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The Jones Counter is a mechanical device used for measuring distances traveled by a bicycle. It was invented by Roy Jones, an American engineer and cyclist, in the 1930s. Jones was an avid cyclist who became frustrated with the lack of accurate distance measuring devices for bicycles. He developed the Jones Counter as a solution to this problem. The device consists of a series of gears and dials that are attached to the bicycle's front wheel. As the wheel rotates, the gears and dials register the distance traveled. The Jones Counter has been widely used by bicycle touring enthusiasts, race organizers, and transportation planners to measure distances for planning and mapping purposes.

I then tried Microsoft's Bing:

The Jones Counter is a device fitted to the front wheel of a bicycle that counts the revolutions of the wheel. It was invented in 1971 by Alan Jones in order to measure the length of road running race courses1. Almost all road running courses in the world are measured with this device1. The Jones Counter has been used to measure all Olympic Marathon courses since the 1976 Montreal Olympics except for the 1980 Moscow Olympics1.

Original Post

- and here is the result of asking BARD the same question:

"The Jones Counter was invented by Alan Jones in 1971. Jones was a runner and race director who was frustrated by the inaccuracy of the methods that were then used to measure the length of road running race courses. He developed the Jones Counter as a more accurate and reliable way to measure course length.

The Jones Counter is a device that is fitted to the front wheel of a bicycle. It has gears that drive a mechanical digital counter. When the bicycle is ridden, the counter counts the number of revolutions of the front wheel. The number of revolutions can then be used to calculate the distance that the bicycle has traveled.

The Jones Counter is a simple and effective device that has been used to measure the length of road running race courses for over 50 years. It is the standard method of course measurement for many running organizations, including USA Track & Field and the Road Runners Club of America.

Here are some additional details about Alan Jones:

  • He was born in 1942 in England.
  • He moved to the United States in 1966.
  • He is a former competitive runner who has competed in marathons and ultramarathons.
  • He is a race director and has organized many running events, including the Twin Cities Marathon.
  • He is the author of several books on running, including "The Jones Counter Handbook" and "The Runner's Handbook."
  • He is a member of the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame.

The Jones Counter is a valuable tool for runners and race directors. It is an accurate and reliable way to measure the length of road running race courses. It is a simple and easy-to-use device that can be used by anyone.

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