Due to my trainer, I want the feed coming from my back wheel and my computer wire is not long enough (a Dbase 4L). Well, it works, but I want more considerably more play in the wire to tuck it out of sight.
I admit I’m an electrical neophyte–can I just buy some wire from RadioShack (what wire?), splice it in, protect the splices with some electrical tape, and be golden? (I think the splices can be housed in the bike’s hollow body, if that helps…)
thanks
–zee
If you’re an electrical neophyte, then your soldering job probably won’t work so well. You’d be better off buying some spade connectors or other crimp-on connectors. One half looks like a little spade the other half is a female it goes into. You can also find these built into little plastic boxes so the joint is protected from the elements. You strip a bit of the insulation and and crush the connector on the wire. also consider using heat shrink tubing instead of tape. it’s tubing that shrinks in diameter when you heat it up. put some on the wire, put on the connector, slide the tubing up and heat it up and you have a nice connection. For wire, just look for something about the same thickness with the same flexibility and insulation thickness. The connectors come in sizes for different wire sizes. You can usually find a box of assorted sizes at an auto parts store
nice–thanks.
any particular type of wire? ie copper, etc.?
-zee
You might be better off just getting a new computer that has a rear wheel mounting kit. I run the Avocett 45tt with cadence and a rear wheel sensor, great for trainers. Once you much around with cutting wires and soldering, heat shrink tubing, etc. You may compromise the wires integrity, allow for more interference, and spent a few bucks. I don’t think twisting the wire together by hand and wrapping them with tape would last very long.
I’ve successfully spliced computer wire (after accidentally cutting it) with good success. Didn’t even solder - just strip, twist, & electrical tape. Solder would probably give you an even better connexion.
Look for wire with a similar feel and gauge, so it matches up well. I think most computers use copper wire, but I will defer to someone with electrical knowlege.
I have done this in the past on an old cateye. Depending on the computer you are using and the gauge of the wire is how you can tell how difficult or easy it might be. Some of the wires in computers look like just two but they are coaxial, two wires in one with the outside one just being foil which is extremely difficult to solder or twist together being it is so thin. The time I spend doing it, I would just purchase a mount made for rear wheel.
Yes I am electronic guy, who fixes this kind of stuff for a living.
Bob