Pedal Brain iPhone kit smartens up your bicycle
By Donald Melanson 
posted December 28th 2009 2:02PM
posted December 28th 2009 2:02PM
Cyclists already have a range of dedicated devices to choose from that will help them with their training, and it looks like they'll soon have an iPhone app / accessory kit to call their own as well. While the folks behind it are apparently still working on the finishing touches, they've nonetheless decided to get official with their so-called Pedal Brain kit, which more or less promises to be a Nike+ alternative for cyclists. That means it comes with an accessory (a case) that relies on the ANT+ wireless protocol to relay all the necessary information form your bike, which in turn is processed and analyzed by the Pedal Brain app (all of which will also work with an iPod touch). Pedal Brain also goes one step further with a coaching component, which will actually let you make your own training plans and sell them through the app (you'll also be able to determine the price, but Pedal Brain will apparently take a $4 a month cut). No word on an exact price or launch date for the kit itself just yet, but it will apparently sell for somewhere between $130 and $200 (or more if you want the spiffy carbon fiber case).
They'd be wise to include the 3G iPhone unlike Nike+.
Just don't fall down while riding your bike..
@gargle otterbox
it is only smart till this thing flips off after hitting a log in the woods
@(Unverified) I think they're targeting the road bike folks.
@barry99705
They've got a lot of work to do if they're ever going to compete with the Garmin Edge 705 that I use as my cycling computer.
The phone would be safer if it was in landscape I think, otherwise it's too long if it sits between the handlebars. You gotta wonder about the vibration as well, and if it could stand up to hours of rattling. And if any hard core cyclists could comment on air resistance/weight of this thing.
Wow, 4 bucks a month. How about this for a plan, get on your bike, turn OFF your phone and have fun.
If you want a speedo buy one that mounts on your handlebars for 10 bucks.
FYI messengers this will not work in NYC anymore, haha AT+T.
@24inchdubz
Fail
Reading>You
Only charge you $4 a month if you want to sell a custom training guide on the iTunes store.
Definitly for the roadies...you would destroy your iPhone in this mount on mountain bike. I'll keep my Garmin Edge.
What they should do is make a small bluetooth device that mounts to your handlebar and is waterproof and crashproof that gets it's info to display from the iPhone that is sitting nice and safe inside your backpack.
@blampright
Serious roadies care more about weight than the info that this app provides. You are talking about people who replace tiny parts of their bike at a cost of hundreds of dollars to save a matter of ounces. Yeah the case is a carbon fiber, but it's a sail and the iPod itself while not heavy it just wasted weight.
@mjeffryes Most roadies also carry a cell phone with them, so why not use what you already have?
@Tommy Five
personally, I'd much rather have the expensive equipment on my handlebars be separate from the expensive equipment in my pocket.
(screech, crash - thwipthwipthwip - clang, thud, )
They are never going to get this type of thing to take off unless someone creates a waterproof case with a handlebar mount withe the touchscreen able to be used. That's a pretty tall order.
I was developing a "bike computer" app for the iPhone until these issues popped up. There is also the issue of battery life when the screen is on all the time. Until all of these issues are resolved, I'll stick with my Garmin Edge 305.
@CMoebius
check out www.ibikeconsole.com, I've just ordered one myself. The site shows the old version, but the new version (due Jan 2010) also has access to power port and a hole for the camera. Combine this with an external battery (I'm using a cheap 4xAA USB output pack, search for RX4-C) and any of the various apps available and you have unlimited hours of portable cycle computing.
@simlucas
I ride outdoors and it sometimes rains while I am out. A waterproof case that allows touch access and a handlebar mount is ideal for me.
Wonder what neighborhood you have to be in to not get your phone stolen and your ass kicked.
Sidenote, can an iphone even handle light riding. I remember back in the day the old ipods had problems with people running and using them causing HD problems?
@24inchdubz there is no harddrive in the iPhone....
I use my iPod touch with one of these: http://www.rei.com/product/637969
I would need a gps attachment, but I would like the same thing Nike has for running when I use my mountain bike/road bike.
It works in the rain and with headphones. It isn't like I am racing when I use the rail-trail, so aerodynamics isn't #1.
ANT+ is great...if the cycling power meters it worked with didn't cost well over a thousand bucks!!!
@CMoebius
I use the Garmin Edge 705 and love it. I have the Garmin Forerunner 305 too that I had used on the road bikes but now limit it to my mountain bikes. I really don't see this thing going anywhere.
If there are people out there that want to work at merging current technology with cycling why not build something that would let an XBOX 360 work with a cycling trainer? It sure would be nice to have a solution that worked in a similar fashion to the CompuTrainer but with updated technology and at a far lower price.
Garmin Edge rules. Rugged, robust.
GREAT! now they'll be running stop signs, driving in the road at 1.2 mph AND looking at their iPhone....can't wait.
Hipsters aren't really so much into, like, cycling.
At least not the kind that requires measurable effort.
First, I know the developer and he is working hard to make this user friendly. It is NOT a Garmin type device so don't compare them to that. It IS a coaching and training aid for serious and or competitive cyclists. ANT+ technology makes it compatible with all aspects of training. Speed, cadence, heart rate, altitude, and most importantly wattage. Power training is the standard with HR being next best. A lot of people can't afford the power meters. The other big factor is the ability to have your coach or even multiple coaches (remember I said serious cyclists) see your workout in real time and send advice remotely, and also the ability to see other team mates effort and position on the road. Let's see your Garmin do that. The weight factor means nothing; you are already carrying a cel phone anyway and the carriage is minimal and will have a waterproof option in the near future. A lot of cyclists are already using cycling computers that costs 2/3 of this unit, but offer no real time input or output or GPS or power. Seems like a good deal to me.
@Baba
If this iPhone Kit can actually have someone nearby show in REAL TIME my speed, location and cadence and other riders too then YES, this will be awesome.
Can it do that? I doubt it.
@DentalFlossTycoon
Yes, it will do that. I can sit at my iMac and watch 30-40 rider outputs at a time. I can also send individual messages if necessary. Riders can also monitor each other if the other riders want to be monitored. It is that flexible.
Battery power will be an issue. Running a signal processing and data-receiving app on an iPhone will drain the batter almost as fast as playing a game. Quite possibly this set-up won't work for more than hour-long sessions.
300 Watts average? Impressive; thats like Cat 4?
I've tried other GPS apps to track my routes in the past, but the battery life in the 3G is so awful that the phone is dead in nearly 1 hour (even when starting from a full charge). Hopefully the handlebar holder also includes the ability to generate power for the phone.
Also, MTBers will definitely pass this one up, and serious road riders, not only concerned about weight (as one other commenter said) are generally travelling in packs, going very fast and need to keep their eyes on the road. Also, serious riders with cash to burn already have computer linkable cyclocomputers that integrate with heart rate, cadence and hub-based speed sensors.
I use my iphone all the time while cycling and running. I use an app called runkeeper but would love something like this. I use a waterproof case from drycase.com. I have seen similar cases used by lifeguards to hold phones.
The only problem would be battery life and using something like a mophie juice pack would take care of that.
I will be taking a good look at this when it is released.