Curious, I've used a friends flightdeck 6501 Wireless for the last few months, and loved it so much
that I went out just recently and bought two (one for each bike, though the unit can store
information for up to four bikes)...
It's gotten completely submerged, I've slammed my chest full force onto it (that log shouldn't have
had the second log hiding behind it) I've dumped the bike everywhere from moderately hard to "Oh
there it is about 100 yards down the hill" and the thing keeps working like nobody's business... I
had the first 6501 installed in about 30 minutes, and the second one installed in 15... I followed
the directions and thought the programming was rather simple, and the auto start and stop feature
makes things a breeze! you just zero the trip meter, hit start, and the rest is just cycling thru
(no pun intended) whichever display you might want to see... Honestly I'm no whiz at all but found
the Flightdeck second nature to operate the 2nd time I used
it...
I think with all the problems you're having with yours their are only two explanations:
1) the flightdecks suffer from very serious variations in quality off the production line, and I
just happened to get two good one's in a row
or...
Come to think about it, you sound reasonably capable so I guess I only have one explanation (above)
But what do you mean by "break"? the Harness? the mounting? the case itself? Just curious because
mine appear to be bulletproof... and the only thing that would possess me to take it off my bike
is the increasing tendency I am experiencing toward being a weight weenie 🙂 (though I will never
get to the point where I think about saving 3 grams by flushing out the lubricating grease in the
hub seals)
Although the cadence feature is great, second only in greatness to the visual gear display, I've
gotten fairly decent at judging cadence by memorizing speeds in particular gear combos.
I think the only time the thing ever gave me erroneous info is after bombing thru some thick
underbrush and the wireless sensor on my front fork got hung up on what I suspect was a branch, and
twisted away from the wheel... I just stopped, released the tie strap swung it back into position
retightened, and I was on my way.
Honestly, I think just about everyone could live WITHOUT a computer on their bike, in fact, I'm
certain of it, but there is a coolness factor that can't be denied, particularly by a recreational
rider such as myself. And there are those long, straight sections of trail where its just something
fun to play around with...
I think the only thing missing on the 6501 is a wireless heart rate sensor... Maybe that will be in
the 6502...
Have Fun!
David
"dan baker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:...just a rant against shimano 6501 flightdecks. in case anyone is considering getting one, dont.
Mine, and most other people I know in the tandem club, have found them less than reliable, and
generally hard to use even when they ARE working. They have crummy buttons, are very hard
(non-intuitive) to setup, and break without warning and with alarming frequency.
Unfortunately, they are also about the only way to get a visual indication of what gear you are in
on a tandem equipped with STI shifters. Which brings me to the actual technical question....
Does anyone know of a good alternative? its pretty hard to see the rear cassette on a tandem from
the front seat!
Also, does anyone have any suggestion on how best to get Shimano to listen to how crummy these
things are and either fix them or take them back? I've been fooling around with mine for 4 months
now, written emails and letters to Shimano with NO response at all.
anyway, I am looking forward to hearing if there are alternatives to visual indication of current
gear position on a tandem....
dan
