Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Hot
- Could prevent premature tire wear, flats, blowouts & crashes
- As far as I know, the first TPMS for bicycles
- Shows real-time pressure & temperature
Not
- Requires smartphone & app
- Third-party app tricky to setup
- Seems oversize on bicycle wheels
Price: $99
Source: https://teamstatcap.com/product/statcap-p1/
How obtained: Sample from company
RBR Sponsor: No
Weight: 12 grams each
New Safety Technology for Cycling
I’m starting this review with a quote from the company and I’ll tell you why after you read their pitch…
“Hundreds of cycling accidents occur annually due to low tire pressure or elevated tire temperature. StatCap offers cutting-edge Tire Pressure Monitoring technology to help prevent accidents due to catastrophic failure and to increase cyclist safety. Buy StatCap P1 – BEFORE catastrophic tire failure occurs!”
“Hundreds of cycling accidents” from tire pressure and temperature changes?
The reason I gave StatCap the soapbox at the outset is because I had to think about it for a while to decide whether or not, what they said about hundreds of accidents is true. Apart from when I roll through some glass or hit a pothole, I certainly don’t worry about MY tires becoming too soft. In my experience, as long as they’re up to pressure when I leave on a ride, they stay that way.
And, I’m not concerned about them overheating, either. And that goes for my high pressure road and low pressure mtb rubber, too.
But, I’m willing to give StatCap the benefit of the doubt, because of another of my hobbies, which is RVing. Tire pressure monitoring systems on RVs are common because these overweight beasts definitely can have varying tire pressures and temperatures which both can and do lead to failure and serious accidents.
Also, TPMS seems almost standard equipment on motor vehicles now. And, back to bicycles, with low pressures becoming more common, on gravel bikes and with tubeless and fatter tires, even a few psi can change how a bike rides significantly.
Plus, I have experienced many “mystery” flats where I wasn’t sure what caused the tire to fail. The worst of these was a front blowout at about 35mph cornering on a steep descent, which could have killed me. Afterward, I couldn’t find anything wrong with the tire and I always wondered what caused it to come off the rim.
Easy Installation
So maybe I should be more worried about my tires. And, maybe StatCap is onto something worthwhile. Let’s look at how they work. The components are pretty straightforward. There are two StatCaps and two brass valve adapters for Presta valves. If you’re running Schrader valves you won’t use them.
Inside each StatCap is a watch-type battery. To activate the batteries, the caps unscrew. A nice folding wrench for this comes with the kit. Once opened, you pop the batteries out and peel the stickers off them and put them back in. When you screw the caps together again they’re now activated.
Then the StatCaps screw onto the adapter or a Schrader valve. You hear the psst of a little air escaping and triggering the StatCap to send a signal to the app. You also need to download a third party app from a company called Tahuna to pair the StatCaps via Bluetooth. Once that’s accomplished, you go through a setup procedure on the app to get it to show the tire stats on your smartphone screen.
Not-so-easy Application Setup
That was the most challenging step for me. I followed the three how-to videos that StatCap provides, but it left me wishing that StatCap had its own dedicated app. The Tahuna app has all kinds of other modes and selections making it confusing and easy to get lost.
Still, when it’s setup, it connects right away and shows you real-time what the pressure in your tires is and the temperature, too. You set lower pressure alarms and they sound if the psi reading goes too low. You’ll hear it when you remove the caps to top off the tires. There are also temperature alarms – though I’m clueless what constitutes too hot for bicycle tires.
On the Road
Out of the road, I found it somewhat fascinating to be able to see the pressure and temperature changes, something I’ve never thought much about before. And, if you’ve got favorite pressures you like to ride for maximum comfort or control, you can finally actually monitor them as you ride. The StatCap refreshes the readings every 250 milliseconds so even riding at the highest speeds you’ll know in time if a tire is in trouble.
You can have that feeling that the tire pressure isn’t quite right for the conditions or that a tire is going flat. Now, you can actually see what you’re running without stopping and checking with a thumb, pump or gauge. You also see the battery life of the sensors.
I wanted to see if the StatCaps change the balance of the wheel, since each adds 12 grams to the valve stem, already usually the heaviest point. So, I put my Cervelo in a repair stand and pedaled to get the rear wheel with the StatCap spinning crazy fast without it and then with it. What this showed was that there’s almost no difference with or without.
My last test was to try the StatCaps on my RV and sure enough, the app immediately showed the tire pressure.
Conclusion
Overall, I am impressed by how well the StatCap system works and believe some cyclists will appreciate having them. But, I would like to see StatCap come out with a model smaller, lighter and less conspicuous plus their own easy-to-use dedicated app. Ideally, you would be able to pair them with the cycle computer you already own, too.
