You could title this part “How to do product validation testing after production rather than before”. You gotta love the continued optimism regarding the MTB version, for which “it will only be a matter of producing the right physical components at that point”. Setting themselves up for the same error of producing before validating.
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Rightly so. How long has this campaign lasted?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1468298434/cycling-power-meter-at-a-breakthrough-price/posts
Along with the original estimated ship date 
(original design)
Yep, it has been a bit of a shit show for sure. My internet outrage comment is tongue in cheek a bit because every “update” elicits the same responses from both sides and nothing changes (definition of insanity anyone?). Angry backers decry fraud, demand their money back, demand more information and more frequent updates and IQ^2 ignores them a goes on their merry way. Or the ones who have paid little or no attention to what’s been happening and all of a sudden are shocked and outraged.
At the end of the day, this will be a case study on how not to develop a product and run a crowd-sourced campaign, especially where things go wrong, but at the same time, it’s Kickstarter/IGG and not a retail store. I’ll be happy to get my PMs and use them even if they are not “Assiomas” but then again I wouldn’t have expected them to be.
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I’m happy to see some progress from IQ2 and I’m hopeful for the pedals. I don’t necessarily understand all of the constant backlash they receive as it is a Kickstarter campaign, for a start-up business, without a product. Crowd funding a start-up has inherent risk that seemingly lots of people didn’t understand.
I am grateful that I wanted the road pedals. I feel like after this most recent update, the mtb style pedals are quite a ways off.
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Amiigo got that beat. Hope the finished product is better also.
http://drop-kicker.com/2014/02/your-fundraising-goal-is-bullshit/
I look at it like “hey, its real people, and here is proof!”
I am just glad there might be a real product on the way. I gave one as an xmas present last year to my brother. Its been wonderful explaining every month or so where they are.
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I am one of the original backers, and have bougt assiomas a long time ago. When doing a kickstarter fund for a startup-company I know there is a big chance that time schedules ar made of hot air and also a chance that the money might just go down the drain. I am still hoping for a usable product though.
Why havent they just folded?
I just cant help feeling that they actually had a good idea for streamlining a part of the production process but failed on every other aspect. If they get the printed-sensor-that-dont-need-manual-calibration thing to work, ant it turns out too be significantly cheaper to make than traditional glued on and manually calibrated units i assume Garmin, Stages and probably others will be knocking on the door with an offer for both technology and brains.
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That probably depends on whether their manufacturing technique is covered under some kind of patent. It isn’t clear that they came up with the process or not. My impression is that they partnered with another company that specializes in sensors to use something existing in a new way, potentially patent-able but may be readily available. Their original product had the potential to be a disruptor if it had worked, but another Keo-based pedal will have a long uphill battle to be significantly different than the current market, $50-100 less expensive probably won’t do it and others are jumping into the gravel/MTB market and may beat them to it, another miss.
That being said, I am a backer and hope and increasingly believe that the product will see the light of day but wonder if the company will survive in the long run. If it does, I would be interested in another pair or 2 of the road pedals from anyone who no longer wants theirs.
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I’m still holding out for SPD version, that I think has more potential than yet another road power pedal.
Gravel and xc MTB have much smaller options for power meters. I reckon that’s a better target market and possibly a better target for them.
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I am hoping Assioma have seen the thread here and are fast at work on an “official” SPD version since it seems a slam dunk to setup with their spindle and the other bodies.
Seems an easy think for them to put in place and maybe be the first to market.
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A year ago, they would have owned the market if they had been able to produce. SRM’s announcement (despite almost guaranteed to be overpriced), Assioma-Xpeedo hack (it would foolish to think that either Xpeedo or Assioma aren’t seriously looking at this themselves or they’d be fools not to) and other mergers in the trainer/PM space is rapidly closing the window on an IQ^2 product (along with their own gaffes).
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Patent filing and defense is expensive and time-consuming. I’d be surprised if a startup facing this sort of uphill battle to get a stable product out to the market would have spent the time, efforts and money on a patent. And more than likely the technology at the core (some manner of depositing the strain gauges on the spindle) comes from someone else. The double-beam sensor layout is common and could not be patented.
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I hope that as well. I have Assioma pedals and have been more than happy with them. But don’t want to do the hack and don’t want to use them on my gravel bike since I won’t be wearing road shoes for that environment. I sort of hope they can do something the SRM power spd pedals coming out with the electronics inside the pedal rather than in the pod. But understand they already have the pod so that may not be something they want to change right now.
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Yeah, seems an oversight. SPD would have been so much more unique. You never know they might pull something amazing out of the hat!
I sort of don’t count the SRM SPD option, it is a multitude more expensive than the other options, £300ish for LH only would be an attractive and man maths affordable option. No way £1000 would get past the accountant (aka gf).
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Randomly interesting in reading their latest updates is that they are at least going through the correct testing protocol motions.
The setup they have for outdoor testing (a PowerTap G3 + Verve Infocrank) is something that is a solid combo that I’d have no problems using for accuracy validation. Meanwhile, indoors using the Zwift Jon’s Mix is actually a really good structured workout for sussing out a lot of quirks in power meters. I often use the shorter variant, Jon’s Short Mix, in trainer and power meter testing.
Again, not saying they’ve got an accurate product, or that they aren’t doing some quirky things (certificates as @gpl noted). But when I think about to the Limits days, this is a heck of a lot better in terms of procedure. Of course, we’ll have to see what happens from here.
I don’t have one, though, I’m more than happy to pedal down there (err…with tonight’s weather, jump on a train) if they want to allow me to put them on my test bike.
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I think you mean the weather for the next 14 days.
I fired them a message to check out your post and offer. Said it would probably be beneficial to take you up on the offer, especially since they have already made reference to having you, @gpl and those Global guys evaluate them. Hopefully they will actually be in touch with you and you get a nice certificate too 
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I’m still pulling for them. Even with the disappointments, should they release something and stay in business and have a working/reliable product, they’ll be the best value on the market at their price point and the most flexible PM you can buy. As long as someone doesn’t come up with a shoe insole PM, Shimano doesn’t release a SPD pedal PM, or Garmin doesn’t build a powerpod into the 520, they’ll stay that way.
Another update. A couple of more ride files. Cycling Power Meter at a Breakthrough Price by Keesjan Klant » Ride Files and Battery Burn — Kickstarter