|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Something new for spin class
Having a sadistic moment, I gave the manager of my local fitness center an
infrared thermometer to use on the flywheels of the spin bikes. My thought was that the heat generated on the flywheels would give a rough indication of total watts generated during a spin class. No more faking hard efforts. We tried it last week and although the flywheel on the bike I rode was hot enough to jerk your hand away in surprise if you weren't expecting it, the thermometer only registered 88 degrees F. I aimed it at my bare leg and it registered 90, so the temperature calibration can't be too far off. But why wouldn't it read higher on the obviously warmer flywheel? It has a laser pointer, so you know where the temperature is being measured. I don't know if the chrome on the flywheel can somehow reflect a bad reading. Suggestions? BTW, these little laser guided, non-contact thermometers are a lot of fun. Use one and you'll be walking all around your house, car, etc measuring the temperature of everything in sight. |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Something new for spin class
Carl Sundquist wrote:
Having a sadistic moment, I gave the manager of my local fitness center an infrared thermometer to use on the flywheels of the spin bikes. My thought was that the heat generated on the flywheels would give a rough indication of total watts generated during a spin class. No more faking hard efforts. We tried it last week and although the flywheel on the bike I rode was hot enough to jerk your hand away in surprise if you weren't expecting it, the thermometer only registered 88 degrees F. I aimed it at my bare leg and it registered 90, so the temperature calibration can't be too far off. But why wouldn't it read higher on the obviously warmer flywheel? It has a laser pointer, so you know where the temperature is being measured. I don't know if the chrome on the flywheel can somehow reflect a bad reading. Suggestions? BTW, these little laser guided, non-contact thermometers are a lot of fun. Use one and you'll be walking all around your house, car, etc measuring the temperature of everything in sight. The emissivity of the metal in the infrared region is less than one. The emissivity of your leg is a lot closer to one so the blackbody temperature in the IR is closer to the physical temperature. The emissivity of water is an important parameter if you are interested in precisely measuring the ocean surface temperature from space. Of course, if you want to do that you probably have no life. -- Bill Asher |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Something new for spin class
"Carl Sundquist" wrote in message ... Having a sadistic moment, I gave the manager of my local fitness center an infrared thermometer to use on the flywheels of the spin bikes. My thought was that the heat generated on the flywheels would give a rough indication of total watts generated during a spin class. No more faking hard efforts. We tried it last week and although the flywheel on the bike I rode was hot enough to jerk your hand away in surprise if you weren't expecting it, the thermometer only registered 88 degrees F. I aimed it at my bare leg and it registered 90, so the temperature calibration can't be too far off. But why wouldn't it read higher on the obviously warmer flywheel? It has a laser pointer, so you know where the temperature is being measured. I don't know if the chrome on the flywheel can somehow reflect a bad reading. Suggestions? BTW, these little laser guided, non-contact thermometers are a lot of fun. Use one and you'll be walking all around your house, car, etc measuring the temperature of everything in sight. http://groups.google.com/group/rec.b...a5968dd917b870 Phil H |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Something new for spin class
Carl Sundquist wrote: Having a sadistic moment, I gave the manager of my local fitness center an infrared thermometer to use on the flywheels of the spin bikes. My thought was that the heat generated on the flywheels would give a rough indication of total watts generated during a spin class. No more faking hard efforts. We tried it last week and although the flywheel on the bike I rode was hot enough to jerk your hand away in surprise if you weren't expecting it, the thermometer only registered 88 degrees F. I aimed it at my bare leg and it registered 90, so the temperature calibration can't be too far off. But why wouldn't it read higher on the obviously warmer flywheel? It has a laser pointer, so you know where the temperature is being measured. I don't know if the chrome on the flywheel can somehow reflect a bad reading. Suggestions? BTW, these little laser guided, non-contact thermometers are a lot of fun. Use one and you'll be walking all around your house, car, etc measuring the temperature of everything in sight. Put a piece of tape on that flywheel (or anything else organic like paint, etc.) and then point the IR thermometer at it. Most likely the thing is calibrated for an emmissivity (basically how well an object absorbs or emits IR energy as compared to an "ideal") of ~0.9. Like another poster said...shiny metal ain't 0.9. One more thing to remember...the "temp sensors" in your hand don't really "measure" temperature...they actually measure heat flux, or how fast the energy is being dumped into your skin. Something with a high conductivity and high thermal mass will "feel" a lot hotter than something with the opposite properties at the exact same temperature. I hate spin bikes.... |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Something new for spin class
Carl Sundquist wrote:
BTW, these little laser guided, non-contact thermometers are a lot of fun. Use one and you'll be walking all around your house, car, etc measuring the temperature of everything in sight. Can you use it to measure how hot a chick is (If so perhaps heather will volunteer for calibration duties). |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Something new for spin class
"Donald Munro" wrote in message . com... Carl Sundquist wrote: BTW, these little laser guided, non-contact thermometers are a lot of fun. Use one and you'll be walking all around your house, car, etc measuring the temperature of everything in sight. Can you use it to measure how hot a chick is (If so perhaps heather will volunteer for calibration duties). Doubtful, since hottitude is a subjective, not absolute value. But that doesn't mean you can't have fun pointing the laser at her. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Something new for spin class
Carl Sundquist wrote:
BTW, these little laser guided, non-contact thermometers are a lot of fun. Donald Munro wrote: Can you use it to measure how hot a chick is (If so perhaps heather will volunteer for calibration duties). Carl Sundquist wrote: Doubtful, since hottitude is a subjective, not absolute value. But that doesn't mean you can't have fun pointing the laser at her. Confusing a thermometer with a vibrator is a Rumsfeldian attribute. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Something new for spin class
On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 12:01:52 -0600, "Carl Sundquist" wrote:
"Donald Munro" wrote in message .com... Carl Sundquist wrote: BTW, these little laser guided, non-contact thermometers are a lot of fun. Use one and you'll be walking all around your house, car, etc measuring the temperature of everything in sight. Can you use it to measure how hot a chick is (If so perhaps heather will volunteer for calibration duties). Doubtful, since hottitude is a subjective, not absolute value. But that doesn't mean you can't have fun pointing the laser at her. It is an absolute value, measured in milliHelens. The exact measuring process is slow and requires counting ships at sea. Ron |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Power Measurement during Spin Class | Phil Holman | Techniques | 16 | December 5th 06 06:44 PM |
SPIN CLASS KICKED redux | Blair P. Houghton | General | 10 | February 27th 05 05:28 AM |
Spin Class Kicked My Ass | Blair P. Houghton | General | 16 | November 27th 04 08:52 PM |
Spin Class? women's mtb shoes $25!! | Mark T | Marketplace | 1 | November 12th 04 03:04 PM |
Has anyone done a spin class? | Sofa | Unicycling | 22 | December 8th 03 11:05 PM |