Force Vector is the update power nerds have been waiting for

If you're the sort of rider who loves to get right into the data and analyse everything about your riding, Shimano's new Force Vector update for their Dura-Ace r9200 and Ultegra r8100 power meters is the stuff dreams are made of. The update will measure direction and strength of pedalling force and show you that information in real time on Shimano's E-Tube Ride phone app, or your Garmin/Wahoo head unit. 

The force data is measured at 12 points throughout the crank rotation (every 30 degrees), on both left and right crank arms, and is transmitted with every rotation of the pedal. That means that each minute - depending on cadence - somewhere between 900-1200 force measurements will be registered by the crankset and can be transmitted to a head unit and that data will be visualised with forward rotation force shown in blue and reverse rotation force in red. 

That sort of pedal stroke analysis will let riders find out weaknesses in their pedals stroke, meaning training can be adapted to smooth that out and improve over time. Post-ride, you can analyse the data in full in Shimano's Connect Lab, which will not only show you how force is applied throughout the pedal stroke, but also show you where that power was applied on a map, how much of the ride was spent in a sitting or standing position and which gears were used during the ride. 

The firmware update is available through E-Tube Project. For more information visit bike.shimano.com.