Cochrane sport technology company 4iiii Innovations Incorporated (4iiii) has just been announced the 2016 official supplier of power measurement for Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team (Etixx) out of Belgium.
Partnered with Specialized Bicycle Components, 4iiii will be supplying the team of around 30 world-class riders a specially designed Dual-Sided PRECISION PRO power meter. Power meters are placed on bicycles to measure the power output of the rider.
What this means is the company’s technology will be used by Etixx in major cycling events including the Tour de France, an annual multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries.
4iiii’s founders are Cochrane locals Kip Fyfe and Victoria Brilz, who previously helped start and operate another Cochrane company named Dynastream Innovations. That company specializes in “foot pods for running” that act as a pedometer and analyze movements to accurately record speed and distance travelled.
The pair, along with their partners, sold the company to Garmin, an aspiring “global leader” in automotive, aviation, marine, outdoor, and sports products.
In January 2012, Fyfe and Brilz opened 4iiii in Cochrane at 228 River Ave, where it continues to operate today. Through a customer connection, their business was referred to Etixx to be considered for supplying the team with advanced power meter technology.
“(The team) held a selection process for evaluating power meter technologies in the summer time of last year,” Fyfe said.
Fyfe believes what set their company apart from the others considered is the technology’s “amazing quality (and) amazing price.”
“Most power meters in the market today (sell for) anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 and our power meter at $400 does more than any of the other ones.”
He and Brilz are enthusiastic about what this multi-year partnership means.
“It’s nice that we’re a Cochrane company and we’re going to be in popular bike races like the Tour de France – that’s pretty exciting for us all to watch,” Fyfe said.
Some of the PRECISION PRO power meter’s capabilities include: the ability to record “accurate, consistent data,” being smartphone compatible, and being “over-the-air upgradable for new features and updates.”
Currently, 4iiii has the left-side version of this meter for sale online and through select distributors and is expecting to release the right-side version in 2016.
The company also offers a heads-up display system called Sportiiii and a heart-rate monitor called Viiiiva.
For more information about the company, its products, or its partnership with Etixx and Specialized Bicycle Components, visit 4iiii.com
