. I must have set something wrong. I did my ride along a familiar route, so I would be able to save some of the data. But the readings I was getting on the new computer were around twice as high as I should get if it was accurate.

Sunday morning, after resetting the computer for the umpteenth time, I set out on another ride. I had decided to skip the club ride because of my road rash. Although I could ride easy, I didn’t think I was up for a 40-mile, two-and-a-half hour jaunt in the country. Next week.

Again, the computer registered high numbers. I stopped a few blocks into the ride, and adjusted the sensor mounted on the fork. Then I reset the computer to kilometers per hour, assuming that maybe there was a manufacturing flaw, and the miles and kilometer settings had been reversed at the factory. All that got me was cruising speeds upwards of 60 kph.

This disappointed me. I’ve been somewhat smug about not needing a fancy bike computer when all my friends have one. Current speed, max speed, average speed, and distance are really the only numbers I need. But now, after spending considerably more for this unit than the one it replaced ($23), I wasn’t getting any usable readings.

As I pedaled along, I noticed something odd from the front wheel. That sensor magnet was really spinning fast. Why, it looked like it was going twice as fast…oh, crap.

I stopped at the side of the road again, and this time I took off one of the two magnets on the front wheel. When I disconnected the old unit’s wiring and sensor, I had forgotten to take the magnet off the wheel. Instead, I installed the magnet from the new unit. Now, I had two. Double the magnets, double the fun.

I set off again. The speed was right where it should have been — between 12-15 mph. On the slight downhill through a nice subdivision, it registered 26 mph. I rode over to the Veloway, which has a known distance of 3.1 miles per lap, and did two laps. Yep, 3.1 miles each time.

Next time you get a new bike computer, remember to take off the old wheel magnet before you install the new one.

And you wonder why I still call this blog Bike Noob.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Categories // Accessories Tags // computer

Comments

  1. Dean Roberts (@crazy4cycling) says

    July 14, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    Thanks for the laugh! Yesterday I reached out to change gears on my MTB, grabbed the brake and flexed my fingers. Only I wasn’t on the road bike. Fell right over!

    Reply
  2. RamonH says

    July 14, 2013 at 10:08 pm

    Noob ๐Ÿ˜€

    Reply
  3. Steve says

    July 15, 2013 at 4:59 am

    ๐Ÿ™‚ I say leave the two magents on and add a couple more. You’ll be a REALLY fast cyclist then!

    Reply
  4. Tim says

    July 15, 2013 at 5:12 am

    You could have been king on Strava

    Reply
    • Bike Noob says

      July 15, 2013 at 5:14 am

      Darn! You both are right. I’m always slow to see the possibilities.

      Reply
  5. folksnake says

    July 15, 2013 at 7:14 am

    I love it! Thanks for the laugh.

    Reply
  6. B.J. says

    July 15, 2013 at 4:38 pm

    We LOVE our little cheap Bell Bike Computers, used them for years now with zero problems! We had to go to Cat Eye units on the two bikes we use on the “Mag Trainer” so they could have long wires to get to the back wheel, there a PIA and they won’t work with “polarlized” sun glasses, they seem to create a “dark spot” and obscure the info, arrugh! ENJOY the Bell unit. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  7. Mark X says

    July 16, 2013 at 10:34 am

    One word: Garmin

    Reply
    • Bike Noob says

      July 16, 2013 at 11:42 am

      Never!!

      Reply
  8. aaronwest says

    July 20, 2013 at 8:04 am

    You crack me up!

    You may not be a data geek like some of us, but the Garmin really is a fine instrument and well worth the money. Not just because of all the measurements and accuracy, but also because of the GPS, Maps, the ability to DL courses, and all other sorts of knick knacks.

    Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get Email Updates

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 257 other subscribers

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • Getting Back on the Bike: Road Cycling Tips for Older Cyclists
  • Are BCAAs and EAAs Good for Cycling?
  • How to Fix Numb Toes When Cycling
  • How to Find and Vet a Bike Club
  • Celebrate Pearl Izumi with Big Savings in the Memorial Day Sale

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • May 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • March 2022
  • October 2020
  • November 2018
  • May 2018
  • September 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • January 2016
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008

Copyright © 2026 ยท Modern Studio Pro Theme on Genesis Framework ยท WordPress ยท Log in

Go to mobile version
%d