The thrill of cycling is in speed, Whether you are speeding up a hilly terrain or going down a smooth road, the thrill of speed is simply undeniable! With a speedometer attached to your bike, you can easily measure its speed as well as get other relevant information related to your trip and bike. While it is easy to attach a bike speedometer, it is important to carry out the process properly to derive correct data. But before we get to that, let us know a bit more about speedometers.

What, Why, How of a Speedometer

Let’s begin with what is a speedometer. A speedometer is a small computer that you can fix to your bike to keep track of its speed by measuring the rotation of its tires. So, why do you need a speedometer? The device enables you to keep track of your bike’s speed and perform basic calculations, such as distance covered, the altitude, time taken, etc. This brings up the next question: how does a bicycle speedometer work? When attached to your bike, the speedometer draws data from the sensors placed on your bike’s tires and calculates the speed.

How Do You Attach a Speedometer to a Bike?

First of all, buy a good quality speedometer, such as a Firefox speedometer. Then follow the following steps to attach the speedometer to your bike:

Step 1

Select the sensor’s position. The fork placed opposite to your bike’s brake on the mount of the front wheel is the ideal location to attach the sensor. Position the sensor at a place along the fork where you can easily access it.

Step 2

From the sensor, take the wire up the back and through the shock absorber’s outer portion. This offers protection to the wire from the impact of thick undergrowth or branches.

Step 3

Place the device mount on the handlebar where you can easily see it. This mount will carry the display of your speedometer. Note that there are different types of digital bicycle speedometers and the mount varies slightly depending on whether you opt for speedometer cycle wireless or wired. 

Step 4

Using cable ties, fasten the wire connecting the device mount and the sensor to the frame of your bike. Make sure that the wire has enough slack so that the handlebars and the front wheel of your bike can turn easily and freely.

Step 5

Attach the magnet included with the device to the front tire spokes of your bike. Position it in such a manner so that it passes not more than 1/4 inch of the sensor every time the tire rotates. This way, the sensor will know that the tire has made a complete revolution each time the magnet passes.

Step 6

Note the diameter of your bike’s front tire and enter the figure in the speedometer. It is necessary to feed the device with this information to get an accurate speed of your bike.

Step 7

Give the tire a turn and see if the sensor detects the magnet or not when it passes by. If the sensor is working properly, you will be able to see a non-zero speed display on the device.

Points to Remember

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If you are unsure whether the device has been attached properly or not, just search for 'Firefox cycle shop near me' on your phone and take your bike to the nearest shop to get it checked. For those of you who are wondering how to use a speedometer, all you need to do is ride the bike and it will start to display the speed. Remember that the price of speedometers for cycles  varies depending on the type of the device. For instance, the prices of the cyclo computer (wired) and cyclo computer (wireless) are different. Also, if you opt for a sports bike speedometer, learn about its handling. Get to know how you reset a specialized sport bike computer so that you can easily reset it if needed.

Now that you know all about installing a bicycle speedometer, go ahead and attach one to your bike and head out for a ride. Happy riding!