Hello,

I come from more of a running back ground. I use the Garmin Forerunner 305 for my run training. The Garmin's current pace reading is usually incorrect. The average pace always seems to be right on. The average pace reading has been a great help with my training.

SOOOO... with the IBIKE I understand that the current watts reading my not be accurate. But would the average watts reading be accurate?

I think that if this is the case the IBIKE might be worth something for the price.

Feedback please........

Thanks

The forerunner's pace is based on the GPS, as GPS's don't give good instant positions the instant pace may be off while it can measure longer distances more acuratly which gives a better avg pace. So its not a matter of everything just avereging out like what you're hoping from the IBIKE.

I have no clue about the IBIKE and how good it is, just the comparison isn't useful

IME the iBike's "real time" power readings can be adversely affected one way or another by a number of factors, including:
* If you change your riding position from the one you were in when you first calibrated the iBike.
* If you ride on very rough roads.
* If you draft behind another rider.

So if you encounter these on your ride, I imagine your average power readings will not be wholly accurate.

If you calibrate the ibike properly (there are error check to ensure that you have) and don't ride on long sections of gravel, dirt, or pave, then the average power is +/- 2-3%, according to hunter allen, and that has been about my experience.

If you do much clmbing (actually, descending is the problem) and don't have the cadence sensor, it's prone to errors -- a firmware update is supposed to help that part.

If it has instantaneous errors, it's going to have average errors. You just have to hope it errors on both sides of "accurate" about the same amount of time.

OK: REAL BREAKDOWN. I think I have had this thing longer than most. And I have the cadence as well. It works. it works well for training. I believe there are a couple guys on the forums that have put it up against their own, SRM and Powertaps. and have found for the most part it is just about right. First how much resistance do you have going down 6%at 40 MPH? really think about it. ZERO is your answer. Remember watts can be measured in resistance and if you are bombing dow a hill in a TT position how much resistance is gravity providing? I have use it for a while and found the climbing accuracy to be right on with some other units. the accuracy on the flats is pretty right on as well, especially when you take all the factors into consideration. the supposed downfall is downhill, and resistance is not equatable.

As for problems measuring on rough surfaces, that is no longer an issue with the update ( for you dinosaurs - simply download and plug into your computer ) - I have the cadence which simply works like every other cadence measuring device, magnet etc..

The unit for the money is good and simple. calibration is a must and must be done correctly, which is the case with any powermeter. do you think you have more expertise than the people who designed it? give them a call. really. I like PT and some of the others but those have problems as well. If you are super watts guy then changing wheels for different rides is no unheard of. so using the PT for example on a Time trial does not always work if you are using a areo wheel? or vice versa? also I have seen PT produce numbers while coasting. ????!!!!!?? how, how are you producing power while not pedaling? SRM I have 0 experience with but many on this forum have made comparisons between the 3 (SMR,PT, ibike) . most people who think they know, have never tried the equipment. it's a different technology. But doesn't mean it doesn't work.

here is one thing, how often do you read power? not often at all. it does help when training for specific situations but in a race or competitive ride it doesn't play a huge factor. For one. if you are drafting you following the pace of the group you are riding with so watts are not a factor really. In MOST situations wattage is good for training only. In Climbing on a ride it can play a factor in helping you understand your limits, however, the person or group you are with will usually dictate your output not wattages,

Just cause I can put out 300wts for XXX amount of time doesn't mean from the go I am going to do that.

it has helped me improve my climbing dramatically but that is about it. on flats when I am going 30 in a group I am watching the wheel and the road not my powermeter. so when people say its not accurate when drafting, it's just silly, when you are on the front it is accurate. when you are being sucked along in a group of 30 plus.. c'mon. silly talk.

"IME the iBike's "real time" power readings can be adversely affected one way or another by a number of factors, including:
* If you change your riding position from the one you were in when you first calibrated the iBike.
* If you ride on very rough roads. -UPDATE IS A MUST -
* If you draft behind another rider. - not relevant - unless climbing with in a group - in that case I have found it consistent

So if you encounter these on your ride, I imagine your average power readings will not be wholly accurate."

- it is a great training tool. some riders think wattages are everything but in my training experience it is good in some area but not all. cadence, HRM, and wattages... all important. - climbing is where wattages are important to me. on the flats in a group not really that big of a deal. holding a steady rhythm and breathing right help me more (on flats).

Yes floyd uses power but you think while he is riding down hill in praying landis postiion at 40 mph he is looking at it? silly.

Wow, that was a book!

I wrote an even longer book of a review on my blog here (http://argentius.blogspot.com/2006/12/ibike-initial-review-youve-heard-hate.html).

The downhill thing: yes, it really, really matters if you don't have the cadence sensor. The ibike will not understand that you are coasting, because of lower resistance in a tuck than in the hoods (where you probably calibrated it), and the exponential increase in resistance with respect to speed means that the iBike would tell me I was descending at 300-500 watts, when I was coasting!

The cadence sensor fixes this with a blunt-force but functional equation: if cadence equals zero then power must equal zero.

OK: REAL BREAKDOWN. I think I have had this thing longer than most. And I have the cadence as well. It works. it works well for training. I believe there are a couple guys on the forums that have put it up against their own, SRM and Powertaps. and have found for the most part it is just about right.


So, for the price of a powertap standard and in some cases a powertap pro, you can have something that is "just about right."


The unit for the money is good and simple. calibration is a must and must be done correctly, which is the case with any powermeter. do you think you have more expertise than the people who designed it?


This, while true also addresses the other issue with the powertap. My calibration? (if torque reads greater than 0 while coasting) is to coast and hold a button down for about 5 seconds. Not owning one, but I hear the iBike calibration is slightly more time consuming. I've had to do mine once in 3 months of powertap usage.


also I have seen PT produce numbers while coasting. ????!!!!!?? how, how are you
producing power while not pedaling?


Addressed above - this is a non-issue.


here is one thing, how often do you read power? not often at all. it does help when training for specific situations but in a race or competitive ride it doesn't play a huge factor.


You'd be hard pressed to found this argument. Regardless, for training - I watch wattage more than any other number. Only PE gets a higher rating scale in importance. More importantly for races is not the ability to have accurate and consistent power readings while racing, but to have accurate and consistent power readings for post-race analysis.

At the end of the day, most iBike owners seem to be in one of three categories on the net. Either they like it, they don't like it but are keeping it in hopes that a software fix will make their problems with it go away, or they don't like it and send it back.

We both like our powermeters and they appear to be doing what we want them to do.

updating software on any computer related instrument is a must, there is a reason it is available.. to improve the product. Address any flaws etc.. also show me how a ibike ( which I have spent a total of $400 is the price of a PowerTap -pro etc.. ) I guess it depends on the person as well. I have found that the power meter helps for training but I can assure you that even some pros don't pay as much attention as the people o this forum. perhaps there coach might but the pro's them selves. yeah right. And I believe there are a couple people here who would be lying if they say they watch there power meter while bombing down hill. It's absolutely silly. give me one scenario where that is needed? training or not. i think what has happened is because of mainstream cycling people see Landis and armstrong and CSC with meters and find this a necessity, great for a team with a coach and nutritionist etc. . then it makes sense, because you can really use the information. but for the average rider/racer more improvements can be made by better handling of the bike, tactics and overall performance not just a powermeter. the strongest guy doesnt always win the race.