My research on Speedometers and GPS

[pete..]

go to sports authority, click on bikes, click on accessories, click on computers. BAM! under $100 that keeps speed up to 120km/h

have you actually tested this? because there is a difference between a bike and a skateboard

[Decked-Out]

After reading this thread I decided to give it a try with my Geko 201. It has a screw hole in the back for mounting it to a handlebar bracket or something so I bought a 98 cent package of hair clips at a craft store and screwed one to the back. I drove to my favorite run; clipped it to my shoe laces and I was ready to go.

There has been some discussion here of placing the unit in a location where it can be read in transit - only do this if you want risk your ass for inaccurate information. You can't stare at it continuously to ensure you see your top speed; you can't even glance at it without risking a crash. I tried it on the first two runs and nearly hit a curb once. I guess it wouldn't be so bad on a straight run but I was only doing 28 - 32 mph and it was too fast to be gawking at my foot. If your GPS unit doesn't record a maximum speed don't bother using it for this.

The other thought I had is that this could be a temptation to push yourself too hard. That is, if you're determined to do a certain speed and coming up short you might be tempted to try something beyond your capabilities.

My mounting method was just a quickie; I'm sure someone can come up with something better.

P.S. - I wonder how long it will take for someone to add that last sentence to his signature.

Ive read alot about the 201 geko, but its all nerdy mumbo jumbo i cant understand... does it track speed, give directions, max speed ?

[ZuMBLe]

Normal bike computers use a magnet and a pickup sensor, how would this work on a skateboard?

go to sports authority, click on bikes, click on accessories, click on computers. BAM! under $100 that keeps speed up to 120km/h

[ZuMBLe]

201 Geko will use GPS to track speed and max speed, avg speed, lets you mark waypoints etc. It does't really give you directions. It can point you to the direction of a specified waypoint but it doesn't know about roads and cliffs so the straight line direction it gives you could be off a cliff. =P Good device for GPS verified speed recording though. =)

Ive read alot about the 201 geko, but its all nerdy mumbo jumbo i cant understand... does it track speed, give directions, max speed ?

[AlG]

Normal bike computers use a magnet and a pickup sensor, how would this work on a skateboard?

the magnet is designed to attach to the spokes of the bicycle and there is a sensor that attaches to the fork of the bicycle. you have to input in the circumference of the tire in the computer to calculate velocity. It would be pretty hard to make this work on a skateboard considering how to attach a magnet to a fixed point on the wheel or bearing and constantly updating the wheel circumference if you change wheels or slide a lot.

[Old Guy]

Normal bike computers use a magnet and a pickup sensor, how would this work on a skateboard?

I think this is somewhere in the thread, and I think the short answer is that it's not really practical. The vast difference in wheel diameter, among other things, presents some very difficult technical challenges.

[Old Guy]

201 Geko will use GPS to track speed and max speed, avg speed, lets you mark waypoints etc. It does't really give you directions. It can point you to the direction of a specified waypoint but it doesn't know about roads and cliffs so the straight line direction it gives you could be off a cliff. =P Good device for GPS verified speed recording though. =)

If you're skating you'd better be watching out for cliffs anyway! You make a good point, though; no one should use a hand-held GPS receiver for navigation without a clear understanding that it's not like those that go in a car and tell you what to do.

[gavmck]

OK GPS are rad. Far as I can tell, lots of phones are now coming with GPS. Does anyone have any info about phones that can do max speed as well? I'm in the market for my 2nd ever mobile and it might as well do something useful like tell me my max speed.

[8ftbed]

Just find the cops and do you fastest past them. They'll probably tell you how fast you were going.

...oh wait, you were talking about 4 wheels and a piece of wood or something. nevermind

[Hawthorne]

[8ftbed]

My only bitch about the Forerunner (got one dig the hell out of it for everything Hawthorne said) is that it's easy to stop the timer in a typical tuck where the back of your wrists are laying on your back. Pisses you off when you're thinking "woo! that had to be a record run", check the watch and see it's not running. wth!! When I was skating with Christian and Enrique, they lost a good run as I forgot to warn them to place their palms together behind their backs.

[TheyCallMeFerrell]

whats the speed tracking app for the iphone someone was talking about called?

[Hawthorne]

whats the speed tracking app for the iphone someone was talking about called?

"GPS Tracker"

Register on InstaMapper - Free Real-Time GPS Tracking

[TheyCallMeFerrell]

"GPS Tracker"

Register on InstaMapper - Free Real-Time GPS Tracking

thanks bro

[PierreNZ]

I've got a Navman X300, I found it new on TradeMe (New Zealand version of E-Bay) for only NZ$75 (=US$50). It's give you your actual speed, average speed, top speed, chronometer, altimeter, clock, target speed,...
You can't connect it on a computer, but if all you mind is to know your speed, it's the perfect gear.

[shorncliffe longboarder]

im gonna try the car method.

[Betterthanux5]

i been lookin into it, but this radar gun deal sounds like its gonna be the only thing thats reliable even though it only clocks you in one spot, but would it not be pretty easy to mount a bike spedometer ( i know they've been discussed a lot) but it you wired it through a drop through board to pick up the wheels rpm or watever?

[Clemson_Fan]

i been lookin into it, but this radar gun deal sounds like its gonna be the only thing thats reliable even though it only clocks you in one spot, but would it not be pretty easy to mount a bike spedometer ( i know they've been discussed a lot) but it you wired it through a drop through board to pick up the wheels rpm or watever?

No, bike speedometers cant handle that speed.

[Old Guy]

i been lookin into it, but this radar gun deal sounds like its gonna be the only thing thats reliable even though it only clocks you in one spot, but would it not be pretty easy to mount a bike spedometer ( i know they've been discussed a lot) but it you wired it through a drop through board to pick up the wheels rpm or watever?

Why do you say that? GPS is extremely reliable and accurate. There is a question of minor inaccuracy when going down steep hills, but I'm sure it's still far better than any affordable radar gun. You would serve yourself well to go back through the thread and read all of it, because the bicycle speedometer question has been beaten to death here.

[Betterthanux5]

Why do you say that? GPS is extremely reliable and accurate. There is a question of minor inaccuracy when going down steep hills, but I'm sure it's still far better than any affordable radar gun. You would serve yourself well to go back through the thread and read all of it, because the bicycle speedometer question has been beaten to death here.

i did read all the thread, but i was just thinkin of a cool way to wire the bike speedometer i mean i didn't think it would be like anywhere near as accurate as a gps but it would be cheaper. but i mean as far as cheap and accurate, a radar gun sounds like it would do what i needed it to and there wouldn't be a chance of breaking it really