Boca Raton, Florida - Using iBike’s new Generation III power measurement technology, Velocomp provides the next power measurement breakthrough with the iBike Sport, a straight-forward, easy-to-use power meter retailing for $199.

The new iBike Sport™ is a fitness-oriented power meter that uses the same power measurement technology as iBike’s top-of-the line iAero to deliver full power meter functionality and advanced cycling computer functions with accuracy comparable to power meters costing thousands more.

With straightforward and easy-to-use features, the iSport is designed to help cyclists:

• Improve cardio performance
• Increase cycling strength
• Lose weight
• Boost energy levels and
• Stay motivated

As an industry first, the iSport provides a built-in fitness test that lets riders assess their cycling fitness and monitor their progress over time. Users can jump-start their training and improve ride results with exclusive on-screen cardio, fat-burning, and strength-building workouts customized to their personal fitness level.

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In this latest edition of our Power Meter series, Karl Etzel from Silicon Valley Cycling Center spends some time showing us the software that comes with the various power meters. Up this time is the PPolar Pro Trainer, which comes bundled with Polar CS600 we showed off earlier in the series.

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In this latest edition of our Power Meter series, Karl Etzel from Silicon Valley Cycling Center spends some time showing us the software that comes with the various power meters. Up this time is the PowerTap Power Agent, which comes bundled with CycleOps PowerTap. The only software bundled with power meters that is both Windows and Mac compatible.

Sample Screen Shots:

click thumbnails for larger image

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In this latest edition of our Power Meter series, Karl Etzel from Silicon Valley Cycling Center spends some time showing us the software that comes with the various power meters. First up is the SRM Power Meter, which comes bundled with SRM Win.

SRM Win requires Microsoft Windows 95, 98, ME,2000, XP or Vista.

Sample Screen Shots:

Alex from Silicon Valley Cycling Center continues our series of intros to power meters by giving a brief introduction, the Polar CS600 with Power and heart rate.

The CS600 measure power by using the Power Output Sensor W.I.N.D. direct from the chain, unlike other models that use the crank or hub. This precision system combines measures from two key factors: chain tension, (using a sensor on the chain stay) and chain speed (using a sensor on the rear pulley.) The polar is not only the lightest power meter in the series on your wallet, but it’s also the lightest system on your bike, at a measly 275 grams for the whole system installed. The system retails for $710.

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Karl from Silicon Valley Cycling Center continues our series of intros to power meters by giving his next brief introduction, the CycleOps PowerTap SL 2.4.

The PowerTap measures torque and rotational velocity much like the SRM Powermeter, only it does it wirelessly from the rear hub. Because it’s wireless it presents a very clean and easy installation. The hub unit also determines your cadence by looking at the fluctuation in power levels and calculates the cadence. A speed/cadence sensor is available from Saris for the chain stay that will measure it more accurately via a magnet on the crank. Pricing for the wireless unit is about $1500 MSRP. Saris does offer a wired version that retails for $900.

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By Russ Bartholet

For the past month that I have been “riding with power” my CycleOps PowerTap 2.4 SL is has been a great tool. After the first few weeks of getting familiar with the functions of the PowerTap system and learning what it takes to produce and sustain the different levels of power it was time to setup my training plan and establish a few goals.

Setting up a training plan
My current goals are to gain more fitness and not get dropped on the local Wednesday night group rides. Weight loss is always a motivating factor as well and usually means that I can climb better when the road goes up. I figure that I will loose the weight as I follow the plan to improve my fitness. In the past I have been able to ride for a few weeks consistently until I get burned out and end up taking a day or two off the bike that turns into a week or more. So nothing has been too regular or consistent. The training plan that I have been following has rest days and recovery days. I have been able to better monitor these recovery days with the PowerTap power meter. I can now see that my recovery days in the past were not at the recovery pace and it is understandable why I would burn out after a few weeks.

Regardless of what my goals are I needed to determine my Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and set up my power zones. This is no different from the zones that riders will set when training with a heart rate monitor. The rider’s FTP is the power output that the rider could sustain over the course of an hour. Both the FTP and the power zones are critical in setting up and following a training plan.

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Karl and Alex from Silicon Valley Cycling Center give a brief introduction to the three most popular power meters on the market. In Part 1, Karl goes over the pro peleton favorite SRM PowerMeter.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where Karl will be going over the features and benefits of the CycleOps PowerTap 2.4SL!

By Russ Bartholet

The Introduction.
I have never raced my road bike and do not have any plans to do so. I ride for exercise and as a means to control my diabetes. Any “training” that I have done to get ready for the few charity-type rides that I have participated in has just been to ride more. It has been the quantity of miles and the consistency of the rides leading up to the events that have helped. Other than that I just ride my bike. An hour one day and maybe two hours the next, whatever I can squeeze in between family and work commitments.

A few months ago I was talking with my doctor about using a power meter to track how my body responds to the exercise and in turn how if affects my diabetes. It helps that he is a USA Cycling coach and races himself. He understands what it takes to gain fitness and improve as a cyclist.

Adrenaline and other hormones affect heart rate whereas the power that a rider can produce and the watts that are generated reflect the overall performance of the cyclist. I am hoping to better understand how my diabetes responds to exercise and to track the changes in my fitness as I record my rides and download the data that is collected through the power meter.

The Cyclops PowerTap SL 2.4 from Saris was easy to set up. After putting on a new tire and swapping my cassette from my old wheel I was pretty much ready to ride. With no wires to run from bow to stern or magnets to adjust against a sensor, it was a fast and easy install. The computer set up took all of ten minutes to decide what language I wanted to use and if I wanted to go truly Euro and use the metric system. In the end I opted for the standard unit of measure in the United States and left the display in the default setting. This just means that I did not move the displays around and left them in the order that comes stock from Saris.

Everything needed to get started using the system is provided. The computer head and handle bar mount, heart rate strap, download cradle, setup booklet, a booklet on training with power written by Allen Lim, Ph.D., and a training CD that is very informative. I downloaded the training software directly from the Saris website and had everything ready to go in about 45 minutes. All that I needed to do now was ride.

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