Shimano Flight Deck

[Miranda]

I did a search for "Flight Deck" and did some reading on TE. Looking for some more ops and info...

The Flight Deck computer I bought with my current bike (wireless version, btw). Works with Shimano 105 gruppo and I have the short reach R700 shifters now. It has never worked right since day one, and thus I have hated it.

I tried getting the lbs where I bought it, and the bike from, it help fix it to avail. Overall unhappy experience there (including my too big size bike I will be selling for a new correct fit ride).

Well... at first the guy said it was a bad shifter sensor. Supposedly did something to fix it. Sorta worked, then back to being fickle. It just quits working mid ride for no apparent reason.

I bought a Garmin (which I think I would love) but am thinking it has to go back for the $ to go towards the higher up priority of a new bike.

I'm not sure if it's even worth trying a new sensor kit with the computer head or not. Those of you that own it know it goes under the wraps. So, I'm trying to decide if I want it mounted on the new bike or not.

I've considered just going clean bar. Which basically I ride half the time anyway since the computer just dies. But... 1) I'm kinda excited to see how much faster/better I can ride with a new bike that actually fits me, and 2) the club ride I am thinking about joining groups their peeps by mph... i.e. 18mi peeps are "A", 15mph peeps "B", etc. ...so I wanna know where I'm at.

Lastly, with the short reach shifters... I don't know if this has any effect on the shifter sensor performance or not? Like is there some type of shim that could interfer inside with the sensor design? The Flight Deck manual does not list R700 specifically as compatible... but it has the buttons built in like the other model of shifters.

Any advice on trying to fix this tainted piece of gear?
TYIA.

[Miranda]

Just adding in my own thread here. And I will ask what I think is going to be my new lbs about this as well. Some things I have done, and some things I read about on BikeForums of other peeps having some of my same issues...

1) I don't think it is the battery (though I would replace it if switched over)... I actually took the battery out of the head unit, and put in back in to reset it with my owner's manual instructions from Shimano

2) I have always made sure the front wheel magnet is NOT lined up with the head unit and/or sensors (when bike is in stored/parked)... which the org lbs told me is a cause of the unit not going automatically to sleep... as it thinks it's still "at work" lined up, and thus will just drain out

3) I do know to keep the front wheel magnet sensor, and magnet itself within one dime coin's width to ensure it is picking up a read

4) the odometer on total miles works--regardless of the unit dieing out mid ride on that short term recording keeping-- the od will accumulate--thus sometimes I just try to remember to write the mile # down before leaving home, and subtract when I get back to get my total distance on that trip... IF I remember that is

5) I do not ride on the "tops", or since my bike is too big, on the hoods either really... I'm normally a hand width back from hoods (how too big my reach is for me overall)... this point is that some riders on BikeForums with noteable large hands commented they would accidently bump the shift buttons and re-set themselves mid-ride... thus losing data but prematurely turing off the FD (plus the lead wires run under the wraps on the bar tops)

6) meh.. it seems to switch out ok between the functions... but I have to push it hard

7) I have not took apart the hoods and contact cleaned the sensors/buttons themselves... that was a dx tip on BikeForums

8) another lbs mechanic on BF said he once made a shim out of masking tape inserted internally to press the sensor closer to the external button surface for a contact problem

Errr... that is all I can think of for now. *sigh* even it I don't solve my issues, maybe someone else who does a search can use one of the above to dx their own issues anyway.

[alpinerabbit]

I really can't help you but I'll have my say -
why does one need the comp to show what gear you're in anyway? You just look down!

I'm perfectly happy with a basic 30$ computer, no wireless transmssion, that shows me speed, average and total mileage, plus the time of day.
Of course I'd like the watch that has it all - HR, cadence, power, elevation, GPS, AND lets me put it onto my wrist in transition - but nah.

The computer should, simply put, not be that fickle, a simple spin of the wheel when the mechanic installs it should tell you if it picks up and then it should keep picking up - and a battery on a basic model like I have lasts you 2-3 years.

[Veronica]

I really can't help you but I'll have my say -
why does one need the comp to show what gear you're in anyway? You just look down!

When you're riding a tandem!

Veronica

[alpinerabbit]

Tandems have gears? Just kidding.

