Best Bike Split is a app for cyclists and triathletes who race and train with power meters. The underlying technology that drives Best Bike Split lets you predict race times, plan optimal race strategy and actually execute the perfect race plan on the big day. When we started development we had a few use cases in mind but since launching people have used the app in ways we had never initially imagined. Below are just a few use cases compiled from our members and pros.
While Best Bike Split does rely on power to give an accurate model and pacing plan, it is possible to use estimated speed in lieu of power for race day execution via our Speed Based Course Cheat Sheet provided that you have done the following.
No problem. On the login page just click the link under the login button that says, "Forgot your password?", then you can type in your email address and we'll send you information on resetting your password.
It may take several minutes for the email to be sent. If you have not received your "Confirmation Email" after several minutes, login to BBS (you'll get a message that you have not confirmed your email and activated your account yet) and click the link to resend your confirmation email. If that doesn't work, please submit a request and we'll make sure that your email address is correct.
To access your account settings, just login to your account on BBS then click on "My Account" (top right of any page). Depending on what type of subscription you have, you will be able to:
Since we use your email address as a unique user login and email addresses must be verified, please contact us with your current email address and your new email address. We will verify it by sending you an email to reply to and then update our records with your new verified email address.
The Free Athlete subscription is meant to be a quick (and free) way to easily test out how Best Bike Split works before committing to a paid subscription. This subscription limits you to only a single race plan and does not offer access to many of our powerful premium features, but you will be able to setup an athlete profile, a bike profile, upload or select a course, and create a race plan using the Normalized Power Model.
With a Premium Athlete subscription there are no limits! You can create multiple bike setups, upload custom courses, and run unlimited race plans. You will also have access to tons of powerful features, including our BBS AI Assistant, Race Analytics Tool, Plan to Actual Comparison, various advanced charts and more.
Our Athlete Plus subscription is designed for premium athletes who also coach other athletes. This Subscription allows a premium athlete to attach other premium athletes to their account with full access to the connected athlete's profile, bikes and race plans. This allows the coach to help connected athletes with setup, create race plans, analyze previous races, and assist with overall strategy.
This is the subscription for full-time coaches. This subscription provides the ability to create unlimited athletes and manage them like individual premium athlete subscriptions from one place. You can share race plans directly with your athletes as a value add to your coaching service.
| Feature | Free Athlete | Premium Athlete | Athelte Plus | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Bikes | ||||
| Unlimited Race Plans | ||||
| BBS AI Assistant | ||||
| Standard Weather | ||||
| Advanced Weather | ||||
| Normalized Power Model | ||||
| Goal Time Model | ||||
| TSS Model | ||||
| Unlimited Analytics | ||||
| Power Plan | ||||
| Time Analysis Tool | ||||
| Yaw Angle Distribution Chart | ||||
| Gradient Chart | ||||
| Peak Power Chart | ||||
| Race Overview Data | ||||
| Cheat Sheets | ||||
| TrainingPeaks Uploads | ||||
| Unlimited File Downloads | ||||
| Unlimited Athlete Profiles | ||||
| Coach Free Athletes | ||||
| Coach Premium Athletes |
Sure, you can turn off auto renewal of your Athlete or Coach Subscription at anytime by going to Manage Billing under My Account. If you do decide to cancel you will continue to have access to your Athlete or Coach Subscription until the end of that subscription period. In other words, for a monthly subscription until the end of the current 30 day period that you cancel in and for an annual subscription until the end of the current 365 day period that you cancel in. Please note that you will not be refunded for days remaining in your subscription period.
To turn off auto renewal of your Athlete or Coach Subscription, just login to your account on BBS then click on "My Account" (top right of any page) and click on "Manage Billing". Best Bike Split uses the Stripe.com payment platform to process and manage all aspects of billing and payments. You can easily and securely manage the following through the provided Stripe Customer Portal.
You will continue to have access to your Athlete or Coach Subscription until the end of your subscription period.
To unsubscribe to Best Bike Split's great newsletters, new feature emails, discount notices and all things incredible, just login to your account on BBS then click on "My Account" (top right of any page) and you will see the "Change Opt-in" option.
Yes, just login to your account on BBS then click on "My Account" (top right of any page) and click on "Manage Billing". Best Bike Split uses the Stripe.com payment platform to process and manage all aspects of billing and payments. Once you are in the Stripe Customer Portal you should see your current plan, payment method and invoice history. Just click the date of the invoice that you would like to download and you will have the option of downloading an invoice or a receipt for that payment.
If you are looking to access your data or erase your data per GDPR, please email privacy@bestbikesplit.com and provide:
The first time you sign on to your account the app should walk you through the basic setup, but it is pretty straightforward and you should be up and running (rolling) in less than 5 minutes.
To create a race plan you will need to first create an athlete profile, a bike profile and either select an existing course or upload a course. Once you have these 3 items completed just click the "Add A Race" under "My Race Plans" and fill in the race data such as course, bike, weather conditions, goal watts and power limits. If you need more information about most of these settings remember you can rollover the icon for additional information.
Drag is the largest limiting factor when it comes to moving your bike forward. It is also one of the hardest factors to measure. We provide some general drag estimates based on the drop down racing and climbing position selections on your bike profile, but in an effort to help further refine an accurate drag estimate we have created an advanced Fit-Based drag calculator.
This calculator takes specific measurements about your body and position on the bike to help refine your drag profile. You can always override your final drag profile with your own calculated data from velodrome or wind tunnel test data, but the fit based calculator should give more accurate results than our standard drop downs without the costs associated with aero testing.
The following guide will help you through your measurements:
Width in centimeters from the edges of your shoulders while in your racing position.
Width in centimeters at the widest portion of your hips while standing.
Width in centimeters of your typical hand (road) or elbow (TT/Tri) placement while racing.
Width in centimeters of your typical hand (road) or elbow (TT/Tri) placement while climbing.
Length in centimeters from hip to top of shoulder while standing.
Length in centimeters from hip to top of helmet while standing.
Length in centimeters of drop from the center of your seat to your handlebar tops or arm pads (if no drop use 0 centimeters).
Angle from hip of a perpendicular line forward and a line through the top of your head, in your racing position (sitting straight up is 90 degrees).
