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Intense MTB Ride Number 4 With the ShockWiz

ShockWiz Shows 84 Points on the Rear With Just 49% Confidence In the Values

Rear Suspension 84 Points
Not sure why the Confidence Interval was so low, but hey – it means I get to ride more!

One of the most important things to remember when you purchase a new, high end mountain bike, is that it can take 20 – 50 hours for a suspension system to ‘break in’. It’s like buying a new car – everything is tight. Over time and with terrain, the suspension seals settle in and the ShockWiz starts to reveal more consistent numbers.

That said – right now, I fully expect ShockWiz scores and recommendations to be a bit scattered. We’ll know more in two to four weeks.

Initial Values for Sag seem Really Close

I set the rear suspension for about 30% Sag, and for the front, I set it for about 10% sag. Generally speaking, most rear suspensions start around body + gear weight. I’m REALLY heavy right now, so I set the rear suspension at roughly 178 psi. Sitting on the suspension with the ShockWiz app open showed a sag of about 30%, and I’ll make changes based on this.

For the front, I followed the directions on the fork; 80psi or thereabouts. Sag was about 10% and the shock really performed poorly per the Shockwiz data.  I am almost certain that I will need to add spacers to the front fork. I have those on order, but I will not install them until after the 20 hour mark.

What Is “Pogo”?

Pogo is a term that means the suspension can’t keep up with the terrain.

The ShockWiz showed that my rear suspension is suffering from “Pogo”. This is a term that means the suspension is not keeping up with terrain on rebound, and is instead ‘bouncing’ off the rocks and ridges.

Ideally, a rear and a front suspension have no pogo. Instead, they react to the terrain, absorbing hits and rebounding for the next hit. To be honest – this is terrain and speed-specific. I may get more “Pogo” over the next several days as I ride, and I won’t worry about it unless it shows up consistently.

Ironically, the front fork is also showing some “Pogo” from this ride, though the ShockWiz score went up to 84, equal to the rear. Again, I’m not going to worry about this too much, unless it shows up consistently after 20 hours of use.

14% Sag on the Front

The Front Fork recommendations from ShockWiz asked that I take air out of the front fork. I lowered the front by about 3-5psi, and this is what led to the 10 point improvement over the previous ride.

Use of Segments

This may be a bit controversial, but I decided to put the suspension to the test on a new ‘segment’ that I created. I used Garmin Connect for this because I do not want to generate controversy over speed and safety with other, more popular segment programs. I AM BY NO MEANS A HOT DOG. In fact, I really am NOT FAST on descending. Why? Well, I have the world’s worst health insurance, and there’s no doubt that speed, in my case, might kill. That said – if I can measure Time and FLOW in Garmin Connect, this MIGHT give me some better ideas about how the suspension is helping or hurting.

Here’s the segment; it is public, but I don’t expect anyone to to really care, and if you do break my times, bravo; you’re braver and more skilled than me.

Here’s the Garmin Connect Segment

That’s really about it – I’m going to head out and ride some more. I’ll keep you posted on the results!

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ShockWiz Suspension Assessment on a New Bike!

ShockWiz Helps Anyone Understand Suspension

I studied many different bikes and suspension systems before I settled on this rig.

After 8 months of waiting, I finally received my new mountain bike last week! The Intense Sniper T Pro is a modern Cross-Country bike with All-Mountain Geometry. The Front and Rear suspension are Fox components, and the first thing I did was place a ShockWiz unit on the front fork and rear shock.

The ShockWiz is a component that measures air pressure in pneumatic suspension systems. Using a cell-phone app, the ShockWiz looks at compression, rebound, and travel to make post-ride recommendations in the following areas.

  • Base air pressure
  • Spring Rate
  • Compression
  • Rebound

Suspension Tuning is Usually a Guessing Game

Suspension is a guessing game
More air? Less air? How much damping? How much rebound? The ShockWiz can help come up with answers

ShockWiz removes a lot of the work required to properly dial in a bike’s suspension. Over the course of a ride, the app will provide a “Confidence” Percentile, followed by a “Tuning Score”. Recommendations about what to ride next are also displayed. I’m fortunate to have a perfect, traditional Cross Country Trial course up on the mountain behind my house. Using this course, and starting from the first hour of ownership, I’m blogging the changes that I’m making to the suspension, based on ShockWiz recommendations.

So far, I’ve had about Six rides on the Sniper T. I must say; after riding a 10-year old bike with “Old School” Geometry, having a modern bike that fits me properly, and has modern suspension, is a game-changer. Suspension requires about 20 to 50 hours of time to properly break in the seals, but the ShockWiz has already provided some fascinating information. This is helping me improve more quickly and setsuspension settings with more confidence.

