steve mercier
Well-Known Member
Yeah and dont forget the car door predictor,crackhead rerouter,concealed weapons detector, espresso/croissant pinpointer, oh and a compass.
What Info are you looking for on a display???
- Thread starter Ken M
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Bruce Arnold
Well-Known Member
I'd like to have a trip meter. Other than that, I'm happy with what I've got. Speed, current wattage, current voltage, PAS level, distance, vaguely useful battery meter.
monroe350
New Member
I recently got a Schwinn Monroe 350 which has a very basic display assist level and battery level. I thought I would hate this but I actually like it. The novelty of needing to knowing how fast I am biking has become less important. I wouldn't mind knowing how many miles the bike has on it for maintenance purposes, but I do not like having a large display in the middle of my handle bars like alot of bikes do. I want to mount my phone in the center of my handle bars. Some kind of bluetooth that talks to my phone in an app would be nice. I actually use android auto and I like how it works except for mileage tracking.
I'm looking for Bluetooth support in the motor controller for all metrics and an app I can use on my phone to read, record, and transfer data for riding logs and statistics on my riding. Electric Skateboards have this ability along with some extremely sophisticated apps that display data and allow real-time control of skateboard operation (e.g. lights, power limiting, performance profiling, etc (and yes, some skateboards do have lights)).
Just think. NO WIRES to the "meter" yet still have much more data and control available than with an KT-LCD3 or KT-LCD8 series meter. All you need is a phone mount and many people already have that.
However, for riding I use an older phone that I don't much care if it gets destroyed in an accident. I can buy a refurb smartphone running Android 8 for about US$60.
Just think. NO WIRES to the "meter" yet still have much more data and control available than with an KT-LCD3 or KT-LCD8 series meter. All you need is a phone mount and many people already have that.
However, for riding I use an older phone that I don't much care if it gets destroyed in an accident. I can buy a refurb smartphone running Android 8 for about US$60.
These are two ride "meters" I like and use that are FREE apps for your smartphone:
"DigiHUD" and,
"Polaris GPS Navigation: Hiking, Marine, Offroad"
I don't have any personal or financial interest in either app or their developers.
DigiHUD gives me real-time speed and distance data and stores statistics for up to 3 separate rides. Shows average and max speeds during ride, and also lets you set an SPEED LIMIT ALARM (sound and visual). Also displays your compass heading.
The visual appearance is SIMILAR to a panel meter such as a "KT-LCD3". The not-for-free version has more features.
Polaris Navigator gives me the same data but in a smaller format...however, Polaris Navigator also gives me real-time navigation, including waypoints. There are many free maps particularly for the U.S. that Polaris Navigator can load and use (topological, street maps, satellite view, etc). The Open Source street map provides amazing granularity and detail for major cities. You also get altitude.
You can check the Google play apps store to examine details on these apps and differences between the free and not-for-free versions.
I've been using them for a couple years and have not been hit by any spam as a result.
For longer trips, you're going to need a power source for the phone. The display takes a lot of power, especially during the day.
"DigiHUD" and,
"Polaris GPS Navigation: Hiking, Marine, Offroad"
I don't have any personal or financial interest in either app or their developers.
DigiHUD gives me real-time speed and distance data and stores statistics for up to 3 separate rides. Shows average and max speeds during ride, and also lets you set an SPEED LIMIT ALARM (sound and visual). Also displays your compass heading.
The visual appearance is SIMILAR to a panel meter such as a "KT-LCD3". The not-for-free version has more features.
Polaris Navigator gives me the same data but in a smaller format...however, Polaris Navigator also gives me real-time navigation, including waypoints. There are many free maps particularly for the U.S. that Polaris Navigator can load and use (topological, street maps, satellite view, etc). The Open Source street map provides amazing granularity and detail for major cities. You also get altitude.
You can check the Google play apps store to examine details on these apps and differences between the free and not-for-free versions.
I've been using them for a couple years and have not been hit by any spam as a result.
For longer trips, you're going to need a power source for the phone. The display takes a lot of power, especially during the day.
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steve mercier
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info. Are these better than or same as Strava?
There were multiple "Strava" apps when I looked at them, and I wouldn't know which one to try...but I would imagine the app would be similar. The two I listed were unobtrusive, easy to use, provide good functionality, and are easy to read...so I'm satisfied with them.
There's one more with a good layout visual design but I haven't tried it because of the permissions.
"Bike Computer - Your Personal GPS Cycling Tracker". It gets grabby on the permissions (access to your contact list, for example. Neither DigiHUD nor Polaris demand access to your CONTACT list!!! WHY would a navigation tool NEED to know everyone in your contact list? That should be optional at the very least.)
I'm editing my original comment, but the new full name of Polaris Navigator is
"Polaris GPS Navigation: Hiking, Marine, Offroad"
FlatSix911
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
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- Silicon Valley
Shimano makes two display types... one GUI minimalist, and another full Data with multiple screens.