Still, for a first TPMS, the StatCap is definitely worth trying if exact tire pressure is important to you. According to the company, they’re already working on a much improved second version. They say it will include:
- advanced software and hardware specifically designed for interactive streaming, and active training
- ability to send alerts on rim and tire anomaly including wobble, tire pressure, heat
- interactive AI to distinguish what is a problem and what is not
- connectivity to bike computers through Ant+ and BLE
- able to find a sweet spot we call “the perfect bubble” means you are getting the most out of your ride/watts produced
- chipset could provide the ability for IBeacon, movement alarm: data could see bike movement or impact like a curb hit or catastrophic event
- firmware upgradeable
Ride total: 9,382
Double the price of the StatCap P1, but with what appears to be a slicker app.
https://www.quarq.com/product/tyrewiz/
Tyrewiz is slick. It’s great for monitoring slow leaks (or perceived slow leaks) right on my Garmin. Couldn’t be simpler. And it integrates with SRAM AXS if you happen to be running an AXS drivetrain.
Thanks a lot for pointing that out, Johan!
“Hundreds of cycling accidents occur annually due to low.. elevated tire temperature.”
–WHAT? no.
–so now you have to be running this app constantly.
it probably tracks you to make viagra and butt cream ads pop up later.
i’ve also only been almost killed by a low tire in a descending turn – once in 75,000 miles
i’m guessing this thing would not have been reliable and available for that once-in-17-years occurrence.
one thing might be nice – if it would monitor and send alerts if the tire gets low **in the garage overnight**
that way you wouldn;t be disappointed expecting to hop on and ride the next time
guessing it can;t do that due to the tiny battery, probably can;t transmit more than 10 feet
or if it would send ”i’m being stolen” alerts
probably can;t do that either
i think i’ll pass
Thanks for this review! I wrecked due to a slow-leaking puncture on a ride about 5 weeks ago. I was lucky to not have been hurt worse than a torn rotator cuff, road rash on knee and forearm, and a concussion (not from hitting my helmet, but from my brain smashing around in my skull from the violence of going down at 20+ mph). The bike wound up with a bent derailleur hanger.
I had no idea my tire (38mm) had been losing air during the ride, and I took a corner fast and went down hard. I couldn’t understand why the bike went down until I found the front flat. As I waited for my ride, blood dripping down my leg and head still reeling a bit from the concussion, I wished right then for something like this product. I think I’ll give it a shot, or the other one referenced in the first comment.
Wow, I’m glad you’re okay, Becky. Thanks for sharing your story!!
Jim
Road bike, Front tire flat descending & braking before tight corner. Very scary wobble. Barely could stop. If you ride windy hills, I t’s not that unlikely that your first clue will be braking before a corner. Got a TyreWiz .Bluetooth pressure sensor. SCAM AXS App is useless as warning at speed. Also, can’t fit my floor pumps on stem.
Or you can pump up your tires before every ride and glance down at your tires while you are riding from time to time and check the bulge where your tire meets the road, if something feels unusual.
Yeah, imagine that, no technology needed.
Punctures generally occur while riding.
Another technological advance that tries to fix a problem we don’t have. Unnecessary, not needed. Not interested. I’m thinking this product didn’t even deserve this review.
Exactly, Greg!
“Another technological advance that tries to fix a problem we don’t have. Unnecessary, not needed. Not interested. I’m thinking this product didn’t even deserve this review.”
You. Are. Kidding.
In March I did similar to the above guy (quoting here) “I wrecked due to a slow-leaking puncture on a ride” “I had no idea my tire . . . had been losing air during the ride, and I took a corner fast and went down hard. I couldn’t understand why the bike went down until I found the front flat.”
Exactly the same as me.
Posterior shoulder dislocation, massive doses of morphine, intense pain, Ketamine, Proponol, seven hours till surgical relocation, (“reduction”), massive hip haematoma for three months, new helmet and bike clothes – you get it. It probably cost the country $4-10,000: ambulance, hospital, team of four specialists. (But no cost to me as I’m in Australia. :)) Ambos were very surprised at low level of injury. (!)
Another from above: “I’ve also only been almost killed by a low tire in a descending turn – once in 75,000 miles”
So here are three stories from three guys. I think this product has a place in my life.
Me: Ex-ironman triathlete therefore lots of miles. Not 75,000 as the guy above, but still – lots!
This is funny: “Or you can pump up your tires before every ride and glance down at your tires while you are riding from time to time and check the bulge where your tire meets the road, if something feels unusual.”