Angle from hip of a perpendicular line forward and a line through the top of your head, in your climbing position (sitting straight up is 90 degrees).
Effective seat tube angle (Road is typically 74-76 degrees and TT/Tri is typically 78-80 degrees).
With the Time Analysis Tool it is very easy to fine tune your CdA (Drag Coefficient) using a past race or a training ride. Keep in mind that you will want to use a past race or ride in which you were on the same setup as will be used in your upcoming race and you will need to know what your average power and total bike split time was for the past race/ride.
The basic idea is to take a known course, time and average power then calculate the CdA (drag) needed to balance this equation. Here are the steps to calibrating/verifying your CdA:
Your drag should now be calibrated and you can setup and run much more accurate power plans for future races.
This is the position that you spend the majority of a race in. Short distance triathletes and time-trialist may have an aggressive position, but most long distance athletes will be more relaxed. Here are the available race position options.
This position is mostly upright. Imagine riding your Tri or Road Bike for an easy spin.
Use this setting if you have a slight bend at your torso and your arms are roughly shoulder width apart.
This setting is reserved mostly for those racing on road bikes in short time trials where an athlete will stay in the drops. It is possible for the drag to be better in the drops than on a triathlon or time trial bike depending on the athlete.
This setting is for those who have very little flexibility and use the aerobar more for long distance support. On a Tri Bike if your bars are at or a bit above your seat this may be a good setting for you. Consequently you could also measure your Torso Angle and if it falls in a 45+ degrees range this would be a setting to start with.
If you are not very flexible and have a fairly upright position this is a good starting setting. If you are using clip on bars you may want to start with this setting as well.
This would be the standard setting for the majority of triathletes and time trialists. It represents a good aero position that you would achieve if you are fairly flexible and have a proper bike fit.
Time trial specialists and small or very flexible triathletes will fit under this category. It may be very difficult to hold this position for more than a 40k race although some triathletes can hold a very tight position for races up to a half distance.
Select the condition that best fits the majority of the race course. Road condition can greatly affect drag especially over long courses. Take a look at these more detailed descriptions.
This should only be used if you are racing on near perfect track-like road conditions.
Good conditions would include fresh asphalt or smooth concrete roads.
The average setting typifies the typical road conditions observed at most triathlons or time trials. Examples include a mixture of worn concrete with minor cracks or rougher asphalt.
Poor road conditions include sections of considerable cracked concrete or worn down chip-seal. Roads that are not well maintained would also fall in this category.
These roads may cause considerable bouncing up and down more than forward momentum. Fresh chip-seal or sections of cobbles may require the use of this setting.
FTP (Functional Threshold Power) represents the maximum average power you can maintain for an hour long effort. A shorter 20 min test, shown below, can be performed to approximate your FTP number.
Currently we only support GPX Track Files and FIT Activity Files for course uploads. Course or route data can be used directly from your device as FIT (activity) files or it can be downloaded as GPX (track)/FIT (activity) files from multiple applications such as TrainingPeaks, Garmin Connect, RideWithGPS, Strava, etc. Note that courses can also be created manually on sites such as RideWithGPS.com and then the resulting GPX Track file can be exported for use with Best Bike Split.
You can manually create your course using RideWithGPS.com and then export the course's GPX file for use with Best Bike Split.
RideWithGPS.com has a very good help section on Creating Routes (Planning), but keep in mind that you will need a detailed map and/or turn by turn directions in order to draw an accurate course out.
To crop a course simply upload a GPX or FIT file like the normal upload process. Once uploaded use the elevation chart to highlight the section of the course you want to include. This will highlight the section of the course in Green on the map and move the Start and Stop icons. Save the course as normal and the cropped course will be added to your Courses page. To undo a Crop just click inside the highlighted section of the elevation chart.
After performing analysis on an entire race course you may want to isolate certain sections or segments of a course to model individually. To do this go to the specific course page used for your model, download the GPX file, then upload that file (using the course upload button) and crop the course to the desired section. You can then duplicate your model changing out the original course for the new course section. For higher fidelity you will want to turn on the Rolling Start option in your advanced settings.
This is useful for analyzing sections of a race where you may want to test certain tactics or for training for specific sections of a course using one of our downloadable files.
The easiest way to create multiple laps from a single lap course file, is to open the GPX file in a text editor (like Notepad on a PC or Notes on a Mac) and then copy all of the track points (trkpt) for a single lap then paste them in again after the last track point for the first lap (as many times as you need laps). Here's a small example for a single loop and you would copy all of the trkpt lines then paste them in again after the last trkpt line. This will duplicate the lap for this course file.
Note if you have some additional start or finish points that are not part of the loop just leave them out of the copied trkpt lines and paste the multiple loops in between them.
To download the raw course data which includes latitude, longitude and elevation data go to My Courses, , click on the view (magnifier) icon for the course you want to download under, then click the Download GPX file button. This file is a standard course format used by most mapping and indoor trainer companies.
Note if you are using this data for training indoors it will not include any of your specific race plan power, weight or aerodynamic details. For training specifically for a course we suggest using our Erg, TrainerRoad or Zwift power files found on your specific race plan details page.
Achieving the best results from Best Bike Split is dependent on having a quality .GPX Track or .FIT Activity file with accurate elevation data for our math and physics model. Below is a guide to help you select the best .GPX Track or .FIT Activity data to upload to the system.
*The Garmin 500, 910xt and 920xt can often collect accurate data, but have been shown to be prone to temperature drift and occasional drop outs.
You can now create courses using a previous ride's .FIT activity file from a Garmin Device or other device that records .FIT activity files. You can also download a previous ride's .FIT activity file from TrainingPeaks or Garmin Connect.
Note this only works if the originally uploaded file was a .FIT activity file.
Demo a premium race plan to see how the premium features of Best Bike Split can help dial in your equipment, experiment with different variables and use advanced weather reports to help you achieve your race day goals.
