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3 Weeks of HRV Stress Readings

HRV Stress Readings Can Help You Look at the Holistic Fitness Picture

Garmin Connect HRV Stress 4 weeks report
The Garmin Connect HRV Stress Report is one more tool in Garmin’s tool chest. I use it prior to my indoor rides, to try and determine how best to proceed with my daily rides. If I have a high reading, a low sleep score, and a strained HRV Status, well, I’m goin’ back to bed.

I’m now 3 weeks in to taking a morning HRV Stress reading, and I’ve missed just a few days so far. It’s not fun, it’s probably 3 minutes where I wish I was doing something else or warming up for a bike ride, but it IS providing that ‘+1’ metric that can tell me whether I’m achieving my results, or if there’s something else going on that may require a day off, a lower intensity ride, or maybe just work to get some real stress out of my life.

HRV Stress and Life In General

Garmin Connect HRV Stress Explanation Page 1
I THINK this measurement is looking at my Heart Rate Variability as an “RMSSD“, which means “Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences”, or, ‘How Variable is Variable’?

If you’ve been reading this blog, or you know me, well, you know I’m a pretty reactionary individual and my right-brained ADD has led me to this point in life. I had a stable existence until 2010, when I got divorced and began trying to grow my studio. I left that location in 2012, opened two locations in retail spaces in 2013, got remarried in 2014, dealt with the loss of the studios in 2015 and 2017, became homeless in 2018 (thanks, Dallas DPD), and moved to Reno, NV in 2019.

Then, in late 2022, my wife and I relocated (Temporarily) to Pueblo, Colorado.  We almost immediately realized it was a mistake, and moved all the way back, to Sacramento, California. Since we arrived, we’ve lived in 3 Airbnb’s. In December, we bought a house that is a complete lemon. It’s been a struggle, figuring out how to make a living out here. We are broke, and we are broken. We are stuck here in this valley while we try to dig our way out of a house that is more shelter than home.

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That’s a LOT of STRESS.

I gained weight. I lost fitness. My bikes took months to come out of storage. We suffered the worst winter in Sacramento and Tahoe area in decades. Until recently, we had literally ridden outside TWICE since December. If this isn’t a midlife crisis, I can’t imagine what a real crisis really is. That’s why I’m so interested in what the Garmin Connect Features are providing. I’m actually seeing some great results. My clients are as well. But we are all riding LESS, and riding LESS INTENTLY than before. This is anathema to my three decades of pushing watts, pushing w/kg, pushing some PHYSICAL RESULT, instead of LISTENING TO A PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE.

I mentioned in my previous post, that I was using HRV Status overnight to try and ensure better preparation for daily rides. This is step 2. I get up, make coffee, look at my overnight HRV Status, Glance at my Sleep Score (The Muse EEG seems to be more accurate), and then, while it’s still quiet and I’m still processing that magic first cup, I put my chest strap on, wait 30 seconds, stand up, breathe in and out for 30 seconds, then tap the ‘MEASURE’ button and watch the timer count down.

HRV Stress LEVELS

HRV Stress Explanation Page 2
This is the chart for Garmin’s HRV Stress values. I really don’t know how I’ll ever get below a 30. Maybe when I hit the lottery, or the house gets finished, or the client load is full, or….

I really ought to run a video of the recording process, but for you readers and viewers, you’d probably end up sticking a needle in your eye, out of boredom. IF I had the ability to record this information, one would see an initial low reading, then a rise, then a plateau, then maybe a fall. If I get to 64 beats per minute, I’m usually happy, but it doesn’t stay there.

Tight Band HRV Status
I usually do get called out for being an uptight, overly passionate grouch, but I really thought I was making gains in the sleep department. Maybe not.

A professional coach who knows MUCH MORE about HRV than I do, Jim Galanes, commented about my earlier post on HRV Status. He mentioned that my HRV range was both ‘Tight’ and ‘Low’, meaning high stress. My resting HR, which was once in the low 30’s, is now in the mid 50’s. I’m not sure whether this is just a product of age, or if it’s stress related, but I’d love to get six hours of sleep every night. Right now, it’s maybe 4 before a 60-90 minute awakening, and finally, a return to sleep, before waking up right at 3:58am, just before the alarm goes off.

HRV Stress – What’s Holding Me Back?

