Installing a Sigma bicycle computer: Difference between revisions

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[[Category:Controls & Cables]]

====Notes====

With the advent of GPS this article has somewhat less relevance than it used to. Given the limitations of a bicycle speedometer, you may want to consider searching the forums for opinions on GPS instead.

There are a couple things to remember before you get a bicycle computer for your bike. This article is a couple years old and, as you may have noticed, electronics companies change models with the seasons these days. So, the model mentioned is no longer being manufactured. Just go to [http://www.sigmasport.com/us/produkte/bikecomputer/ Sigmasport US], look at the specs, and find the one that best suits your needs. The way you mount them hasn't changed. Just remember to get a wired version. Wireless won't work on the EX250.

If you're going to be riding your bike after dark, please note that bicycle computers do not generally have lights, ~~and the one model that does requires~~ you to reach out and push a button to turn it on, and it won't stay on for more than a few seconds; not a great idea when you're tooling down the highway at night. Sigma tells us that if the light was on all the time, the battery would go out in about a week. ~~You'll either have to rig up some sort of light that~~ can ~~shine on your computer, or go to the [[I want to make my bike into a streetfighter|streetfighter article]] and look at the companies that sell gauges that are wired into the bike's 12 volt system.~~

The Sigma brand is recommended because many other computers stop at 100 km/h, which is fine if you never expect to go faster than 62 mph.

If you're going to be riding your bike after dark, please note that bicycle computers do not generally have lights. Some do, but they usually require you to reach out and push a button to turn the light on, and it won't stay on for more than a few seconds; not a great idea when you're tooling down the highway at night. Sigma tells us that if the light was on all the time, the battery would go out in about a week. There are a couple things you can do about this:

~~The Sigma brand is recommended because many other computers stop~~ at ~~100 km/h~~, ~~which is fine if~~ you ~~never expect~~ to ~~go faster than 62 mph~~.

*Rig up some sort of light that can mount close to and shine on your computer

*Go to the [[I want to make my bike into a streetfighter|streetfighter article]] and look at the companies that sell gauges that are wired into the bike's 12 volt system

*Try to find a lighted speedometer that can be hard-wired to 12v

*Figure out the battery it takes (probably a 1.5v if it's a single battery) and go to Radio Shack. They have preset output voltage regulators for a couple bucks. If you can figure out how to wire one of those from your speedometer to a 12v aux line, you'll be set. This will probably involve some disassembly and soldering, as in the [[Opening your garage door with your light switch|garage door mod]]. You'll need to use one of the bike circuits that comes on with the key, such as the gauge cluster lights, and not the always-on accessory wires.

====Materials Needed:====

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:[[Image: SigmaBrent 5.jpg|150px]]

*Bend the twisted wire over and [~~[I want emergency~~/~~hazard flashers|~~heat shrink]] each side individually.

*Bend the twisted wire over and [http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Installing_connectors_for_your_wiring#Using_heat_shrink_tubing_to_cover_exposed_wire heat shrink] each side individually.

:[[Image: SigmaBrent 6A.jpg|150px]] [[Image: SigmaBrent 7A.jpg|130px]]

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:[[Image: SigmaBrent 8A.jpg|150px]]

Now that the wire is long enough to use, you need to mount the sensor, magnet, and computer.

====Mounting the sensor====

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The best thing to do is make a mark on the bottom of your front tire and on the ground with a marker or chalk (something you can see on the tire and the ground). Then, roll the bike forward until the tire has made two complete revolutions. Mark the spot on the ground where the second revolution is completed and measure the distance between the first mark and the last mark on the ground. Divide the number by two to get the circumference of the wheel.

~~This~~ animation ~~should~~ make this more clear.

Click on this animation to make this more clear.

[[Image:rolling A.gif|~~600px~~]]

[[Image:rolling A.gif|200px]]

====How to determine your wheel setting====

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Category:Controls & Cables]]
 ====Notes====
+With the advent of GPS this article has somewhat less relevance than it used to. Given the limitations of a bicycle speedometer, you may want to consider searching the forums for opinions on GPS instead.
 There are a couple things to remember before you get a bicycle computer for your bike. This article is a couple years old and, as you may have noticed, electronics companies change models with the seasons these days. So, the model mentioned is no longer being manufactured. Just go to [http://www.sigmasport.com/us/produkte/bikecomputer/ Sigmasport US], look at the specs, and find the one that best suits your needs. The way you mount them hasn't changed. Just remember to get a wired version. Wireless won't work on the EX250.
-If you're going to be riding your bike after dark, please note that bicycle computers do not generally have lights, and the one model that does requires you to reach out and push a button to turn it on, and it won't stay on for more than a few seconds; not a great idea when you're tooling down the highway at night. Sigma tells us that if the light was on all the time, the battery would go out in about a week. You'll either have to rig up some sort of light that can shine on your computer, or go to the [[I want to make my bike into a streetfighter|streetfighter article]] and look at the companies that sell gauges that are wired into the bike's 12 volt system.
+The Sigma brand is recommended because many other computers stop at 100 km/h, which is fine if you never expect to go faster than 62 mph.
+If you're going to be riding your bike after dark, please note that bicycle computers do not generally have lights. Some do, but they usually require you to reach out and push a button to turn the light on, and it won't stay on for more than a few seconds; not a great idea when you're tooling down the highway at night. Sigma tells us that if the light was on all the time, the battery would go out in about a week. There are a couple things you can do about this:
-The Sigma brand is recommended because many other computers stop at 100 km/h, which is fine if you never expect to go faster than 62 mph.
+*Rig up some sort of light that can mount close to and shine on your computer
+*Go to the [[I want to make my bike into a streetfighter|streetfighter article]] and look at the companies that sell gauges that are wired into the bike's 12 volt system
+*Try to find a lighted speedometer that can be hard-wired to 12v
+*Figure out the battery it takes (probably a 1.5v if it's a single battery) and go to Radio Shack. They have preset output voltage regulators for a couple bucks. If you can figure out how to wire one of those from your speedometer to a 12v aux line, you'll be set. This will probably involve some disassembly and soldering, as in the [[Opening your garage door with your light switch|garage door mod]]. You'll need to use one of the bike circuits that comes on with the key, such as the gauge cluster lights, and not the always-on accessory wires.
 ====Materials Needed:====
@@ Line 65: / Line 72: @@
 :[[Image: SigmaBrent 5.jpg|150px]]
-*Bend the twisted wire over and [[I want emergency/hazard flashers|heat shrink]] each side individually.
+*Bend the twisted wire over and [http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Installing_connectors_for_your_wiring#Using_heat_shrink_tubing_to_cover_exposed_wire heat shrink] each side individually.
 :[[Image: SigmaBrent 6A.jpg|150px]] [[Image: SigmaBrent 7A.jpg|130px]]
@@ Line 73: / Line 80: @@
 :[[Image: SigmaBrent 8A.jpg|150px]]
 Now that the wire is long enough to use, you need to mount the sensor, magnet, and computer.
 ====Mounting the sensor====
@@ Line 107: / Line 114: @@
 The best thing to do is make a mark on the bottom of your front tire and on the ground with a marker or chalk (something you can see on the tire and the ground). Then, roll the bike forward until the tire has made two complete revolutions. Mark the spot on the ground where the second revolution is completed and measure the distance between the first mark and the last mark on the ground. Divide the number by two to get the circumference of the wheel.
-This animation should make this more clear.
+Click on this animation to make this more clear.
-[[Image:rolling A.gif|600px]]
+[[Image:rolling A.gif|200px]]
 ====How to determine your wheel setting====