BikeOn says its CycleClick power meter will attach to your bike chain in seconds without tools and provide accuracy comparable to a high-end device at a pre-launch price of just US$149 (which converts to £115 using today’s exchange rate).
Well, this is all very odd, isn’t it? What the hell is going on here?
In short, BikeOn’s CycleClick power meter is a device that fits onto your bike chain, held in place just by a ball and socket system that mounts in most cases to your front derailleur. BikeOn reckons that CycleClick can detect your cadence and measure power up to 2000W. It’s unlike anything else currently on the market and, we have to say, first impressions make us hugely sceptical that this is going to rival power meters from the major players, but let’s see what’s going on here.
Most power meters rely on strain gauges in the pedal axle, cranks, spider or hub, depending on the type of system. Power is the product of torque and speed (or, more accurately, angular velocity).
BikeOn co-founder Aram Novikov says, “We wanted to avoid the limitation of building the strain gauges into a load-bearing part, which means that the strain gauge has to measure very tiny displacement. Here we got rid of that limitation.”
Instead BikeOn’s CycleClick system relies on a device that fits over the chain. The chain runs through a channel that features a hump.
“That hump actually makes the rollers press the bottom portion of the sensor,” says Novikov. Inside we have the strain gages which measure the deflection of the bottom portion and that gives us the torque, the tension of the chain.”
And what about the speed of the chain? This is taken by a little roller contained in the CycleClick device.
As for installation, you zip tie a small plastic part to your front derailleur (a separate housing will be available for 1x setups without a front derailleur) and the device itself clips to a retention arm with a simple ball connection.
You’re dubious, aren’t you? As you can imagine, plenty of people on social media have been vocal about their doubts that the CycleClick could deliver accurate results, but BikeOn has come out fighting.
It says that the device is free to move laterally with the chain when you shift chainrings and that it will not come off easily. BikeOn also says that having a wet or dirty chain makes no difference to the results and that it doesn’t matter whether the spring of your derailleur is heavy or light.
Will a bouncing chain affect things? BikeOn says that the CycleClick “becomes part of the chain” and will bounce itself.
“It can bounce, but because it’s so lightweight, the bouncing does not affect the measurements,” says Novikov. “It does not introduce any significant noise. If the device bounces on the chain, it indicates there is no tension and no power to measure.”
The CycleClick automatically zeroes itself periodically.
“Some people say there are too many variables on a moving chain for these [measurements] to be accurate,” says Novikov. “It depends on how you design it. The device becomes part of the chain. It’s very lightweight, and forces acting on the device are very small. So no, there are not too many variables. We measure the tension, we measure the speed of the chain, all the movement… It’s all accounted for.”
A microcontroller within the device is said to deduce cadence, for example, by measuring the peaks of force, and this allows analysis of left/right power distribution and pedalling smoothness.
BikeOn also argues that the CycleClick doesn’t add a significant amount of resistance – only about 0.1% – and that the device is accurate to +/-1%.
“The device does introduce some disturbance, but it’s very, very small and does not affect the precision, and does not affect your feel as you pedal,” says Novikov.
BikeOn has compared power measurements from its CycleClick with those from a Favero Assioma Uno pedal-based system and claims the data correlates closely. CycleClick syncs with your smartphone and you can get detailed statistics via BikeOn’s app, or link up with popular training apps like Strava, Zwift, TrainingPeaks, TrainerRoad, and so on.
CycleClick is said to be waterproof and dustproof (with an IP67 rating) and is designed to operate in temperatures from -10°C to 60°C. BikeOn says it weighs about 70g, measures 125mm x 40mm x 17mm, and is rechargeable via USB-C
BikeOn says it will launch a crowdfunding campaign for CycleClick but you can get early access via prelaunch.com where you can leave a small refundable deposit to reserve “the lowest price ever” of $149.
It’s very interesting and all, but could the BikeOn CycleClick really offer decent power measurement? It reminds us a little of Polar’s CS600 with Power which used chain tension and chain speed to derive power – although we didn’t find it particularly accurate (and it’s no longer made). We’re naturally approaching this with caution but we’re not going to dismiss the BikeOn CycleClick before we’ve used it – that’s not our style. Let’s just say that we’ll be very interested to see how this one performs in the real world.