I think my parasympathetic nervous system is probably holding me back. I AM happy about the fitness gains I’ve made have been DESPITE this handicap. There is always the hope that things will improve, that income will be steady, that my wife will be happier, that the house repairs will approach completion. What’s even more frustrating is that I’ve made investments to improve these values. A better mattress… a better pillow… 96 ounces of water or more every single day…. no beer or wine. I’ve given up sugary drinks and I don’t drink caffeine after 2pm.

HRV Stress Explanation Page 3
Try doing ANYTHING for 3 minutes without distraction. It’s not easy. My mind wanders. I think about past and upcoming performances and the house.  My wife’s well-being pops up, and I drift to her family, my family, the dog. The second I get a solid week of low HRV Stress scores, I’ll make sure to write about it. Maybe that will lead to the ensuing expectation of good workouts…….

As I write this, my wife is dealing with an attempt to access healthcare. We’ve spent 90 minutes on the phone, for three days, just to find a General Practitioner. The website is out of sync with the provider’s list. There are literally no doctors available. Everything has become more complicated as we’ve aged. I haven’t even begun to investigate the DAILY STRESS that the Garmin Fenix is measuring, so maybe that’s just it – a Holistic attack on a body, from work, family, training, performance, society. There has to be a middle ground somewhere. Maybe Garmin’s HRV Stress is telling me that it’s not here, not now.

This is why the Sociopaths Keep Winning. They sleep, and sleep well, because they have no conscience.

I just want 7 hours of sleep, a healthy heart, and the fitness for some good cycling adventures with my wife.

Thanks for Reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

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Using the Garmin 1040 Post-Ride Analysis Reports

Garmin 1040 Post-Ride Analysis

The Garmin 1040 Is the Ultimate Garmin Bike Computer –

But it’s the Post-Ride Analysis That It Gives, Which Makes Such a Difference

Garmin Connect Post-Ride Analysis Training Effect
When you finish a workout, Garmin’s latest bike computers provide a detailed breakdown of Training Effect. the Garmin 1040 Post-Ride Analysis Reports start with this screen.

I’m now about 4 weeks into my return to fitness, using the Garmin Connect Ecosystem. I know that some of the metrics are controversial. That said, I’m enjoying the Garmin 1040’s Post-Ride Analysis Reports and Physiological Interpretation of the data via the head unit and Garmin Connect.

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Let’s Begin With This Chart – Courtesy of Garmin Connect

Garmin Aerobic Low and Aerobic High Definitions
This is a general description of the values achieved from different durations and intensities of work when cycling or running. I’m generally trying to keep most of my midweek rides between a 3.0 and 3.5, and keeping my EPOC between 80 and 150.

I begin most rides by looking at the following screen when cycling.

Garmin FirstBeat 1040 Metrics Page
I may have shown this before, but this is my primary Garmin screen when I ride following the Garmin Connect Ecosystem. The four boxes at the bottom help me ride with LESS intensity, and the two graphs are color-coded to help me further.

The knowledge that the first chart provides, is used by me mentally, to help “Temper ACTION with Wisdom“. In other words, we all want to get fit, fast. Getting fit, however, can’t be done quickly. It takes time. We have to think of it like a slow cooker and stew. Riding slower, longer, and with an AUTONOMIC system that responds to our stimulus. This entire exercise is about learning whether this works. I’ll write up a 28-day update soon, but by following this new information WHILE RIDING, it leads to tempered action and greater wisdom on heart health and aerobic fitness.

Ride’s Over – Now What?

When a ride ends, as long as the bike computer is linked to a phone or wifi connection, the data gets uploaded to Connect, and summaries are presented on the Garmin head unit itself.

Exercise Load Summary Garmin 1040
The horizontal bar that is first on the screen, shows a value, as well as a ‘range’ of ‘optimal’. I THINK this is based on EPOC/LOAD, and I THINK it’s based on a rolling 7-day SUM, but honestly, I don’t know, and emails to Garmin have gone unanswered.

The second area of the screen reveals my 7-day history of EPOC/LOAD, and the color-coding tells me whether it was ‘LOW Aerobic’ ‘HIGH Aerobic’ or even ‘Anaerobic’. A few of the vertical bars have a grey area. These are ‘other’ aerobic events, like hikes or dog walks.

The third area is somewhat controversial, and it’s about ‘Recovery Time‘. Recovery Time on the Garmin Connect ecosystem has largely been a frustrating thing to interpret; If a Recovery Time states that you need THREE DAYS of NO EXERCISE to recover, well, that makes training and planning to train much harder. Instead, the Garmin 1040 and now the 840 and 540, through post-ride analysis, use this time more generally. It provides a value or comment the next day, with their algorithmic sense of what might or might not be appropriate. The “Train as Usual” is that judgment by the Connect Ecosystem.

