OMG How fast was that?! Part 1

My Dad used to say to me - if I want to buy a car that feels fast, don't buy an expensive sports car, buy a low car - one where you are mere inches off the tarmac. And it's true that whist we are all used to speeding along at 70miles an hour on the motorway (legally at least) we don't have to approach anything like that sort of speed to feel fast on our boards.

But just how fast are we going? Does it really matter?

It shouldn't matter, but for curiosities sake, lets explore how we can measure our efforts.

The first device I considered was a digital bike speedometer, the type that can be picked up for around a tenner and use a magnet on the wheel as a trigger. According to the technical documentation available on line, most models allow you to reduce the wheel diameter, or distance travelled per wheel revolution right down to very small units. Remember that this variable is used to calculate the speed and so is important to get right for meaningful results. Some of the very cheap models don't record max speed so check the specifications - it's only usually a couple of quid extra to add this function.

Next job would be the custom fit of the magnet and sensor. Most of the models looked at come with fittings to what would be the bike front fork and to the spoke for the sensor and magnet, and to the handlebars for the digital readout. All of these will need a bit of work to fit in place considering the closeness of the trucks to the ground and the potential to damage/misalign the sensors.

I suppose that the digital readout could either be fixed to the board somewhere, or run up your leg and into a pocket. Always the danger there of getting the wire snagged on a passing tree or possible ripping the wire off. Wireless devices do exist but that results in extra £££s and extra batteries.

This is of course all hyperthetical as I've not tried the above, nor do I know of anyone else who has tried it. I guess the upshot is that its a relatively cheap thing to try out though a fit of work will be required to fix and that the data received will only be as good as the device will manage.

Part 2 - GPS!