This chart shows you the optimal power pacing strategy for your race based on your specific goal inputs. It also shows your estimated speed for each section of the course. As you hover over the graph you will see the marker on the map move to the section of the course that corresponds to that power target as well as an indicator of the wind relative to the rider for that location on the course. This chart will help you plan out your race strategy and think through where you will need to push and where you can hold a bit back. To remove a data set simply click that data's label shown under the graph. Toggle between distance and time by clicking either option above the graph data.
When you zoom in on a section of the Power Plan Chart all of the summary metrics will update to reflect that specific section of the course. This allows athletes and coaches to do a deeper analysis of the race plan on areas such as major climbs, windy sections and/or out and back sections. To zoom simply click and drag across the Power Plan Time or Distance Chart. When you reset zoom, change chart type or switch tabs the Race Summary data will revert back to the total overview.
The Time Analysis tool allows you to view the estimated time difference for changes in Power, Drag, Weight and/or Rolling Resistance for the race at both the individual segment level as well as the total cumulative time difference. Here are just a few things you could do with the Time Analysis feature.
When you zoom in on a section of the Time Analysis Tool Chart all of the summary metrics will update to reflect that specific section of the course. You may also adjust the Power, Drag, Weight and/or Rolling Resistance sliders to see the effect on your zoomed area. This allows athletes and coaches to do a deeper analysis of the race plan on areas such as major climbs, windy sections and/or out and back sections. To zoom simply click and drag across the Time Analysis Tool Chart. When you reset zoom or switch tabs the Race Summary data will revert back to the total overview.
The Advanced Weather chart shows a forecasted or historical weather map for the course based on both location and time. The chart shows 12 sets of forecasted/historical weather data from points along the course corresponding to the time that the athlete will be crossing into those zones. This data is pulled in from the closest weather station to the zone that the athlete is estimated to be in at that time.
Temperature is shown in either degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit depending on your unit settings.
Relative humidity is the ratio of the current absolute humidity to the highest possible absolute humidity (which depends on the current air temperature). A reading of 100 percent relative humidity means that the air is totally saturated with water vapor.
Barometric pressure (also known as atmospheric pressure) is the force exerted by the atmosphere at a given point. It is known as the "weight of the air". Measurement of barometric pressure is in bars, with normal pressure at sea level being 1.013 bars.
Wind speed is shown in either miles per hour or kilometers per hour depending on your unit settings. The wind direction is shown in degrees and represents the direction that the wind is coming from, with true north at 0° and progressing clockwise. The graphic arrows point in the direction that the wind is going and are positioned relative to the course map, with north being at the top of the map.
The "Time in Zones" chart provides a visual representation of the cumulative time spent in each training or racing zone for your race plan. This chart helps you understand the distribution of effort across different intensity levels, which can guide your training focus and ensure you are adequately preparing for the demands of your race.
This chart shows you the percentage of race time you will spend in each yaw angle range based on your goal targets and weather data inputs. The yaw angle data can be used to help with race day equipment selection or can be used to support purchasing decisions. Many bikes and wheels are now designed to be faster at certain yaw angles so knowing the yaw angles you tend to experience most often in your races can help guide your major purchase decisions. To remove a data set on the chart simply click that data's label shown under the graph.
Larger yaw angles indicate crosswinds while smaller angles will be more direct head or tail winds. The general rule of thumb is to go as deep as you can from 0-12.5 degrees yaw. Above 12.5 degrees it is very athlete dependent based on the athletes ability to stay steady and in position in the crosswinds. On courses with more hills this changes a bit based on weight and speed.
This chart shows you the percentage of race time you will spend in each road gradient range based on your goal targets and the terrain on the course. The gradient data can be used to help an athlete understand the nature of the course elevation. It can also be used to help highlight the type of climbs that would be beneficial to simulate in training.
The Peak Power Chart shows the mean max average power values across different times for the race model. When compared to an athletes actual peak power or power duration curve this data can be used to help set any power limitations in the advanced settings section or to find areas where an athlete may need work to achieve an optimal pacing strategy for a given course. This becomes especially useful in Time Trial efforts where the peak power and the power duration curve should closely follow each other.
The BBS AI Assistant is an advanced feature available exclusively to our Premium Account holders. It's designed to provide expert guidance on race plans, training, nutrition, and more, leveraging deep knowledge of Best Bike Split, endurance cycling, and triathlon coaching.
Here are some prompts you might use:
The Category Climbs race plan feature is located on each athlete's race plan below the course map and power intervals. It provides a detailed summary of categorized climbs and lists each detected climb along with its associated data.
When you click on an individual climb, it will be highlighted on the power chart, color-coded to match the category color. This visual representation helps athletes and coaches to better understand the demands of each climb and tailor their training accordingly.
Best Bike Split categorizes climbs using a scoring system that is based on the grade and distance of the climb. This system mimics the published logic used by Strava for climb categorization.
To determine the category of a climb, the algorithm checks if the grade is greater than or equal to 3.0% and if the climb distance is greater than or equal to 300 meters. If these conditions are met, the climb is considered significant, and its score is calculated as:
Climb Score = Climb Distance * Grade
Based on the climb score, the climb is categorized into one of the following categories:
Best Bike Split uses a two-step process to classify a course based on elevation gain, distance, and the frequency of categorized climbs.
This is a link that you can share with a friend, trainer or coach that will allow them to see the basics of your race plan. These public facing plans contain no personal information that would associate an individual with the race plan.
Example of a public race plan: bestbikesplit.com/public/30292
You can turn off access to your public links by going to "My Account" then "Update Public Access".
The cheat sheet breaks the course into scenarios with power targets for each based on your goal targets and course/weather conditions. Many of our Pros and Members use the cheat sheet exclusively on race day. While racing you can follow the power targets based on the situation you are in at the time (i.e. riding into a head wind on a flat to rolling section target 200 watts or riding up a minor hill 1-2% target 215 watts).
While Best Bike Split does rely on power to give an accurate model and pacing plan, it is possible to use estimated speed in lieu of power for race day execution via our Speed Based Course Cheat Sheet provided that you have done the following.
