If ‘Leomo TYPE-R’ doesn’t ring a bell, you’re excused.
Having only been released less than a year ago, this innovative gadget will be shaking the big names in the cycling computer world. The Leomo TYPE-R, is the first in a new category of wearable technologies specifically designed to help competitive athletes and their coaches unlock the power of motion analysis.
Here’s our rundown of the setup, features, and user experience of the TYPE-R.
Leomo Type-R: What you get in the box
TYPE-R’s head unit is a very sleek, thin touchscreen. It comes with a platform where you attach the head unit and the batteries below or behind it. That whole main unit will then be attached to the mount on the handlebar.
For now, the only mount is for the standard round handlebar, or one for the wrist, as pictured above on the top left. Though it’s not something practical for a cyclist to have it on their wrist, the option is always there for you to choose.
There are also 5 sensors and also a cube-like charger for the sensors to be charged. Together with the main product, it also comes with a pair of micro USB designed to work well for the product; as well as a charger. As it’s from the US, you will need a plug adapter to suit our three pin outlet.
Starting up & Setup
Firstly, you would need to set up an account on their website. This is where you’d normally analyse the activity you have completed.
After which, you will then need to download the app, ‘Leomo Link’, available on both Google Play and Apple Store. So first, link up!
The first page shows steps for you to connect to your local Wi-Fi, set up the data pages for the TYPE-R screens and link to your smartphone.
For the data page settings, there are templates for you to choose from, so you can’t fully customise it. You can, however, change the data value choice in each sector.
Next, the usual profile for your power, weight and max heart rate. You can make other changes too in ‘Preferences’ and ‘Account’.
In a nutshell, the app is very basic, straightforward and simple to use.
Installing
Mounting on your handlebar is direct and easy, just by an Allen key. The mount is sturdy when secured and shows no sign of movement.
I tried many ‘stunts’ to get it to drop off, but it did not budge. The lock securing the Leomo to the main unit was as impressive as the handlebar mount. You’ll be happy to know it can carry the size and weight of the system.
The batteries are mounted externally – top and bottom. It has a lock to secure it to the main unit. The same thing goes with installing the battery at the bottom.
However, the bigger battery (with the bigger capacity) can only be installed from the top port. More on the batteries later!
Display
The display brightness can be adjusted on the go. A higher brightness setting will use up a bit more of your battery life but still clear even under the lunchtime glaring sun.
On the lowest setting, you would not be able to see much though.
In comparison, some cycling computers have a better contrast with the display.
A standard data page setup would be similar to this. The numbers are generally shown in bigger font size, but the font size for the words appear to be much smaller.
It would be ideal if the words were bigger too since there is ample space for each ‘data sector’. The TYPE-R has colour but limited to only some data features; such as the live data graph.
GPS and connectivity
The GPS on the TYPE-R works well and was not wonky. Connecting to your power meter, speed or cadence sensor was straightforward, just by the pressing the top tab.
Sensors
This is what sets the TYPE-R apart from the rest. If you wondering what you are paying for, this is the investment you get. A live reading of your mechanics on the bike; anywhere, and especially on the road! All these thanks to the sensors!
Worn on each shoe, above each knee, and above the sacrum, the TYPE-R’s sensors measure important aspects of a rider’s movement with the help of its accelerometer and gyroscope.
There’s an adapter you can attach to the shoe for the sensors on your feet. For the two sensors above the knee, you can easily slot it under your bib shorts at the thigh area. For the sacrum, putting in behind the back pocket jersey is good enough. Setting this up will take under 5 minutes.
If you notice that the sensors are not automatically turned on, you can easily put the sensors back into the cube charger and take it out after a few seconds. A plus point of the sensor is that the battery lasts longer than the Leomo itself when used concurrently.
Additionally, each sensor has their own colours. So you can easily rearrange the colours to each motion point. The only slight setback is the fact that two of them have sort of a similar colour – pink and magenta tone, which can be hard to differentiate under bright outdoor lighting.
Battery
As mentioned earlier, there are two slots for the batteries to be mounted externally; one from behind the unit and the other from the bottom.
With all the functions used, you can get at least 5hours of battery life with the battery setup of the bigger sized one combined with the smaller one. You could get a noticeably longer battery life if you do not use the sensors – say for an easy long ride.
Apart from the battery life, the practicality and aesthetics of the external mounting of the batteries are not favourable in my opinion – even when there is a lock.
When used outdoors, many unexpected situations or predicaments can occur which can cause problems to the battery remaining intact. From multiple feedbacks given, I believe Leomo will improve on this aspect.
Maybe, a design similar to a mobile phone would work well; where the battery is inside and enclosed within a cover. The device would definitely have a much more sleek feel to it that way.
Using it on a ride
For those using the Leomo TYPE-R in populated cities, sadly, this does not have an auto-pause function; which is very applicable for riding in the city with tons of traffic lights.
Apart from the usual speed, cadence, distance, time and power recording, the highlight of the TYPE-R is to provide additional fundamental real-live data. What the sensors do is collect the following data:
#1 Dead Spot Scores
Pinpoint the magnitude and locations where pedalling velocities lack smoothness along the left and right pedalling cycles.
#2 Foot Angular Range
Measures how much the heel moves up and down while pedalling.
#3 Foot Angular Range (Q1)
Measures how much the heel moves up and down between the 12 and 3 o’clock positions.
#4 Leg Angular Range
Measures how much the thighs move up and down while pedalling.
#5 Pelvic Tilt
Measures how much a rider’s pelvis is tilted upwards.
Take a look at some of the readings on the interface:
To understand all the data though, you need to do some homework but it’s all worth it for those gains! For instance, training to have a low DSS (dead spot score) will lead to better efficiency.
Ever wondered why you have imperfect power balance? Take a look at the difference between your left and right Foot Angular Range. The data numbers all add up to something and if you are already intrigued by this features, look up here to get a detailed insight. It’s pretty amazing how you can get all this information in real-time, on the go!
The TYPE-R has lap functions (button is on the left), which is useful for intervals or just separating your day’s ride into 2 training blocks.
After the ride, you will need to manually upload the activity file whilst connected to WiFi. The activity data will then be available at the website.
If you want to upload the activity to your popular cycling apps/programs, you would need to extract the file from the website and upload it manually again.
While your mileage on Strava is a bragging right, for the TYPE-R, your money’s worth is in the data you get.
Here’s a preview of some intervals I tackled – it would definitely please the data nerds out there or just anyone of you who loves scrutinising your performance.
The Leomo TYPE-R is a product that can bring in huge returns for serious, focused athletes. The functions are stripped down to just what you need; to get the best performance out of yourself with fundamental data that can directly improve the athlete.
Overall, this is clearly a rewarding alternative compared to the other high-end cycling computers; there’s nothing quite like it in the market right now.
If you’re interested in getting one, you need to first ask yourself how much more of an investment you’re willing to make to improve your performance to a T.
Where to get
Retailing at S$1,500 you can get it at Fahrenheit Performance where the Type-R is also used as a powerful add-on to their bike fitting protocol.
Find out more here:
Fahrenheit Performance
Address: 9 Scotts Road 08-03, 228210
Tel: 6734 3421
- 5 road hazards you need to look out for if you are new to the roads - June 6, 2018
- 4 other features of the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt - May 29, 2018
- “I survived Rapha’s ‘A Day In Hell’ on a BTWIN.” - May 14, 2018