49 thoughts on “A 70g power meter with tool-free installation for £115? What’s the catch?”
Does it also clean your chain
Does it also clean your chain?
Can I convert my chain
Can I convert my chain cleaner?
At first I thought ‘Cool, is
At first I thought ‘Cool, is this a commercial device to hot wax chains while on the bike’ and then I read it and was quickly disappointed.
Finally, a power meter I can
Finally, a power meter I can attach to my Pashley Sovereign Princess (inside the chain case) without anyone knowing 👸🤣
On the website one of the
On the website one of the bikes on which they show the device fitted is a mid-motor e-bike. This seems like an unusual application but then maybe the rider is gradually backing off the assistance and seeing if they can still maintain 250W??
Imagine riding with your
Imagine riding with your chain cleaner attached.
I assume it’s so loud you won’t need a bell anymore. People will hear you from miles away.
Seriously, if it’s halfway good I’d get one.
Spot on
Spot on
If it is a halfway decent
If it is a halfway decent power meter and a halfway decent chain cleaner and a halfway decent alternative to a bell, i’ll get 1.5.
slc wrote:
That’ll only get you to 3/4 of each though.
I’ll still be doing better
I’ll still be doing better than Meatloaf.
You mean like Scottoiler?
You mean like Scottoiler?
Next up – a system for
Next up – a system for measuring your speed without needing expensive and battery intensive GPS or fallible electronics using a cleverly calibrated roller which runs on the side of your wheel!
Ah yes. I used to have a
Ah yes. I used to have a Cateye speedometer. Back in 1960s, a little metal thing that showed mileage. Cheap stopwatch in pocket gave time to calculate speed but had to protect from sweat.
Today: my phone talks to Polar HR10 heart monitor strap (bought following massive ha) and gives speed via GPS
I can think of many catches.
I can think of many catches.
increased drive friction
Power Loss
Faster chain wear
Power device wear though chain
How is accuracy compensated for temperature and oil or wax librication.
Seems a rubbish idea….
Extra noise
The increased drive friction
The increased drive friction causes power loss, so are effectively only one negative. I struggle to see how it would cause higher chain wear, as it seem only the top/bottom of the plates are contacted, and wear to those wouldn’t cause chain elongation. (Unless you mean that the articulation this device causes would result in increased wear, which although technically is the case it doesn’t seem to be more than a few mm so would me negligible.) I hope the ‘hump’ is properly hardened, and also replaceable for when it eventually wears out. I also can’t see how lubricant type would affect tension in the chain, which seems to be what they are measuring. On the ‘rubbish idea’ bit, i can see it being usefull for someone who wants a cheap, hopefully accurate power meter for training (as power losses matter less than racing / trying to get somewhere quickly), maybe a student? The noise is definitely true though. On the ‘rubbish idea’, if it doesn’t work, definitely. If it does, there are definitely people (such as me) who would be interested. The Polar power meter (according to an episode of the Marginal Gains podcast) worked ok uphill with enough tinkering/precise inputs e.g. mass of chain, presumeably due to higher tension and less high frequency vibration due to lower speed? So this could work, and probably/possibly/hopefully has a market.
Seems an okay Ides, but I get
Seems an okay design to me, but I get the point where you are coming from, because it indeed seems weird.
Power loss; yes, but the parts that contact the chain could be made to rotate with the chain.
Faster Chain wear; same as above; rotating parts reduce chain wear.
Accuraccy with dirty vs waxed chain; well, it shouldn’t matter and here’s why: the chian goes over a bump. If it is in tension, that bump will get pressed down, which is how the power is measured. The more force you put through the pedals the more the chain will “stretch” and push down the bump. Kt is directly in line behind the top of the chainring which is directly where the chain pulls on the cassette and the chain is the most in tension, so that’s a good design.
Chain lube should not affect this, yes it might affect cadence a bit because the device has friction, but so does a waxed chain change power measurement in a wheel hub power measurement, because the chain is more effective, smoother and what not.
The only way you avoid loosing accuracy through the chain is by measuring at the crank, pedal or shoe. Measuring in the hub is the watts actually delivered to the wheel, while measuring in the shoe is the watts applied, they will always be different, even with 100% accuracy.
