How to wire up the PT... elegantly?

Aztec

My Power Tap Pro is now finally all built up (28h, on Ritchey rims, Sapim Cx-ray spokes, Record front hub).

I didn't realize that it isn't wireless. How the heck do you run those wires -- which are way long for a 56cm -- cleanly? I've wrapped them around the cable casings up front, but since I have internal cables, I ultimately have to run them down the frame tubes somewhere. Yuck.

If anyone has any pics of how you did it, I'd love to see them. Right now I have the receiver wire running under the top tube, and the cadence wire running down the front edge of the down tube.

Learned a quick power lesson today already on the trainer... my power faded from 175w at a steady 'endurance' heart rate all the way down to about 145w over the course of just an hour! I'm going to learn a lot from this toy.

darnok

I ran into the same problem for a Polar Power system. I think running the cables under / in front of the tubes as you did is a good choice. I used a narrrow width of very sticky black duct tape to fix the cables, they are practically invisible unless you look at the bike from below.

beerco

Two quick tips: Clip the cadence sensor or buy a PT standard harness. Cadence is pretty much a red herring for training and the standard PT measures it well enough for most purposes. Unless you've got some other reason for it, ditch it.

I also used electrical tape the same color (that's colour Ric) for one bike and clear electrical tape (try and find that!) for my other bike running the wire up the seat stay and across the top tube.

Good luck and prepare to have your eyes opened.

beerco

P.S. Yea, training by HR kind a sucks eh!

ric_stern/RST

can't you guys learn to spell

i use the little sticky tape strips that come with the PT.

Up the rear triangle and then using black insulation tape (to match the brake cable colours) i tape it behind the brake cable, then using the PT sticky strips place it under the top tube and then carefully wrap it around the brake cable at the front. looks fairly neat.

i actually use the cadence function -- i can't be bothered to cut the cable. anyway, beerco is correct (even if he can't spell :eek the PT standard cadence is pretty good. generally seems to be spot on (on average).

ric

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acoggan

I prefer to mount the receiver on the chain stay instead of the seat stay, then run the cable up the bottomside of the downtube under some color-matched electrical tape. Any excess cable can either be wrapped around the chain stay or around one of the cable housings at the handlebar (I prefer the chainstay).

ric_stern/RST

i hadn't thought of that! it'll be like one of those timing chip things on the pro's bike in the TdF!

and, Andy, it's "coloUr" ;-)

Ric

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Aztec

Thanks for the ideas -- sounds like I'm close to what others do. I'll have to take up the challenge for finding clear electrical tape! My frame is mostly red, so it's not too bad, but I can't imagine trying to hide this thing on my multi-coloUr Colnago!

When you refer to 'PT standard cadence'... um, what is that? Are you telling me that there's another way of getting a cadence reading without that wire???? I don't know that I really 'need' cadence, especially since I've never had it, and you can't display it at the same time as HR anyway (unless you kludge it by putting HR in the middle display). Maybe after awhile I'll clip the cadence wire off.

beerco

The regular PT calculates cadence by counting the time between "power pulses" from the hub. This method is not perfect and has some artifacts, but I find that for the most part it's "good enough".

In some cases where you're back calculating gear selection or maybe some other stuff a very accurate cadence is required, but for the most part it's not.

I don't own a PT pro, but it's my understanding that it will revert to the old way if the cadence signal is missing.

p.s. I'd rather look at cadence than HR!

Aztec

No kidding, it has redundant systems??!!! I LOVE IT!!!!

I don't want to look at HR either... w/ that upward drift (or downward, holding power constant) yesterday, it makes longer workouts too easy at the end (or, using power will make me overtrain ;-)).

Aztec

My electrical tape keeps coming unstuck, even though the frame is clean!

acoggan

Here are a couple of tips:

1) clean the frame with some isopropyl alcohol and then allow it to dry completely before applying the tape. This will ensure that that there is no residue of grease or oil to interfere with the adhesive.

2) be careful to not stretch the electrical tape when you are applying it. Instead, gently unroll more than you need, allow it to spring back to its original length if you've stretched it at all, then apply it over the cable and finally cut to length.

jimh2

Wouldn't be nice if the people at Graber "got" it and provided wireless. Not too difficult in the 21st century.

beerco

I guess you think that the battery life of your PT is too good eh? Ever design an embeded device with wireless capabilities?