What do people think of the new idea of CycloWatt and with the power on the shoe?
Would it be game changer?
Beacuse allows a power meter on the shoe and you could use it on any other bike that you use a shoe with Zwift?
Or would it be a great backup power meter?
I personally think be good power meter if you have a gym bike and gym bikes don’t have power meter.
I wonder how they go long term with the connection between shoe and cleat.
I had problems with this on one shoe using a non standard (higher) stack of shims to adddress the difference in length of my left and ride legs. I had to use longer bolts to secure them. They worked for a while but then I found I couldn’t unclip properly on that side - hazardous when riding outside! Luckily I’m very good at clipping in and out so I had no awkward incidents.
Ended up buying a new pair of the same shoes then tweaking saddle height instead and going for normal cleats directly attached to shoes (no shims).
Simple answer… wait for it to actually reach production, Kickstarter is the realm of products that never happen or which overpromise and then sink fast.
If it reaches production, then wait for GP Lama and DC Rainmaker to do their thing. There are no other authorities you should trust on power meters.
I would not hold my breath waiting for them to get their product working. We all remember what happened with the Brim Brothers power meter some years ago.
That is one thick cleat. Individuals sensitive to stack/saddle height will have issues readjusting their setup.
I think it is too invasive to do overly well. If the cleat is updated to the size as the current cleat, then maybe some chance.
I’d wait and see if +/- 3% is actually delivered or if that’s an optimistic claim. Even if it meets the target that would be not great. But cheap and convenient would give it some utility. Let’s say it’s worse than any decent trainer or power meter, but better than most spin bikes that report power, which could give it a potential market.
Great for indoor cycling. You can just stomp your feet on the floor while watching tv.
Or attach your cleats to a power sanding tool or power saw blade…instant power boost.
There’s a LOT of mistakes and bold claims on their Kickstarter page. They might be smart dudes and they might have a good idea, but they need to study the power meter game they’re entering and tidy up their Kickstarter page.
● They’ve labelled a SRAM/Quarq as “Shimano”.
● They claiming Favero pedals in the same “not easy” category as a spider meter when it comes to ease of installation and bike swap.
● “Installs like a normal cleat in 20 seconds”… Who’s installing cleats in 20 seconds?
● “The small increase in stack height” … Stack height looks like a tower. No values listed though.
● 24hrs battery. Lowest of any power meter I’m aware of.
● It’s single sided.
● Early bird is ~AU$300…AU$404 standard pricing. That’s not really that “cheap”.
● “CycloWatt measures power exactly where force is applied- at the shoe- providing objective performance data that isn’t influenced by wind, terrain, or external conditions.”… It very much has to deal with those external factors… just like every other meter dealing with vibrations, dirt/grit, water, temperature, etc.
● “CycloWatt prioritizes simplicity, affordability, and practicality - without sacrificing accuracy.”. With a spec of ±3% AND being single sided, YES YOU ARE sacrificing accuracy.
● “Installs like a standard cleat in about 20 seconds. No tools.”… Yet on the VERY SAME PAGE they show someone installing one with a tool. C’mon now!
● “Our power meter was validated under controlled laboratory conditions against a commercially available crank-arm-based reference power meter. Testing included multiple riders across a wide power range (100-600 watts)”… Tested only to 600W?
In regard to gym bike usage, you’ll still need to find one with a Shimano or Look pedal. Most are flat pedal configurations.
I don’t know about the racing in your area, but here in Sydney where I am we have plenty of folks who can lay down 1500w. It doesn’t pay to be a light rider on places like Sydney Motorsport Park on the main straight….
I kind of doubt this product will make much of a mark against the usual power meters we see on most bikes.
It is interesting, but I think most people will be cautious and take a wait and see approach. Folks don’t have that much money to throw about on speculative products either given the hefty mortgages many people are managing.
Single sided? No thanks