On the “faster chain wear”
On the “faster chain wear” objection: chains are very hard-wearing and are designed to survive in pretty mucky conditions under high loads for a good period of time. My guess is that the components in this device are mostly plastic and are not as tough as the average chain. To say that this is going to wear your chain out is like saying that, of all the things in your drivetrain, it’s your derailleur’s plastic jockey wheels that are the things that keep wearing your chain out
henryb wrote:
Which in turn would raise questions about the likely durability of the product, and what happens if/when the chain starts wearing/cutting in to those parts.
mdavidford wrote:
Plastics are a world of their own – some are even more durable than many metals. We work with abrasion-resistant specialty plastics that offer excellent performance.
henryb wrote:
Agreed.
Doesn’t the significant part
Doesn’t the significant part of chain wear happen inside the rollers? I can’t see how a bit of wear on the outer part of links and rollers could be significant, assuming I have understood your comment.
qcscmh wrote:
Increased drive friction and power loss:
The added drive friction is minimal. We’ve attempted to measure it and demonstrated the results in a video.
Most power meters introduce some form of power loss or “friction” – consider the added weight of batteries, electronics, and sensors on pedals or cranks. All of that additional mass requires extra power from the rider to rotate. This extra power demand is proportional to cadence and the added mass. Added resistance of our device is comparable to that of conventional power meters.
Faster chain wear:
No – this concern has already been addressed in another comment above.
Oil/wax lubrication:
As mentioned earlier, the measuring channel uses ridges that make contact with the chain rollers. These ridges are extremely thin – almost knife-edge thin – which minimizes interference with chain lubrication.
Temperature compensation and performance:
a) We use full-bridge strain gauges, which naturally compensate for temperature-related drift.
b) A built-in thermistor helps correct any remaining temperature-related offsets.
c) Our design intentionally avoids placing strain gauges on load-bearing parts. This allows the measuring section to flex significanlty (compared to conventional power meters) within the elastic range, meaning temperature-induced expansion or contraction has minimal impact on the readings.
*checks date*.
*checks date*.
That was my first thought too
That was my first thought too, has Road.cc published this article a week early by accident?
Yep – said the same on the YT
Yep – said the same on the YT comments…
His demo unit looks pretty
His demo unit looks pretty scuffed up, which makes me wonder if it’s flapping out and contacting the foot as it passes, which would seem to be… suboptimal.
It probably flops that way by
It probably flops that way by design. If it flopped the other way it would end up in the spokes which is even more suboptimal. So, good design there!
mdavidford wrote:
These photos show our very first prototypes with 3D-printed parts. Removing them from the print bed often causes scuff marks.
“Any sufficiently advanced
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,”
attributed to science fiction writer and futurist Arthur C. Clarke.
One positive is that it
One positive is that it reminded me of Polar’s first power meter that measured chain bounce to estimate chain tension to estimate power. I guess this effectively eliminates the first step in that estimation process.
This seems to use a much more
This seems to use a much more reliable means of estimating power than the Polar CS600 with Power: the force normal to a hump in the chain which will be more or less proportional to the longitudinal force in the chain. Analogous to an ammeter that adds a small resistance into a circuit across which it reads the voltage. The device will create a small amount of extra noise and has a short battery life (10 hours on a single charge) but aside from that, as a low cost power meter the main question would seem to be around longevity. What are the wearing components made of? Are they replaceable? How many miles will this device last?
Ten hours on a charge doesn’t
Ten hours on a charge doesn’t seem enough, I would have to carry a spare battery on longer rides. How about if they added a mini generator to the speed measuring roller then it would be self charging and it should be minimal extra drag for the power required to run the device.
Maybe a piezo generator which
Maybe a piezo generator which would also have the benefit of being very light.
Backladder wrote:
Noted, thank you. We’re adding additional capacity and hope to increase the spec to 30–50 hours after testing.
Pub bike wrote:
Thanks for the comment – your understanding is absolutely correct. We’re still in the development phase and will be exploring various solutions to improve the device’s longevity – if need be. Replaceable measuring ridges or other components are definitely a possibility, but again – if need be.
pedalpowerDC wrote:
We use completely different measurment priciple.
Could be good for power
Could be good for power reference levels on a basic turbo trainer bike set up. Interested.
james-o wrote:
I guess it could, but you can buy a used smart trainer for half the price of this or less which will give you power numbers as well as resistance and connection to training apps.
