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TECH NEWS

5 cool new products from 4iiii, Mio, ISM, Ortlieb and Effetto Mariposa

Featuring a new power meter from 4iiii, chest-strapless heart rate trackers, a new urban bag range, and perhaps the strongest ever tub tape

We've seen a zillion new products this week at the Core Bike Show and The Bike Place and here are five of the most interesting. We'll kick off with a product that, if it delivers on its promise, is a potential game changer in the power meter market.

 

4iiii Precision power meter

What we have here is a power meter from Canada’s 4iiii priced at just £349.

The 4iiii Precision power meter looks a little like the one from Stages, but rather than all the technical gubbins sitting inside a pod already on the crank arm, the little pod (36mm x 25mm x 7.2mm) is stuck to the outside of the crank using epoxy by you. Once in place, the system needs an initial calibration. After that, strain gauges measure crank deflection as you pedal – it takes measurements 640 times per second) and that information is used to come up with your power.

It sends data using both Bluetooth Smart and ANT+ so it’ll work with a Garmin computer, for example, and most mobile phones. You don’t need to recalibrate to account for temperature; that is done automatically.

One Precision power meter will measure your power on one side and double it to give your total figure, but you can install one on each side to give independent measurements.

It runs on a coin cell battery – you get about 200hrs from a battery, we’re told – and can be installed on most aluminium cranks (see a list at http://4iiii.com/product/precision/). Carbon compatibility isn’t far off, which is good news for users of some Campagnolo cranks, for example.

4iiii claim the Precision is accurate to within 1% although they don’t say if that applies to all circumstances.

£349 sounds a very attractive price. We’ll try to get one in for review on road.cc.

www.pinpointce.co.uk


Effetto Mariposa Carogna tubular tape

No, really, come back! This is much more interesting than you’d think.

Ask anyone why they don’t use tubular tyres and the answer is likely to contain a reference to gluing them in place. You’ll likely hear terms like ‘time consuming’ and ‘messy’ bandied about. Only lunatics enjoy the process. Of course, you can use tape instead, but then you might be worried about the adhesive strength.

Effetto Mariposa’s new Carogna tape is said to stick tubs as strongly as mastic. Owner Alberto De Gioannini told us that it can handle temperatures of 150°C for extended periods of time and peaks of 180°C for short periods while things can start to move at about 90°C with the market-leading tape from Tufo (of course, he’s likely to big-up his own product).

The Carogna tape uses two different types of glue, one on the tubular side and one on the rim side.

The glue on the tubular side is 1mm thick, permanent and waterproof. It is squeezed into all the little troughs and depressions in the tubular base to maximise contact when you first inflate the tub. It is said to achieve 90% of its full strength within 8hrs, so leave it overnight and you’re pretty much there.

The glue on the rim side is very different, staying on the tape rather than on the rim when you remove the tub, so you don’t need to spend time cleaning up the rim surface before you can fit a new tyre.

Effetto Mariposa say that the tape works with all tubular base tape materials and you don’t have to prepare the surface in any special way for either carbon or alloy rims.

It comes in two widths. A 2m roll of 16mm tape (enough for one wheel) is £9.99 while a 2m roll of 25mm tape is £12.99.

We saw a tub tyre fitted with this stuff without any drama in about 5mins and we collected a couple of rolls for review. We’ll let you know how we get on.

www.upgradebikes.co.uk


ISM saddles

ISM – it stands for Ideal Saddle Modification, fact fans – twin nose saddles have been around for a few years although we’ve not featured them all that much on road.cc. The idea behind that twin nose design is to reduce the perineal pressure that can cause numbness and worse.

The PN1.1 (£99.99) is a new saddle for 2015. PN stands for ‘Performance Narrow’. We’re learning a lot today, aren’t we? It comes with deep padding that anyone with a triathlon-style slim seatpad is likely to appreciate, although it’s not aimed exclusively at triathletes. If this pink version doesn’t do it for you, it’s also available in black and in white.

The Attack (£174.99), which has been around for a couple of years, is aimed at road bike riders. At 110mm wide, it’s ISM’s narrowest saddle, coming with foam and gel padding and titanium rails.

www.upgradebikes.co.uk


Mio heart rate trackers

Mio are producing several fitness devices that measure your heart rate via wrist units rather than chest straps.

The Alpha 2 Heart Rate Sport Watch (£149.95), for example, provides accelerometer-based pace, speed, distance and calorie information as well as your heart rate. 

You can set your own heart rate zones and it'll talk to fitness apps on your phone (iPhone or Android) via Bluetooth Smart.

 

The Fuse (£126.99) is a clever wrist strap that monitors your level of activity throughout the day, the idea being to help you achieve your fitness goals.

As well as taking your heart rate, it tracks your steps, pace, the distance you’ve moved and calories. The display is customisable and you can input your own heart rate zones.

When you get on your bike, the Fuse can send your heart rate data to your bike computer or GPS watch via ANT+ (so it’ll connect to a Garmin, for example), and it can also connect to fitness apps on your phone via Bluetooth Smart.

www.mioglobal.com


Urban Line from Ortlieb

Ortlieb have a new Urban Line of waterproof bags. This one is the Commuter Bag and it includes a laptop compartment and a detachable shoulder strap. As well as this pepper colour, it’s also available in a coffee finish (see below).

The Commuter Bag is available with one of two different rack mounting systems, QL2.1 and QL3.

Here’s that QL2.1 system on one of the other bags in the range. It’s a one-piece design that’s intended to be stiffer than previous systems, and it’ll be found on nearly all panniers in the range in future.

