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High accuracy tubeless pressure sensing with your phone

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#21 · (Edited)
^like I sez, smells like non-riders invent a product us real riders have somehow been missing, and they are here to save the day. lol

"With Rover's NFC pressure sensor, you wont' have to carry around a separate gauge "

who carries around a pressure gauge in the first place ? anyone ? it stays in the shop

f-i-n-g-e-r-s

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I'm ragging on it because I seriously have a zillion miles in my legs, scars to prove it, and can't comprehend how this can benefit anyone but non-serious riders.

but not saying it won't sell...no...there is a market for this.
 
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#22 ·
127.0.0.1 said:
^like I sez, smells like non-riders invent a product us real riders have somehow been missing, and they are here to save the day. lol
Click to expand...
lol. true. let's compare this product to the competition, since we're picking nits.

On the NFC sensor side, the Tubolito product.

Tubolito P-SENS. MTB - Tubolito While it has its own shortcomings, the sensor is inside the tube. It doesn't stick out, and avoids catching on anything.

The first to market (that I know of). Quarq Tyrewiz.
TyreWiz | Quarq (sram.com)
It's heavier (and bigger), since it uses a battery. But it's off-center, so there's less for sticks to catch on. It was originally meant for road riders, though, so sticks are less of a concern for the first version that works as a valve extension. They don't address the balance question, but they also don't say it doesn't exist. There's a product to address wheel balance if it's an issue for you.

There's a different version for the 3zero moto rims that tucks agains the rim out of the way, though. It's actually a whole valve.
Quarq TyreWiz for Moto | WH-TRWZ-B1 | Quarq (sram.com)

The copycat. The SKS airspy. Another battery-powered product, like the Quarq. This one uses a special valve, and sits against the rim. It also braces against a spoke, which does work to address some concern about being hit by stuff (SKS calls it a "security lock"). Same deal with balance. They don't mention it. There's a product for that if it's an issue for you. But they don't say it isn't a thing.
Airspy Wheel Mounted Air Sensor - Presta - SKS USA (sks-us.com)

All of these products are still gimmicky, but they also address several of the functional concerns I mentioned (some better than others). They show that they had bike people at least involved in the development in some respect.
 
#23 ·
There's a market, but it wouldn't be me.

Zero chance I'd ever put a valve that long on my bike, let alone on the trails here in AZ.

Zero chance I'd actually bother opening an app and tapping my phone to each one to get a PSI number.

As it is, I have absolutely no idea what PSI my tires are at, but I run heavy enough tires for the terrain, and have easily developed a good enough feel just by squeezing them to have some idea if they'll be fine for my ride, or if I'm about to shatter a carbon rim. I'm riding a 2020 Enduro 29er with heavy DH casing tires in rocky technical terrain mostly, I don't care about a few PSI here and there or 'efficiency'

On the flip side, I'm the type who loves technology and will spend stupid money on it for little more than a grin. XX1 AXS, AXS dropper, etc. I'd sooner spend $200 on the latest Quark Tyre Wiz (if it's ever compatible with non-zip moto rims) and have a wireless connection that's already logging with the rest of my equipment, is lower profile, and isn't requiring yet another app outside of the ecosystem/collection of apps I'm already using. (Kinda want a set of those rims too, so maybe some day...)

Either way I still don't truly care what the PSI is, but I'm kinda a sucker for data and being able to look at pressure over the course of a ride, or how it spikes/drops vs. g-out events/jumps, etc. would be just gimmicky enough for me to blow some cash. Added bonus, being able to tell at a quick glance what my tires are at before I even get out of my vehicle at the trailhead (and into the 100+ degree oven our weather has already morphed into.)

Hell, I thought that I'd use that Topeak digital gauge but I found that to be useless pretty quickly, and not worth the effort at all to actually use it.

Til something changes though, I'll just keep on arriving at the trailhead, giving each tire a quick squeeze while it's still on my hitch rack, topping up with a small hand pump til they pass the squeeze test, and head out and ride.
 
#24 ·
Oh, another part of why I haven't already gone for something like this or even really used the digital gauge much, is that none of them are really big fans of tubeless sealant.
 
#25 ·
Mountain bikes would DEFINITELY kill that valve. Not a matter of if, but when. With that said if you made a 2 part valve like E-13 ( as Harold suggested), it was relatively cheap, accurate, and robust, I'd wager there would be HUGE demand for them. Good luck, cool product.

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk
 
#27 ·
Considering how many bikes I have and that you need two per, they'd have to be really, really cheap before I'd consider buying them. Between the gauge on my pump and my Accugauge, I'm good. But good luck.
 
