Bike Odometer

[tcparker]

We bought our Rad Runners a couple of months ago and we are having a blast!  I'd like to purchase a standard bike odometer to help track how many miles we go.  Any recommendations?  Also, what tire setting do I use?  I think 20", but would love confirmation of that.  Thanks!

[JimInPT]

If you're already carrying a phone, I'd recommend trying out the OsmAnd app, which is free to use with single-region updates.  They run 50% off sales for registration once or twice a month, which opens up unlimited regions with monthly updates and on sale it's only 10 bucks one time.  For cycling lunatics, there's a monthly subscription mode with all sorts of stuff, but I'm far more casual about my riding and don't need all that.

Takes a little getting used to, but it'll not only give you your mileage, but helps to find roads, trails and routes if you put it into Cycling mode and will store your rides to overlay on the map if you wish.  I like it a lot and for what it does it's pretty inexpensive.  Trying it for free may help you decide whether it's enough for your needs.

Yes, I think you'll want the 20" setting for your Rad Runner (I think if you cheat it with 16" you can actually get motor assist to higher speeds since it thinks it has to spin smaller wheels for the same speed, but I'm fine with boosting the limit to 40km/hr and leaving my RadMini at 20".)  Note that the Rad's odometer (which counts wheel rotations) differs a bit from OsmAnd, which uses GPS.

[RadJohn]

If you're talking about buying one of the aftermarket bike odometers that works off a magnet sensor attached to one of your spokes, 20" is definite NOT the number to use. Some cheaper ones may have a wheel diameter quick set feature but our oversize tires have a vastly different circumference than a typical 20 x 1.5 inch tire. Most of the better ones provide tire circumference measurement instructions and a way to enter that number into the computer's memory (and make minor corrections if necessary).

You might want to check them out at your local bike shop, there have been some with multiple trip counters, a handy  feature in some cases, but I cant remember which one(s) now.

3500+ miles on my '20 RM4 and I still get really ticked every time my Rad trip odometer resets to zero when I stop for more than the ~5 minute display turnoff/reset timeout. People have been complaining about this since the first Rad was produced, another sign that Rad doesn't really listen to or care about users despite their self aggrandizing lip service.

I personally run 2 Garmin GPS units, usually with one set to constantly show miles to home/starting point using the shortest route

[Jeff_RI]

I bought a Cateye Velo 7 @ $28 for my Radmission. I spend too much time looking at my phone so I like keeping that tucked way and focusing on my ride. I'm vey happy with the Cateye. 

[sc00ter]

I used to tune mopeds to go silly fast. And most moped speedos stop at 45mph. I ended up finding these cheap (sub-$30) speedometer/odometers for bicycles that could be programmed to pretty much any tire size and they were: waterproof, very accurate, durable, easy to operate and came in cool animal styles! Like a frog head looking at you and its eyes were the display! Coolest things ever! They were designed for kids bikes and only did speed, miles ridden and total miles. I must have purchased 9 sets of these things. Cat, dog, frog, raccoon, rabbit, mouse and I forgot what the others were. Needless to say once they were gone I've never seen them again and kinda wish I hung onto at least one of them. I think Cateye made them. They were corded so that tells you how long ago we used them.