Cycling performance tracking made easier with new power meter

While power meters are very handy tools for tracking your cycling performance, mounting and calibrating the things can be a fiddly process. The CycleClick is designed to change that, by mounting on the chain of any bike – without any tools – in a claimed 30 seconds.

Manufactured by Las Vegas-based startup BikeOn, the CycleClick is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. It’s reportedly compatible with any type, make or model of upright chain-driven bicycle, as long as that bike doesn’t have a SRAM Flattop chain.

Installing the device is as simple as clamping the mount onto the seat tube, clamping the power meter itself onto the chain, then connecting the power meter to the mount … no subsequent calibration is necessary. From there, it’s just a matter of wirelessly linking the device to an app on your cycling computer or smartphone.

Although the CycleClick certainly looks like it might produce a lot of drag – think of those chain-cleaning devices you crank your chain through – the folks at BikeOn claim that such is not the case. This is because the chain runs straight through a flexible metal channel inside the meter, where only the chain’s rollers make any physical contact with the device.

As those rollers move across ridges within the channel, they cause it to subtly flex. Strain sensors measure the degree to which the flex is deflecting the channel, as determined by chain tension. That measured tension is in turn an indicator of pedaling torque.

The torque is multiplied by the chain speed (measured by a separate sensor) to determine power in watts, while cadence is calculated by tracking chain speed and pedal position over time. And should you be wondering, pedal position is determined by monitoring torque variation patterns throughout the pedal stroke.

BikeOn

All of this data (along with calories burned) is said to be ±1% accurate, and is transmitted by Bluetooth Low Energy to as many as three devices at once. There, it’s displayed in real time on training apps such as Zwift, TrainingPeaks, and the dedicated BikeOnIQ app. Plans call for an additional sensor, along with a firmware update, to track the balance between left- and right-leg output.

The whole setup is claimed to tip the scales at 40 grams (1.4 oz), and should be good for 30 hours of riding per USB-charge. It’s IP67 waterproof, meaning it can withstand being submerged to a depth of 1 meter (3.3 ft) for 30 minutes.

Assuming the CycleClick power meter reaches production, a pledge of US$184 will get you one – the planned retail price is $299. Its features are outlined in the following video.

Sources: Kickstarter, BikeOn