Our Test Bike fit is fully adjustable so we can match it to the fit of your road bike. You can use your own pedals if you wish. Your Power Output is controlled by a computer and can be precisely controlled independent of pedal rpm. This allows the bike to control your work output very accurately and steadily. This is an advantage over “field testing” on an actual bicycle where Power Output is continuously effected by pedal rpm, wind, and even slight changes in gradient. Our Test Bike and test protocols are designed so that, all you have to do is simply pedal at a comfortable pedal rpm.
Our Test Bike measures your Heart Rate via a wireless transmitter chest strap. We use Heart Rate as a measure of “internal intensity” (how hard your effort “feels.”) As your exercise intensity increases, your heart rate increases. There are several issues with Heart Rate that can affect it’s accuracy as a measure of your exercise intensity. Heart rate is very individualistic. Formulas for “maximum heart rate” and “heart rate training zones” that are based on age are not accurate enough to be a reliable means of predicting effort level. Another issue is that heart rate has a significant lag in its “response time” to changes in your power output. This means that when you change your power output during exercise, it takes a significant amount of time for your heart rate to “catch up”. Heart Rate also can cease to be an accurate measure of “internal intensity” if power is taken above the user’s threshold power. We have put a lot of study into addressing these issues, and through proper test protocol, we can minimize their effects on the accuracy of the test results.
Our bike measures your Power Output in the form of Watts. Think of Watts as your “external intensity”. As you push harder on the pedals, your Watts increase. By measuring both your Heart Rate (how hard you perceive you are working) and your Power Output (how fast you are going) we can determine your Fitness level.