Bike computers

nick1972
nick1972 Posts: 144
edited February 2013 in Road beginners
This may seem like a silly question but do bike computers work in the dark? I ride to work in the daylight and it works fine. I ride on the weekends again in daylight and its fine but when I ride home from work in the dark and it doesn't work..

Any thoughts?

Comments

  • supermurph09
    supermurph09 Posts: 2,471
    Most will have a backlight facility that you can turn on.
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  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Supermurph09 wrote:
    Most will have a backlight facility that you can turn on.

    ^-^ what he said.

    Personally I tend to find even with the back light on the glare from other road users, street lights can obscure the view a bit for me.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • dab_32
    dab_32 Posts: 94
    I have a Knog Beetle light on my helmet so when I look down it lights up my edge 500, no need for a back light.
  • nick1972
    nick1972 Posts: 144
    Seeing the display isn't the problem, it doesn't register speed or distance..
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,471
    Nick1972 wrote:
    Seeing the display isn't the problem, it doesn't register speed or distance..

    Seriously? It's not solar powered or something is it? They either work by a magnet passing a sensor or from a GPS signal so I don't see why being daylight or dark would make the slightest difference :?
  • crankycrank
    crankycrank Posts: 1,830
    If you're using a light at night mounted close to a wireless computer it can cause interference.
  • nick1972
    nick1972 Posts: 144
    Its battery powered. Thats the only explanation I can think of. Its so strange..
  • simon_masterson
    simon_masterson Posts: 2,740
    Supermurph09 wrote:
    Most will have a backlight facility that you can turn on.

    Among GPS computers this may be the case, but there remain plenty of simple options for those of us who prefer something simpler, and many of them aren't backlit...
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  • smoggysteve
    smoggysteve Posts: 2,909
    Simon Masterson wrote:
    Supermurph09 wrote:
    Most will have a backlight facility that you can turn on.

    Among GPS computers this may be the case, but there remain plenty of simple options for those of us who prefer something simpler, and many of them aren't backlit...

    Sigma ones are. It isnt a solar powered one is it :-)
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    crankycrank wrote:
    If you're using a light at night mounted close to a wireless computer it can cause interference.

    Indeed - though my experience of this was more getting warp factor speeds as the computer registered the lamp flashes as well as the magnet.

    Easy one to check - I suspect your light is permanently on. Try setting it to flash and see your speed rocket up to 40mph.

    The solutions are to buy a light with a metal case (eg my Raleigh RSP Asteris don't cause interference), to get a wired computer or to get a GPS.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • simon_masterson
    simon_masterson Posts: 2,740
    SmoggySteve wrote:
    Simon Masterson wrote:
    Supermurph09 wrote:
    Most will have a backlight facility that you can turn on.

    Among GPS computers this may be the case, but there remain plenty of simple options for those of us who prefer something simpler, and many of them aren't backlit...

    Sigma ones are. It isnt a solar powered one is it :-)

    My Sigma one isn't. :lol:

    I'm actually David Dickinson though, and I power mine using the powerful radiation from my face.
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  • smoggysteve
    smoggysteve Posts: 2,909
    My Sigma one is so half true I guess
  • nick1972
    nick1972 Posts: 144
    Thanks for all your replies. I adjusted the position of my light on ride home last night and it started registering. Hopefully thats the problem solved.
  • Mikey41
    Mikey41 Posts: 690
    Quite a lot can interfere with some wireless computers. I was waiting at lights behind a Peugeot one day and my computer was reading 23mph :lol:

    The Garmin does not seem prone to this, which is a good thing.
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