Ride 3 ShockWiz Review and Changes

My goal with this series is to produce multiple short videos reviewing the data from the ShockWiz app after each ride. I was unable to adequately collect data from rides 1 and 2, but here is Ride 3’s review.

Going forward, after each ride, I will write up a quick review, make a short video, and then make changes for the next ride. I’ll also be using the same trail repeatedly, along with downhill segments to properly assess speed, comfort and control. Let’s see what the system says, how the changes are made, and whether this improves performance or not.

Thanks for watching, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

 

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Fitness HRV software Release 0.17

Fitness HRV Now Includes Moxy SmO2 Values

My work with Dr. Bruce Rogers and Mr. Stuart Lynne is continuing to show steady progress. Last month, I revealed the Alpha version of Fitness Dashboard. Fitness HRV is software that we are building to identify training intensities below VT1 (Ventilatory Threshold), and above VT2 (Traditional Threshold). The goal is to create a scientific instrument that uses PUBLISHED SCIENCE to help improve cardio-vascular economy, first and foremost. Fitness HRV now includes Moxy SmO2 and ThB (Total Hemoglobin) data. The reason I requested this inclusion is two-fold. First, we want to assess SmO2 action over time when training above DFAA-1 values of 0.75. Second, we want to watch SmO2 slope when we increase intensity, and bring DFAA-1 down to 0.5 or 0.4, which is less strongly correlated, but still connected, to VT2. This will help me, as a coach, better train athletes for training in polarized zones of intensity.

I’ve been using the Moxy since it first arrived on the scene and bought almost ten of the units when I was running the studios at Cycling Center Dallas. In my work over those years, the instrument gave me a new window into the body. I studied SmO2 “Floors and Ceilings” over time, and I also studied ThB floors and ceilings, both acutely and empirically. The PhD’s that study Saturated Muscle Oxygen recently published important studies on SmO2 “Slope”. Basically, when SmO2 levels out at a certain intensity, Oxygen SUPPLY is meeting DEMAND. Cyclists and Triathletes can use this value to gauge intensity. In fact, one of my favorite coaches, Steve Neal of Steve Neal Performance, just published a new APP on Garmin Connect, that specifically highlights SmO2 slope and plateaus, in color.

 

Current Fitness HRV Features

Fitness HRV currently includes the following data streams…

  • DFAA-1.
  • SmO2 and ThB.
  • DFAA-1 artifact counts.
  • Cadence.
  • Traditional Heart Rate.
  • Wattage
  • Trainer Slope (Work In Progress).

Over the next several weeks, we will be including all of the metrics from Vo2master Gas Exchange Analyzers, including:

  • Respiratory Frequency ((important to DFAA-1 research).
  • Tidal Volume
  • Ventilation
  • Absolute Vo2
  • Relative Vo2
  • Fraction of Expired Oxygen (important to DFAA-1 and SmO2 research).
  • Ambient Pressure
  • Humidity
  • Ventilatory Equivalents for Oxygen

and more values, like RQ (Respiratory Quotient of O2 and Co2), as they are brought online.

Fitness ECG Updates

Fitness ECG shows V2 and V3 data from a Polar H10 heart rate strap
The Fitness ECG App provides lab-accurate ECG sine waves from the V2/V3 position on the front of the chest.

Fitness ECG is still running as a separate app. It uses the ECG data from the Polar H10 to create a visible ECG from the V2 and V3 position. As this product is still in Alpha, there’s not much more than a display, the ability to record the session in CSV format, and the ability to save images via PDF and JPEG. It WILL be merged into Fitness HRV at some point in the future. Now, we cannot make medical claims from this one window into the heart, BUT…. we can identify artifacts and anomalies, and have those images automatically highlighted and saved for reference with medical professionals. I believe we can also glean Respiratory Frequency from this Polar device, but again, we’re going to go with PUBLISHED SCIENCE first and foremost.

What’s the Ultimate Goal?

Fitness HRV intends to be a research tool for individuals who want to train for AEROBIC fitness first and foremost. Once the correlation between DFAA-1, SmO2 in a Prime Mover muscle, and Gas Exchange RQ values is better understood, it then allows the user to TRAIN USING THIS TRIFECTA of PHYSIOLOGICAL INFORMATION.

In the 1970’s, Heart Rate Monitors were introduced to the general population for assessing fitness. In the late 1980’s, power meters were introduced. The Moxy became available in the early 2010’s. The Vo2master became available in the late 2010’s. There are more devices that measure physics and physiology, which are accurate, robust, and significant.

