Analog vs Digital

GoldenMotor.com

Analog or Digital speedometer

  • Analog

    Votes: 14 37.8%

  • Digital

    Votes: 23 62.2%
  • Total voters
    37
Dave31

Dave31

Active Member
Mar 1, 2008
11,199
47
38
Aztlán, Arizona
Analog or digital speedometer, which is better? Whats your preference and why?

I use a digital speedometer on all my bikes. The only ones I have owned are Schwinn's and I paid about $10 for them.

I have one that has been working since 2008 and I have only replaced the battery's once. Its been on every bike but the BoXer. And is currently used on the rockhopper.

I purchased the same speedo for the BoXer. That one stopped working very soon after I mounted it. But I bought another one and it so far is still working after being on the BoXer for over a year.

I like the ease of mounting the Schwinn's, but I have mounted other speedo's makers for others that took some time to program and mount correctly.

I also like the features that some digital speedo offer. Time, temp,stop watch, ect.

Never used a analog speedo on any of my bikes but have mounted one. It was fairly simple but I just like the compact size of the digital speedometer better.
 
scotto-

scotto-

Custom 4-Stroke Bike Builder
Jun 3, 2010
6,505
24
38
Ridin' inSane Diego, CA.
Wireless and digital is the only way I go.....can you say GPS?

I've been running Bell wireless cyclometers and Garmin GPS for all my mileage and speed needs. Accurate stuff.
 
The_Aleman

The_Aleman

Active Member
Jul 31, 2008
2,653
4
38
el People's Republik de Kalifornistan
Sure like the look of analog, but they simply don't have the features you can get with newer tech. My brother has a Whizzer analog and a Droid on his bike, so best of both worlds. Back in the '90's I put over 30,000 miles on a Cateye digital wired, that thing was a rock!

I've been using wireless for the last 8 years and I'm starting to notice a lot more interference coming from certain areas. Some transit buses cause my Incite 8i and Cateye Commuter to bug out, as does parking by the door of an Autozone near me.
 
bairdco

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
i love the look of analog speedos, but at the speeds i'm going, they don't last too long.

i have one on a pedal cruiser that's been working fine for 10 years or so, but i've destroyed a few on motorized bikes.

they seem to hang well if you don't go over 30-35, but at constant speeds over 40, the gears just don't hold up, probably because they're made outta plastic.

i've killed 1 NOS Stewart Warner Cadet from the 50's, and 2 NOS SW's from the 70's, and one used SW off an exercise bike.

i've seen VDO and Stewart Warners made for minibikes that top out at 60mph, with the same cable-type setup as a bicycle, so if i score one cheap off ebay i'll see if i can have it calibrated.

one of these days i'll get a digital one and incorporate it into a bike so it's mostly hidden. it just looks out of place on a (mostly) 70 year old bike.
 
kerf

kerf

New Member
Jun 28, 2010
304
0
0
Birmingham, Al
I like the look of the analog, kinda of retro. Maybe it's because of my first 26" bike, got it for Christmas about 60-61 I guess. Had a big ol chrome Stewart Warner speedo, thought I was driv'n a Cadillac.

I've been through a couple of Pyramid analogs, wife is still using one but I changed to a big ol chrome Whizzer speedo. It's sharp look'n, accurate and back lit. I set up a full 12v lighting system, cause I just love riding in the dark and I hate mounting lights to my helmet so I can read the speedo.
 
4

42blue15

New Member
Sep 18, 2008
136
0
0
St Louis metro, USA
As I have heard it, the analog ones don't hold up unless you get the Whizzer/Stuart-Warner ones.

All the $20 China ones are junk, it doesn't matter where you buy them from. They're all the same.
 
kerf

kerf

New Member
Jun 28, 2010
304
0
0
Birmingham, Al
The Pyramid units that I've bought ( about $15), have held up fine. They are cheep, available, not as accurate as the Whizzer but still functional.
 
2door

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
I've been using the same one Dave has, the Schwinn 12 function, wired version. 10 bucks at Wally World. I have three of them and all seem to work well. Occasionally, for some reason, one of them will reset itself, but the others never fail. If programmed corrrectly they're fairly accurate too. I like the odometer feature.
Tom
 
Zman

Zman

New Member
Sep 10, 2010
219
10
0
germany
I use at all my bikes analog speedometers, mostly VDO with the golden dial, because I've only vintage bicycles.......a digital speedo destroys the look, but sometimes i use on my motorized bike the digital TRELOCK FC535. The engines vibrations let the analog speedometer needle shiver laff
 
Last edited:
corgi1

corgi1

New Member
Aug 13, 2009
2,272
3
0
KCMO
dig is usually small and harder for these old eyes to see,I've seen watches w/lcd hands so I think they should go bigger for a dig.one or make a modern analog looking one,,larger screens I guess is what I would like
 
Greybeard

Greybeard

New Member
Feb 8, 2011
336
1
0
Sequim WA
As a long term racer, I like the analog over digital. I like to take a quick glance at my gauges, and a digital requires you look long enough to read it.
 
Goat Herder

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
This has a pretty large display.



With a host of features tach, temp, speed, even gps. [on select models]
 
Last edited:
corgi1

corgi1

New Member
Aug 13, 2009
2,272
3
0
KCMO
Luxury is the one w/most the bells and whistles,but I see by the chart that it will take 4 to cover all the readings and adjustmennts,,,lol
 
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