This Barista handlebar bag (£135) is also from the Urban Line. It is made from PU-laminated Cordura-cotton-mix and the flap is magnetic. It comes supplied with the Ultimate6 mounting system (compatible with Rixen&Kaul).

www.ortlieb.co.uk

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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20 comments

Avatar
Anthony.C | 9 years ago
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It doesn't say that anywhere, it says that they have done some initial testing and that it needs a lot more testing and they may have to produce a new version for carbon cranks and that they are concentrating on the aluminium ones for now. Don't hold your breath.

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zagatosam | 9 years ago
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Here in Dubai the tarmac gets hot enough in the summer to fry an egg on. Jantex gets a bit tacky but I've never had a tub peel off. Tufo is readily available at all the outlets in the country and it sticks the tub to the rim like a beard to an imam's chin (which can be an issue when you actually want to get an old tub off……or have ever tried to tug the beard of an imam. Which I haven't) So I don't really think that the temperature rating of the Carogna tape is much of a USP unless it's being aimed at people whose rims heat up when they are braking lots on the downhill.

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Anthony.C | 9 years ago
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The powermeter is not compatible with carbon cranks, they just say that they are going to do some testing with the carbon cranks in the list, at some point.

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fukawitribe replied to Anthony.C | 9 years ago
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Anthony.C wrote:

The powermeter is not compatible with carbon cranks, they just say that they are going to do some testing with the carbon cranks in the list, at some point.

They've already done some testing and from what they've said it looking OK so far on the cranks they've tried, but you might need to re-calibrate once of year or so.

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Paul__M | 9 years ago
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LOOKS LIKE 4iii might not be DIY after all
http://4iiii.com/precision-update-january-30th-2015/

still trying to figure out how you measure strain if the pedal force doesn't travel through the unit myself...

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Chasseur Patate replied to Paul__M | 9 years ago
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Paul__M wrote:

LOOKS LIKE 4iii might not be DIY after all
http://4iiii.com/precision-update-january-30th-2015/

still trying to figure out how you measure strain if the pedal force doesn't travel through the unit myself...

I'm not sure you need to worry. They work.

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fukawitribe replied to Paul__M | 9 years ago
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Paul__M wrote:

LOOKS LIKE 4iii might not be DIY after all
http://4iiii.com/precision-update-january-30th-2015/

Bloody 'ell - I didn't think the installation looked that onerous but that is an astonishing good offer from 4iiii. Fair play to them.

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Apetter777 | 9 years ago
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Desperately wanting a power meter, but with the knowledge that they're bound to become cheaper and cheaper I've been waiting, maybe this is the moment? £350 is certainly a big improvement!

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Stefan M | 9 years ago
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The Mio range do look good. I'm considering the Velo option as it can pick up any ANT+ kit you've already got on your bike and transmit it via bluetooth to a phone. Also transmits heart rate via ANT+so seems to have most of the bases covered.

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pwake | 9 years ago
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4iiii can be pre-ordered already (I think the first batch already sold out) and they do list compatibility with carbon cranks, as noted above.

As for the tub tape, I would've thought that Jantex was the market leader; it's good stuff. I've used it for years, including summer crits here in TX at temps over 100deg F and never had a problem (with the tape that is. There is a physical issue of trying not to evaporate!)

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Gasman Jim | 9 years ago
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None of the Stages "technical gubbins" is inside the crank arm, it too is just glued on the outside like the 4iiii. The difference is that Stages have done the glueing for you, but with 4iiii there is the option to DIY!

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BSausage replied to Gasman Jim | 9 years ago
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To be fair, it doesn't say it is inside the crank arm, it says it's inside a pod attached to the crank arm ..

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Mat Brett replied to BSausage | 9 years ago
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BSausage wrote:

To be fair, it doesn't say it is inside the crank arm, it says it's inside a pod attached to the crank arm ..

Gasman Jim was right, it was ambiguous before. It has been updated.

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macrophotofly | 9 years ago
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Why oh why is the Alpha 2 not both Bluetooth (for my phone when running) and Ant+???? (for when on my bike with a Garmin 800)  102  13  102
Come on Mio, you've managed it on the cheaper Fuse but I want something that looks like a watch with a proper display that I don't have to rotate my head 90 degrees to read

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jacknorell | 9 years ago
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Urban bags and not a discrete but reflective fabric? Fail.

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Paul J | 9 years ago
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I wonder if one day powermeters will be so cheap that you'll have at least two of them, one on the crank-shaft and one on the rear-wheel hub, just so you can tell when your chain is worn and replacing?  1

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ianrobo | 9 years ago
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Mio has been around for a while now, so not sure that should be classed as new.

As for the 4iii I have a carbon crank so no good for me at the moment but there seems no real guide as to when this will be ready and sold ...

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Mat Brett replied to ianrobo | 9 years ago
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ianrobo wrote:

Mio has been around for a while now, so not sure that should be classed as new.

The Alpha 2, as mentioned here, was announced on 5 January 2015 at CES 2015. http://www.mioglobal.com/docs/ces_showstoppers_release-alpha_2_final.pdf

The Fuse was launched a couple of weeks before that.

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slam that stem replied to ianrobo | 9 years ago
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ianrobo wrote:

Mio has been around for a while now, so not sure that should be classed as new.

As for the 4iii I have a carbon crank so no good for me at the moment but there seems no real guide as to when this will be ready and sold ...

Not quite. Go to their site and they have a table with compatability of al and carbon cranks.

also read DC Rainmaker's review on a beta version...

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uhead | 9 years ago
0 likes

Oooh if the power meter works then it looks ace. $349 US dollars too so here's hoping it's less than £349 over here.

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