4iiii precision power meter, my experience

[JdM]

had to chill out when my HR alarm went off just before 250bpm

[ft_critical]

had to chill out when my HR alarm went off just before 250bpm

I would love to be -30 years old.

[JdM]

I am 30 and my max (running) is in the high 190s! I haven't gone higher than mid 180s on the bike before lol!

Although max HR is a personal thing I guess...

[dalai47]

Only time I've got my heart rate over 200 was with my old polar monitor riding under high voltage transmission lines doubling the the figure...

[ItsDank]

I am 30 and my max (running) is in the high 190s! I haven't gone higher than mid 180s on the bike before lol!

Although max HR is a personal thing I guess...

I have heart issues that I have undergone extensive testing for although no conclusion has been reached.

[tomee]

dcrainmaker review is out
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/12/4iii ... eview.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ItsDank]

So far the 4iiii has not skipped a beat, it's been awesome!


Getting good with the overlays as well. Sydney CC did a crit training session and scratch role race which was awesome. You're given a secret role for the race and you can't tell anyone what it is, very neat and plenty of fun.

[GTPilot]

I've been looking at getting one of these, going by your posts I suppose there is no point asking your advice
my only dilemma right now is do I pull the trigger on the left crank and then the right when it is released.. or wait and do both at the same time?

[softy]

Anyone know when the stick on version is out?

[3DKiwi]

Anyone know when the stick on version is out?

There's been no announcement on this. What I did was buy a new crank and sent that over to the USA from New Zealand. I was up and running in just over a week.

My guess is the right side PM is some time off yet. If you get the left hand one now you can get the right one later.

BTW the biggest benefit I've found is using the PM is with Trainerroad on indoor workouts. Prior to the PM I was using virtual power. That worked pretty well but the PM is better as higher power readings are more easily achieved e.g. a short sprint on the trainer I get much higher power than I could with virtual power. Then of course you've got power outside but it can fluctuate a lot depending on road, wind etc conditions. Doing intervals on an outdoor track with a PM works really well.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

BTW the biggest benefit I've found is using the PM is with Trainerroad on indoor workouts. Prior to the PM I was using virtual power. That worked pretty well but the PM is better as higher power readings are more easily achieved e.g. a short sprint on the trainer I get much higher power than I could with virtual power.

That's because virtual power uses a power-speed curve based on steady state cycling and typically does not account for power demand changes due to changes in kinetic energy.

[GTPilot]

Ordered mine today. I have also purchased a new crank arm that I'll send over to have it installed on. Then when the RHS version is released I'll get that added later. When I contacted them about them about it, They are hoping to release it for first 1/4 of this calendar year, but were not firm on that yet.

[koshari]

so these meters are effectively a sensor that reads weight and inertia to calculate power rather than a strain gauge setup?
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/01/upda ... ision.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[rheicel]

so these meters are effectively a sensor that reads weight and inertia to calculate power rather than a strain gauge setup?
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/01/upda ... ision.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Power are measured by strain gauges as far as I know.

[koshari]

so these meters are effectively a sensor that reads weight and inertia to calculate power rather than a strain gauge setup?
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/01/upda ... ision.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Power are measured by strain gauges as far as I know.

hard to see how this product measures strain being glued to the side of a crank arm?

[Jesmol]

so these meters are effectively a sensor that reads weight and inertia to calculate power rather than a strain gauge setup?
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/01/upda ... ision.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Power are measured by strain gauges as far as I know.

hard to see how this product measures strain being glued to the side of a crank arm?

4iii state its a strain gauge

PRECISION’s left side power meter leads the industry with its lightweight, compact design. At only 9 grams, this highly accurate and affordable crank-mounted bicycle power meter can be factory installed onto a cyclist’s existing or purchased with a new bike crank. With its proprietary strain gauge layup, PRECISION delivers real-time power output in watts, cadence data and is both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart compatible. PRECISION also distinguishes itself with its easy to access coin cell battery and over-the-air upgrades via both iOS and Android.

[koshari]

thanks jesmol, iam suprised a crank has enough distortion under load to effect a strain guage placed over such a small area of the crank arm, impressive none the less.
have to keep an eye out for these in the future.

[3DKiwi]

thanks jesmol, iam suprised a crank has enough distortion under load to effect a strain guage placed over such a small area of the crank arm, impressive none the less.
have to keep an eye out for these in the future.

I've got a 4iiii PM and it works great. It has a strain gauge just like a Stages PM. The distortion is very very small but the strain gauges are so sensitive they can detect the slightest change in pressure.

[softy]

Does this come by itself yet with the stick on instructions?

Or do you still have to send your crank arm away?

[GTPilot]

Does this come by itself yet with the stick on instructions?

Or do you still have to send your crank arm away?

You send your crank in. I bought a new left crank arm from bike bug for it.
I sent mine on a Tuesday, got it back within two weeks (Thursday the following week).

[panosk]

I opened this topic about 8 months ago, after having been using precision for 4 months.

Now, it's about 12 months from the first time i used this power meter, so this is my long term experience:

- issues: NONE. It works, as expected, for the last 400 rides (commute, training, going to the shops)

- battery life: 1st/27h, 2nd/57h, 3rd/113h, 4th/135h (of course i waited until the battery died)

- support: it got worse.
In the beginning there was this guy, Karel, whose answers where very clear and precise. Now this guy follows etixx-quickstep cycling team, which they sponsor, and the only time i wanted to ask something i got an answer from a gal, Pearl, a marketing type of answer that did not gave a clear answer to me (although there is a chance i did not convey my message very well).
To be more specific, i asked :
"Do you plan to give the new features to precision 1 via firmware update ?" (referring to the 3d more precise power measurement)
And i got the answer:
"PRECISION gen 1 is on the same road map as 2 for firmware updates"

- future upgrades: they have released precision v2, which is supposed to be more precise (“Capturing all forces on the cranks in three dimensions (bend, shear and axial) moves traditional power monitoring a quantum step ahead to improve accuracy and lay the foundation for new features,” says Kip Fyfe, CEO of 4iiii). On top of that, if the current left crank customers, want to upgrade to the dual system that will come in a couple of months, they will also get their left crank power meter replaced with the new one, at no extra cost.

[ItsDank]

I've had my 4iiii since December 2015 and it's been fantastic, changed the battery just once in that time and have done almost 120 hours of riding. In terms of usability it's easy to update via a mobile phone application and it's as hands off as you can imagine when connecting and calibrating with your Garmin.

Coming up to winter, it's a bit of a shame that this unit doesn't re-calibrate during a ride and as you guys know, it can go from 6 degrees to 20 degrees within a matter of hours on a Sydney morning club ride. I haven't seen any issues with the data just yet though. I don't see any point in getting a right side unit to be honest, the single sided crank is just fine.

[GTPilot]

I've been on mine almost 6 months now and not had one problem.
Having to re calibrate due to temp change is not really a big deal. Melbourne can be the other way around this time of year during the evening. It's 17° when you leave, 7° 30min later when the sun drops
When you get a spare 30sec of time during a ride it's easy to recalibrate. I've done it whilst waiting for the traffic lights to change.

[defy1]

Very nice....no support or sellers in Aus?

Also, whats this recalibration issue for temp changes? if you don't do it, does it mean the numbers are askew?

[dalai47]

Also, whats this recalibration issue for temp changes? if you don't do it, does it mean the numbers are askew?

Yes, some power meters will calibrate as you ride and others require manual calibration.