Combined Shape Bike IQ

Getting Started with Bike IQ

Download to first ride in under five minutes. This guide covers installation, profile setup, optional sensor pairing, and what to expect on your first few rides.

Step 1: Download & Permissions

Bike IQ is on the iOS App Store. It requires iOS 16+ and works on iPhone 11 or later (iPhone 12+ recommended for best GPS and barometer performance).

On first launch, the app requests three permissions:

  • Location (Always): GPS tracking during rides. "Always" keeps recording if you lock your screen mid-ride.
  • Motion & Fitness: Accelerometer and barometer access for grade estimation and virtual power calculation.
  • Bluetooth: Required only if you pair external sensors. You can grant this later.

Step 2: Set Up Your Profile

Your profile contains the physical parameters that feed the power model. These are settings you enter manually, not sensor connections.

Body Weight

Enter your weight in kg or lbs. The physics model uses total system weight (rider + bike) to calculate the watts required at a given speed and gradient. Use your approximate riding weight (you in kit).

Bike Profile

Bike IQ supports multiple bikes, each with its own physics configuration:

  • Bike weight: In kg. Check your manufacturer's spec if unsure (typical road bike: 7–10 kg).
  • Tire type: Road, gravel, or mountain. Sets the initial rolling resistance coefficient (Crr) used in power calculations.
  • Handlebar position: Hoods, drops, or aero. Sets your initial aerodynamic drag profile (CdA).

These are starting points. The app refines your actual CdA and rolling resistance as you accumulate rides. See how the virtual power meter works for details.

Step 3: Pair Bluetooth Sensors (Optional)

Bike IQ works with zero external hardware. The virtual power meter estimates watts from your phone's built-in sensors and weather data starting from ride one.

If you own Bluetooth cycling sensors, pairing them adds live data streams and can improve the power model's calibration. Go to Settings → Sensors and tap Scan for Devices. Make sure the sensor is active (spin a crank, wear your HR strap).

Supported Sensors

  • Power meter (Assioma, Quarq, Garmin Rally, etc.): real watt measurements displayed live, and used as ground truth to accelerate the physics model's calibration
  • Heart rate monitor (chest strap, Garmin HRM, Wahoo TICKR, etc.): live heart rate and HR zone data, displayed alongside power and speed as an independent metric
  • Cadence sensor: pedal RPM display and logging
  • Speed sensor: wheel-speed backup for GPS speed

Heart rate is a standalone data stream from your Bluetooth HRM. It is not derived from power or speed, and it does not feed into the virtual power calculation. It's displayed as its own metric alongside your other ride data.

Step 4: The Ride Screen

Bike IQ's core design: everything on one screen, always. No data pages. No swiping. The main ride screen shows:

  • Live map with your position
  • Current speed
  • Estimated power (watts)
  • Road grade (%)
  • Distance and elapsed time
  • Heart rate and cadence (from paired sensors)
  • Wind speed and temperature

Every metric visible at a glance: during a climb, in a group, on a descent. One or two rides and the layout is second nature.

Step 5: Your First Ride

Mount your iPhone on your bars (a Quadlock or similar stem mount works well. See the iPhone as bike computer guide for mount recommendations). Then:

  1. Open Bike IQ and wait for GPS lock (the map centers on your position)
  2. Select your bike profile
  3. Tap Start Ride
  4. Ride. The app handles everything.
  5. Tap End Ride when done

Rides save locally to your device immediately. No internet connection required.

Screen lock: If your iPhone screen times out mid-ride, GPS recording continues in the background. Wake the phone anytime to check your metrics.

Step 6: Reviewing Your Ride

After ending a ride, Bike IQ shows the post-ride summary:

  • Overview: Distance, moving time, average speed, elevation gain
  • Power: Average watts, normalized power, estimated kJ
  • Route map: GPS track of your ride
  • Charts: Speed, power, grade, and heart rate over time

All past rides are in the Rides tab. Tap any ride to review it.

Tips for Your First Few Rides

  • Ride varied conditions. The physics model refines your CdA and rolling resistance from ride data. Hills, flats, wind, calm: more variety means faster calibration.
  • Don't fixate on power accuracy on ride one. Estimates improve with each ride as the model calibrates to your actual aerodynamics. Treat the first few rides as calibration data.
  • Wind is the biggest variable. Bike IQ pulls wind data at ride start. On gusty days, power estimates will be noisier; real-world gusts are inherently hard to model.
  • Manage screen brightness on longer rides. The display is the biggest battery draw.

What's Next