Schwinn Bike Computer Mount

Extra parts needed for build.

Bike computer Mount (if you already have the sensor)

• 4-40 x 3/8 Pan Head Stainless Steel Phillips Machine Screw (or similar) [2x]

• 4-40 Hex Nut (or similar that fits your screw) [2x]

• Lighter (only if not making your own sensor)

Bike computer Sensor (if you are missing the sensor or if it is broken)

• Normally Open Reed Switch [1x]

• About 2.5 ft of copper wire (or similar) [2x]

• Soldering Iron and solder

• Heat shrink

• Epoxy or Silicone Glue

• Heat shrink or electrical tape

• Bike spoke-mounted magnet (If you don't already have one, they can be found on sites like Amazon for cheap) [1x]

Bike computer Sensor Instructions

The sensor is quite simple: a reed switch that bridges the two contacts on the back of the computer to denote a revolution of the tyre.

1. Start by stripping both ends of your wires and soldering them to either end of your reed switch (you may need to cut the leads of your reed switch to allow it to fit in the case).

2. Heat-shrink or wrap electrical tape over any exposed wire that you see.

3. Follow the instructions that came with your spoke-mounted magnet to mount the magnet to the spoke of the tyre.

4. Put the reed switch into the sensor case, folding one wire so that both terminals can fit out the small hole on the side of the sensor case.

5. Pinch both sides of the sensor case together and fill with a non-conductive glue such as JB Weld (I used B-7000 rubber glue as it is what I had lying around and comes with a convenient small metal precision tip). If you struggle to get the glue inside the case, you may need to glue the sensor in one half, then glue the halves together, as the point is more to prevent moisture from getting in the switch and solidifying it in place than to get a perfectly full enclosure.

6. After letting the glue dry, zip tie the sensor on your front fork as close to the bike tyre magnet as possible.

7. Zip tie the two wires up the fork of your bike to the handlebars (I found that zip-tying the wire to my brake line worked well).

Bike computer Mount Instructions (If you are making your own sensor, skip to step 4)

1. Strip the end of the sensor wires that came with your Schwinn bike computer. There should be two separate twisted strands inside that have a protective coating, along with some string.

2. Remove the string with some side cutters.

3. Burn off the protective coating on the wires with a lighter, being careful not to burn yourself in the process. 

4. Depending on how well you removed your support material, you may find it easier to first thread your wires up either hole, then insert the bolt through, with the screw head facing the side that the bike computer attaches to. The key is to make sure the wire makes good electrical contact with the screw and is fastened in a way that won't easily come loose. If your screw is plated, you may need to sand both the head and the section the wire is attached to.

5. Fasten the bolts to the back. You can also attach the wires under the nuts if your supports made the back completely flat.

6. I also soldered the nuts onto the screws for good measure, but this step is completely optional.

7. I also recommend either glueing your wires to the side of the mount or zip-tying them securely to your handlebars to prevent them from tearing mid-ride.

8. Happy biking!