Reviving the Avocet 25 bicycle computer

I've had an Avocet 25 mounted on the bar of my '96 Gary Fisher MTB since 1996. The battery has been dead since before the turn of the century, but I rarely rode the bike and didn't care. Recently I have been riding the bike daily, taking the third-grader to school, and I am spiffing it up.

The Avocet is powered by a 675, 1.4 volt button cell. These are sold today as hearing-aid batteries. But I had an LR44 in the drawer, which is the right diameter though somewhat lower in height. It is also 1.5v, but it fit in the battery well and works perfectly.

I checked the file with all my bike stuff and found the original instructions! A miracle. Also found the sales receipt, $29.95 plus tax.

I really don't much care about data when I ride this bike, but knowing how far we've gone will motivate the little guy. It was fun to see this old toy light up again.

On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 9:18:59 AM UTC-4, BCDrums wrote:
I've had an Avocet 25 mounted on the bar of my '96 Gary Fisher MTB since 1996. The battery has been dead since before the turn of the century, but I rarely rode the bike and didn't care. Recently I have been riding the bike daily, taking the third-grader to school, and I am spiffing it up.



The Avocet is powered by a 675, 1.4 volt button cell. These are sold today as hearing-aid batteries. But I had an LR44 in the drawer, which is the right diameter though somewhat lower in height. It is also 1.5v, but it fit in the battery well and works perfectly.



I checked the file with all my bike stuff and found the original instructions! A miracle. Also found the sales receipt, $29.95 plus tax.



I really don't much care about data when I ride this bike, but knowing how far we've gone will motivate the little guy. It was fun to see this old toy light up again.

I like keeping old hardware running, and Avocets are still my favorite cyclometers. But I've had some trouble choosing replacement batteries. The original batteries (at least, in some models) contained too much mercury and were taken off the market. Some of the replacements I've used lasted far less than a year. Hope yours works for you.

- Frank Krygowski

Frank Krygowski writes:

snip


I like keeping old hardware running,

Just out of curiosity, what's the oldest computer (talking
about general purpose "data processing" or "personal computers"
here) you have kept running? (Bonus if it's still in ~regular
use).

snip

On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 11:36:10 AM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:
I like keeping old hardware running, and Avocets are still my favorite cyclometers. . - Frank Krygowski

I am curious, may I ask why ? I had one way back, I think it was a 40- kinda big, but I did not like the magnetic ring on the hub much, I could never install it parallel to the pick up and understanding the reading depended on the frequency of the magnets influencing the coil in the pick up, I often felt this deviation resulted in an inaccurate reading. With a sinhle magnet-reed switch combination, we know that every single pass is counted and equaled x distance traveled- that seemed to be a certaintude,

One other thing too, is that as I was commuting a same route daily, I was well aware of a deviation with the avocet whereas any other reed switch comp gave me a result I recall was within 2% (the avocet varied much more)

On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 5:55:18 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 11:36:10 AM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:

I like keeping old hardware running, and Avocets are still my favorite cyclometers. . - Frank Krygowski



I am curious, may I ask why ? I had one way back, I think it was a 40- kinda big, but I did not like the magnetic ring on the hub much, I could never install it parallel to the pick up and understanding the reading depended on the frequency of the magnets influencing the coil in the pick up, I often felt this deviation resulted in an inaccurate reading. With a sinhle magnet-reed switch combination, we know that every single pass is counted and equaled x distance traveled- that seemed to be a certaintude,



One other thing too, is that as I was commuting a same route daily, I was well aware of a deviation with the avocet whereas any other reed switch comp gave me a result I recall was within 2% (the avocet varied much more)

I bought an Avocet cyclometer from the first production (from the company at PAB). Great for the era and the only game in town - apart from some Huret mechanical abomination, but I've become fond of cordless. When it comes to electronics, new stuff is generally better and cheaper, at least until you get in to the bells and whistle models that have lie detector functions and GPS and send phone messages.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 8:55:18 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 11:36:10 AM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:

I like keeping old hardware running, and Avocets are still my favorite cyclometers. . - Frank Krygowski

I am curious, may I ask why ?

Part of it may be just familiarity But I like the relative simplicity, at least regarding the operator interface. I like the strong tactile response of the buttons, the small size of the unit, and what seems to me a very logical "command set," if I can call it that: click one button to go from speed to distance to time, click the other for details. Calibration and things like setting the clock are also very logical, ISTM.

For contrast: The Cateye Wireless on one other bike has lost miles in cold weather, the buttons are tiny and "soft," and I'm still confused about some of its operating and calibration functions. I've had to write notes on its instruction sheet to make it through the annual battery change.

- Frank Krygowski

On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 10:25:50 PM UTC-4, Jay Beattie wrote:


I bought an Avocet cyclometer from the first production (from the company at PAB). Great for the era and the only game in town - apart from some Huret mechanical abomination, but I've become fond of cordless. When it comes to electronics, new stuff is generally better and cheaper, at least until you get in to the bells and whistle models that have lie detector functions and GPS and send phone messages.

Speaking of the very broad field of electronic devices, newer stuff is cheaper and much more capable. But ISTM that operator interfaces have gotten worse on many devices. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that they haven't figured out ways to make an operator interface that is simple, yet handles the functions of the devices.

Microwave ovens can now do dozens of tricks. But every time I'm in front of a different one, it takes me five minutes to figure out how to heat a cup of hot water. Seems there should be some top level "simple" function, analogous to the old mechanical dial on the first ones.

