I’ve got a Soloist, and just got a Polar CS200Cad as a present. I’m trying to get the cadence set up, and I’m having trouble. Hopefully a fellow St’er has some experience setting this up?
There isn’t enough room on the seattube, as the lower bottle cage keeps me from moving the sensor any higher. I also don’t have much wiggle room for the magnet, as FSA cranks have a short area of flat on the back to tape it on. Will the mount stay put on the downtube? The aero shape makes me nervous there… Thoughts?
i had a real bugger of a time trying to get mine to work on the soloist, i had the magnet passing right beside it, even hitting it and it still gave intermittent readings with the sensor was on the chainstay. in the end i used some rtv instant gasket and attached the magnet on the top outboard edge of the bottom bracket and zip tied and taped the whole sensor unit to the crank…mine are ultegra, perhaps this wont be the solution for FSA cranks…that or use a different magnet and grind it down to where you need it and use epoxy or gasket goop to attach it. hope this helps.
I didnt have any problems mounting mine on the P3SL. It is on there pretty good using the zip ties. I didnt use the magnet tape that came with the polar, I used good ole electrical tape. I also dont have the FSA carbon cranks, I replaced them with DA’s. Works great and no problems so far! Just make those zip ties are real tight!
Yes, I mounted it on the down tube. It points foward/towards the ground. It seemed to fit nicely on the sharp edge of the down tube. I have seen some mounted facing up, by connecting the cadence sensor underneatht the downtube!
Alpern… my kid has been using the CS200cad since August on both his 48 size Dual and 51 size Soloist with the sensor located in this position. Maybe it is not the most aero position but this has given him zero problems. As I have mentioned in other posts he is only 12 and makes the change back and forth himself so I guess it will be a piece of cake to you
I wish my Dad had bought me such nice things when I was 12. Lucky kid!
My magnet didn’t come with that little pod that your son has on his crank - an aftermarket purchase perhaps? Anyway, I’ve got one flat spot on my FSA cranks, right below the pedal threads. So for the moment I’ve got it taped there, as I’d have to build up something to to behind the magnet to fill in the carveout lower down. Given that constraint on magnet placement, the lower edge of my cage (also a tacx tao, just like your son’s) places the sensor too low, and the brazeon also seems like it would be in the way even if I could get things lined up. Not sure what to do from there, except to try your position and monkey with the magnet.
Did you try placing the sensor aimed vertically upward on the chainstay? I was looking at that and thinking about it as a possibility as well. Did you have any failed positions?
Sergios son is using an after market mag. You can get on of those at tri-sports…I use the one that came with the cs220cad…And like I said, I use good ole electrical tape. I do like Sergios set though!
I also use one on my Trek that has the FSA carbon pro cranks. Works fine too!
Think you could post a pic of your setup? I tried a quick ride with it zip tied on firmly, but not so firm that I couldn’t move it around a little for better placement. I never got a signal from the cadence unit, even though speed and heartrate were coming in nice and clear.
Unless I did something completely weird (and I’d like to think I did not) I may have to try a different magnet and something like Sergio’s son’s setup.
Alpern… The original mag is in Sergio Jr’s Dual, that is why you see the after market magnet in his Soloist. The sensor is very sensitive to the magnet. I do not have to place it as close as with my own cadence sensor.
Did you activate cadence on the BIKE SET menu? If you did not you will not get a reading.
Yep, I checked it in the Bike Set menu… that was first thing. It’s turned on, I’m just not having any luck getting a reading. I’ll keep messing with it.
Alpern… Looking back at your posts and comments like "FSA cranks have a short area of flat on the back to tape it on" or “I’ve got one flat spot on my FSA cranks, right below the pedal threads”, it seems that you are looking for a flat spot to attach the magnet on a parallel line with say the top tube of the cycle. You won’t find much flat surface parallel to the top tube on those FSA Carbon Pro crankset, but you have a lot of flat angled surface on that FSA carbon crank to attach the magnet in a way that it comes close enough to the sensor on each revolution.
I do not have my camera at hand to show this more clearly, but if you watch the photo of my son’s Soloist you will see that the magnet is attached on the crank arm **on the angled side of it, not on a flat surface parallel to the bike tubes. **This will let you secure the magnet on a flat surface (at and angle but) very close to the sensor’s tip.
I’ve tried two different spots now - sensor on the downtube, with the magnet on the smooth part of the crank back. It was within the recommended distance but I got no readings.
It’s currently in the same spot as your son’s - with the magnet off-center, on an angle. There’s about 3mm clearance, but there’s still no reading.
Any idea? Could it be signal strength? I’m on a 58cm frame, so there’s a bit more distance between the sensor and the computer than on your son’s 51. Or am I missing something?
