Speed Difference

pauls

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 20, 2020
12
3
Brighton
One other point to bear in mind if using a wireless system, a lot of electronic devices such as LED lamps, motor controllers etc generate interference. This can be bad enough to block signals from being picked up by your wireless speed gauge.
So far as I am aware, it's a wired system not wireless.
 

sjpt

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 8, 2018
3,832
2,756
Winchester

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,899
6,507
Count yourself lucky you don't have to pay the dealers to ship the bike back to Germany to get the wheelsize changed.
uk dealers can change the wheel size a bit but you cant use a motor with 27.5 wheels with a bike with 29inc wheels.

bosch will not change this and no dealer can do it either so if you need a 2nd hand motor make sure it is for your wheel size first
 

Samcycles

Pedelecer
Apr 26, 2020
68
50
Northern Ireland
That's annoying...so if you change your tyre type it's back to the dealer and hand over cash if you want the thing to report properly.
It's no different to the speedometer on a car, it's set based on the original specifications so when you change wheel or tyre size this will give a false reading.
I've used a Garmin GPS and my phone's GPS to check my Bosch intuvia and all give slightly different readings for speed and distance. The variable is also different from one ride to the next. I've previously used the Garmin for checking map navigation during mountain leaders training and the accuracy is inconsistent. This in part is down to the number of satalites it's able to lock onto and can be influenced by atmospheric conditions. Mobile phone GPS is even less accurate and I have found it to be typically 3m to 5m out on actual grid position.
 

Spitz

Pedelecer
Jan 23, 2020
26
10
Just to add, I haver noticed the exact same issue (display giving a higher speed / distance compared to GPS, appx + 1 Mph) with my new Bosch powered ebike and Intuvia screen. My bike is due a free first service later this month so I will mention it when I take it in and see what they say.
 

Muddyfox

Pedelecer
Dec 30, 2018
97
60
Nottingham
My Shimano Step 2 display reads a greater distance travelled than my Garmin watch does. I believe the watch over the display.
 

cyclebuddy

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 2, 2016
1,639
770
Beds & Norfolk
As an example: A Marathon Plus tyre with its' added 5mm puncture-proof band has a taller profile / a physical diameter visibly larger than an equivalent standard/ordinary tyre.

Since speed and distance is calculated on outer tyre diameter, it stands to reason there will be some discrepancy based on what tyres you're running. My two e-bike displays consistently show 0.5 to 1mph less than my GPS once I'd changed those standard factory fitted tyres to same-technical-size but physically larger diameter MP's - where speed/distance was identical before.

On a standard cycle computer you can precisely set that outer tyre diameter: On an e-bike you can't, so you just have to accept there will be some slight error (against GPS anyway, which in my case is far more precise).
 
  • Agree
Reactions: WheezyRider

WheezyRider

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 20, 2020
1,690
938
It's no different to the speedometer on a car, it's set based on the original specifications so when you change wheel or tyre size this will give a false reading.
I've used a Garmin GPS and my phone's GPS to check my Bosch intuvia and all give slightly different readings for speed and distance. The variable is also different from one ride to the next. I've previously used the Garmin for checking map navigation during mountain leaders training and the accuracy is inconsistent. This in part is down to the number of satalites it's able to lock onto and can be influenced by atmospheric conditions. Mobile phone GPS is even less accurate and I have found it to be typically 3m to 5m out on actual grid position.

The difference is, with a car, extremely few people will ever fit it with different tyre sizes than it was sold with. With bikes, they could be fitted with all sorts of different tyre sizes, which vary from one manufacturer to the next. Also, a 1mph inaccuracy in a car means nothing much, whereas to a bike it makes a significant difference.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sjpt

sjpt

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 8, 2018
3,832
2,756
Winchester
The difference is, with a car, extremely few people will ever fit it with different tyre sizes than it was sold with. With bikes, they could be fitted with all sorts of different tyre sizes, which vary from one manufacturer to the next. Also, a 1mph inaccuracy in a car means nothing much, whereas to a bike it makes a significant difference.
Basically I agree. Difference is proportional though, so same error in car tyre size would give several mph error.
 

