Most of cycling power meters currently on the market are built in very similar manner, all measure force using strain gauges and all of them are designed as a replacement of one bike component. With our design many of disadvantages of existing cycling power meters simply don’t exist.
Capacitive Force Sensors
Strain gauges are very old, precise and reliable way of measuring small deflections, and thus, force. But handling small changes in resistivity of gauges is by no means simple nor cheap. Installation of strain gauges is a delicate, time-consuming task that significantly contributes to the high price of existing cycling power meters.
We use custom designed capacitive force sensors that are easy to manufacture, require no exotic materials and very small number of electronic components but still yield very accurate results. It also yields another advantage: insanely low price.
Not a Replacement Component
Cycling power meters as we know them now usually replace an existing bike component such as pedals, spider, rear hub etc. High-end power-measuring components with the complicated electronics and measuring elements cannot possibly cheaper than components without all that.
TriPO has no business with the bike at all – your favourite bike remains intact. What is more, if you have more than one bike you can use the same cycling power meter for all as long as you stick with the same shoes.
Swapping a dumb component with a power-measuring one can be a daunting task, especially if we’re talking about component like spiders or rear hubs – even a skilled bike mechanic could take more than an hour or two of work.
To install TriPO, you don’t have to touch your bike at all. It only takes a few minutes to replace your existing cleat screws with our force sensors, and you’re done.
Indestructible
TriPO sensors, located on the sole of the shoe, can be subject to extreme loads, not so much during a ride than in between – walking, jumping, even falling off a bike (hopefully not too frequently!). We kept that in mind and designed TriPO to withstand almost unlimited pressure loads – certainly more than any human can exert.
The story is different with power meters that replace, let’s say, pedals. Not being careful and as much as touching a curb or the road in a tight turn can destroy those pretty quickly.
Compatible With Any Cleat System
It doesn’t matter what cleats you like best. TriPO is designed to sneak in between your shoe and a cleat unnoticed – the three holes remain the same after installation. With thickness of only a few milimeters you probably won’t notice it either.