Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 376
Loc: Never where I want to be
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How accurate are these things? Any way to test them?
My wife's computer, cateye but different model, reads faster than mine. I'm pretty sure I was dang careful installing both, including getting the tire size programed right.
If we ride side by side we can be 1 -2 mph apart. Just curious to know where I'm at. I'm new to this whole road thing. But I've evolved to where I'm pretty steady now at a 20mph average, over the total trip at the end of the ride (on my computer). It's pretty much all rolling hill terrain. One hill I can hit 36-37mph pealing my ass off down, but that's a peak before it goes back up. Can't hold that. Mostly I'm doing all this myself, not in groups.
Combining mtb and road I'm probably close to 100 miles a week.
How much do you all ride?
How am I doing?
How many years and miles till I can hang with the Big Boys?
Note: I'm not looking to race. I ride for pleasure and joy and have resisted racing mtb because I never want to "have" to ride. Have done some 12/24hr stuff, with more planned. But I don't take it too seriously. I'm 40 and too happy riding all I do without adding necessity to it. Need some more bikes though. Single speeds, cross, etc....
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Lon
sage
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 595
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Well...if you read the directions on the computer they'll often say the only really accurate way to program the size of the tire is the roll out method. That is you measure one circumference. The directions are usually given. Tires are different as are wheels. The computer can only be as accurate as the information in it. The few times I'll ask someone next to me usually we are at the same speed so something is wrong I'd say.
What you are doing I think is excellent. Whether you stay with what you call the big boys depends on just how big they are and just how much you care. Personally I could care less and I ride by myself to a large extent. Others love their group rides. Others love group rides with a host of "pissing contests" throughout the ride. It is all in what you like.
Working a job and doing 100 miles a week is excellent. A friend races and does 200 and he is good at it to give you a point of comparison with a true "big boy." He heads the Oshner "east" team and has raced for 17 years here and in Europe. He works a job as well.
I ride as much as I can which varies. Last year I rode 6,000 miles. This year 5,000 will be tough if I don't get more fall miles in. It has been a bad fall for a variety of reasons.
Take care.
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Bruce
contributor
Reged: 12/27/03
Posts: 133
Loc: North of NYC
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Try comparing it to a measured mile. If you do the setting by rolling the bike while you are on it, then you will be pretty close. I generally do a 10 mile second of a measured road on the double every year, and my computer is right on.
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easypedaler
contributor
Reged: 02/08/04
Posts: 149
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I have checked mine by riding a measured mile. Right on. I actaully used the setting from the manual. 
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skagwayroadie
contributor
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 141
Loc: Alaska
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Nev...
I used to use computers a lot, but thru the years I have started to just rely on my heart monitor/watch and go by feel...but I am thinking of getting a Tune hub to train with and if so, I will once again watching the gauges!
It has been my experience that computers are quite accurate if you use the roll out method as others suggesed. But, I don't think you will be off by too much, if you use the stock numbers given in the instructions, say a mile per hour or less. One of these days I will have one of my Officers shoot radar on me and compare numbers!!!! I wonder if he will let me break the 40 mph limit around here...
Oh, if you are averaging 20 mph on your rides....you are doing pretty good. I was told by a Coach many years ago, that based on your average ride speed, you should fit into one of these "loose" catagories:
13-15mph novice
15-17mph enthusiast
17-21mph intermediate
21-24mph advanced
24-27mph expert and
27+mph is considered elite
Keep in mind that this is very loose. It does not take into account weather, ride distance or geography, but should give you a general idea.
Training to compete is completely different from training to get into shape or just to ride for fun. If you want to ride with the "Big Boys" on a club ride, then it will take a year or two if you train and ride modestly, with a plan to increase your stregnth and endurance. The older you get the harder and longer it takes to get to a goal. Furthermore, mtb riding is different to road riding and so is the training. I can help you out a bit if you like, email me and let me know what you are interested in specifically. I am not an expert, but I have riding/racing experience and some education...though I am not an expert nor a certified coach (except for Spinning, I am certified for almost 2 years now).
Currently, I am at about 21mph average, but this is roadriding on moutain roads with rolling hills and light or no winds. In my racing days, I was in the 25-27 range - back in Arizona and logged way too many miles for what was needed...I overtrained - a lot. I log about 100-200 miles in the summer, mostly mountain biking with very occasional road riding and 150 or so miles on the Spin bike in the winters.
I love your comment about needing/wanting more bikes...sometimes I view bikes as tools, you can never have too many and you need the right tool for the right job. So lets all go out and buy another bike...!!!
Have fun Nev,
...Mark
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Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 376
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Mark,
Thanks for the good info. Much appreciated. I don't really have anything specific I'm interested in, besides just riding. Too much joy with it to get serious. But I can't deny a curiousity about where I might fall in the scheme of things. Most the people I mtb with race the local races, and I'm usually in front when we ride. My road avg. is up to 20.5 now. HA! (guess I do care about this stuff  ) But I'm really just a hack. But who cares. As far as bikes go...I'm building a fixed gear single speed out of an old fuji. Hopefully I'll be riding that by this weekend. And while I was in Montana last weekend I ordered up a steel mtb hard tail from Carl Strong. Horrible. Horrible. I need help.
Hopefully it won't come.
Take it easy. Thanks again for the perspective.
Mike
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Insightdriver
captain
Reged: 03/07/04
Posts: 472
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It has been my experience that the calibration settings on cycle computers are a bit granular. I made a rollout measurement while seated on my bike with my tires pumped to the proper pressure. When I did the calculation my answer was accurate to two decimal places but the computer only had whole -number settings. I figured out that in a mile each setting was about 25 feet different. I checked by riding an accurately marked measured mile on a paved bicycle trail. Basically you can get plus/minus 15 feet accuracy in a mile. That said, just using the table in the instructions to set for your tire diameter works good enough.
As far as theory of operation, there is a real-time clock which is quite accurate and a simple counter that counts revolutions of the wheel. The math is simple. There is no calibration to go out of adjustment.
Edited by Insightdriver (02/09/05 09:04 PM)
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