BTW, I've got an Android phone. It's a replacement for a Palm that I carried for years. It's much more powerful - yet every organizer function on the Palm was easier to access, had a clearer visual interface, had a better and more consistent "help" function if I needed it, etc. And the Palm had a physical keyboard, which greatly reduced typos.

The trend toward non-tactile on-screen "buttons" is just wrong, IMO.

- Frank Krygowski

On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 9:57:59 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 10:25:50 PM UTC-4, Jay Beattie wrote:





I bought an Avocet cyclometer from the first production (from the company at PAB). Great for the era and the only game in town - apart from some Huret mechanical abomination, but I've become fond of cordless. When it comes to electronics, new stuff is generally better and cheaper, at least until you get in to the bells and whistle models that have lie detector functions and GPS and send phone messages.



Speaking of the very broad field of electronic devices, newer stuff is cheaper and much more capable. But ISTM that operator interfaces have gotten worse on many devices. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that they haven't figured out ways to make an operator interface that is simple, yet handles the functions of the devices.



Microwave ovens can now do dozens of tricks. But every time I'm in front of a different one, it takes me five minutes to figure out how to heat a cup of hot water. Seems there should be some top level "simple" function, analogous to the old mechanical dial on the first ones.



BTW, I've got an Android phone. It's a replacement for a Palm that I carried for years. It's much more powerful - yet every organizer function on the Palm was easier to access, had a clearer visual interface, had a better and more consistent "help" function if I needed it, etc. And the Palm had a physical keyboard, which greatly reduced typos.



The trend toward non-tactile on-screen "buttons" is just wrong, IMO.

That is the downside of cutting edge technology -- it tries to do too much and is sometimes frail. OTOH, I'm just an old dog who doesn't like new tricks, and what is a novelty, never-used function to me is a must-have to my friends, e.g. pulse, cadence, various biometrics and elevation.

I have become accustomed to delaying the start of every ride while my friends get their satellite links established. It looks like tax season at H&R Block with everyone tapping away at their screens as I circle in the street.

Then they go home and down load all the data, which usually generates anguish and feelings of inadequacy -- pulse rate was too high, average speed too low, watts pathetic, last year I did this ride 2x faster, etc. I don't need a cyclometer to tell me that I feel like crap or that I'm getting slower. But then again, I'm not racing or pretending to train for anything.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Thursday, October 3, 2013 11:44:52 AM UTC-4, Jay Beattie wrote:
On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 9:57:59 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 10:25:50 PM UTC-4, Jay Beattie wrote:











I bought an Avocet cyclometer from the first production (from the company at PAB). Great for the era and the only game in town - apart from some Huret mechanical abomination, but I've become fond of cordless. When it comes to electronics, new stuff is generally better and cheaper, at least until you get in to the bells and whistle models that have lie detector functions and GPS and send phone messages.







Speaking of the very broad field of electronic devices, newer stuff is cheaper and much more capable. But ISTM that operator interfaces have gotten worse on many devices. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that they haven't figured out ways to make an operator interface that is simple, yet handles the functions of the devices.







Microwave ovens can now do dozens of tricks. But every time I'm in front of a different one, it takes me five minutes to figure out how to heat a cup of hot water. Seems there should be some top level "simple" function, analogous to the old mechanical dial on the first ones.







BTW, I've got an Android phone. It's a replacement for a Palm that I carried for years. It's much more powerful - yet every organizer function on the Palm was easier to access, had a clearer visual interface, had a better and more consistent "help" function if I needed it, etc. And the Palm had a physical keyboard, which greatly reduced typos.







The trend toward non-tactile on-screen "buttons" is just wrong, IMO.



That is the downside of cutting edge technology -- it tries to do too much and is sometimes frail. OTOH, I'm just an old dog who doesn't like new tricks, and what is a novelty, never-used function to me is a must-have to my friends, e.g. pulse, cadence, various biometrics and elevation.



I have become accustomed to delaying the start of every ride while my friends get their satellite links established. It looks like tax season at H&R Block with everyone tapping away at their screens as I circle in the street.

On Thursday, October 3, 2013 12:29:27 PM UTC-4, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Thursday, October 3, 2013 11:44:52 AM UTC-4, Jay Beattie wrote:

I have become accustomed to delaying the start of every ride while my friends get their satellite links established. It looks like tax season at H&R Block with everyone tapping away at their screens as I circle in the street.

Then they go home and down load all the data, which usually generates anguish and feelings of inadequacy -- pulse rate was too high, average speed too low, watts pathetic, last year I did this ride 2x faster, etc. I don't need a cyclometer to tell me that I feel like crap or that I'm getting slower. But then again, I'm not racing or pretending to train for anything.

...For bicycles i like a nice simple computer that starts itself when the bike is moving. I just want distance for the trip and the distance for the tour if I ride a multi-day one. Even a simple Odometer and Trip Distance works for multi-day touring; just use the Trip Distance each dayto log your day's ride and reset it at night for the next day. I just set everything at zero including the odometer before setting out on tour.

That's about right for me, too. I'll admit that when I first got an electronic cyclometer (as opposed to the click-click-click mechanically driven one) it probably did get me in better shape. It motivated me to ride faster. But these days I pay much less attention to speed. And download data to analyze? Heck, I already _know_ I'm getting older and slower. I don't need any more data on that than the calendar provides.

P.S. I just thought of an "OTOH." At various times over the years, our club has had minor problems with people showing up for rides that were a very bad match for their personal riding speed. I suppose if people had a good idea of their average speeds, they might be less likely to try to do a "brisk" ride at 9 mph, or to wonder why people on the "leisurely" ride aren't cranking at a nice, easy 20 mph.

- Frank Krygowski