Ideal Bike Computer Functionality

robkit

i heard that the the flagship Porsche has a digicam in the front bumper so that in theory you could eg video a lap on a track day.

it would be cool to be able to record a riders eye view of a race, for analysis later.

i had of course lost all grip on reality by this point in my list!

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RapDaddyo

Actually, I thought you might have been thinking along the lines of a stem-mounted digicam with wireless transmission to a set of virtual reality glasses so you could ride head-down and see the road ahead. If you raise your head to focus on the road, the road view would be replaced by your bike computer display, so you could have access to all of your bike computer data without looking at the computer. Sort of like what fighter pilots have today.

RapDaddyo

Well, they probably said that about Leonardo da Vinci back then.

robkit

of course!

you mean a heads-up display, like in the Corvette (http://www.motorama.gi/hudisplaylr.jpg)

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

__________________
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robkit

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

__________________
I am my favorite rider.

RapDaddyo

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

RapDaddyo

Less than the Corvette.

AndROOb

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.

RapDaddyo

Got it.

Good idea. Define "recovered enough."

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.

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

frenchyge

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.)?

rob of the og

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.


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.

frenchyge

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.

rob of the og

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:



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

AndROOb

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'.