Recumbents?

[clip]

I found this iBike Pro power meter netsite today, and I have to say this seems to be a really interesting device.

Most of my use could be normal road riding with a conventional road bike, but this device could make it also quite easy to compare different recumbent types, BUT it looks like the mounting can be a problem. The unit has to be mounted in front of the bike, and in recumbents this means you can't use or see it while riding. I suppose this is not a problem when using iBike as a datalogger and download the data to the computer after the tests.

Does anyone have any experience to use iBike in recumbent bikes?

How long are the speed and cadence wires? I suppose this is a normal two wire cable that is easy to lengthen .
With wireless model what is the maximum distance between main unit and heart rate strap, and speed and cadence sensors?

[Russ]

I do own a recumbant which is out on loan. I have not tried the ibike on it but
here are a couple of ideas:

1. The wireless sensor would let you mount the ibike with greater freedom of placement,
main thing would be air flow should not be seriously blocked.

2. Wired sensors, the wires can be cut and extended, though any damage to the sensor would
be on your own nickol, not Velocomp's.

Russ

[Site_Admin]

Okay - I have worked with Doug Davis, a former WRH in the Flying Mile, and we've discussed this very thing. I also worked with some helium headed tricycle geek out west who claimed he had been on L.A. Sheriff back in the day, so this question has been asked before.

The iBike is not currently set up to work with faired recumbents. The market's not there. If someone wants to pony up a couple of grand to create a pitot tube extender, or even maybe a wireless air pressure sensor mount, we can get it.

I LOVE RECUMBENTS. And, I LOVE those who ride them. There's something about turning 6 g's on a 250m drome that I find exhilirating. I just don't think I can pull off the overly difficult task right now of providing something for such a niche group....

If you can guarantee me 10,000 units in one year, we'll make it happen. Otherwise, please, be terminally patient.

FWIW, I DO think an un-faired 'bent with taller bars on the front would work - but you'd still have to make sure that you weren't dealing with wacky roads or 'noise' coming off the knees at speed.

It's not impossible, it's just, well, really difficult and let's face it - the majority of our clients are upright numb-in-the-nether-region roadies.

[Russ]

Funny, I was thinking about this some more last night. I had not considered the faired type of recumbent which I have only seen on the web. On the road I have only seen naked recumbent bikes.
So if the question is for a naked type, my further thoughts were that the wireless would be a problem to get both speed and
cadence from the one sensor. I don't know if a second sensor could be linked to and one half of each actually feed data. If so, I
bet John would find a way to sell a single additional sensor. Any ideas on that Richard?
Also a note about extending the wired sensor, that is described in the trainer threads in more detail and is an easy mod. As
long as you do not cut the wire too close to the sensor or the mount, I can't see much risk as you can patch it over and over if
the need arose.
Some of the recumbent bikes have a handle bar where the iBike could be mounted and observed.. Others, like the ones that
are steered by handles beside the seat might need a support rig of some kind added.

[Site_Admin]

Our wireless sensors have a range of over 12', so you could theoretically put them anywhere.

[clip]

Actually I didn't expect that anyone has used iBike regularly in recumbent use. In most (or all) recumbent cases you can't use the buttons or even see the display of the iBike while riding.

I tested my friend's tricycle and recumbent last autumn (sorry no english versions available):
http://www.kotiposti.net/t0247/pyoraver ... index.html
http://www.kotiposti.net/t0247/pyoraver ... index.html

Those tests weren't really "scientific", only heart beat comparisons. I wasn't in a good shape and hadn't even experience of recumbents (my legs became tired after a short ride because of odd riding position). I hadn't suitable power measuring equipments, that's why I now asked if anyone had try an iBike with recumbents. Perhaps I try to make a recumbent test with iBike next summer (need to make some special fasteners to mount the iBike to those bikes...).

Rich is right, recumbents is so small segment in bicycling that there is no commercial sense to start develop something special for that group only.