Mount iBike upside down under the stem?

[wellmt]

Hello all. A though occurred to me out riding today. Is there any reason that the iBike mount couldn't be fitted upside down under the stem or would the angle be all wrong? With the iBike underneath the stem and the Garmin on top of the stem it would de-clutter my bars and maybe be touch more aero dynamic?

The reason is that I don't need the display/computer functions of the iBike really (although some are interesting), I send all the relevant data to the Garmin (and this is perhaps even more so now the Gen III requires less fiddling about). The problem with two bar mounted / stem mounted devices is that it's all a bit cluttered and ugly. Which leads me to my second and perhaps more radical suggestion: What about just making a headless iBike for use with the Garmin Edge? It'd be a perfect accessory. Containing airscoop, processor and USB port - no buttons or display. The wireless could also be contained in the device. Being much smaller this really could just be mounted under the stem. Connect it to the PC via USB to configure?

Don't shoot me, these are just some crazy ideas that came to me out riding today

[racerfern]

I decided to clean up my "office" today. So I left my iBike in place on the stem and put the Edge 705 in my jersey pocket. It's not like I needed the mapping functions since it was the usual Sunday recovery ride. It's amazing how much less I fiddled with buttons.

A data logger iBike. Radical, dude!

[Velocomp]

I had to sleep on this one before replying.

There is no intrinsic reason the iBike would not work upside down.

With the iBike in its upside down position you'll need to:

1) perform the tilt calibration

2) perform wind offset

3) do the cal ride

You may get some differences in the aero and frictional numbers and wind offset will definitely need to be zeroed in the upside down position; this is because the iBike air sensors are gravity sensitive and you've turned them upside down. However, the calibration procedures will properly account for the upside down gravity pull.

If you do these things I think the Gen III will work just fine.

[wellmt]

Thanks guys. Hmm thinking about it, I suppose it could be bit awkward to set-up the calibrations upside down although do-able. I might take a look.

Regarding my data logger thought, actually it would need a single button to allow you to do the wind calibration (set to 0).

[kervelo]

The idea of having a special (screenless) version of the iBike just for the Edge users is great. I think some of the features of the real iBike could even be dropped from the Edge version and the device could perhaps be even smaller than the normal iBike. The Edge could be responsible for collecting the data, the iBike device acts just as a sensor. Most of the configuration could be made by connecting the device to the computer.

[wellmt]

I'm glad someone else agrees . Something that would mount under the stem would be ideal IMO. The only thing I can't work out is how it would be possible to calibrate the device initially.

[kervelo]

I wonder what Velocomp and iBike users think about this new device idea: do they find it possible or useful ?

[Velocomp]

If we come out with a new product right now our employees and our Gen III customers will storm the doors of our factory!

[kervelo]

When you say right now, does that mean that we could still get this kind of product version in the future?

[Velocomp]

Well, we've never been fearful of innovation!

[wellmt]

You know, the more I use the iBike the better it gets. I'm actually finding a lot of the screen information quite useful. I've kind of decided on some familar training loops and in events that I'll just stick the Garmin in my pocket and use the iBike as the main computer. The Garmin's main use is a method of updating Sportstracks with GPS/Heart rate info.

Where the Garmin falls down big time is the fact that it can't average properly, so I usually wind up having to overwrite the power data with the more accurate information exported from the iBike anyway.

Still bugs me having so many gadgets cluttering the bars, but I might have found a new mount which might help.

[samisrour]

If you really want to unclutter your handle bars, consider this: Mould a carbon or FG cradle to fit your IAero, then securely, attach (epoxy the cradle permanently to your bar)it to either side of the stem just infront of your handle bar. this way your IAero &/or garmin wil be exactly even with your handle bar, so your handle bar will be drafting your IAero & Garmin. this will especially be beneficial in a time trial bike. It will reduce the frontal area expose to the wind, therefore it will reduce the drag.

I am working on exactly such a custom cradle, & will promise to post some pictures.

Sami Srour

[kervelo]

If we come out with a new product right now our employees and our Gen III customers will storm the doors of our factory!

Any new plans for a new screenless device?

[wellmt]

Wow here's a blast from the past! I can't speak for Velocomp, and you never know, but I would doubt it.

One thing I have l discovered since my initial post, is that the iBike is the device that I want on my handlebars/stem. As a cycling computer IMO it is unsurpassed.

The Garmin has long been reduced to being carried around in my back pocket, and only gets looked at if I'm not sure what road to take.

The only exception to this is in Winter when I use it mounted side by side on my Winter bike for Intervals (since the Garmin has a backlight).

[lorduintah]

I have my iBike on the handlebar and the Garmin 705 mounted on the top tube right behind the stem. It is still accessible, but out of the way and is not cluttering anything.

Tom

[Morocco Mole]

Just reviving this thread, I have been talking with many of my peers recently and they think a cut down screenless version of the Newton with built in GT firmware would be a winner. The popularity of Strava and it's power estimation features have introduced a whole new breed of rider to power measurement, they want to take things further without lashing out on DFPM and the Strava crowd are welded to their GPS devices. Newton Pod maybe?