I-Bike Power Meter

by Coach Brett Daniels

The Ibike Power Meter is a relative newcomer to the arena of power measured training. Produced by Velocomp of Dallas, TX ( http://www.ibikesports.com/ ) the Ibike is an affordable alternative to the higher priced Power Tap, SRM, and Ergomo power meters. Producing a power meter under $1000 opens up a whole new market and the cycling public has been eagerly awaiting a quality product in this price range.

The first question that most athletes have about the Ibike (myself included) is “How does it measure power without a sensor at the bottom bracket or rear hub?” Simply put, the Ibike uses the principles of Newton’s Third Law of Physics which states that applied force and opposing forces are equal. By measuring the various opposing forces that a cyclist must overcome (i.e. gravity, wind, inertia, rolling resistance), the Ibike can calculate how much force is being produced (watts) to overcome these opposing forces, in keeping with laws of physics ( Power=Force x Speed ). The Ibike uses this reverse telemetry to calculate wattage that the cyclist is producing.

Set up and installation of the Ibike was quite simple and took only about 30 minutes to go from box to bike. After entering basic data (combined weight of rider and bike, wheel circumference, etc), the set up took little time to complete, and once finished, you are ready to ride.

I used the Ibike for three months on my training rides and found it to be mechanically reliable and consistent. The consistency was what I was most concerned with. Without consistent data, a power metering device is not useful. However, I did not compare the accuracy to other power meters. The companion software is easy to use and is great for tracking your progress over time. The Ibike is also compatible with Cycling Peaks and Training Peaks Software for more complex analysis. You can also track your progress in these software products or upload your rides to them for your coach to analyze.

There were many things that I really liked about the Ibike: cost (less than $500 retail), reliability (I did receive a bad wheel sensor initially, but after receiving a replacement, I have had no problems at all with the equipment), consistency, and portability between bikes. Having said that, there were also some negatives: it won’t work inside (since it needs outside opposing forces to work) and, to be fair, Ibike states this on their website. Not a deal breaker for me, but for someone in a colder climate who trains inside a lot it is something to consider. The battery had a short life. The biggest issue is the mounting of the Ibike on a TT/Triathlon bike. In order to mount the Ibike, you need a handle bar extension that drops down between the aero bars so the Ibike can get clean air to process. If you use an aero drink system, this is not possible since your bottle is between the aero bars. The other issue was mounting the Ibike between S-bend or R-bend aerobars. Turbulence is created by the hand position on these types of bars, which in turn disrupts the air flow to the Ibike causing inaccurate readings.

Overall, I would give the Ibike a buy rating, especially for those budget-conscious folks who want to improve their cycling and don’t require complex and detailed analysis of power data. Simplicity can be a selling point.

Coach Brett Daniels is a Sport Factory coach and is licensed by USA Triathlon.  He is also President of The North Atlanta Multi Sport Club, and veteran of over 45 multi sport races up to IronMan distance.  Email him at coachbrett@sportfactory.com