We provide general drag setting that will work for most athletes, but you may need to do some tweaking to get your drag numbers dialed in. The best way to do this is to adjust your 0 degree yaw angle drag in your bike settings. Try finding a high and low default setting (from your bike setup) then adjust your 0 yaw drag between these points by running the model and matching your average power (not normalized) and time compared to a known race result. See "How can I calibrate my drag using a past race and the Time Analysis Tool?" above for specifics on calibrating your drag. Note you may be a bit more aero for short races where you hold your position better than longer races like Ironman where you try to stay more comfortable. We suggest creating a bike profile for each. One for longer and one for shorter distance races.
With a free subscription you are limited to a single race plan and do not have the option to delete. You can however update your single race plan as many time as you like, changing the course and other settings to see new race plans.
From a Premium subscription, an athlete can delete a race plan by going to the list of race plans located under "My Race Plans" and clicking the race name then clicking the "Delete This Race" button. Similarly, a coach can delete race plans from a client account by first selecting the client to work with and then clicking the "Athlete Races" to view the list of that athlete's race plans and click the "Delete This Race" button under the selected race.
The BBS AI Assistant is an advanced feature available exclusively to our Premium Account holders. It's designed to provide expert guidance on race plans, training, nutrition, and more, leveraging deep knowledge of Best Bike Split, endurance cycling, and triathlon coaching.
Currently, the BBS AI Assistant is only accessible on Race Plan Details pages. You need to upgrade to a Premium Account to enjoy the services of the BBS AI Assistant. Once you're on a Race Plan Details page, you'll see an option to engage with the BBS AI Assistant on the right side of the page.
The assistant can provide detailed insights into your race plan, explain complex metrics in a user-friendly way, advise on nutrition, and even generate customized workout plans based on your upcoming race's specific challenges. Here are some prompts you might use:
The BBS AI Assistant is a premium feature. To access it, you'll need to upgrade to a Premium Account. With this upgrade, you'll gain full access to the assistant's expertise, along with other advanced features and insights to fully prepare you for race day.
The BBS AI Assistant is trained on a foundation of verified coaching practices, detailed race analysis, and validated endurance cycling and triathlon training principles. It utilizes Best Bike Split's extensive data and predictive models to offer advice. While it serves as a powerful tool in race preparation, it's designed to complement — not replace — personalized coaching and individualized training programs.
The primary function of the BBS AI Assistant is preparatory. It offers insights, information, and strategy to help you before your race. It doesn't provide real-time coaching during races but serves as an invaluable tool for pre-race planning and strategy formulation.
This feature marks the beginning of our plans to integrate AI more comprehensively into Best Bike Split. We envision expanding the assistant's capabilities and potentially introducing more specialized AI assistants for various aspects of training and race preparation. Our goal is to continually enhance the value we provide to our premium subscribers.
See the Wahoo help page for more information.
Please note that the Elemnt will pull in all of your BBS Races and BBS Courses, but only Races will contain targets. Courses do not contain any targets and are only navigation.
If you are at the beginning of the race the Initial Power and Speed Targets will appear in the data fields Target Power and Target Speed. If you are already on the course the ELEMNT will find where you are on the course and display the proper targets for your position. Some examples of our preferred ELEMNT screen layouts are shown below.
See the Wahoo help page for more information.
ELEMNT pages are set up using the ELEMNT app on your mobile phone.
Premium Best Bike Split subscriptions that are connected to a TrainingPeaks premium athlete account can upload race plans as structured workouts directly to their connected TrainingPeaks' calendar. Best Bike Split coach subscriptions that are connected to a TrainingPeaks coach account can upload race plans as workouts directly to their TrainingPeaks coached athlete's calendars.
Race plans can be uploaded as either a time or distance based structured workout. Time-based workouts are great for synching with training platforms like Zwift, while distance-based workouts are better for comparing your plan to your actual power on race day.
NOTICE Please note that TrainingPeaks will not calculate planned TSS or IF for distance based workouts.
NOTICE Please note that structured workouts are based on %FTP. For best results, please confirm that your or your athlete's FTP matches up in Best Bike Split and TrainingPeaks.
With a Best Bike Split coach subscription that's connected to a TrainingPeaks coach account you can pull in your TrainingPeaks athlete's profiles and upload race plans as structured workouts directly to the athlete's TrainingPeaks calendars.
After uploading your race plan as a structured workout to TrainingPeaks it will auto sync with Zwift, Garmin and other TP partners.
NOTICE Please note that when structured workouts are auto synced from TrainingPeaks to Garmin, Garmin will only use the first 50 steps of the work.
The uploaded race plan can also be used to compare your plan (structured workout) to the actual race data. Read more about this feature on TrainingPeaks.com
TrainingPeaks Uploads allows you to upload Best Bike Split race plan files directly to your connected TrainingPeaks calendar as a structured workout. This feature is located on each of the race details pages.
Paid Best Bike Split subscriptions that are connected to a TrainingPeaks premium athlete account can upload race plans as workouts directly to their connected TrainingPeaks' calendar.
Race plans can be uploaded as either a time or distance based structured workout. Time-based workouts are great for synching with training platforms like Zwift, while distance-based workouts are better for comparing your plan to your actual power on race day.
NOTICE Please note that TrainingPeaks will not calculate planned TSS or IF for distance based workouts.
NOTICE Please note that structured workouts are based on %FTP. For best results, please confirm that your or your athlete's FTP matches up in Best Bike Split and TrainingPeaks.
After uploading your race plan as a structured workout to TrainingPeaks it will auto sync with Zwift, Garmin and other TP partners.
NOTICE Please note that when structured workouts are auto synced from TrainingPeaks to Garmin, Garmin will only use the first 50 steps of the work.
The uploaded race plan can also be used to compare your plan (structured workout) to the actual race data. Read more about this feature on TrainingPeaks.com
If you have a coach subscription and are connected to a TrainingPeaks coach account you will see "TrainingPeaks Athletes" just below your list of BBS athletes on the "My Athletes" page. Click "TrainingPeaks Athletes" to display a list of your coached athletes from TrainingPeaks.
Click the "Add Athlete" button next to the TrainingPeaks athlete that you would like to add. The available information on that athlete will be pulled in from TrainingPeaks to create a BBS athlete profile. Please note that TrainingPeaks does not have all of the information needed for a full BBS athlete profile.
If you have a coach subscription and are connected to a TrainingPeaks coach account you will see "TrainingPeaks Athletes" just below your list of BBS athletes on the "My Athletes" page.
