A PASSION FOR CYCLING

 

It started with a desire for something better

The Pioneer Power Meter System began as a passion project by competitive cyclist and Pioneer engineer Ryujiro Fujita. A climber by nature, Fujita had raced in two of Japan’s most famous rides up Mt. Fuji and Norikura.

He had used power meters and GPS cycle computers for years but had never been fully satisfied with the results. When he realized he could combine his passion for electronics with his passion for cycling, there was no stopping him.

With the help of his riding buddy, and fellow Pioneer engineer, Takehiko Shioda, he set out to create the power meter system he’d always wanted—one that provided more precise power data than ever before, that could perform under the most extreme training and racing conditions.

A new kind of power meter system

Power meters had traditionally measured total power output. But none had ever measured the individual contribution of each leg.

Fujita and Shioda set out to create a power meter that could measure pedaling data on both the left and right legs. That way, they could see if their pedaling stroke was in balance.

In addition, it would give them the ability to measure something even more powerful: the direction of force applied to the pedals. With this data, they could measure pedaling efficiency and find their perfect pedaling stroke.

Tough components for brutal conditions

The first Pioneer Power Meter prototypes were tested, tweaked and refined during Fujita and Shioda’s training rides and races. Once they were satisfied, they consulted with the team.

For an entire racing season, the cyclists of Team Belkin rode their prototypes through the snows of Passo Tre Croci, the winds of Mont Ventoux, the heat of La Vuelta and the rain-soaked cobbles of Paris-Roubaix. They were tested in every environment imaginable. The result is a Power Meter System that’s as tough as the cyclists that use it.

It’s a system that works seamlessly in a freezing cold 14ºF or blistering hot 122ºF, one that can withstand moisture, vibration, dirt, mud and nearly anything else you throw at it. It even has a one-touch, zero-point calibration system that automatically adjusts for changes in temperature.
 

 

 


Original Power Meter Proto-Type
 

Pedal efficiency: A new measure of success

What sets the Pioneer Power Meter apart is its ability to measure pedal-force vectors—or the amount and direction of force—every 30 degrees of a rotation, in both legs.

This data can be used to tell riders if they are pedaling as efficiently as possible. Are they pedaling with their heels? With their toes? Are they too far back on their seat? Too far forward?

Technology ahead of its time

The measuring of pedal force vectors and pedaling efficiency is still in its infancy. Cycling coaches are just now learning how they can best use this technology.

In a sport where the difference between first and second place is often measured in hundredths of seconds, cyclists and their coaches are looking for any advantage possible.

Pioneer Power Meters were created to provide data that’s years ahead of what other cyclists are getting, so you can end up ahead of them on the road.

 

 

Pioneer & cycling: A natural fit

  Transmitting complicated data in real time. Precision signal detection. GPS route tracking. Intuitive touch screen controls. Reliable electronics in all types of conditions.

When you consider the groundbreaking products Pioneer has designed over the last 75 years, it makes perfect sense that they’d have the experience to create the world’s most advanced cycling Power Meter System, one that is fast becoming one of the most sought-after power measurement products in professional cycling.
 

 

 

A Partnership with the Belkin Racing Team

  If you had to find the perfect pro cycling team to put a Power Meter System through its paces, team Belkin would be it. With some of the top riders in nearly every classification, this group isn’t easy on their gear.

After a season of grand tour riding, endless tweaking, refining, perfecting and thousands of requests like “Can you add this feature?” “Can the system do this?” “Can it be configured this way?” the riders at Team Belkin were quite pleased.

The results are in. In 2014, Team Belkin placed two riders in the top ten for the yellow jersey in the Tour de France and took second place in the overall team classification. All riding with the Pioneer Power Meter System they helped to perfect.