When we meld the PHYSICS of wattage, aerodynamics, rolling resistance, heat and humidity, with the PHYSIOLOGY of a human riding a bicycle or running, we can OPTIMIZE EVERY MINUTE OF ACTIVITY FOR THE DESIRED RESULTS. Years ago, this information was only available in labs and the equipment cost well into the six, and seven figures. Now, the chest straps are $80usd, power meters are accurate and consistent at $400usd and less, and muscle oxygen is available at similar cost. I intend to rent the Vo2master out for a month at a time, so that users can perform workouts indoors and out, to gain further insight into their values, as well as the general population, which will once again be published for peer review.

Feel free to ask any questions. We are doing this for free at the moment, but will charge a nominal fee at some point in the future. Until then, stay hydrated, exercise holistically, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

-Coach Wharton, Mr. Stuart Lynne, and Dr. Bruce Rogers.

 

DFAA-1 On a BIG SCREEN!

DFAA-1 with ECG is Now Available On a BIG SCREEN!

Fitness ECG
When you use a Polar H10 Heart Rate Strap, you can get Lab-Accurate ECG that can aid fitness interpretation.

I’ve been working with two professionals now for several months on a project, and we are ready to start releasing it in ALPHA. DFAA-1 (Detrended Fluctuation Analysis – Short Term Variable #1) is a way to look at Heart Rate Variability and Cardio-Vascular Health. Dr. Bruce Rogers has been publishing studies on this method, and how it correlates with Ventilatory Threshold #1 and #2. DFAA-1 at a ratio of 0.75 shows a strong correlation with VT1 (further studies continue to provide strong evidence behind this claim), and there is also a correlation between DFAA-1 at 0.5 to 0.4 and Ventilatory Threshold #2. Working with long-time friend and coder Stuart Lynne, we are now proud to present www.FitnessHRV.com!

FitnessHRV.com is currently TWO Windows Apps.

DFAA-1
You can now get Big-Screen, easy-to-read DFAA-1, along with lots of other metrics. ***This is an ALPHA, but we are really excited to share it with you. 

The first app, Fitness Dashboard, requires an ANT+ Dongle on a Windows Machine, similar to what you’d use for an Indoor Training Program (Zwift or PerfPro Studio). It looks at heart rate variability, runs it through an algorithm, and displays that algorithm, along with a several charts. The charts reveal the following:

  • DFAA-1,
  • Heart Rate,
  • Cumulative time spent above DFAA-1 0.75,
  • Cumulative time spent BETWEEN DFAA-1 0.75 and 0.50
  • Cumulative time spent BELOW DFAA-1 0.5
  • Cumulative Anomalies in Heart Rate (RX Failure)
  • Power Data from the Trainer or an on-bike power meter
  • % Slope for the trainer
  • Cadence
  • and Anomaly Data Rate for the Trainer or the Power Meter itself.

Fitness ECG

The Second App, Fitness ECG, was something we created after an event I had with a client and longtime friend in Dallas, TX in October of 2021. We were unable to get his DFAA-1 information to provide meaningful data. We then downloaded an ECG app on his phone, and looked at it together. I had not studied ECG data since 1995, so it was recorded and forwarded to Dr. Rogers. Dr. Rogers IMMEDIATELY recommended scheduling an appointment with a Cardiologist, and after months of studies and consultations, my friend underwent major heart surgery in Mid-May of 2022.

My workouts could have killed him. DFAA-1 and a Polar H10 showing ECG was the first step towards saving his life and returning him to his athletic self. For those interested, google “Ross Procedure”. I’ll write more about this client misadventure later.

Fitness ECG will be able to identify heart signal anomalies, flag them, and save the information for presentation to doctors and professionals.

Future Steps

I can’t deny that over the past three years, I’ve watched as the major cycling fitness platforms have continued to claim a reduced need for the human touch with regards to data interpretation and programming. It’s all Watts, KiloJoules, and mathematical constructs of zones, poorly manipulated for individuals under a “Best Fit” analysis. Honestly, there has never been a stronger need for a Coach who can consult and help cyclists on their journey towards fitness and health, not just performance. I believe that with Fitness HRV, we are just getting started on a return to cardio-fitness, cardio-health, and cardio-analysis, using cost-effective methods now available to the world’s population. I’ll be blogging as we add new features, every step of the way.

Let’s see where this takes us! Enjoy the ride!

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More Fun With DFAA-1

"Using an old copy of RaceDay Apollo, a program invented by Dr. Philip Skiba, the software showed a .9799 (97.99%) probability factor that I would be able to hold 230 watts over 30 minutes. This product is no longer on the market, but copies of it are prized. With that number in mind and knowing that I did not have much intensity under my belt, I attempted to match or possibly break this value...."
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