While summer is here and that means hitting the long and (hopefully) winding roads, the weather isn’t always so forgiving. When it comes time to head in doors there will be the Wattbike Trainer and Pro Bikes, the world’s first affordable indoor bikes that accurately measure a rider’s power.
Watt computers allow athletes to instantly see how much power (Watts) they are producing versus waiting on their heart rate to reach a certain point. Signed off by the English Institute of Sport as being accurate, it is the first indoor bike that has ever been endorsed by British Cycling and is widely used by UK and European elite athletes, sports bodies and professional sports teams as their preferred high performance cycle training device.
The founders of Wattbike first approached British Cycling in 2000 with the idea to create an indoor bike which accurately measures a range of high-performance parameters, and six years later the governing body was satisfied that the Wattbike met their criteria.As a result, today Wattbike remains the first and only indoor cycle trainer to be endorsed by British Cycling.
“We are thrilled to bring our elite training bikes to US cycling and fitness enthusiasts,” says Ian Wilson, Managing Director of Wattbike. “With more than 1.2 million Americans (SGMA study May 2010) participating in at least one traditional triathlon in 2009 and the rapidly increasing growth of triathlon and cycling events, we are proud to provide a highly accurate and effective cycling training option that is becoming a paramount instrument for cyclists and triathletes around the world.”
There are many trainers and indoor bikes, but the Wattbike has some features that help it stand out, notably that it features both air and magnetic braking system to better allow riders to replicate any desired training session from low intensity recovery riding to maximal intensity sprints. It also has the potential to deliver accurate, repeatable and comparable results as each Wattbike is factory calibrated and will not need to be recalibrated throughout its life.
The Wattbike features simple and intuitive cycling computer, which records 39 parameters 100 times per second, but displays only the key information for the cyclist through seven different views. The rider has the option of viewing their data in Power (Watts), Energy (Joules), Speed (km/h) and Pace (time per km). The computer further provides immediate feedback on the cyclist’s technique and all bikes are factory calibrated identically, allowing them to be linked together for accurate racing.
Of course the Wattbike Supports ANT+ SPORT chest belts for heart rate monitors including Suunto and Garmin. Polar uncoded belts can also be used with an adaptor.
The Wattbike is also reportedly “read to race,” as each bike is linked to the computer where up to 20 riders can race at once, with their progress and current performance data displayed on a screen. The bike is thus suitable for high level track and endurance cyclists, children and non-cyclists, while the pro version is ideal for track sprinter, endurance cyclists and triathletes, where that version features a 0-3,760 Watt resistance range, 10 air resistance levels and magnetic brakes that extend the resistance range for top sprinters.
While we love the good weather, the Wattbike, which is available in both Pro and Trainer models for $2,995 MSRP, almost makes us wish for a rainy day.