I’m certainly not going to
I’m certainly not going to rush to put in a pre-order, but there have definitely been much crazier inventions, and some outright scams, reported on by this web site in the past.
We are very real and this is
We are very real and this is not our first product on the market.
At last! – a power meter that
At last! – a power meter that will work with my L-shaped cranks
But is it compatible with
But is it compatible with elliptical chainrings?
Yes, it is.
Yes, it is.
Looks like a good approach to
Looks like a good approach to me.
Rocky Mountain has been using this method to measure rider torque successfully for while on their Dyname ebike motors. Scroll down here to see a cut through showing how it works:
https://bikes.com/en-intl/pages/dyname-4
Most others use a strain gauge on the cranks, which tends to fail eventually due to water ingress and/or crank strikes.
As I recall the power
As I recall the power transmitted by a pulley or chain drive depends on the difference in tension between the two sides of the chain or belt. Presumably the tension at the bottom is low enough to be considered zero.
Hi, my name is Aram. I’m the
Hi, my name is Aram. I’m the lead engineer behind this power meter and a co-founder of BikeOn, the company developing it. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.
This is a fairly unconventional product designed to prioritize both precision and user-friendliness. I’d love to connect with the author of this article or anyone from Road.cc to address questions directly and share our test data.
To clarify: this product is still in the research and development phase. We are actively testing and refining the design. The Prelaunch page is part of the pre-crowdfunding stage, where we gather interest, feedback, and concerns (so thank you for your comments – they’re incredibly helpful!). In return, those who sign up can lock in the lowest possible price, which will be lower than the price offered during the crowdfunding campaign.
Before launching on the crowdfunding platform, we will finalize development, publish all test data, and provide final prototypes for bloggers to review and share their feedback. Transparency is our priority. If we identify any limitations during development, we will communicate them to all early supporters and include them on our crowdfunding page – listing both the pros and cons.
I’ve seen a lot of questions – and quite a few assumptions. Just to clarify: we’re a small, bootstrapped startup with two full-time and one part-time team member. Our only way forward is to be fully transparent with our users and the broader community. So please don’t assume we’re trying to mislead anyone – just ask.
For example, there have been repeated questions about how the device performs in muddy conditions or with a dirty chain.
To clarify: the device makes contact with the chain at only two small points—on the top and bottom of the rollers. These are point contacts, meaning the actual surface area of contact is minimal, keeping friction extremely low. The ridges inside the measuring channel are extremely thin – almost knife-edge thin – allowing them to glide smoothly over the rollers, even in muddy conditions.
It’s also worth noting that rollers are typically the cleanest part of the chain. Since they’re load-bearing, they’re constantly in contact with drivetrain components like sprockets, chainrings, and pulleys, which helps keep them clean. Additionally, the measuring channel is wide enough that it doesn’t touch the chain’s side plates – the dirtiest part – so the ridges avoid the most contaminated areas.
In our initial tests, the device has performed well even in extreme mud. We’ve literally covered the chain in thick mud and run it through the device. Real-world mountain biking tests are still ahead, and if we ever observe issues under these conditions, we’ll be the first to report them. But so far, we haven’t encountered any.
Now, I’ll go through some of your comments and questions – hopefully, this will help clarify the product further.
@aramaerospace
I see that you are shipping units now – congrats.
“Before launching on the crowdfunding platform, we will finalize development, publish all test data, and provide final prototypes for bloggers to review and share their feedback. Transparency is our priority. If we identify any limitations during development, we will communicate them to all early supporters and include them on our crowdfunding page – listing both the pros and cons.”
Did you do all of the above? I can’t see anything on DC Rainmaker’s site for example.
Also how does the L-R sensor work? Are you are assuming that that there is no overlap of the pedal stroke whatsoever, and if so how accurate is your balance estimate?
I am surprised by the number
I am surprised by the number of skeptical comments here that are basically purely speculation and saying little more than “In my opinion, this won’t work”.
I see no reason that it will not work, but I reserve my opinion until I can see a prototype independently tested.
I have been fooled by crowd-funded projects in the past where the functionality of the prototype was misrepresented.
I am most disappointed that I spent my time reading through this article expecting to see the results of a road test only to find out that it was little more than a press release.