Garmin 1040 Post-Ride Analysis Page 1 – TRAINING STATUS

Garmin 1040 Training Status Summary Page
The ‘Training Status’ page is found after the ride is uploaded to Connect. It provides a quick summary of progress, along with an estimate of Vo2max, and the ‘Acute Training Load’ over the last 7 days. Green is good. Swipe Right for more information….

 

VO2 Max

Garmin 1040 Vo2max Summary Last 7 Days
This is the next screen, and it shows Garmin’s ESTIMATED Vo2max for each of the last 7 days. I’ve usually found this value to be pretty darned close, but then again, I have a Vo2master that I scrupulously calibrate to run my own breath-by-breath analysis. That said, I think this is accurate for my weight and for my energy output at this time.

ACUTE LOAD

Garmin 1040 Acute Load 7-Day Graph
I’m going to come right out and say it – I LOVE THIS GRAPH! I wish this graph was available on the Garmin Connect ecosystem online. Why? Well, right now, we DO NOT KNOW THE EXACT VALUES of the UPPER and LOWER areas of the GREEN RANGE. But by looking at the Acute Load, and comparing that to the graph, we can get a better understanding of what might constitute a more appropriate workout for the NEXT RIDE or RUN! Think “Bookends”.

EXERCISE LOAD

Garmin 1040 Exercise Load Last 7 Days
This is another summary of the last 7 days, showing EPOC/LOAD, and color-coding the bars to reveal the intensity of the effort. I’m trying to stay mostly blue on my base rides, I take Mondays off, and my Tuesdays and Thursdays are now dedicated to more intense rides as my fitness develops.

LOAD FOCUS

Garmin 1040 Load Focus 28-day Summary
The next swipe reveals a rolling 28-day graph of volume in different intensities. There are a couple of things that I love about this graph, but I also have my questions… First – look at the ‘ghost’ boxes. The Garmin Connect ecosystem has its’ ideas about how much time should be spent in each zone. I can’t tell if the values on the left are EPOC Points, or minutes. But this does provide a look at what the values are achieving via Heart Rate Variability in Garmin’s Ecosystem.

CYCLING ABILITY

Garmin 1040 Cycling Ability Chart
This chart is fun, but I want to see where it ends up going with me. I used to fancy myself as a “Climber” in the 1990’s when I raced mountain bikes, but when I moved to Texas, I had to basically reinvent myself as an anaerobic Breakaway Specialist or Sprinter. I am NOT a Sprinter, I’ll just tell you that. I’m really more of a Puncheur, specializing in int 30-90 second efforts at insane intensities to try and tackle terrain or peel other cyclists off my wheel and improve my odds with a Breakaway. I’m nowhere close to that righ tnow, but this summary claims I’m improving my “Climbing”. I’ll have to drive over the Sierras and return to my beloved Reno to try one of the low-traffic road climbs over there.

CYCLING ABILITY – ABILITY LEVEL ANALYSIS

Garmin 1040 Cycling Ability - Ability Level Analysis
When you press “View Analysis” from the previous image, this is what you get; a brief overview of your current status as a cyclist, and where to direct your training. It’s vague but compelling, and again, I LOVE how Garmin has “Distilled” Fitness demands from “7 Zones” or “9 Zones” or whatever series of FOCUS is popular these days, down to, “5 Minutes or less”, “20 Minutes”, and “Go Ride More”.
I’m NOT going to click on ‘View Courses’ because I don’t have enough time outdoors in this town, and I want to write a separate block on this feature entirely. So, some other time.

Garmin 1040 Post-Ride Analysis Page 2 – What Are “Intensity Minutes”?

Garmin 1040 Intensity Minutes
This feature did not exist on my Garmin 1030 at all, and I never studied it in the Garmin Connect Ecosystem. Let’s see what it offers in terms of fitness assessment.

The TL:DR about “Intensity Minutes” is that they’re a general roundup of Medical and Physiological Scientist Prognoses for maintaining and improving overall health and fitness. The Garmin 1040 Post-Ride Analysis (and Garmin Connect Ecosystem) defaults to 150 minutes of moderate effort in, and 75 minutes per week of high intensity effort in as well. This can be changed, but I haven’t really looked to find out where. I’m not sure how the Garmin calculates “Moderate” and “Intense”, but it’s probably connected to traditional heart rate zones. In this metric, High Intensity work gets counted 2x towards that overall value. Here’s what it looks like when you tap on the bar.

