Add Cadence/Speed/Odometer to Your Spin Bike.

The problem with most spin bikes is that there is no cadence function and you have to calculate cadence by counting your pedal strokes (which I find irritating). The other problem is the bikes that do have this functionality cost about twice as much as a normal one. (I know, the CylceOps is nicer for other reasons also, I would love one).

Now you can have cadence, trip distance, average speed, total distance, etc. on your bike without having to pay the extra $800.

Step 1: Materials:

Cyclecomputer with cadence.- I used a cateye because it was inexpensive. You could use a wireless one and the whole process would be cleaner.

1/2" copper tubing 1.5 - 2" long

Black Electrical Tape

2 Zip ties

Clear silicone caulk

Comments

[appsman]

One trick I did on my exerbike install: I only wanted cadence but my Cateye Mity would not turn on unless the speed sensor was triggered. Rather than bother mounting the speed sensor/magnet/wiring, I stuck some tin foil between the head unit readout and the mounting bracket, arranged so that the cadence sensor got shorted to the speed sensor input on the readout. That way the cadence sensor triggered both the cadence and speed readouts. The speed readout is consequently wrong, your real speed is zero on an exercycle anyway :-), but I don't care.

[carlo$]

great idea.

[cmendiola]

Hi, interesting article. now do you know how to turn a red wheel spin bike in to a black wheel spin bike? (Usually in a red wheel spin bike you can stop pedals until the spin wheel is stin moving, in a black wheel spin bike to stop the pedals you must to stop the wheel too)

[vatosupreme]

On my red spin bike you cannot coast without pedaling. But this bike is about 5 years old so maybe the new ones have a freewheel. Anyway, I think you could go to schwinn's website and find out maybe. Usually the black one is the pro version and costs more. It has more seat and stem adjustment holes in it.

[fungus amungus]

So the magnet was inching towards the inside? Not quite sure why the second ziptie is on the inside. The electrical tape usage is fine. Who cares how an exercise bike looks anyway? You might be interested in replaceing the magnet. It looks like there's a screw in the last picture. You could get a slightly longer screw and put a ring deodymium magent around it and then put some glue on to secure it.

[vatosupreme]

sorry, the magnet was inching down the crankarm... toard the bottom bracket... so I put the second ziptie below it... to hold it up. the deodymium magnet idea is good... I will try it