Wahoo has announced a firmware update for its V3 Elemnt bike computers, enabling you to pair a head unit to the latest devices from Tymewear, Flowbio, Core and hDrop to get pro-level metrics about your breathing, hydration status and core temperature in real time as you ride.
Wahoo says the update is "driven by customer feedback and evolving user requirements". Body-worn sensors have become increasingly popular in recent years, albeit among riders optimising for peak performance – or simply intrigued by the data on offer.
"These integrations bring lab-grade physiological monitoring directly to the bike," says Wahoo. "The update will enable athletes to make more informed decisions around pacing, hydration, cooling and energy management during the session rather than deconstructing them afterwards."
The Core update is due to be available today (2 June), with the Flowbio, Tymewear and hDrop update expected to follower "later in June".
So what data do these sensors provide?
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Tymewear
Tymewear’s VitalPro is used by Jonas Vingegaard and Team Visma-Lease a Bike to measure breathing rate and tidal volume at close to lab accuracy when riding, via a sensor that replaces a conventional heart rate strap.
This enables you to track your ventilation thresholds and build training plans around them, as well as measuring your heart rate.
According to Arnar Larusson, CEO and founder of Tymewear: “Breathing is a source of truth riders around the world are using to train based on their unique physiology, and we're excited to put it in the hands of Wahoo's community.”
We’ve got a detailed investigation of the tech that you can read if you want to know more about the Tymewear VitalPro device and what it can offer.
Core
The Core body temperature sensor provides continuous monitoring of core body temperature. It’s claimed to help you to optimise heat training, pacing and in-race cooling.
Core sponsors a number of WorldTour pro teams, including UAE Team Emirates-XRG and EF Education-EasyPost, and claims the new integration will enable users to see their heat strain index and heat zones when training and racing.
Flowbio
Flowbio, meanwhile, measures your fluid and sodium loss via a device that can be clipped onto a heart rate monitor or worn on the arm. Wahoo says the tech is used by WorldTour teams and the Red Bull High Performance centre in Salzburg, Austria.
Stefan van der Fluit, the company’s founder and CEO, claims: “Hydration has been one of the last parts of endurance training to rely on guesswork. Power, heart rate and pacing are all measured and visible to the rider during the session. Sweat loss has typically been estimated afterwards, if it is measured at all.”
hDrop
Another brand that’s interested in your sweat, hDrop’s device offers real-time sweat analysis, enabling you to monitor electrolyte loss and hydration levels during training and work on your hydration strategy.
hDrop’s co-founder, Adria Abella says: “We believe sweat is the next biosensing signal that will unlock new performance metrics and help athletes make better decisions in the moment.”
Wahoo says these sensors offer lab-level physiological monitoring while you’re riding. It’s adding Core data to the Elemnt computers today, with the other sensors to follow later this month.
We’ve been here before though, because Wahoo added Supersapiens continuous glucose monitoring to its computers in 2022. The UCI banned continuous glucose monitoring from competition in mid-2021, however, and Supersapiens shut down in early 2024.
Will the UCI ban one or all of these devices from use in competition and so stymie the use of yet more potentially useful metrics in races under its auspices?
