There are a few things that you can do to ensure that your powermeter is reading accurately on every ride. We explore some common questions below regarding powermeter accuracy.
Some notes about our 4iiii Power meters:
- Our powermeters pull raw data, which is not smoothed out in any way. We leave the option to smooth the data out with you, when you select how you would like to view data on your head unit.
- Our powermeters are placed on the crank arm to ensure that the data can be very accurate, measurable and repeatable when you are riding in the same environment, and under similar conditions.
- Our powermeters are manufactured and tested using extremely precise procedures to ensure they meet our high +/- 1% accuracy tolerance. You can find more information about our 3rd party tested accuracy claims here.
Routine powermeter checks:
Here are a few things to ensure that you do on a regular basis to ensure that your powermeter is reading accurately on every ride.
- Update firmware - ensure that your powermeter has the most up-to-date firmware version installed. Firmware updates are installed through the 4iiii App.
- Zero-offset/calibrate your powermeter regularly - we suggest that you zero-offset/calibrate your powermeter prior to every ride with the cranks in the vertical position after allowing your bike to equilibrate to riding conditions.
- Battery check - ensure that the battery in your powermeter is not dead or dying. Batteries that report <20% can potentially affect powermeter performance.
- Factory Reset - a factory reset performed via the 4iiii App will restore your powermeters factory calibration values that were set when it was manufactured.
- The crank is installed and torqued as per the manufacturer specifications. An incorrectly installed crank or crank arm can introduce inaccuracies in the power measurements.
Symptom: Powermeter reading slightly high or low
If your powermeter is slightly high or low, try the following:
- Zero offset calibrate using a head unit or the app.
- Perform factory reset in the settings tab of the 4iiii app.
- Check the settings in the 4iiii app and if available, update firmware.
- Use app to check battery level. If <20%, replace battery
- Account for L/R balance. If you are riding with a single sided powermeter, and have a known L/R balance, you can account for this using the Scale Factor setting in the 4iiii App.
Symptom: Powermeter reading extremely high or low
If your powermeter is reading extremely high or low, and you are constantly setting Tour de France level PB's or even higher, please get in touch with our support team.
Symptom: Intermittent power data
If your powermeter is dropping connection to your head unit, try the following:
- Use app to check battery level. If <20%, replace battery.
- Check the settings in the 4iiii app and if available, update firmware.
- Check to make sure battery tabs are making good contact. If necessary, gently bend the battery contacts up to ensure good battery contact.
- Check that there has been no water ingress. If the inside of the battery compartment is wet, let air dry for a few days and then try again.
- Eliminate signal interference. Turn off any unnecessary Bluetooth or ANT+ devices in the vicinity. This is especially important in indoor training environments.
- Check that your cycling computer is up-to-date.
Symptom: Fluctuating power data
Our powermeters measure your power times per second, and will measure and report all variations in power. If you are experiencing spiky or fluctuating power readings, we suggest applying a 3,5, or 10 second smoothing to your power data through your cycling computer. This will give you a more stable live power display.
Symptom: Cadence but no power readings
If you are getting accurate cadence, but no power readings, try the following:
- Zero offset calibrate using a head unit or the app. Was this successful?
- Perform factory reset in the settings tab of the 4iiii app.
- Check the settings in the 4iiii app and if available, update firmware.
- Use app to check battery level. If <20%, replace battery
- Check to make sure battery tabs are making good contact. If necessary, gently bend the battery contacts up to ensure good battery contact.
- Check that there has been no water ingress. If the inside of the battery compartment is wet, let air dry for a few days and then try again.
If any of the above does not solve your issue, please get in touch with our support team.