Click "TrainingPeaks Athletes" to display a list of your coached athletes from TrainingPeaks. Click the "Connect" button next to the TrainingPeaks athlete that you would like to associate (connect) with an existing BBS athlete profile then select the BBS athlete from the list that pops up.
| TP Free | TP Premium | TP Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBS Free | No Uploads | No Uploads | No Uploads |
| BBS Premium | No Uploads | Upload to Connected Athlete | No Uploads |
| BBS Athlete Plus | No Uploads | Upload to Connected Athlete | Upload to All Coached Athletes |
| BBS Coach | No Uploads | Upload to Connected Athlete | Upload to All Coached Athletes |
Best Bike Split Premium Athlete, Athelte Plus and Coach Subscriptions that are connected to a TrainingPeaks premium athlete account are able to upload race plans as structured workouts to their connected account. When a Best Bike Split user with an Athlete Plus or Coach Subscription is connected to a TrainingPeaks coach account, they will be able to pull in their TrainingPeaks athletes and upload race plans to their athletes' calendars on TrainingPeaks.
Garmin Connect Uploads allows you to upload Garmin Power Course files or race plans as Garmin Workouts (time or distance based) directly to your Garmin Connect account (no more manual file downloading and moving). This feature is located on each of the race details pages making it easier to get BBS courses and workouts to your Garmin device for training and racing.
Use your Garmin Power Course files on a Garmin Edge device during a race or training ride to have power alerts pop up at the bottom of your screen to indicate the proper power target based on specific latitude and longitude points along the course. Use your Garmin Race Workout files on a Garmin Edge device to guide you through your workout. Currently these files are compatible with 520/30/40, 820/30/40, 1030/40, 945 and The Fenix Series of watches (5 series and up).
Currently these files are compatible with the following Garmin devices: 520/30/40, 820/30/40, 1030/40, 945 and The Fenix Series of watches (5 series and up).
Currently these files are compatible with the following Garmin devices: 520/30/40, 820/30/40, 1030/40, 945 and The Fenix Series of watches (5 series and up).
With an ever growing number of race plan files that are compatible with many Garmin devices as well as TrainerRoad, Zwift, RGT, Rouvy, iMobileIntervals, perfPRO, PeriPedal and more it can be a little confusing on exactly which file type you need to download. Below is a brief description of each file type that we currently have available along with the devices and/or software that is compatible with that file type.
The ERG file contains detailed watt and time information created from your race plan which can be used with indoor training software to provide a great simulation of your race. This file type is compatible with most indoor training software including but not limited to TrainerRoad, Zwift, RGT, Rouvy, PeriPedal, PerfPRO and iMobileIntervals.
Similar to the ERG file the MRC File contains detailed %FTP and time information created from your race plan which can be used with indoor training software to provide a great simulation of your race. This file type is compatible with most indoor training software including but not limited to TrainerRoad, Zwift, RGT, Rouvy, PeriPedal, PerfPRO and iMobileIntervals.
This Garmin Workout .fit file is a distance based workout file for Garmin Edge and specific Forerunner devices. When loaded* onto a Garmin device a distance based workout with watt targets corresponding to the Best Bike Split race plan is created. This workout can be used outdoors to simulate your race day efforts or indoors on a trainer in conjunction with a speed sensor and a power meter. Garmin limits workouts to a maximum of 50 steps so any plan longer than 50 segments will be intelligently combined into 50 workout steps. Garmin Workout files are compatible with Garmin Edge 500, 510, 800, 810, and 1000 cycling computers as well as Garmin Forerunner 910xt and 920xt watches.
*Garmin Workout Files must be manually added to Garmin devices in order to expand capacity to 50 steps. Please see "How do I load Garmin Power Course and TCX Power Route files on to my Garmin Device?" for details on getting the files on to your device.
The Garmin Power Course .fit file leverages the built in courses functionality in Garmin Edge and specific Forerunner devices. This file is meant to be used while training or racing on a specific course. While riding a course on your Garmin device you will receive on-screen power target alerts as you pass latitude/longitude points corresponding to your Best Bike Split race plan. Each Edge device does require some specific setup for best use of Garmin Power Courses and will require manual upload to the device. See additional FAQs below for details on settings for your specific device.
This file outputs your Best Bike Split race plan as a standard Garmin Activity .tcx file. This file can be loaded into outside software to perform additional analysis on your plan or compare your race plan to your actual race efforts. This file is compatible with TrainingPeaks, Garmin Connect, Strava, RideWithGPS, etc.
The TCX Power Route file has identical functionality to the Garmin Power Course but may not be supported by all devices. It will allow you to upload to other analysis software such as RideWithGPS to get different views of your route and power targets. Please see "How do I load Garmin Power Course and TCX Power Route files on to my Garmin Device?" for details on getting the files on to your device.
TrainerRoad is a simple but incredible indoor training application compatible with most any indoor trainer. We have created a special TrainerRoad file that adds additional instructions and information on top of the typical ERG file functionality. This file type is in beta as we add additional features to it over the off season.
Zwift is a social indoor cycling video game and training platform. It allows cyclists to train and ride in a beautiful 3D environment along with other riders from anywhere on the planet. We have created a special Zwift workout file that allows athletes to load BBS Race plans as workouts into the Zwift workout library. This file type is in beta as we add additional features to it over the off season such as on screen instructions for road gradients and weather conditions.
To use the BBS ConnectIQ Race Sync App first download the app from Garmin ConnectIQ.
Once the app is on your device follow the steps below to Sync race plans to your Garmin. Please note that there are some issues with Garmin Watches that are being worked on in conjunction with Garmin Support Teams. You will always be able to load a course manually.
If you do not want to start your race you may simply exit back out to the main screen using the back button or the home button on touchscreen devices. The course will be saved for future use and accessible under courses. The screenshots below should guide you through the process.
*Make sure your phone is paired with your Garmin Device.
To logout of your BBS account on the app press the back button on the course list and hold down the Menu (arrow) button or select the settings button on touch screen devices.
Download the Power Targets data field from the Garmin Connect IQ store.