By the time you realise something feels unusual you’re on the ground.
Not if you’re actually paying attention. Heck, I even notice if my riding partners’ tires look low.
OK, I think flats are way more dangerous if they happen on steep winding roads where you are going to need to brake pretty hard to get around corners. When I get flats on normal roads, I have no problem stopping. What do you feel while riding before the tire is dangerously low? I descend steep, winding sections in full alert, braking way more than other people. I think they are at least 5 mph faster than me. Maybe because my brother died on a bicycle in the 80’s, Maybe I am a big chicken and my feathers are getting in my eyes?. Sometimes I think the vibrations feel too soft and stop and pitch my tires. I never found a flat that way on steep hills, it always was just paranoia. When I did get a dangerous flat, I didn’t know before I braked and had wobbling so bad I thought I would crash. That’s why wanted a pressure sensor with alert than would work with wind noise and vibration. Like at 100 dB BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! YOU ARE BELOW 70 PSI AND DROPPING FAST! DEATH AWAITS! STOP YOU IDIOT!
Sorry for calling you a guy, Becky!
Oh, and I had a front tyre blowout (I guess from high temperature) many years ago, on a very fast downhill. Amazingly I was able to continue riding, albeit a bit banged up from sliding on bitumen. Could have died.
So in a relatively low number of comments there are four instances where this (too expensive!) technology could have saved us a lot of pain and money.
I guy died on Fitz’s Hill near Canberra a few years ago – possibly high temp blowout, possible other cause. Perhaps a life could have been saved there.
How would this have helped with a blowout? They happen instantaneously and the only thing this device would do is tell you about it after the fact. Most are caused by hitting something in the road, IME.
If a temperature increase actually causes an issue with your tires, you’re running way too much pressure to begin with. Electronics are no substitute for common sense.
Road temp close to 100C (212F) and rim getting hot from braking. (If you don’t have disk brakes). Plus cooling from the air. Too hard. But I can do this without trying to do the heat transfer calculations: Say your bike comes out of an air conditioned area at 20 C at 100 PSI. Here’s my calculations of the tire pressure vs temperature
tire temp C PSI Bar
20 100 6.8
60 116 7.9
70 120 8.1
80 123 8.4
90 127 8.7
Not sure how high you have to go to get a blow out. Only time I did that was at a gas station without a tire gauge and the compressed air pressure up really high. My pinch test was not calibrated for the high side. Got 100 feet down the road and “BANG!”
I ran the automotive equivalent of these on a van with run flat tires (you can’t see when one is flat) and found them to be a pain. Note that they hold the valve open so any dirt in their connection, as I found out, will cause a slow leak. So you are adding another point of failure.
I also can’t see getting them for a bike unless they talk to my cycle computer. Having my tail light pop up a low battery notification is slick.
Tom. I haven’t found an app for my TyreWiz sensors that will given me an alarm use while riding. Some sensors talk about safety, but don’t have show a way to notify a rider that there is a problem.
I’m afraid that I think this is a solution in search of a problem. I’ve been cycling a long time, and maybe I’m just familiar with how my bike should feel, but I’ve never had an issue detecting a tire going soft during a ride. I think a bigger danger might be checking the app while riding… a moment’s distraction can lead to hitting a hole, a rock, or another rider. On group rides, I turn on battery save on my Garmin to minimize the temptation to look at that screen, too, instead of what’s going on around me.
I find pumping my tires up before every ride, and checking it with an air pressure gauge (at a fraction of a cost of this device) works for me. YMMV.
Also, I think they look too cludgy. But perhaps that’s just me.
Just have the pressure sensor beep when the pressure is low without the need of a phone or fancy widget.
You can crash just by looking at the bicycle computer.
Thank fellow cyclist you all for the great feedback. I thought I could give you a little back story on why I started StatCap.
Neil nailed it! We have had several catastrophic injuries to cyclist descending Mt Lemmon due to low tire pressure.
Here is my story.
I was about 5 blocks from home on my road bike. My front tire was about 40 psi. Ok in a straight line not so good in a sweeping right turn. I went down hard and now lying on the ground wondering what the heck just happened. My tire pumped up fine. I got home and submerged the front tire in the kitchen sink. And there it was, a slow leak laughing and bubbling at me.
The two weeks of recovery wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was I wasn’t able to ride my bike. I vowed never to let this happen to me or another fellow cyclist. Keeping us cyclists upright and knowing there’s a possibility it could save someones life is enough to keep me going.
StatCap has a patented Haptic feature that will vibrate your smartwatch and that phone tucked in your jersey so you can keep your eye on the road.