Garmin 1040 Weekly Intensity Minutes Goal
This is the first of 3 images dealing with ‘Intensity Minutes’. It’s showing the arc towards a goal of 360 minutes, and below that, a chart showing the daily score. There’s an explanation about this feature at the bottom.
Garmin 1040 Moderate and Vigorous Minutes
This image was snipped this morning, which was a fairly hard workout. It’s showing 47 minutes of ‘Moderate’ intensity (which I will assume is Zones 3 and 4 in Garmin terms), and 76 Minutes in Zone 5 and above.

When you meet your goal for the week, it looks like this!

Garmin 1040 Intensity Minutes Goal Met
Yea! 6 Hours moderate and intense cardio fitness! Let’s go eat some lard and re-clog our veins with peanut butter!

Garmin 1040 Post-Ride Analysis – CONCLUSION

I’m really falling in love with Garmin’s Ecosystem. I think I see the Method to their Madness. They’ve got a science-backed Heart Rate Variability Protocol with the purchase of FirstBeat. They’ve implemented the fitness features into their bike computers, watches, and scales. The Garmin Connect Reports show summaries. the On-Screen Garmin 1040 post-ride analysis gives a pretty good review of what was accomplished on the bike that day, that rolling 7-days, and the rolling 28-days. Follow the guidelines, use the EPOC, Aerobic TE, Anaerobic TE, and “Performance Condition” when riding, especially for Base, Zone 2, LSD, whatever you want to call it. I always aim for a ride between 80-150 EPOC, an Aerobic TE above 3.0, and as low an Anaerobic TE as I can get away with, indoors or out. I’ll work on the Anaerobic stuff later. I still want to see how far I can go following the Aerobic TE and EPOC.

The metrics at the end of the ride are certainly helpful. It gives me something to think about for the next day, and the next, and the next. It’s ‘Dynamic Progression and Periodization.’ It is NOT static.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

Setting The Q Ring Position Based On Rotor InPower Ride Data

Rotor InPower Cranks Provide Crucial Insight

Rotor InPower OCP 1
Rotor Q Rings help make small improvements to power with every pedal stroke, but it’s on sections where terrain is steep, and traction is necessary, that they make the biggest difference.

I’ve been using Rotor products since at least 2000, when the RSX Cranks first became available. I have been a student of the original concept, and I use Q rings on all of my bikes these days. In 2012 or thereabouts, Rotor began building their own power meters. Specifically, they did it with the intention of providing data for the Optimal Chainring Position. Optimal Chainring Position, or OCP, looks at a rider’s power curve and helps determine where exactly the Q ring should be located.

Why is this important? Well, the Q ring acts like a crowbar, using something called “Moment“. This is a term in Physics. A bicycle crank at 12 o’clock has no moment. I bicycle crank at 6 o’clock has no moment. But a bicycle crank at 3 o’clock has a moment equal to the radius of the crank. In my case, that is 165mm. When the Rotor InPower software takes into account Moment plus Inertia, it allows Physics to provide an edge in the power output. For road cycling on flat terrain, I usually ride at OCP 4 or even 5. Until this week, I rode the mountain bike at OCP position 3.

What Changed

Rotor has software for their InPower and 2InPower cranks, as well as their most recent power meters, that runs as an app on a cell phone. I used this app in real time, as I rode up my favorite trail. While I had figured that OCP 3 was optimal, what I realized over the course of the climb was that the steeper the terrain, the more the Rotor software wanted me in OCP 1 or even 2! I was surprised by this revelation, but in review, it makes sense. When a cyclist is climbing, the “Moment” is still optimal at 3 o’clock. However, inertia is altered due to gravity, friction, and cadence. Placing the OCP at 1 brings that ‘Crowbar’ effect back.

I made two videos connected to this post. The first is pre-ride, when I was making my change to the crank and chainring. The second is post-ride analysis. I felt the change in torque IMMEDIATELY, and while I am not nearly as fit as I was two years ago, I am excited about the change, and hope to duplicate the lesson on my road bike in the near future.

Rotor has SCIENCE to Back Up Their Claims

While I’m not a qualified scientist, I do count myself as a certain Mad Scientist. That is, I rely on PhD’s and MD’s and DO’s to perform the studies that prove or disprove what I’ve ‘seen’ over the decades that I’ve been coaching. One of my absolute favorite scientists on Q Rings, who is also a highly skilled athlete and racer, is Dr. Christie O’Hara. Here is a short link to an article about her studies with Q Rings. She’s moved on from Rotor to other ventures in Academia, but her work stands and is seminal to the theory. The gains are small, but consistent, and in a sport where small gains are critical, Q rings in the Optimal Chainring Position can make a difference for any road or mountain bike cyclist.