Garmin Power Course and TCX Power Route files allow you to load your Best Bike Split race power plans onto your Garmin devices to use during your races. When running during a race, power alerts will pop up at the bottom of your screen to indicate the proper power target based on specific latitude and longitude points along the course. These courses must be manually loaded to your Garmin device as Garmin Connect does not yet support power alerts.
Before starting, make sure you always have the latest firmware installed on your device.
We recommend the following data fields when using Garmin Power Courses on your device. These settings will help guide your actions as power target alerts are prompted.
Use the following steps to help you setup your Edge Device for optimal use with Garmin Power Courses.
Setup a new BBS Activity profile based on an existing profile and set the following on your new BBS Activity profile.
Note that if you choose Non Straight Line Navigation or don't have the option to set Straight Line in step 5 above, you will need to also make the following settings.
Garmin Power Course and TCX Power Route files allow you to load your Best Bike Split race power plans onto your Garmin devices to use during your races. When running during a race, power alerts will pop up at the bottom of your screen to indicate the proper power target based on specific latitude and longitude points along the course. These courses must be manually loaded to your Garmin device as Garmin Connect does not yet support power alerts. Instructions for loading these files are shown below:
Before starting, make sure you always have the latest firmware installed on your device.
We recommend the following data fields when using Garmin Power Courses on your device. These settings will help guide your actions as power target alerts are prompted.
Use the following steps to help you setup your Edge Device for optimal use with Garmin Power Courses.
Garmin Power Course and TCX Power Route files allow you to load your Best Bike Split race power plans onto your Garmin devices to use during your races. When running during a race, power alerts will pop up at the bottom of your screen to indicate the proper power target based on specific latitude and longitude points along the course. These courses must be manually loaded to your Garmin device as Garmin Connect does not yet support power alerts.
Use the following steps to help you setup your Garmin Device for optimal use with Garmin Power Courses.
Garmin Power Course and TCX Power Route files allow you to load your Best Bike Split race power plans onto your Garmin devices to use during your races. When running during a race, power alerts will pop up at the bottom of your screen to indicate the proper power target based on specific latitude and longitude points along the course. Currently these files are compatible with 500/10, 800/10, and 910xt/920xt devices. These courses must be manually loaded to your Garmin device as Garmin Connect does not yet support power alerts. Instructions for loading these files are shown below:
TrainerRoad is a great indoor training tool that allows athletes to follow well thought out indoor power workouts. These workouts based on power and duration are typically called ERG (Watts vs. Time) or MRC (%FTP vs. Time) workouts. By combining your Best Bike Split race plans with indoor training provided by TrainerRoad you can start to pre train and get an accurate simulation of how it will feel on race day. We have also created a beta TrainerRoad specific file type that will be enhanced over time. Simple steps for getting race based power workouts transferred from Best Bike Split to the TrainerRoad application.
Zwift is a social indoor cycling video game and training platform. It allows cyclists to train and ride in a beautiful 3D environment along with other riders from anywhere on the planet. We have created a special Zwift workout file that allows athletes to load BBS Race plans as workouts into the Zwift workout library. This file type is in beta as we add additional features to it over the off season such as on screen instructions for road gradients and weather conditions.
The Analytics Tool provides athletes and coaches with a comprehensive view into race day performance by allowing them to upload ride files and analyze their performance. We store segmented data, making it easy to update your analysis and refine model settings for future race planning. Analytics will currently provide our Time Analysis what-if simulation functionality, estimate aerodynamic drag factors and allow athletes to update their settings, highlight Variability Index tendencies over time, provide zoomable standard metric calculations and give insight into performance factors by gradient breakdown. Over time we will add race type specific features for Road, MTB, and Gravel race types.
The tool uses a similar setup to BBS race plans so we do require some knowledge of the course to help refine the analysis and drag estimates. To start analyzing ride data follow these steps:
Note: If data seems inconsistent please see our case study on the Aero Analyzer.
CdA (coefficient of drag x area) is the major component of aero drag that is typically calculated in the wind tunnel or with velodrome testing. As a rider goes faster, the drag force related to pushing the bike through the air grows exponentially, so the lower your CdA, the easier it is to cut through the wind. At some point, there is a trade-off between getting more aerodynamic and producing power. Typical CdA number ranges that should be expected are:
| World Class Time Trialist | .21 - .23 |
|---|---|
| Top End Triathlete | .23 - .25 |
| High/Mid Pack Triathlete | .25 - .29 |
| Road Racing/Relaxed Position | .30 - .35 |
| MTB / Climbing / Comfort Position | .35 - .45 |
While any ride that has GPS data, power and speed can be analyzed, a few extra steps can help get the most accuracy out of the analysis.
This chart plots out the general ride data from your uploaded file along with calculated CdA points through out the course. As you hover over the chart you will see the marker on the map move to the section of the course that corresponds to that data as well as an indicator of the wind relative to the rider for that location on the course. Click and drag across the Ride Data chart to zoom in on a section and all of the summary metrics will update to reflect that specific section of the course. To remove a data set simply click that data's label shown under the graph.
This chart plots out the general ride data from your uploaded file along with calculated CdA points through out the course. As you hover over the chart you will see the marker on the map move to the section of the course that corresponds to that data as well as an indicator of the wind relative to the rider for that location on the course. Click and drag across the Ride Data chart to zoom in on a section and all of the summary metrics will update to reflect that specific section of the course. To remove a data set simply click that data's label shown under the graph.
When you zoom in on a section of the Ride Data chart all of the summary metrics will update to reflect that specific section of the course. This allows athletes and coaches to do a deeper analysis of the race on areas such as major climbs, windy sections and/or out and back sections. To zoom simply click and drag across the Ride Data chart. When you reset zoom, change chart type or switch tabs the Race Overview data will revert back to the total overview. You will notice that the power data is processed in a segmented style. This has been done to support BBS analysis and future functionality.
The Time Analysis chart is a unique tool for athletes and coaches to analyze the impact of power, drag, weight, and rolling resistance on race day performance. With the integration of this technology into the Analytics feature, users can now review past rides and determine how these variables would have affected their results.
