any word on the ibike unit?

[ahaile]

You register for new, anonymous accounts on every bike forum on the net and post this review, citing data which you won't share. You even use a new, also anonymous e-mail address to make the accounts. You call those who have an iBike and find it useful not "serious" and "suckers." Dude, what gives?

The iBike isn't "just a gadget." It also isn't an SRM Science. Calling it one or the other doesn't really provide much to the debate, IMHO.
-- Adam

iBike Pro Review.
I have an iBike and a Powertap and I have been comparing them side by side and here are the conclusions:

The iBike is NOT useful for training it is strictly a gadget and here is why:
The iBike is not at all accurate real time. Look at the graphs above and you will see that MOST OF THE TIME the iBike is significantly (often 50-100 Watts) high or low. If you have ever (seriously) trained to power then you know that just a few watts (let's say 10% of your max hour of power; 25-50 Watts unless you are Lance Armstrong prior to 2006 (sorry Lance)) high or low makes a HUGE difference when you are trying to hold a set wattage for a while; and with this much error, you will have a horrible workout with the iBike. Sure, the marketing folks at iBike like to point to average watts and say that it is accurate but this is not relevant to real time training on the bike. The iBike is USELESS as a real time wattage training tool. There are also several other serious problems for example:
1) What about WINTER time ??? YOU CAN'T USE THE iBIKE INDOORS ! You will have to buy 2 power meters anyhow so what good is it ?
2) The iBike is completely inaccurate on the slightest rough road.
3) Turns. The iBike is flat out wrong when going through turns.
4) Drafting. Yes, the marketing team at iBike want you to think that it is more accurate when in bigger packs. BS ! I have tried it. It is WRONG WRONG WRONG in the draft.

Conclusion, If:
1) You just like gadgets and don't care if they really work.
2) You never turn.
3) You never ride in the draft.
4) You don't mind a significantly wrong watts readout while you are training.
5) You are a sucker and believe all of the BS that iBike and those that stand to benefit from iBike sales tell you.
Then go buy an iBike -- There are plenty of them for sale on eBay from the people who have gotten suckered into buying one and can't get a refund.
Otherwise, if you are smart, go buy a PowerTap, Ergomo, SRM etc...

 

[Squint]

Well, at least half of his claims check out. There are a disproportionate number of iBikes being sold on eBay. Also, it's true that using average power for a ride to compare accuracy masks inaccuracy. People have a bad habit of using the AP of a ride like it's a checksum--if the APs are close then the two powermeters must have tracked very closely during the ride.

You register for new, anonymous accounts on every bike forum on the net and post this review, citing data which you won't share. You even use a new, also anonymous e-mail address to make the accounts. You call those who have an iBike and find it useful not "serious" and "suckers." Dude, what gives?

The iBike isn't "just a gadget." It also isn't an SRM Science. Calling it one or the other doesn't really provide much to the debate, IMHO.
-- Adam

 

[ahaile]

There are a disproportionate number of iBikes being sold on eBay.

Look closer. 7 completed auctions, 2 current, only one of those is used. Those aren't people abandoning their iBikes, those are eBay retailers selling new product.

I agree that AP is a poor comparison, but there are others out there. The original iBike v. PT file on wattage got analyzed out the wazoo.