I’ve been working on a thorough test of the iBike Dash, but I got mired in data collection with no end in sight. So I thought I’d temporarily escape that morass to address just one aspect of the Dash, the use of the iPhone as an ANT+ receiver.

Power meter computer heads used to be part of the package, a little plastic display that came with your SRM or PowerTap. Then ANT+ came along, and they became wireless and cross compatible. They also became something that could be laden with more features, and more importantly, sold separately. So now what was once a free afterthought costs an additional $200 to $950 (!). Here’s where the iPhone comes in.

The idea of using an iPhone as a receiver is tantalizing because iPhone owners already own most of the hardware. You should, in theory, be able to attach a little ANT+ dongle to it and make it a computer head with very little expense. There’s a plethora of options on the market, some well thought out, others half baked executions made to take advantage of the app fad. The Dash sits in the ‘thought out’ range of that spectrum. There are two models, a basic cyclometer for $200, and an advanced model that measures power (by calculating resistive forces) for $850 (it’s on sale now for $650). Both are ANT+ compatible and work with SRM’s, Powertaps, and Quarqs. The Dash fits the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, and iPod Touch.

Potential Issues
There are a few pitfalls with using an iPhone as a computer head. Here’s how the Dash addresses them:

Battery life

The Dash’s supplemental battery charges the iPhone’s battery. This battery is drained before the iPhone’s, so the phone remains operational for as long as possible–great if you need to make an emergency call. My iPhone 4 lasted over 4 1/2-5 hours with one battery, running GPS and with the screen on full brightness. You can buy an extra battery for longer rides.

Waterproofing

Water will kill your iPhone, so full waterproofing is a must have feature. The Dash fully encloses the phone, and it latches with some tension on its o-ring seal. The screen is touch sensitive under the plastic cover. I didn’t test it in the rain, but I did drench it in sweat over a few roller sessions with no problems.

Visibility
I was surprised to find that the display was easily legible in direct sunlight. You have to set the phone to full brightness with auto brightness turned off.

Touch Controls

The iPhone’s touch screen allows for infinite configurations for controls, but this is a double edged sword. Physical buttons may be limited in function, but they let you operate the computer by feel so you can keep your eyes on the road. You can’t feel for the iPhone’s touch buttons, and with road shock, taps can become swipes. iBike has tried to deal with this by putting the ‘home’ and ‘maps’ buttons in corners, which helps somewhat. Also, when it gets cold you’ll need special gloves that work with touch screens.

Multitasking
The Dash’s app works fine in the background, so you won’t lose data if you get a call or text during a ride. You can turn off the display and the Dash will continue to record your data.

The Good
There’s a reason why there’s so many attempts at an iPhone computer head–there’s many potential upsides to it. Here’s a look at some:

Intuitive interface

Setting up an traditional computer head is a pain in the ass. You have to press combinations of buttons, and God help you should you lose the manual. They’re even hard to use once set up–what button combination gets you into interval mode, and how do you get out?

The Dash, in contrast, is wonderfully intuitive. The instruction manual is built into the app, and complicated steps come embedded with instructional videos. Pairing sensors is dead simple, and if a connection is lost, just unplug and plug in the phone. Ride files are sent via email, no need to configure comm ports. My files are sent during the elevator ride up to my apartment, and they arrive at my desktop before me. Software updates and bug fixes route through iTunes just like any other app.

Flexibility
The Dash’s display is user configurable. You can choose what and how much data to display. Swipes take you from one screen to the next. While the Dash’s displays are woefully under-designed, a quick scan of the other offerings gives a sense of the potential here. Vision-challenged geezers like myself would most appreciate the option of having gigantic easy to read numbers.

GPS

The iPhone’s built in GPS capabilities instantly makes the Dash a direct competitor to Garmin’s computers, and puts it ahead of offerings from SRM and Powertap. You can view maps live on your display, or have the Dash record your coordinates in the background. Once uploaded, your ride is just one click away from full 3d glory on Google Earth.

Pricing
At $200 for the base model, the Dash is less than half the price of Garmin units with maps.

The Bad

Size

This is the biggest issue with the Dash. It’s big, and it junks up your beautiful bike – there’s just no way around it (it wouldn’t protrude as much if I had a 10 degree rise stem). It could be less obtrusive in landscape mode in front of the bars a la the SRM, but Apple’s Maps app only works in portrait. As it is there’s no way I’d ever race with it, it’s just too big and way too exposed in the event of a…

Crash Protection
If you hit the ground there’s a very good chance that the Dash will take a big whack. I’m happy to report that I didn’t crash the Dash, but I can say that I’ve cracked an iPhone screen when I crashed with it in my back pocket. So who knows, maybe the phone’s safer inside the Dash.

So…
iBike CEO John Hamann is under no illusions – he knows he probably won’t sell the Dash to you racers, but he tells me it’s selling like hotcakes nevertheless. My guess is that the Dash appeals to touring and casual cyclists, who see it as an alternative to Garmins. Me, I’m hoping that iBike will make a $50-100 landscape version with less electronics, mounts like an SRM, has a slimmer battery, and does away with map displays. That version might prove more appealing to the racer crowd. 

Please can we have a version like this? (Wow my bar tape is dirty.)