We are right in the middle of a two day Wattbike board meeting, some of the discussions have of course been pretty dull contract related stuff that I was able to duck out of, but was back for the exciting stuff! We have been looking at the next generation of monitor and what it is capable of. The key issue is not so much what it is capable of, but making sure that everything is as clear as possible. Some of the capabilities of the monitor are very exciting, although, best to keep them under wraps for now! You will just have to wait and see!
Whilst we were looking at the new monitor I was called out to talk to a customer who had 4 very specific questions, but ones that we are asked regularly and I thought that I would start a frequently asked questions section, or at least start with putting them here, and add them to the site as well. His questions were:
Q1. Can I change the length of the cranks?
A. The Wattbike comes factory fitted with 170mm long, thermatically treated hardened steel. They are not interchangeable with other lengths by the end user because, due to the turning moment of the pedal around the bottom bracket, as a result by changing the length of the crank you change the calculation for the power delivered, which rather defeats the purpose. Different lengths of crank will be available eventually, but will have to be factory fitted.
Caller’s response: OK great, I use 170mm anyway!
Q2: Can I fit my own handlebars?
A: Not at the moment, but next week yes! Just before the conversation we had been looking at the new fitting that allows any handlebars to be fitted to the Wattbike. As I explained in the phone call users need to be aware that the stresses that are put through handlebars on a road or mountain bike are much less than on a stationary bikes, because on a bicycle when you lean more on one side than the other the whole bike moves, that does not happen on a stationary bike. As a result this could lead to breakage of cheap handlebars. We will be releasing a set of drop handlebars and tri bars, that are up to the task shortly.
Q3: Does the Wattbike measure the power exerted by each leg?
A: Yes, the polar plot demonstrates the power output from each leg, and with the addition of the efficiency rating in the software this makes the Wattbike unlike any other stationary bike. Becoming more efficient is key to improving performance in cycling, as not only does it give extra power it also means that you will fatigue more slowly as the additional energy used to exert the same power when cycling inefficiently will drain your stores much more quickly. The views for the monitor and software are displayed below (that is possible for people reading to see, not for the person I spoke to on the phone).
New Polar View on the Performance Computer
Efficiency and Average Efficiency
Q4: Can I come and try the Wattbike?
A: Of course, in fact, we are really excited about the Wattbike and like nothing better than showing people how it works, how you can get more out of your training by using a Wattbike, how you can race, improve your fitness, improve your efficiency or even just train in the dry instead of out on the dark dangerous winter roads in the UK. Actually we think that if you are a cyclist or just want to get fit then there is a massive value to having a Wattbike. To arrange your product demo please contact us by phoning 0115 9455454 or emailing us at info@wattbike.com
Q5: …….
Hang on a second, you said 4 questions!
Q5: Can I just buy one – I could even pick it up!
A: Brilliatn, we have some in the warehouse, and look forward to meeting you when you come to pick yours up, email info@wattbike.com to make sure one of the keenos will be around to tell you all about the bike and maybe even put you through your paces on a Powertest, or similar so that you can get going in the Online Rankings !
