Anyone who does this? I mean I have a tri and a road bike and I use them 50-50.
If I buy an ergomo pro system, can I manage with one bottom bracket by switchin them
back and forth on two bikes? Could this damage my bikes or the power meter system?
I think buying 2 separate bbs, would become a bit expensive…
thanks,
Jaakkö
I would have thought that swapping the bb with regularity would cause problems with the loom connection as it runs out of the bb shell and up the downtube. Also, I have heard that precise installation is important for accuracy of the meter and wonder if one would take sufficient time and care on each and very occasion (familiarity breeds contempt).
In theory, yes. In practice, I think you’d get fed up with this idea pretty quickly.
Your idea involves switching the cranks and bottom bracket from bike to bike. With practice, that’s still probably a 15minute job each time. However, the Ergomo BB needs to sit in the BB shell within a range of angles. Again, you could speed that up with practice and knowing how many washers to use, but it will still take time.
Next, you will run the risk (although it is slight if you are careful each time) of damaging the wires that run out of the BB each time you install/remove it. Finally, and to my mind the biggest PITA, you would have to run and secure the cables from the BB to the sensor on the rear chainstay and from the BB to the handlebars each time you install/remove.
In your shoes, I’d think about
too much swapping and you might wear out/loosen up the threads on your BB and that would NOT be a good thing… the install isn’t too bad but it sure isn’t something I’d want to be doing on a regular basis! You have to install the BB, run the harness to the bars, and then install the speed pickup, not a quick and easy operation.
good luck, but if you consider paying yourself, hmmm, $20 an hour for your labor you might be better off buying a new ergomo BB within the year.
When I bought my ergomo, I thought I’d do the exact thing you are thinking of…but I’m already scraping up extra money to go towards a 2nd BB…
The installation isn’t difficult at all, but you would be stuck re-running the sensor cables each time you change bikes. I think what you’ll find is that you’ll be riding one bike rather than switching the sensor back & forth each time.
I concur with most of the other peeps, if you do a nice install you will not want to have to do it all of the time. It would take way too long. Buy an additional BB instead.
It actually takes (me) longer to move the cabling/sensor than it does to swap the crank - that’s why I have a set on both road bikes (the track bike has its own dedicated SRM).
Ahhh. I don’t know much about SRMs, but I take it therefore that there is a plug/socket connection between the cabling and the SRM cranks (as opposed to the Ergomo BB, which as you know, has a connection to the cabling which is not intended to be broken).
THe SRM uses a pickup near the crank to receive power and cadence information and another pickup on either the chainstay or front fork to receive speed. The Ergomo is hard wired straight to the BB, though it does use an SRM-esque speed sensor on the chainstay.
It’s not so much the wiring as the care you need to take with installing the Ergomo BB. Do a search with me as the author and you’ll find a post where I discussed this in great detail, providing cutaway pictures of the Ergomo to explain.
Ok.
As I’m quite new to the “training with power” idea I’ve foud it overwhelming.
And expensive. So what if I started with just buying an indoor trainer with power
features and start my “power learning curve” from there? Besides I’m somehow forced
to do most (long MTB rides can be dome when temp >-10 degrees C) of my bike training
from oct to april on a trainer - due to hars Nordic weather conditions.
And come summer can I still manage to get “power info benefits” if I do e.g. one trainer session
per week?
All thoughts appreciated. Specially those by the maestros!
Jaakko
You could do as you say and get an indoor trainer with power info. That’s how I got started. Then I wanted to read power out on the road and in races.
If you do as I did you’ll end up spending more money (on two trainers). If you get a road power meter, you can use it indoors and outdoors.
Good luck.
I have ergomo on 2 bikes but use 2 BB’s. No way would I want to keep swapping them back and forth - you’d have to remove the pedals/cranks/BB. Remove the wiring - cut zip ties/remove tape (actually you’d do this 1st). Then you’d have to replace the BB/cranks on bike #2 - torque wrench it to spec. Re-tape and/or zip tie the 2 cables. It would take about 20 minutes to do an o.k. job. Then you’d have to re-calibrate the BB/computer - and this would probably drift a bit for the first few rides after each swap. Better spend your time riding or running an extra 20 min.
I don’t know if it would be an issue putting the BB in and out a bunch of times or not - but it would be a pain. A few times each season would be o.k. - a few times each month would be too much. The cables seem quite durable but you run the risk of damaging them with zip tie install or removal - or bending/pulling on them with install/removal of equip…
I know nothing about SRM but it would be very easy to swap 1 PT wheel between 2 bikes - each with their own harness and much cheaper. Wireless PT would be even easier…if you want power on 2 bikes and don’t want a 2nd ergomo BB - I’d go PT. I have both PT and ergomo.
Dave
Ahhh. I don’t know much about SRMs, but I take it therefore that there is a plug/socket connection between the cabling and the SRM cranks
There’s no connection: it’s a sealed, non-contact sensor.
There’s no onnection: it’s a sealed, non-contact sensor.
Sorry - the penny’s dropping quite slowly. When you said that you had a set on each bike, did you mean a complete SRM set up on each bike (and don’t swap anything), rather than a set of cables on each bikes (and swap the SRM cranks)? Or something else?
There’s no onnection: it’s a sealed, non-contact sensor.
Sorry - the penny’s dropping quite slowly. When you said that you had a set on each bike, did you mean a complete SRM set up on each bike (and don’t swap anything), rather than a set of cables on each bikes (and swap the SRM cranks)? Or something else?
SRM refers to the handlebar computer as the ‘Powercontrol’ and the central portion of the crank (i.e., the crank spider containing the strain gages and associated electronics) as the ‘Powermeter’ proper. The latter communicates with the former via a non-contact sensor that mounts on the chainstay close to the b.b. (or on the b.b. itself). This same cable set also includes the speed sensor, which is the usual magnet-activated reed switch mounted close to the front or rear wheel. So, I have a cable set on both of my road bikes, and simply move the powermeter, crank arm, chainrings, and pedal as a unit to whichever one I wish to ride. With self-extracting crank bolts, this only takes a minute or two. I then unsnap the Powercontrol from the mount on one bike, snap it onto the other, spin the crank backwards a couple of times to activate it, reset the zero offset, and away I go…
Got it. Thanks for the explanation.