GPS Bike Computer

Where it started

I spent the summer of 2025 cycling around the Bay Area on a pair of bikes. It was a fun, low-stakes adventure that allowed me to explore the area. Racking up 60 to 70 miles a day, I wanted a simple odometer and perhaps a GPS device that could map out my route. All of the off-the-shelf bike computers are fancy little fitness tools that track power, speed, blah blah blah. I don't need more robots tracking my every move, that's what my smartwatch already does.

So, I figured I'd get some time with the ESP32 ecosystem, and build my own—that does exactly what I want, and precisely nothing more.

Where it's at

I need to find a better GPS board; that also isn't very expensive. Or, give up, and wire some sort of pedometer to my fork.

For now, the computer lives in a plastic box on my desk. I get the privilege of looking at it every day, and thinking about how I want to avoid solving its problems. Sometimes, I even pack it up in my suitcase so that I can procrastinate in another zipcode.

In the meantime, I've gotten marginally better with the ESP32 ecosystem through a handful of other projects, notable for being finished.