#28 ·
In my opinion, this product is selling the time difference between getting a pressure readout from an app vs. attaching a floor pump and getting a readout. Considering it only takes a few seconds to attach a floor pump, I think the cost of the product would have to be quite low to convince me of the benefit of paying for the product. That also assumes that the app will open and provide a readout faster than it takes to attach a pump. I also agree with the comments that the placement of the sensor would be more prone to being damaged on the trails. I would be more excited about the product if it was an internally mounted sensor. Between the risk of damage to the sensor and the external sensor being visually unappealing to me, I don’t think I’d purchase the product in its current form. Perhaps if it were an internally mounted sensor, I would then consider making a purchase. Good luck, I think the idea is pretty cool, and I hope you have great success. If you develop an internally mounted sensor, then I’ll definitely take a closer look at the product.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Moosedriver said:
In my opinion, this product is selling the time difference between getting a pressure readout from an app vs. attaching a floor pump and getting a readout. Considering it only takes a few seconds to attach a floor pump, I think the cost of the product would have to be quite low to convince me of the benefit of paying for the product. That also assumes that the app will open and provide a readout faster than it takes to attach a pump. I also agree with the comments that the placement of the sensor would be more prone to being damaged on the trails. I would be more excited about the product if it was an internally mounted sensor. Between the risk of damage to the sensor and the external sensor being visually unappealing to me, I don't think I'd purchase the product in its current form. Perhaps if it were an internally mounted sensor, I would then consider making a purchase. Good luck, I think the idea is pretty cool, and I hope you have great success. If you develop an internally mounted sensor, then I'll definitely take a closer look at the product.
Click to expand...
My opinion is a carbon copy of this.
It has to be fast, reliable, trouble free, and cheap. In it's current form I have zero interest in it, I have damaged short valve stems made out of brass, don't need a long aluminum extension with a target on it. A rock or a stick can destroy rear derailleurs or snap steel spokes, and we have plenty of those where I ride and they have done their share of damaged.
Make it internal, with replaceable stems and I will take a look.
 
#31 ·
I dig this idea a lot, but like mentioned before, durability is a concern, my valve stems have scratches on them from AZ rock strikes. I already use the e*thirteen valves, and they work very well. package the NFC sensor in a ‘regular length’ stem and I’ll buy a bunch.
I’m a weirdo about tire pressure, and about every 3rd ride I convince myself I’ve burped the tire, my pump gauge is wrong, or something, because ive gotten it in my head that something is “off”. Being able to do a quick spot check to reassure my idiot self would be great. (Without digging out a gauge, fiddling with the cap, unscrewing the core etc)

As an aside- I can’t imagine leaving my phone “at home where it belongs” on a ride. Well beyond the innocuous “I want to take pictures!”, I enjoy having a digital map in my pocket, I want to be able to use TrailForks to document trail issues like washouts, damage or fallen trees (cactus? Saguaros fall across trails surprisingly often).
My wife likes to follow along and watch my progress, and I like having the safety line.
Just last ride I bit off way more than I could chew, bonked (3100’ climbing in 6 miles at 8k asl elev) and really really needed a ride home.
 
#32 ·
Thoreau said:
On the flip side, I'm the type who loves technology and will spend stupid money on it for little more than a grin. XX1 AXS, AXS dropper, etc. I'd sooner spend $200 on the latest Quark Tyre Wiz (if it's ever compatible with non-zip moto rims) and have a wireless connection that's already logging with the rest of my equipment, is lower profile, and isn't requiring yet another app outside of the ecosystem/collection of apps I'm already using. (Kinda want a set of those rims too, so maybe some day...)

Either way I still don't truly care what the PSI is, but I'm kinda a sucker for data and being able to look at pressure over the course of a ride, or how it spikes/drops vs. g-out events/jumps, etc. would be just gimmicky enough for me to blow some cash. Added bonus, being able to tell at a quick glance what my tires are at before I even get out of my vehicle at the trailhead (and into the 100+ degree oven our weather has already morphed into.)
Click to expand...
The best I can tell, only the SKS one will work with Garmin devices and actually log pressure with the rest of your data. I have to admit, my own data-nerdiness is kinda curious how tire pressure will vary over the course of a ride. Especially according to elevation. I do prefer the way the 3zero moto one sits against the rim, though.

I do prefer minimizing batteries on the bike, though. It's annoying enough when I need to replace the 2302 battery in my wheel sensor. I really don't want to have to keep track of the tire pressure sensors, too. That's the big thing keeping me away from the battery-powered pressure sensors.

I've begun managing a small fleet of rental/demo bikes at work, and I could certainly see value to NFC-based sensors for fleet maintenance. I wouldn't want to use a phone to read them, though. I'd prefer a dedicated reader. But not one that's a giant target.
 
#33 ·
I could see this product being useful actually, similar to the TPMS sensors in your car. I always check my tire pressure before every bike ride because I like it to be a certain pressure and I know that there is some leakage. However, I see this product as a workaround for a bigger problem: mountain bike tires leak air too quickly. Somebody solve that problem please.
 
#38 ·
One of my customers has standardized on Quarq TyreWiz for his fleet of road/gravel/mtb bikes. He is a fan! I would integrate the sensor with the valve stem, for protection from rock/stick hits, especially for mtb wheels. From my perspective, road/gravel bikes are likely going to be a larger market than mtbs.

Rover Development said:
Hello! We all take tire pressure pretty seriously, but pressure gauges can be a pain to use, and you don't always have it with you. We developed the PSIcle™ sensor to allow you to read your tire pressure just by using your smart phone.

The sensor uses NFC for power and communication from your phone, and it threads into your existing Presta valve so you can use it with tubeless tires or with any tube with a removable core. It is also fully reusable when you buy a new tubeless tire or tube.

If you're interested in seeing more, please check us out at Coming soon: PSIcle sensor, and visit Rover Development at www.roverdev.us. We'd love to hear from you on how you'd use this.
Click to expand...
 
#40 · (Edited)
How much are these going to cost?

EDIT: nevermind, I see it now.
$30 per wheel, $25 per wheel if you buy 4.

I think for some rather specific applications this could make sense, but I would have a hard time spending $25-$30 per wheel on multiple bikes just to save using a single $25 pressure gauge. And unless I convert all 7 of our bikes, I still need the pressure gauge.

I can see this could help from needing to cary a gauge on a multi-day trip.... but again, unless everyone was using these, someone would have a gauge anyway.
 
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