It also occurs to me it might be useful on a hill - I just run out of gears. But then again, that would happen even if I had a comp that talked.

[Miranda]

When you're riding a tandem!

Veronica

Never thought of that.

I really can't help you but I'll have my say -
why does one need the comp to show what gear you're in anyway? You just look down!

I'm perfectly happy with a basic 30$ computer, no wireless transmssion, that shows me speed, average and total mileage, plus the time of day.
Of course I'd like the watch that has it all - HR, cadence, power, elevation, GPS, AND lets me put it onto my wrist in transition - but nah.

The computer should, simply put, not be that fickle, a simple spin of the wheel when the mechanic installs it should tell you if it picks up and then it should keep picking up - and a battery on a basic model like I have lasts you 2-3 years.

When I bought the computer from the lbs, I did so with two thoughts in mind:

1) watching the total mileage accumulate on my ride on the computer... I find it motivating to look down and know how far I have gone, and also gauge when my "half way tired' mileage point is to know when to turn around to come back.. plus I made up my own routes, and didn't have a clue how far it was... well, when the FD wouldn't work, I would get so mad sometimes I would re-ride the route in my car just to *know*

2) I like the idea of not having the wires on the bike frame and zip ties all over... I have a $30 CatEye that I have used a few times in my gear somewhere that I bought to read the rear wheel on the trainer... I never liked catching my leg on the wires or zip ties... I thought about using it on my mtb... but I frankly do not see how zip tied wires would survive riding through brush and weeds... just looked like something that would get ripped right off, and tangle me up in a wreck... IMO, wireless stuff has some pluses

That being said about wireless stuff, and interference, that's not it either I believe. I own a Polar HRM F6 and even without wearing it, it does it. My Polar is also the coded T31 strap that is not suppose to get cross talk... the FD just wigged out now in my living room, Polar no where near it.

RE: the wheel spin test... Thx, good point. That I forgot to post. The mechanic did do that. I have done that. Sometimes attempting to re-align the magnet. No luck. My own wheel spin test I just did in my living room after your posted this is same result. All other functions seem to pick up. I checked the od read before. Did the wheel spin... NO read on miles accumlated on the "trip" function/display... but when done, it did read on the od accumulation. The speed of miles per hour did read though as the wheel spun around.

Hey Alpinerabbit... I do know what you mean about "showing the gears"... the principle of the matter. OK, that one... I couldn't even tell you by looking down and back, much less what my Flight Deck shows, what gear I am in (what it *means*, the number does show to read it)! At heart, I can be a pretty Simple Suzie...

I had someone ask me once "so, what gear were you in on that hill?"... my answer, "errr... I was in a gear that worked well enough for my legs to get up it without falling over clipped in mid climb, and bonus prize, it wasn't too hard that I didn't puke my gutts out when I got to the top!... SO, I think I was in 'the right' gear!". So, "no" fancy techy toys don't make the ride (but, they can be helpful tools).

I *could almost* be a member of the clean bar club. With the Garmin... it's just wondering about what grade of elevation the hill is. The FD does not have an altimeter...

Same as miles... I'd be done riding a hill and think, WOW! how steep was that sucker anyways???... OF COURSE holding the grade against my hard core favorite standard of "the puke factor".

The thing that makes me crazy is seeing the trip miles roll over. Yes *sigh* I coud, and have, left it in od mode... but I'm too ADD/perimenapausal forgetful, especially in traffic, to make my brain remember my starting od read... then when I can't recall, I just get obsessively p*ssed about it.

Yea, neurotic I know. PLUS, for the $, it's disappionting that I even have to put thought into it working.

[Miranda]

OK... after asking two lbs (who didn't know), going back over Shimano's technical documents, and reading about 50 old threads on BikeForums dating back to 1993 I finally found my answer *I think*. My version of the FD is about the thrid generation. At some point, they built in an auto sleep mode. Part of the pc stays awake, while part goes to sleep. There is a certain sequence to wake part of it up each time when it happens. Plus, the trip resetting mid ride has to do with the length of time contact is made with the lever button on a ride. Not long enough... the trip resets. Long enough, it changes modes... and doesn't reset. My bike is having some other mechanical issues that I can ride her far atm. But, just playing in the house, I think I got it.