THE FUTURE OF ELECTRONIC COUNTING
I have seen enough of Neville Wood’s work on electronic counters to have gained confidence in the method. I believe it is suitable to supplement the use of the Jones/Oerth counter. It’s cheaper and available just about everywhere in the world. There is, however, an impediment to its use:
The cyclometer models that are suitable for use as revolution counters are unknown to the potential user except for those identified by Neville. He has found a few counters that can be used with four magnets, and one that can be used with one magnet. I believe the one-magnet approach is better, but both work. If use is to spread, it will be necessary for the various models of cyclocomputer on sale to be continuously evaluated, so that up-to-date information as to availability can be presented to the public.
Fortunately this need not be complicated. It takes a person, like Neville, who is willing to research what’s on sale, and find out what’s suitable. I believe that just about any cyclocomputer will work with four magnets, but it would be agreeable if there were several choices for the single-magnet approach.
How do we find out what’s good? There are two approaches that come to mind:
1) Contact the manufacturers and inquire whether the wheel circumference can be programmed to 9999 mm or more. If you receive a “yes” answer, buy a cyclocomputer and check it out.
2) Visit bike shops and open the packages. Tell them if the circumference can be programmed to 9999 you will buy it.
The budget to do this will be quite modest, but it has to be done on a continuous basis, since models of cyclocomputers are changing all the time.
It would be beneficial if some users of this message board would contribute their experience with cyclocomputers.
With knowledge of suitable cyclocomputers gained, it will be necessary to disseminate it. Various federation web pages could make the knowledge known, at the same place they give out information about Jones/Oerth counters.
It will take time, but it’s worth it. It’s a comfort to know that with what Neville has taught us, I could arrive just about anywhere in the industrialized world and acquire all I need to measure with a visit to a local bike shop.
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