Enjoy the videos and don’t hesitate to leave some feedback. I’m enjoying the process and as always, ENJOY THE RIDE!

 

Testing For DFAa1 to Determine Lower Threshold Power

The DFAa1 Ramp Test Helped Me Set A More Accurate Lower Threshold Power

The DFAa1 Ramp Test is a protocol that shows cyclists where their bodies begin to change biologically when under strain. It uses Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and I have studied it since at least 2004, when I wrote a pocket book for Suunto for their T6 watch. The absolute distilled version of Heart Rate Variability says, “The heart is beating when it wants to, vs. beating when it has to.” In other words, no two beats are the same. A stochastic heart rate is a happy heart. A consistent heart rate is a strained heart.

When the Strain of heart rate contractions reaches a value of around .75, then it’s time to look at the actual heart rate itself, as well as the power being generated by the cyclist. With that value, we then have a much better idea of a cyclist’s Lower Threshold Power.

Why is an Accurate Lower Threshold Power So Important?

Lower Threshold Power is the KEY to POLARIZED TRAINING. When a cyclist is riding below their Lower Threshold Power, they’re teaching the body to become more economical. They’re teaching the body how to improve STAMINA. They’re teaching the body to BURN FAT. Over time, with regular testing and Progression, the DFAa1 test can reveal economy at higher heart rates, and higher wattages. If you believe in Polarized Training, then it should be 80-90% of your overall training volume. But ride too hard, and the gains are not as solid.

I’ve been using the Fitness Signature Values from Xert for years, which include a calculation for Lower Threshold Power. Lower Threshold Power can be found via a Lactate Test, a Vo2 test, and through the use of a Moxy Muscle Oxygen Monitor, but all of these are expensive, all of them have margins of error, and the Lactate Test is invasive.

Having a modern heart rate chest strap that can calculate HRV, and using a cheap app to reveal the data, provides everything we need to know, for less than $100usd.

What is the DFAa1 Test?

My friend and fellow coach, Richard Collier, of London, UK, was the first to really compel me to attempt this test. This is his protocol, based on conversations with Dr. Bruce Rogers, Marco Altini, a professor in Japan, and the developers of the www.runalyze.com website in Germany.

I have since named the workout after Richard, in my Xert Workout Library.

It’s a simple ramp test, from 55 to 105% of Threshold Power (NOT Lower Threshold Power), over 24 minutes and 30 seconds.

What do I need to test?

We begin by setting our Garmins up to record HRV via BLE.

To begin, go into your Garmin head unit settings, and press “System”.

Garmin 1030 System Page
Start by going into the “System” page on your modern Garmin.

Then press “Data Recording”.

Garmin 1030 Data Recording Page
Select “Data Recording”

Set ‘Recording Interval’ to ‘1 Sec’. At the bottom of the page, you’ll see “Log HRV”. Turn that feature ON.

Garmin 1030 Log HRV Page Setting
Set ‘Recording Interval’ to 1-sec (always do this), and set ‘Log HRV’ to ‘ON’.

Next, make sure you have one of the preferred BLE Channel Heart Rate Chest Straps.

Go back into “Settings”, and press “Sensors”. Then press “Search All”.

Garmin 1030 Search All Sensor Setting
Press “Search All”. – You MIGHT have to turn the Garmin off and then back on again to catch the BLE signal.

And just WAIT.

It SHOULD give you a “BLE” AlphaNumeric Identifier. Select that, save it, and you’re good to go on that part. Remember – you do NOT want the ANT+ version of the signal. You want the BLE.

Garmin 1030 BLE Chest Strap Discovery
This takes time, and it may require a Garmin reboot. Go with the Polar H10 HR strap, or the Garmin HRM Pro strap. I also love the 4III’s Viiiva strap.

Next, go ahead and download “HRV Logger”, from either iOS or Google Play on Android. It’s a good backup and it will visually help you ‘see’ where this 0.75 fraction exists.

DFAa1 HRV Logger by Marco Altini
The DFAa1 HRV Logger by Marco Altini and ASMA gives you a visual display of your DFAa1 Fraction, as well as providing a great backup data source. ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR DATA!