Darren Hayward

Pedelecer
Mar 25, 2015
93
47
61
Car speedo's are made to a legal standard and every car will show a slight overspeed between 1 to 3 mph at a steady 30mph. Generally car drivers don't care.
Bike computers and inbuilt systems are not made to any legal standard in this country, which is why the police can't prosecute a cyclist for speeding. It is also why different systems show slight overspeeds depending on country of manufacture and individual company policy.
Bosch appear to set their systems to show about 1 mph too high, If you have a Purion you can't do much about it. If you have an Intuvio or higher you can reduce the wheel outer circumference to the minimum (about 2.5% lower) and that will largely tune out the margin of error Bosch build in.

The question is, how much do you actually care.



Darren
 
  • Agree
  • Like
Reactions: flecc and Samcycles

sjpt

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 8, 2018
3,832
2,756
Winchester
Bike computers and inbuilt systems are not made to any legal standard in this country, which is why the police can't prosecute a cyclist for speeding.
No, the police can't prosecute because speeding isn't illegal on a regular pushbike or pedalec.

If it were an offence it wouldn't be an excuse that you didn't know you were speeding.

In a car, having a wrongly calibrated speedometer is a separate offence from speeding itself.
 

GSV3MiaC

Pedelecer
Jun 6, 2020
211
134
The GPS system is USA controlled and at the moment Donald Trump is in charge - I think I'll stick with my Cateye until he's gone ...... :D :D :D
My gpsmap 64 can use other constellations too, not that I trust the owners or operators of those any further than Donald Duck.
 

BazP

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 8, 2017
358
174
74
Sheffield
That's annoying...so if you change your tyre type it's back to the dealer and hand over cash if you want the thing to report properly.
If you bought your bike from a decent dealer he won’t charge for small tweaks in the software.
It takes about 30 seconds after plunging the usb cable in.
 

BazP

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 8, 2017
358
174
74
Sheffield
How do I set the wheel size. I believe the wheel is 700c but the bike is new so I'm assuming that this will have been set by Bosch / Carrera / Halfords? I can't see any way to adjust this setting in the Bosch controller.
Years ago used to be obsessed about the correct distance so did the following, using a Cateye computer. line up a chalk mark on the tyre with one on the floor. With the tyre at your normal pressure and you sat on the bike move forward one revolution and put another mark on the floor. Measure between the marks and input as the circumference. Mark out a measured distance on an OS map and ride it. I would then compare the Cateye and OS distance over several rides up to 30 miles and plus or minus the percentage difference in the Cateye.
I have since got a life and now, if I’m tired, I’ve gone too far.
 

Old Fart At Play

Pedelecer
Jun 11, 2020
106
48
How do I set the wheel size. I believe the wheel is 700c but the bike is new so I'm assuming that this will have been set by Bosch / Carrera / Halfords? I can't see any way to adjust this setting in the Bosch controller.
When I got my trek bike the wheel circumference was set to the default, which was exaxctly in the middle of the range. I had to set it myself. I have the kiox display, so I don't know where it would be on the purion, but you are looking for a setting called 'wheel circumference'.

There are various wheel circumference calculators on line - you need to know your rim and tyre size. Alternatively, just wheel your bike in a straight line for one revolution. Mark the start point and end point and measure the distance. Easiest to do if you start with the valve at the bottom of the wheel.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,899
6,507
When I got my trek bike the wheel circumference was set to the default, which was exaxctly in the middle of the range. I had to set it myself. I have the kiox display, so I don't know where it would be on the purion, but you are looking for a setting called 'wheel circumference'.

There are various wheel circumference calculators on line - you need to know your rim and tyre size. Alternatively, just wheel your bike in a straight line for one revolution. Mark the start point and end point and measure the distance. Easiest to do if you start with the valve at the bottom of the wheel.
you cant change it with a purion display so only a dealer can change it, tho you can do it with the intuvia one.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,196
30,602
Years ago used to be obsessed about the correct distance so did the following, using a Cateye computer. line up a chalk mark on the tyre with one on the floor. With the tyre at your normal pressure and you sat on the bike move forward one revolution and put another mark on the floor. Measure between the marks and input as the circumference.
Another simple way is to sit on the bike and place a spirit level on the centre of the top of front tyre with the bubble showing level. Then the distance from the level to the ground is the diameter, that times Pi (3.14) is the circumference.
.