Please keep in mind that this analysis has some differences from the Race Plan version. In Analytics, the app may exclude segments of the race where the athlete was experiencing significant acceleration or deceleration or when there are potential data anomalies in elevation or weather data. For example, in steep descents, changing the variables would not have altered the time as the athlete was likely breaking.
The Weather chart shows a forecasted or historical weather map for the course based on both location and time. The chart shows historical weather data from points along the course corresponding to the time that the athlete crossed into those zones. This data is pulled in from the closest weather station to the zone that the athlete was in at that time.
Temperature is shown in either degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit depending on your unit settings.
Relative humidity is the ratio of the current absolute humidity to the highest possible absolute humidity (which depends on the current air temperature). A reading of 100 percent relative humidity means that the air is totally saturated with water vapor.
Wind speed is shown in either miles per hour or kilometers per hour depending on your unit settings. The wind direction is shown in degrees and represents the direction that the wind is coming from, with true north at 0° and progressing clockwise. The graphic arrows point in the direction that the wind is going and are positioned relative to the course map, with north being at the top of the map.
Barometric pressure (also known as atmospheric pressure) is the force exerted by the atmosphere at a given point. It is known as the "weight of the air". Measurement of barometric pressure is in bars, with normal pressure at sea level being 1.013 bars.
Precipitation is shown as a percent chance that rain (0.01 inch or more) will fall somewhere within the forecasted area.
Once the algorithm calculates aerodynamic drag across the course we attempt to cluster this data into buckets representing Race, Climbing/Relaxed and Anomalies positions. These are used to derive the optional updates for your bike settings in BBS. The CdA Clusters chart displays these groupings in an interactive 3-D chart by CdA, Speed and Gradient. The chart can be rotated allowing you to gain insight into speeds and gradients where an athlete tends to change positions.
The "Time in Zones" chart provides a visual representation of the cumulative time spent in each training or racing zone during your race. This chart helps you understand the distribution of effort across different intensity levels, which can guide your future training focus and ensure you adequately prepared for the demands of your race.
White papers and marketing material often show how much more aero different equipment is at various yaw angles. When analyzing the ride we can give an accurate picture of the true wind angles experienced and give better insight into the type of wind conditions athletes experience during a race or ride. This chart shows the yaw angle breakdown of the file and the average for both the drive (+) and non drive (-) sides.
This chart shows the percentage of race time you spent in each road gradient range as well as the athlete's average speed and power for that range. This gradient data can help show areas of strength and weaknesses specific to the athletes descending skill and climbing power limitations, which you can use when setting max descent speeds or power limits within the race plan advanced settings options.
The Peak Power Chart shows the mean max average power values compared to the equivalent mean max normalized power values across different times for the race file. When compared to an athletes previously recorded peak power or power duration curve this data can be used to help set power limitations as well as minimum VI values in the advanced settings section or to find areas where an athlete may need work to achieve an optimal pacing strategy for a future race. This becomes especially powerful for lower powered athletes or in hilly terrain where athletes will struggle to maintain lower VI values.
The Estimated CdA is very dependent on good data. There are a lot of areas where data can get corrupted from uncalibrated (or in some cases left only) power meters, bad barometric or GPS elevation data, poor location data, and/or inaccurate weather information. We do our best to help alleviate this behind the scenes, but with all of the variables bad data is bound to sneak through sometime. Ideally with the perfect setup and known conditions the CdA data will appear as a straight line across, but these conditions rarely if ever actually exist outside the trainer or velodrome. Conveniently we use some techniques in our algorithm to minimize the impacts from real world data flukes as much as possible.
It is often fairly obvious to determine whether the input data is good visually from the resulting CdA data. A couple of examples are shown below and more information can be found in our case study here (link to case study).
On a hilly course in sections where an athlete would normally stay in an aero position if the CdA numbers are much higher for the slightly uphill sections compared to the slightly downhill sections it is an indication that the weight in the algorithm may be too low compared to actual. Below is a case where there is a disparity on the same sections of uphill to downhill. Because the athlete is above 20 MPH for both of these they should be staying as aerodynamic as possible.
This is an example of an out and back where historical wind data was off by 180 degrees so what looked to the analysis like a head wind out and tail wind back was actually a strong tailwind out and head wind back. Thus the calculated CdA numbers on the way out where too low whereas the numbers on the way back were too high.
The physics behind our analysis algorithm for estimating CdA is sound and we have shown against velodrome and wind tunnel data that the deltas between an athlete's position can be picked up nicely. As we get more data we will continue to refine our methodology especially around our clustering algorithm which does tend to error a bit on higher side for drag settings. This is somewhat purposely so athletes and coaches don’t have overly optimistic expectations that can not be met in reality as we have seen with some wind tunnel and velodrome data in the past.
Currently we only accept .FIT (max 5mb) files for analysis. These files at a minimum need to have speed, power and lat/long data for outdoor rides or speed and power data from velodrome rides. The system will give a warning if there is insufficient data to process your file.
The main reason we started down this development path is to separate the estimated CdA from the pacing portion of the system. The Time Analysis Tool will give a good drag estimate based on previous performances if the ride/race was ridden with the given pacing strategy. For test rides, equipment tests or races where a different pacing strategy was implemented a new tool needed to be developed. In the future this will also allow us to break down race analysis for time gained/lost corresponding to riding strategy versus settings.
Data is often messy. When analyzing road rides the data will typically be very scattered in the cluster chart; however, on the Ride Data chart you should be able to pick out areas where you were sitting in the pack or taking a pull and see what kind of drag data corresponds to the different situations.
The Download Workout File allows you to download a representative .ERG or Zwift file based on your uploaded race file for use with compatible indoor training software. For more information on using the files with training software please see the specific FAQs on TrainerRoad or Zwift.
The "Update This Analysis" function allows you to adjust your ride name and re-run the analytics with updated variables such as ride type, bike used, course road conditions, terrain type, and weather type. These variables will impact the CdA calculations and could affect the results of the analysis.
It's important to note that the update will pull the current weight and FTP values from the rider profile, so if you're analyzing a past race, you may need to adjust these values directly in the rider profile. Also, if you want to change the corrected elevation, you'll need to re-upload your raw file as a new analysis due to the ride segmentation process.
