Until now, most indoor cycles have employed a fixed gear drive train that links the crank and pedals directly to the flywheel so when the flywheel is in motion, the pedals are as well. For 2010, the CycleOps Pro Series indoor cycles are changing this by introducing freewheeling technology in the Pro Series indoor cycles.

In early 2010, when Joule graces us all with its presence on our handlebars there will be a much improved PowerAgent for us all to enjoy. PowerAgent is still the easy-to-use and free training companion, but it’s been beefed up with some great new features. Here are some of the key, new elements:

Whether I am working with a client as their coach, consultant, metabolic assessor or providing educational certifications and seminars, "THE" question is always asked, and "THE" debate is always thrashed out: "Is threshold power AeT, VT, LT, AT?" What follows is often the discussion of a variety of explanations of threshold, many as alien as E.T. Since "threshold power" is dynamic and one of the strongest trainable indicators of endurance and performance, a thorough understanding of what "threshold power" refers to is essential. That answer will be revealed as the article progresses. First, it's necessary to comprehend thresholds in general.

As the busy summer riding season begins to come to a close, it is a good time to think about replacing the batteries in your PowerTap. Batteries in the PowerTap hub and CPU need to be changed periodically to ensure reliable consistent functioning of the PowerTap system. The CPU will display a "lo bat" warning on the screen to indicate that new batteries are necessary; however, indications from the hub will be more subtle. If it has been several months since your last battery change, it is a good idea to put a fresh set in the hub. And, it is a good idea to have a spare set on hand.

While most of the updates were technical in scope, two in particular stand out. One new feature is that PowerAgent is now able to periodically check in with the CycleOps website (on its own) to see if there have been updates to the software. So, from here on out, you should never be without the latest version of PowerAgent!

In Part 1 of our Wheel Overview, we looked at the Mavic Open Pro PowerTap wheel that is available from CycleOps Power and the PowerTap wheels available from Zipp Speed Weaponry. In Part 2 of this series, we introduced our wheel partners American Classic and Mavic. In Part 3, we will highlight our last two wheel partners, Hed and Bontrager. As always, you can get more information on all of our wheel partners at their websites:

American Classic: amclassic.com
Bontrager: bontrager.com
Mavic: mavic.com
Hed: hedcycling.com
Zipp: zipp.com

In Part 1 of our Wheel Overview, we looked at the Mavic Open Pro PowerTap wheel that is available from CycleOps Power and the PowerTap wheels available from Zipp Speed Weaponry. In Part 2 of this series, we will introduce our wheel partners American Classic and Mavic. Both manufacturers are innovators in the field of wheel building and offer high-quality power-measuring wheels to accommodate any type of rider.

We’ve overviewed the various PowerTap hub models to choose from but, no PowerTap is complete without being assembled into a wheel. There are many more wheel options than hubs, so let’s take a closer look.

It is often said that there is no better component upgrade than a good pair of wheels. Paired with a PowerTap, we agree there is no better way to improve your cycling performance. But which wheel to choose depends on exactly which part of cycling performance you want to improve. A good set of wheels can help improve climbing, time trialing, triathlon or sprinting. A good set of wheels can also ensure you have miles and miles of uninterrupted training by avoiding mechanical issues, which can be just as important as riding faster.

When contemplating a purchase from CycleOps that is Power-ready, such as our PowerTap, 300PT Indoor Cycle or the PowerBeam Pro Series Trainer, don't forget about the added benefit of PowerAgent 7.4. It's free and boasts PC/Mac compatibility! So get ready for your best year ever by analyzing peak power, time in heart rate or power zones, speed and distance averages and much more.

So you're thinking about integrating power into your cycling regimen. You like the benefits of a hub-based power measuring system, and a PowerTap seems like the perfect fit. With the new line of PowerTaps released in Fall of 2008, there is an option for every athlete with every goal. The question we often get is, "Which one is best for me?"

Many people are surprised to find out that when they update their PowerTap 2.4 hub to ANT+ Sport Technology, a firmware update for their CPU is also required. Firmware is the internal software that tells your CPU how to collect, store and manage your ride data and configuration settings. Just like software that runs on your PC, firmware needs to be updated every once in awhile to keep your PowerTap running flawlessly.

The most-up-to-date version of the PowerTap CPU firmware will not only tell your CPU how to receive and process the data encoded on the ANT+ Sport network, it will add visible upgrades to the functionality of your CPU.

CycleOps is pleased to announce the release of the entire ANT+ compatible line of PowerTaps and the ANT+ Updater for existing PowerTap 2.4 wireless users. We are now shipping orders placed for the PowerTap Plus Series and for the ANT+ Sport Hub Updater.

from CycleOps Power

CycleOps Power continues to innovate its PowerTap line. In parallel with developing ANT+ Sport compatitibility, CycleOps engineers have been working on a new axel design that is as light as the original but much stiffer. Watch the video with CycleOps Power product manager Jesse Bartholomew to learn more.

CycleOps Power didn’t spare any effort or expense when it came to supporting the Argyle Armada on the roads of the Tour de France. In fact not only did we provide a series of ANT+ Sport PowerTaps to the team but also a collection of Pro Series Trainers for the team to warm up on for the key time trials. In development for the past 18 months, the JetFluid Pro and SuperMagneto Pro represent a revolution in trainer technology for CycleOps Power, and the Tour would be a key proving ground for these innovations.

For this year's Tour, each Team Garmin- Chipotle PowerTap- equipped Zipp wheel is displaying a limited edition gold hub cap. The gold hub on the team's wheels is not the only thing unique about their Zipp PowerTap wheels--they are also ANT+ Sport-compatible.

The PowerTap SL 2.4 Disc Brake Hub System is now available. The product has been tested extensively by our Engineering team as well as several pro athletes like Jeremiah Bishop, Julian Absalon, Conrad Stoltz, Melanie McQuaid, Wendy Simms, Manual Prado, Danny Pate and Rocky Reifenstuhl.

What went into bringing this product to market? We got the inside scoop from PowerTap Product Manager Jesse Bartholomew and one of CycleOps Power's engineers who worked extensively on the project, Jordan Roessingh.

Why did CycleOps Power decide to create a disc brake PowerTap hub?

JESSE: CycleOps Power has the benefit of having very passionate customers that aren't afraid to let us know what they want. We do our best to develop products that meet those needs, and the PowerTap SL 2.4 Disc Brake Hub is a result of that. In addition, the benefits of using a PowerTap only increase with the more data you collect, so it only makes sense to allow our customers do so in any discipline of cycling they choose.