Wireless Cycle Computers

How Wireless Cycle Computers work with your Bike

The first cycle computers used to be all connected to their sensors by wires. The emergence of Wireless Networks in all areas of communication has changed all that.

Instead of having wires running down you bike frame (eg. to the front wheel), you can now have all the sensors trasmitting their cycling data to your cycle computer using wireless signals.

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Why use Wireless computers on your cycle ?

First of all its probably essential to use a Wireless bike computer if you're competing in a forest, rough terrain or off-road event, mainly because any wires could get caught in branches or ripped off if you have a fall.

However, for other cyclists of all types, it opens up new possibilities as it becomes a lot easier to get signals from several sensors without turning your bike into a mini wiring loom.

Plus with the more advanced cycle computer models you can get data from another bike, which can be excellent for training planning comparisons. (We certainly wouldn't reccommend linking 2 bikes with wires !!).

Wireless sensors for a cycle computer

With the top models there is now a good range of wireless sensors available, including cycling speed sensors, cadence sensors, power output sensors and heart rate monitor sensors.

Depending on the model, the sensors transmit on a range of frequencies and the latest developments minimise interference from other wireless devices by using various techniques including multi-channel transmission that automatically avoids other local transmissions. This is particularly important when there are many competitive cyclists close together all using wireless cycle computers.

Accuracy and reliability of wireless transmission

The latest wireless bike technology centres around transmitting on 2.4GHz which is a frequency used by many low power devices over small distances. When buying you just need to look for 'disturbance free' or similar terminology.

If you see wireless ID code mentioned, this is a system where the sensor and the computer are both programmed with the same ID code, so that tranmissions can be matched. That way, you don't get interference from other sensors in the vacinity.