We sometimes hear from customers that they are disappointed when they see that the InfoCrank® does not give similar results to their previous power devices. I share that disappointment. I had to throw out 3 years of data in 2006 when Hunter Allen became my coach and then when I became the test rider for the original InfoCrank® - the next 6 years of data became useless.
Inaccurate data is useless for training and monitoring progress. Unfortunately, the power device market has been totally overtaken by marketing and nothing said is believable. The 2% or less that is offered by many devices is fantasy, perpetuated by marketing dollars and not backed up by any independent testing.
In the case of InfoCrank®, not only has Verve commissioned tests independently using the methods mandated by the measurement authorities worldwide, but our largest customer (partner) British Cycling also independently tests each and every InfoCrank® that they buy. Each crank is tested in a load test where the force is stepped up from 0 nm (torque) to as high as 500nm, depending on their planned use of the crank. The diagnostic mode of the InfoCrank® is also turned on so that this test can measure watts as well as newton metres.
British Cycling owns over 100 Road InfoCranks® and is buying over 100 Track InfoCranks®. They verify that the road cranks are all true (that is well within specifications) and precise (they always show the same results). They also verify that the InfoCrank® is the only power device they have tested that immediately responds to the changes in force being applied.
The track crank is new and tests on the first ones delivered also showed exemplary results. Some slight modifications have now been completed and testing shows even higher precision all the way from 0 to 500nm. According to the R&D team at British Cycling, the accuracy achieved is now down to 0.3% for every reading from 0nm to 500nm, meaning that they can make decisions on even which tyre to use for a certain event and many more incremental improvements.
The attached screenshot shows the accuracy of the first track crank ever tested before we commenced work on the improvement for the first production. It also shows the accuracy of the Road InfoCrank® with the results of two actual cranks (which British Cycling R&D team claim is representative of the 100 cranks they test). You will see that the InfoCranks® are both true during the test and that both of them compare to each other. Finally, you will see a graph showing how the InfoCrank® responds correctly in the test in microseconds.
We need to state that the cranks supplied to British Cycling are not specially modified - they are standard and the same as those available to Professional, Masters and Amateur riders globally.
