It seems that the intellectual purchase of Pioneer power meter tech back in early 2020 is finally paying off. Shimano is not telling us if this will also extend to the 11-speed Shimano power meters, but at the launch of Dura-Ace R9200, we were told that they planned on it. Hopefully, this will be the case since currently there are very few users that have received their R9200P power meters.

It is also not clear if the update will work with the historical Pioneer products that Vector tech (Pioneer Pedaling Monitor) was founded on. Shimano does not list the Pioneer products on the list of compatible units or head units like the Pioneer SGX-CA600. The Pioneer power meters were the most advanced power meters, and when the company stopped production it also put users in a weird space that offered little support, nearly no communication and debate on whether users would have ways to analyze their advanced ride data.

Now that Shimano has utilized the Force Vector pedaling dynamics, in our opinion they take the top step as the most advanced power meters on the market. The live data with 12 points of data per pedal stroke offers significantly more information than the normal 1-second average that is industry standard.

The other big news is that Garmin devices are now supported, a first for Vector data. Wahoo had added the feature just before Pioneer fell off the map and they too are compatible with the Shimano update. We hope that this update will at least cover older Shimano power meters and even better, the Pioneer branded units too.

From Shimano

Enhancing Shimano power meter technology, a new firmware update released via the E-TUBE PROJECT Cyclist application reveals hidden features and functionality for Shimano’s Dura-Ace FC-R9200P and Ultegra FC-R8100P power meters. Known as Force Vector, this new firmware measures the direction and strength of pedaling force through the full crank rotation. This can be visualized in real-time on Shimano’s E-TUBE RIDE phone app, on a Garmin Edge with Shimano’s own IQ App, or on a Wahoo ELEMNT head unit.

Force data is displayed and recorded at 12 points throughout the crank rotation (every 30 degrees), on both left and right crank arms, and is transmitted with every rotation of the pedal. Depending on cadence, approximately 10,000 force measurements are recorded by the crankset and transmitted to a head unit every minute. This information is easily visualized in real-time with a diagram on the head unit that displays forward rotation forces show in blue while reverse rotation forces show in red.

Using force vector information in training, riders can identify inefficiencies in their pedal rotation, which can lead to better training methods and specific work toward increasing riding efficiency over time.

In addition to the live Force Vector display on compatible head units, riders can also examine and analyze their full data after completing their ride using SHIMANO CONNECT Lab via a connection to Garmin Connect, the Wahoo ELEMNT app, or the E-TUBE RIDE app.

Within CONNECT Lab, riders can see the force applied throughout crank rotations and also see which portions of their ride required more power and how efficiently they produced that power. Additionally, SHIMANO CONNECT Lab shows how much of the ride was in a sitting or standing position, and how many front and rear gear shifts were performed during the ride. Together, these training tools enable riders to improve performance and increase efficiency for a stronger and more enjoyable ride experience.

 

Firmware is available from SHIMANO E-TUBE Project.

For more on Force Vector firmware, including display set-up and transferring ride data to SHIMANO CONNECT Lab, please visit the SHIMANO Power Meter Technology page for your region:

US: https://shima.no/JH
EU: https://shima.no/GW
Japan: https://shima.no/JG

Compatible display devices

• GARMIN: Edge 1030, Edge 1030 Plus, Edge 1000, Edge 830, Edge 820, Edge 530, Edge 520 Plus, Edge 520* (Edge 520 only supports recording Force Vector, not displaying in real-time)
• WAHOO: ELEMNT BOLT, ELEMNT ROAM, ELEMNT
• E-TUBE RIDE Version 2.0 or later

For more info www.bike.shimano.com