Gadget Upgrades

During last year I have been steadily improving my cycling. When I got my Garmin Edge 800 Performance & Navigational Bundle I decided to install the cadence sensor (Garmin GCS10) and started to wear the heart rate monitor as well on my rides.

But because BBB has small wheels the GCS10 couldn't reach both the wheel magnet (Speed) & pedal magnet (Cadence). 

When I installed the Garmin GSC-10 on BumbleB I couldn't get it to sense my cadence & speed directly as the speed sensor couldn't reach the wheel's spokes where the magnet would be placed. I wasn't to fuzzed about this till recently.

Garmin GSC10 Mounted

I've wanted to get more accurate data on my rides so I found ANT+ compatible cadence/speed sensor that would work with the Brompton & Garmin Edge 800

 PowerTap ANT+ Dual Speed Cadence Sensor

• For use with wireless ANT+ PowerTap power meters.
• Compatible with android and iPhone/iPad devices with use of appropriate ANT+ adapter key

The small bo is the speed part of the sensor & short cord is attached the cadence sensor. Zip ties, rubber bases and spoke magnet also come with the package.

Here it is all installed on BumbleB

PowerTap Fully installed

Speed sensor & magnet on spoke

Cadence sensor lined up with magnet in pedal

I found that if I placed the cadence on the underneath part of the rear frame, when BumbleB is folded/parked the cadence sensor would be crushed my the frame/bottom bracket.

Cadence sensor & Bottom Bracket

 

Pairing with Garmin Edge 800:

Now pairing up with the Edge 800 is easy but here is a step by step screen shots taken from my Edge 800.

Go to settings (spanner)

Go to Bike Settings

Bike Profiles

Select your bike profile

Hit ANT+Speed/Cadence

Yes to Bike sensors & search.

At this point make sure no other ANT+ sensors are in range to make sure the only sensor it picvks up is yours.

YAY its paired

Now you have to tell the Garmin your wheel size. If you want to be SUPER accurate you can measure your actual wheel using a tape measure and put it in manually in millimetres.  Brompton's come up to around 1300mm +/- 50 depending on wear & tires.

I let the edge calculate it itself (ride for about 15mins and it will automatically set the size)  and it comes in around the size I've read up on.

Wheel size set

Now its all done. No more 0.2mph when I'm stationary as the GPS signal slightly drifts cause of the delay etc

PowerTap ANT+ Dual Speed Cadence Sensor on wiggle.co.uk

Another senor of this type I have also seen that should work with the Brompton is the

Wahoo Fitness Premium Speed Cadence which is of the same type of design.