Finally, go ahead and buy a one-year subscription to www.runalyze.com. Believe me; if you can spend $10/mo on a training platform, $12 for an app on a phone, and NOT spend $$ on a coach, then the $30 you’ll spend on Runalyze, just for the DFAa1 interpretation, is well worth it.

OR, you can do the test and send me the data, which is what most of my clients do, and I’ll run it through everything for you.

The DFAa1 Test and Results (for me).

Thus far, I have performed three DFAa1 tests. Here are the results:

Richard Wharton Xert DFAa1 HRV Test
There’s not much to see here – just a standard ramp protocol with heart rate included. If I were using the old school method of trying to identify a deflection point for THRESHOLD, not LOWER THRESHOLD, I’d guess 172-175 bpm. But that’s NOT Lower Threshold. So let’s see what Runalyze shows.

This is one of the tests, performed in late May.

Here’s the HRV data from www.runalyze.com:

Richard Wharton Runalyze HRV DFAa1 Test Results
Some important notes here: 1) Set ‘window overlap’ to ‘115’. 2) Click to ‘Heart Rate’ and look for high validity and low artifacts. 3) Look at the Heart Rate first, and then think ‘When was the last time I rode a bike based on my Heart Rate?’

And here’s the Power…

Richard Wharton Runalyze HRV DFAa1 Test Results
Note: Lower Threshold Power = 172 watts. This was in late May of 2021, when I was first experimenting with DFAa1 testing.

Now – here’s the data that I just got from a test run on Sunday, June 27th, after two weeks of consistent 75 XSS training, and an emphasis on staying BELOW my Lower Threshold Heart Rate (and Power)…..

Richard Wharton DFAa1 Late June 2021 Heart Rate
HR for Lower Threshold went from 147 to 158, a 7% rise.

And here’s the Power…

Richard Wharton DFAa1 Power reading late June 2021
Note the ‘mounds’ of dots on the first half of the image. Remember the mantra from 2004: “It beats because it WANTS TO, vs. beating because IT HAS TO.” This is that value, visualized. Power at Lower Threshold rose from 172 to 205w, a 16% rise.

CONCLUSION: Use the DFAa1 Collier Ramp Test on a regular basis to help your POLARIZED Training.

In order to keep this short enough, I’m going to stop here. Next post, however, I’ll show you the Vo2master data from these rides. I’m riding for 75 XSS BELOW my DFAa1 HR, but my NORMALIZED WATTAGE keeps RISING!

It’s literally a ‘more watts per beat’ situation, and I am really loving it.

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18 Rides With the Fox DPX2 and ShockWiz

The Fox DPX2 With the ShockWiz Suspension Tuner Reveals a LOT of information!

My Quarq ShockWiz connected to my Fox DPX2 Rear Shock
My Quarq ShockWiz connected to my Fox DPX2 Rear Shock

After several months spent on Peavine Peak in Northern Nevada, I have been able to come to several conclusions about my Fox DPX2 Rear Suspension. To review; I have a 2012 Trek Superfly 100 Pro, with just 100mm of rear travel. The front fork is a 2020 Fox 32. When I used the ShockWiz Tuner on the fork, I was able to add spacers and adjust the air until I consistently got about 96 points out of 100 possible points on the ShockWiz app. It DID make a difference in my confidence, competence and comfort when riding.

However, the rear shock, a 2012 Fox RP23, was unable to keep up with the demands of my riding. Therefore, in March of 2021, I replaced the RP23 with a Fox DPX2.

Don’t Use the ShockWiz for just one ride. Use it for a LOT of rides.

ShockWiz Tuner App
Most of my rides have earned between 84 and 96 Points on the ShockWiz Tuner App

The Shockwiz from Quarq is designed to measure compression and rebound via air pressure. I THINK it also looks at G forces, compression and rebound velocity, preload, and time spent airborne. My goal for this experiment was to try and stick to trails that I know, and to be as consistent with the bike and my cycling as possible. I chose the local XC race course as my primary loop. I also performed several shorter loops and a few out-and-back rides, to challenge myself and the rear shock.

One ride alone will give some information, but it is in detecting a long-term TREND from cycling that can determine just how best to tune the DPX2. I chose the DPX2 because it IS infinitely adjustable for compression, rebound, air pressure, and volume. It can also run different oil densities.

The Results

After 18 rides of at least one hour, the ShockWiz Suspension Tuner revealed two major issues that I believe need to be tweaked, but again, I will not perform these tweaks until I earn 20 rides.

Here’s a video with my results so far. Enjoy!

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