Ideal Bike Computer Functionality

robkit said:

of course!

you mean a heads-up display, like in the Corvette (motorama.gihudisplaylr.jpgOpen ↗)

naturally that would have to be bluetoothed into an intelligent pair of Oakleys also!

Yep, that's what I'm talking about. Cool, huh?

robkit said:

i wonder how much this thing is gonna cost!?!

Less than the Corvette.😄

I would like something that lets me know my internal energy levels. Lets elaborate on that: useable energy levels, energy being metabolised, amount of energy required for distance based on predicted power output.(get the picture?)

I would like something that tells me EXACTLY when I'm recovered enough to start the next nasty interval rather than relying on HR ; ]

I love Frenchyge's idea with the mosquito, but only a few of us could ever use it. It wouldn't be as much fun if everybody had one.

It would be cool also to have a device that gave you precise feedback on your output that was based on how you felt physically/mentally coupled with your power capability, ie an LED stating 'Go Faster!' or '95%' etc.

AndROOb said:

I would like something that lets me know my internal energy levels. Lets elaborate on that: useable energy levels, energy being metabolised, amount of energy required for distance based on predicted power output.(get the picture?)

Got it.

AndROOb said:

I would like something that tells me EXACTLY when I'm recovered enough to start the next nasty interval rather than relying on HR

Good idea. Define "recovered enough."

AndROOb said:

I love Frenchyge's idea with the mosquito, but only a few of us could ever use it. It wouldn't be as much fun if everybody had one.

I think that as long as it's taking a little blood to measure lactate, it may as well inject a harmless drug that makes the rider "feel" fatigued.

AndROOb said:

It would be cool also to have a device that gave you precise feedback on your output that was based on how you felt physically/mentally coupled with your power capability, ie an LED stating 'Go Faster!' or '95%' etc.

Isn't that sort of what NP does? Sounds like you want to see a rolling, real-time NP.

Definitely needs Lo-jack, On* (on-star).... and a cup holder. 😄

Actually, how about a function where you could see the leg imbalance in your pedalling or optimize your pedal stroke (maybe SRM already does this)?

Also, something that helps you find the aerodynamically optimal body position on the bike (realtime), or the best drafting spot behind another rider (realtime), -- or -- the best rider to draft behind (could include smoothness and aero, maybe)?

...and, audio cues about the course ahead (distance based) that could be pre-recorded with pacing or tactically significant messages ("gravel across the right-hand side of the road in 200m", "steep rise around the next turn - watch for attacks", "500m to the finish - get ready", "target power for the next hill is 400w", "Allez! Allez! Allez!", etc.)?

frenchyge said:

Also, something that helps you find the aerodynamically optimal body position on the bike (realtime), or the best drafting spot behind another rider (realtime), -- or -- the best rider to draft behind (could include smoothness and aero, maybe)?

The iBike system claims to be able to do this by letting you isolate the wind component of the resistance so that you can hide whereever the wind is lowest.

frenchyge said:

...and, audio cues about the course ahead (distance based) that could be pre-recorded with pacing or tactically significant messages ("gravel across the right-hand side of the road in 200m", "steep rise around the next turn - watch for attacks", "500m to the finish - get ready", "target power for the next hill is 400w", "Allez! Allez! Allez!", etc.)?

Generally more use of audio would be helpful, together with a heads-up display. One of the problems of riding hard out on the road is that you often find yourself spending as much time looking down at the display as up at the road.

I've created an on-bike direction system with a blue-tooth gps unit (about 5cmx3cmx2cm) strapped to the bars, communicating with my PDA (in back pocket) which has map software running, and an earpiece running up under my shirt to feed me audible directions. It's very useful when training somewhere new because you never have to stop for directions, and very light and compact.

It would certainly be nice to be able to link more of the bike data into the PDA and get more feedback through the earpiece. The gps system already knows the speed and eta (but the software doesn't output it through the earpiece) but once you have a bluetooth power monitor and some software written specifically for a cycling purpose then you could have more of less anything you want - think about it, the computer knows what hill you're on from the gps, so can straight away access every ride you've ever done on that hill, and compare your power traces in real time without you having to programme anything in. It could cross-reference time-of-year against performance, so that you could check your progress against this time last season, so you could check your real long-term improvements rather than comparing mid-winter performance to mid-season. All the technology is there (well, except the blue-tooth transmitter for an SRM crank) just some clever person needs to write the software.

rob of the og said:

The iBike system claims to be able to do this by letting you isolate the wind component of the resistance so that you can hide whereever the wind is lowest.

I haven't seen any claims that the iBike lets you isolate the wind component from the rest of the equation. Do you have a link for that? Also, a change in body position actually causes erroneously high power readings with the iBike, rather than telling you that you've improved your aero.

frenchyge said:

I haven't seen any claims that the iBike lets you isolate the wind component from the rest of the equation. Do you have a link for that? Also, a change in body position actually causes erroneously high power readings with the iBike, rather than telling you that you've improved your aero.

I was talking about your second point, which was about finding the best position in a bunch, not the first point about finding your most aerodynamic solo riding position.

...from their website:

http://www.ibikesports.com/faq.html said:

The iBike Pro software provides important wattage breakdown information that can make a big difference in your training and strategy decisions. The iBike Pro software not only provides a reading for Total Watts but also the watts breakdown (aero, acceleration, hill climb, friction) at any point of the ride. That is something no power meter in the world can do today.

Finally, please note that the iBike can be used in a peloton to find the optimum drafting position; that is, it dynamically reports wind speed, making it possible for the rider to find the point of least wind resistance.

obviously, it's anyone's guess at this stage whether this actually works.

RapDaddyo said:

Good idea. Define "recovered enough."

Bruce Lee once said: "Dont look, Feel...", and I think this encompasses what I use as a basis for when I feel I have recovered enough. Getting a device to register this 'feeling' is another matter. I would have to visit 'The Sons of the Reflected Light' in the Himalayas to take this any further : )

RapDaddyo said:

Isn't that sort of what NP does? Sounds like you want to see a rolling, real-time NP.

I cannot answer that as I dont know what NP does. At present I have managed to work out that it stands for 'normalised power'.

AndROOb said:

I cannot answer that as I dont know what NP does. At present I have managed to work out that it stands for 'normalised power'.

NP is Andy Coggan's brilliant insight. It is a computation that takes a variable power ride (training ride, TT, RR or crit) and computes the ride's physiologically equivalent constant power. So, if you ride a course at a wide range of power levels (e.g., 500w to 100w), the computation weights the time spent at each power level to arrive at a constant power that is physiologically equivalent. NP is always higher than average power (AP). The description and logic behind NP are explained beginning at page 7 here midweekclub.cacoggan.pdfOpen ↗. NP is so cool!

AndROOb said:

Bruce Lee once said: "Dont look, Feel...", and I think this encompasses what I use as a basis for when I feel I have recovered enough. Getting a device to register this 'feeling' is another matter. I would have to visit 'The Sons of the Reflected Light' in the Himalayas to take this any further : )

I cannot answer that as I dont know what NP does. At present I have managed to work out that it stands for 'normalised power'.

in this week's comic (Cycling weekly for non UK cyclists) there's an article by biker-lindz (lindsay edwards) and andy coggan about normalised power and power meters in general. we have a calculator on the cyclecoach site which you can download for free and use to calculate NP, TSS, IF etc. see http://cyclecoach.com/pageID-downloadPages-Normalised_Power_TSS_IF.htm

ric