If you don't like either type, you can simply remove the display and link wirelessly to your phone.
e-tuberide.shimano.com
If you don't like either type, you can simply remove the display and link wirelessly to your phone.
E-TUBE RIDE-EU
E-TUBE RIDE transforms your smartphone into a full-fledged cycle computer. The route map to your destination and your ride data are available to view in real time. You can log your ride data and upload to SHIMANO CONNECT Lab or STRAVA.
e-tuberide.shimano.com
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
Well I only use the Strava app once in a while , but it gives total dist ,moving time ,elevation gain , max elevation, avg speed and max speed . It shows a red line on the map of your trip and also gives monthly totals. This is the free one and it works great on a cheap Android. I can run it while riding for 7 hours or more and not run out of juice on a Samsung J1. I use it when a local rider shows me the best route through his neck of the woods and then I can re-create it any time ,and also when I want the total trip elevation.
harryS
Well-Known Member
It's only accurate when the wheel size choice is exactly what you have, . The wheel options available for an LCD3 available include: 20, 22, 24, 26, 700 and 28. We have three ebikes with the same motor and rim, and the tires are 20x1.5, 20x1.75 and 20x 2.25. They all read different as expected. Thus a 20 mile ride can be off by a mile, if you're only good to 5%.
When it comes to compensating for wheel differences, even the ultra-cheap "Bell" bicycle computers have more granularity than these more expensive controllers. For example, they have a calibration setting on their tire-size chart that compensates for those x1.5, x1.75, and x2.25 variations. The wheel settings for the Bells (last time I checked) are directly used in computation rather than indexing to stored values. They allow you to enter a number that directly relates to the real world rather than provides a "profile" for the controller/display. In fact, one can extrapolate the Bell values for non-standard tire sizes and enter those "off-chart" numbers rather than numbers from the wheel "calibration" chart, and the user can directly compensate for things like tire pressure and temperature changes. For example, one can tweak the number entered into a Bell computer if you ride with your tires at very low pressures or whether you ride using very high pressures...both of which make a minor difference in tire diameter and distance calculations and of course change with temperature as well.
AHicks
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
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- Snow Bird - Summer S.E. Michigan, Winter Gulf Coast North Central Fl.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Nothing I'm doing requires I need to be accurate to the nth degree. We have 2 bikes currently using the LCD3. On a recent 8 mile ride, while riding the 2 side by side, the bike with the 700c rims was within 1/10th of a mile of the bike using and set for 26" at the end of the ride. Close enough from where I'm sitting. Though not denying the potential you mention. I see few options (or reasons) for those that want to nail it down any better, though I'm sure they exist.
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FlatSix911
Well-Known Member
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- Silicon Valley
Wow, the Bosch Nyon display takes the cake for the most data... I'm not sure I could safely read all of the stats while riding!
They need a better graphical user interface with larger icons to quickly recognize and read the data presented on the screen.
Alaskan
Well-Known Member
Not really. Once you've ridden a few times and know where each data point is displayed, a quick glance is all that's needed. You don't read each and every field when you are double checking your cadence.
These are custom screens so you can have fewer and larger fields if you prefer. The default screens have larger info graphics.
1% correlation between the two bikes doesn't necessarilyi mean either one was actually accurate. Both could be off by the same amount, especially if using the same controller. However, if it meets your needs then that's all that really matters.
That 5% actual ground travel error in that earlier post would be unacceptable to me in navigating a trip of any significant length especially if one is looking for air, water, or a restroom.
Regarding the Bosch Nyon display mentioned above...It would be nice if the display had the functionality that the user could simply tap on the parameters to display and those would be enlarged in the display and the others minimized. A cellphone/mobile app could do that if it got all the data from the controller via Bluetooth.
AHicks
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Snow Bird - Summer S.E. Michigan, Winter Gulf Coast North Central Fl.
I agree. Makes no difference to me if my last trip was ABOUT 5 miles, or exactly 5 miles. Others are bound to have different priorities.
So, point made.
Displays for those who need to be exact will need to have the ability to have the calibration tweaked so they're closer than those who don't have that ability.
Not a fan of Bluetooth or any of the associated tech. I don't own a smart phone, and have no need for one!
I think what is shocking me is the big preference range of information riders want displayed. I really don't even care to have a display but if there is one I want it minimalist (isn't that the idea of biking in the first place). Just speed, battery level, and assist level is enough. Putting more sensors and advanced electronics on an ebike is just going to end up being a reliability issue. Smart phones are essentially compact computers these days so it's pretty obvious that they are better suited to display things like time, distance traveled. average speed, clock, etc.
I was impressed with big LCDs on some ebikes when I first stated looking for one, but after riding about 1000 miles I realized I really don't care about a big goofy display on my bars. The most important information is probably speed, battery level and assist level....everything else is just koolaid for the masses.
I was impressed with big LCDs on some ebikes when I first stated looking for one, but after riding about 1000 miles I realized I really don't care about a big goofy display on my bars. The most important information is probably speed, battery level and assist level....everything else is just koolaid for the masses.
