Best method to make a biking timing system with splits on a course

Projects General Guidance
1

I've seen similar projects on here, but none of them came to a good conclusion.

I want to create a timing system across a course that is 1-3 miles long, with a start and a different end point. The course will be split into 3 different sections. The recording will happen on the bike, and I'm trying to figure out how to reliably and accurately detect when the bike passes a section marker or the finish. Ideally you can bike through the course without having to do anything special to record times (ex. bumping a section marker with a tag).

My initial idea was RFID, but I don't think that will have the range and reliability I need without costing a fortune. I wouldn't be apposed to using a rfid tag at the finish that you have to touch if that is the only good option.

The second idea I came across was IR beacons along the track that a IR receiver on the bike that picks up as you ride past it. Would this work in sunny or muddy/rainy conditions? I also don't know how reliable this would be.

If you have any suggestions, it would be much appreciated.

Edit: This is for one bike

2

How many riders will have this? No lanes, right?

3

Strava.

4

It's a very common mistake to expect to find a project to just copy.
Split Your project into smaller parts and search for parts similar projects.

5

Sounds like you want the sort of timing and recording system that must be in use for gazillions of different events worldwide.

But you want to do it cheaper ?

6

Then include the problem of keeping the time clock on each bike identical to each other.

7

One rider, no lanes. This part of data logging package for a single bike.

8

Sorry, I should have specified, its a single bike

9

I want to integrate the timing with some other data I'm gathering (ex. lean angle or speed) so I can correlate different lean angles or speeds through sections to increases or decreases in lap times

10

Thank you. That makes you thread more understandable. You only need to know if the bike was at a certain corner, not the instant it was at the corner, which may be a couple of seconds at the corner.
I think an IR LED, modulated at 38kHz, or so, and continually sending a code number would identify the corner and would not use much battery power.
A receiver on the bike would send the ID number to the Arduino monitor.
Investigate how IR signaling is done.

1 Like
11

Would GPS be accurate enough?

12

No.

13

I've done this before. No clocks need to be synchronized except in math. The receipts are offsets, millis at event.

Can be done if the bike(s) get time updates by radio.

Important: the device gets time signal events on the device clock.
One can match events like wifi clock date/time updates to other events using device time differences. The value of millis() is about chip start, a time update gives a millis offset to a RW date/time.

If you want to know a shared when, log history and refer to that.

The Real World is Asynchronous. Code accordingly!

Back on 68 radio, Chicago asked does anybody really know what time it is?

14

1 rider greatly simplifies this. A pack blocks views.

If the bicycle can detect red or IR led to the side only down on the front fork, it can detect a light set trackside at the finish line. A series of lights would be even better.

Restricting the view of detectors is how to make "beams" and "planes". Several detectors can use a single light source.

1 Like
15

To a 3D accelerometer, there is gravity plus changes in velocity and/or direction. In a turn, "down" tilts and the heading curves. The math won't be simple.

Get heading change rate and speed, G's should add up and every tilt is a matter of G's.

And remember, it's the front wheel that keeps you up!

16

This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.