The Comparison Tool is a feature that enables athletes and coaches to compare a race plan to another race plan or actual race analytics data. It provides valuable insights by overlaying multiple charts of Power, Speed, and Elevation data, allowing users to identify differences in power and speed between the compared plans or performances. Additionally, the tool offers summary data for each race, enabling comparison of overall metrics.
By comparing a race plan to another race plan or actual race data, athletes and coaches can identify areas of improvement, adjust their pacing strategies, and tailor their training to target specific weaknesses. The Comparison Tool helps users make data-driven decisions for optimizing their race-day performance, while also offering summary insights for better understanding overall metrics.
The Comparison Tool allows you to overlay multiple charts that showcase Power, Speed, and Elevation data. This comparison enables users to identify differences in power output and speed between two race plans or between a race plan and actual race analytics data. Furthermore, the tool provides summary data for each race to compare overall metrics and performance indicators such as: average speed, average power, normalized power, variability index, intensity factor, training stress score, and much more.
Yes, the "Comparison Tool" can be used to compare race plans and performance data from different races or courses, as long as the data is available in the Best Bike Split platform. This flexibility helps athletes and coaches understand how varying course conditions, elevation profiles, and race strategies may impact their performance.
The BBS AI Workout Builder is a tool that allows cyclists to create personalized, structured workouts based on specific race scenarios or personal training goals. Using an AI prompt and/or selecting a previous race plan, athletes and coaches can input detailed requirements and generate workouts that meet their needs, whether for a specific type of race plan, general race scenario, or performance improvement.
This tool is ideal for athletes and coaches who want to customize key workouts to specific events or performance goals. It helps create structured training that simulates actual race conditions, optimizes performance through targeted zone-based intervals, and ensures effective and efficient workouts.
Yes, with a premium subscription, workouts generated by the AI Workout Builder can be copied/duplicated and edited/updated to fine-tune durations, intensity levels, and specific training intervals to better align with you or your athletes' training needs or adjust for day-to-day fitness and readiness variations.
Currently there is no limit to the number of workouts that a Premium Athlete or Coach can create. However, this may change in the future based on the cost of AI usage.
Coaches can use the AI Workout Builder to create and assign workouts directly to their athletes' workout libraries or to create workouts in their own "coach's library" which allows them to quickly add that same workout to multiple athlete's accounts. This allows for efficient management of workouts for similar use cases and athletes and easier adjustments based on an athlete's needs by editing base workouts directly in the athlete's library.
Best Bike Split has implemented a simple workout based on steps. Each step has a description, duration (minutes), and goal percentage of FTP. These workouts can be edited, downloaded in various third-party file types, and synched to popular partner companies like Garmin, TrainingPeaks, and Wahoo.
Workouts can be downloaded in various file formats that are compatible with third-party applications. The supported formats include ERG Power, MRC %FTP, Zwift, and TrainerRoad. You can also sync your workouts directly to Garmin and TrainingPeaks for seamless integration into your training devices and platforms.
The Workout Library is a collection of pre-built workouts categorized by training focus, such as Recovery, Endurance, Tempo, Threshold, VO2 Max, and Anaerobic. Each workout comes with details like duration, Training Stress Score (TSS), and Intensity Factor (IF) to help you choose the most appropriate workout for your training goals.
If you work with more than one athlete you will want to go with the coach subscription which allows you to easily setup and maintain an unlimited number of athlete profiles. Under the "My Athletes" page you can add athlete profiles yourself or invite athletes to setup their own Best Bike Split subscriptions and then have them grant you access to their account. Additionally, if you are a TrainingPeaks coach you can connect your TrainingPeaks coach account and pull in athletes directly from TrainingPeaks.
Jump between your athletes by selecting which athlete profile to work with on your “My Athletes” page and you will have the ability to modify that athlete's profile, add/modify that athlete's bike(s), add/upload courses for that athlete and create/modify race plans. The primary profile (your own original profile) acts as the Coach Profile and any bikes or courses associated with that profile can easily be added to your athlete’s profiles. This can save time if you have several athletes doing the same race or if you want to setup several default bikes to use as needed.
With a coach subscription, you will notice that the race details page includes a feature called "Athlete Link" which is a link that you can send your athlete giving them access to their race detail page even without being a Best Bike Split member. If you have connected your TrainingPeaks coach account and associated your athlete with an athlete account on TrainingPeaks, you will see an option to upload your athlete’s race plan as a workout directly to TrainingPeaks.
Please note that using an Athlete Subscription to create race plans for multiple athletes goes against our posted Terms of Use. Please read the specifics here under 5) Subscription Types and 8) Term; Termination by BBS (www.bestbikesplit.com/terms-of-use)
To add an athlete who does not currently have a free or premium account, go to your My Athletes page, and either click the "Add Athlete" button and set up their profile manually or if you are a TrainingPeaks coach and have connected your account to TrainingPeaks you can select an existing athlete profile from your list of TrainingPeaks athletes by clicking the "Add Athlete" button next to the athlete in your list of TrainingPeaks athletes. The athlete will then be listed as a non-member in your athlete list. Note that the athlete does not have access to this type of account, since you added the athlete.
If you would like to give the athlete access to their account, you can invite them to join Best Bike Split. They will then be able to login and gain access to their profile, bikes, courses, and races. To do this just click the "Invite to Membership" button located in that athlete's overview on your My Athletes page, then fill in the athlete's email address. We will send an email to your athlete with instructions on how to login to their new Athlete account. Note that athletes with a free account will have limited access to features such as adding bikes and races on their own.
If an athlete already has a free or premium membership, you can request access to connect to their profile by clicking the "Invite Athlete" button and completing the form. We will then send them an email with instructions on how to grant you access to their existing athlete account.
The next time you log in or refresh your list of athletes, you will see pending athlete requests. Just click the green button to accept the pending athlete.
Remember you can rollover these question mark icons for additional information on a topic.
We also have a YouTube Channel with several tutorials and instructional videos.
Didn't find what you were looking for? Don't hesitate to submit a request to our Customer Success Team and we'll help you out.
If you are a Premium Account holder and have a question about a specific race or feature, you can ask the BBS AI Assistant located on your Race Plan Details page.
