Cycling tech brand, 4iiii, has today launched a product that could be game-changing in relation to tracking a stolen bike.
It comes in the form of the Precision+ power meter, which has been made compatible with Apple 'Find My', the popular location-tracking software used by Apple devices.
According to 4iiii, it will work in the same way as an AirTag, which for the uninitiated, is a small coin-shaped device that leverages Apple's vast coverage of devices around the world, which it claims total more than 1.5 billion in number. When an AirTag (or the new 4iiii power meter) is marked as lost in the Find My app, it will send a Bluetooth signal to any nearby Apple devices it comes across. These devices will then use their GPS and cellular or WiFi to anonymously send the location of your device to you.
This isn't the first cycling product to include the integration, recently-bankrupt e-bike brand VanMoof built the tech into its S3 model, and elsewhere, various brands make holders for AirTags, such as the Tubeless AirTag holder from Muc-Off, that allows you to mount or hide the device on your own bike.
Importantly, however, the 4iiii Precision+ integration marks the first instance of a brand building the tech into a component that many of us will already be putting onto our bikes, meaning it will be totally discreet, and there's no additional hardware to carry, nor an additional battery to remember to change.
New Ride Apple Watch app
Accompanying the Apple FindMy integration, 4iiii is also launching a new Apple Watch app, called Ride, which is taking the fight to the best bike computers, potentially removing the need to own one altogether.
The Ride app allows you to pair your Watch via Bluetooth with third-party sensors such as power meters or heart rate monitors from 4iiii as well as other brands.
You can then track your ride, access workout views, and see heart rate, power, speed, cadence, and distance directly on your watch. That data will then upload to the Apple Fitness app, and then onto third parties such as Strava automatically after you finish your ride.
The new app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for free immediately.
Power meter features
The 4iiii Precision 3+ power meter was first announced last year, boasting an accuracy of within +/- 1% and a market-leading battery life of up to 800 hours.
The device is said to weigh just 9g more than a standard non-powered crank arm, and thanks to a low-profile pod – the plastic housing on the inner face of the crank arm which holds the strain gauge and electronics – it is said to be "compatible with more frames than ever before."
Alongside today's announcement of the Find My integration, however, there's one other new feature added. 4iiii is calling it Automatic Terrain Selector, and although it sounds like something you'll find on a high-end Land Rover, it actually enables the Precision 3+ to switch between different methods of measuring cadence. On smooth terrain, it will measure using accelerometers, whereas on rougher terrain or in high-cadence sprints, it will switch to gyroscopic measurement to ensure the cadence, and thus the power reading, remains accurate.
Like many other crank-based power meters, the Precision device can even be added as an after-market factory install onto your existing crank arm. Just send it off to 4iiii who will handle the installation before returning it to you.
Pricing
Positively, pricing remains unchanged despite the additional features, ranging between £334 and £529 ($334 and $529 / €334 and €529), depending on your choice of crank arm. Factory install options start at $329 / £329 / €TBC.
Users can also upgrade their current 4iiii units with the new tech for $29 / £TBC / €TBC.
