Schwinn MPower Echelon Frequently Asked Questions ECHELON FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITY How do I turn on the console? You can turn on the console by pressing any button. When I turn on the console and it says READY TO CALIBRATE, what do I do? This is occurs when a feature called RIDER CALIBRATION is set to ON in the settings menu. If you get this prompt, stop pedaling, and then follow the prompts on the screen. What does RIDER CALIBRATION do? RIDER CALIBRATION was a feature that was used in the past to calibrate the console each time the rider starts the console. Schwinn now recommends against using this feature, and recommends turning it OFF in the Service menu. Schwinn has developed a new procedure for more accurately calibrating the console that requires RIDER CALIBRATION to be turned OFF. There is a document and a link to a YouTube video on the Schwinn Equipment website that give detailed instructions on how to follow the most current calibration process. Visit the Schwinn Support website for the Echelon console at http://support.schwinnequipment.com/product/?id=27 to find the latest instructions and video link on how to calibrate the console. The website also has contact information if you need assistance from Schwinn Support. Once I ve started the console, how do I get the timers to start working? To wake up the timers on the console, the rider needs to pedal at 80 rpm for a few seconds. Once the timers start timing the ride, the rider may pedal at any RPM. How do I end the workout? After you stop pedaling, the console will begin to flash the values on the display. This is known as Pause mode, and the console will remain in Pause mode for 5 minutes if no other buttons are pressed. To end the workout, press and hold the END button for 3 to 5 seconds. The console will then go into summary mode, at which time it will alternately display AVERAGE and MAX values of Watts, RPM, Speed, and Heart Rate. The console will remain in this mode for 1 minute then shut off. You may shut off the console at any point in this mode by pressing and holding the END button. How does the Echelon measure watts? The Echelon2 uses a tilt sensor also known as an accelerometer to measure the angle of the resistance mechanism. The console then uses an algorithm to calculate the watts based on the angle of the resistance mechanism. The algorithm was developed using a laboratory dynamometer to validate the accuracy of the power algorithm, achieving a level of accuracy that is comparable to other group cycling power meters. Page 1
The amount of calories that the console shows for my ride are lower than the amount of calories that my heart rate monitor says I burned. How are calories calculated on the Echelon, and why are they lower than what my heart rate monitor says? Calories on the console are calculated directly from watts, and are a true measure of the amount of energy expended by turning the pedals. The console does not take into account any biological factors such as age, weight, and gender. The Echelon calories also do not take into account calories burned due to a person s normal metabolic rate. Heart rate monitors use heart rate, age, gender, and weight to estimate how many calories a person burns. The heart rate monitor not only accounts for work done on the bike, but also resting metabolic rate while doing the work. So the heart rate monitor calories will likely always be higher than the calories calculated by the Echelon. The amount of difference between the two will depend on physical fitness level and biological factors of individual riders. What is the maximum amount of watts that the console can display? The console will display up to 999 watts. This is because the display is limited to 3 digits. How are speed and distance calculated on the console? Speed and distance are calculated directly from watts. The higher the wattage, the greater the speed and distance will be. Speed is calculated using the following assumptions: typical road bike in a mid-gear on a flat road with no wind resistance, and with an average-sized rider. How does the Stage timer on Echelon work? To start timing a stage, press and release the STAGE button. This will start counting from 0 and will accumulate distance. To clear the stage and start a new stage, press and release the STAGE button a second time. How do I get my heart rate monitor to pair with the console? Make sure the heart rate strap is on securely and that the electrodes are moistened. You must be positioned less than 31 inches from the console in order for the strap to pair. The pairing process will begin automatically once the console is turned on and will continue for 30 seconds. What heart rate monitors and fitness watches are compatible with the Echelon? For heart rate monitors, the Echelon will connect with 5.3 Khz analog heart rate straps, and compatible 2.4 Ghz ANT+ devices. For a list of compatible devices, check the ANT+ website product directory at http://www.thisisant.com/directory/. Note that not all ANT+ enabled devices are compatible with the Echelon. How do I get my ANT+ fitness watch to pair with the Echelon? Page 2
Check the ANT+ website product directory at http://www.thisisant.com/directory/ to make sure your watch or device is compatible with the Echelon. Then check the instructions for the watch to make sure it is in pairing mode. Then, while trying to pair, hold the watch right above the ANT+ logo on the console until a connection is established. Can the Echelon pair with my smartphone and be used with fitness apps? The Echelon is only ANT+ capable and is not Bluetooth capable. It can be paired with certain smartphones and apps via separate hardware plug in devices (e.g. Wahoo ANT+ key for iphones, and Garmin ANT+ stick with USB OTG cable for Android phones) that are capable of picking up the signal from the Echelon. In order for apps to be able to read the signal from the Echelon console, they must be configured to read the signal. You must contact specific app developers to determine if their apps are compatible or to request that compatibility be added to the app. Schwinn does not currently develop apps that can connect to the console. How do I get my consoles to connect to my leaderboard system, such as Performance IQ? There is a setting in the Service menu that must be turned on in order to connect with an external leaderboard system. Enter the Service menu by pressing and holding the STAGE and END buttons together for 5 seconds. Use the STAGE or END button to scroll to the OPEN ANT CHANNEL menu. Press the LIGHT button to enter the menu. Turn the setting to ON by pressing the END button, and then press the LIGHT button to accept the setting and exit the menu. The setting is set to OFF by default to conserve battery life in consoles that are not connected to an external leaderboard system. Why does the console display start flashing when I stop pedaling? The console has three modes of operation, Ride mode, Pause mode, and Summary mode. When you power on the console and start riding, you immediately go into ride mode. When you stop pedaling for about 10 seconds, the console will enter Pause mode. While in Pause mode, the display will flash. The console will remain in pause mode for 5 minutes unless the rider begins pedaling again. After 5 minutes, the console will go into Summary mode, where it will flash the Average and Maximum values of watts, RPM, and heart rate. If there is a USB stick inserted into the USB drive before entering Summary mode, then the console will upload the ride data to the USB stick. A rider can enter Summary mode from Pause mode at any time by pressing and holding the AVG/MAX button for 5 seconds. The console will remain in Summary mode for 1 minute unless the END button is pressed and held for 5 seconds to turn off the console. How do I get the console to display gear? If your console is not showing gear, then enter the Service menu by pressing and holding the STAGE and END buttons together for 5 seconds. Then scroll to the GEAR menu. Press the LIGHT button to enter the menu, and use the END button to scroll between the ON and OFF options. LIGHT button to choose the desired setting. Then scroll to the EXIT and press the LIGHT button to exit the Service menu. Page 3
How do I change the speed and distance display from imperial units to metric units? Enter the Service menu by pressing and holding the STAGE and END buttons together for 5 seconds. Scroll to the UNITS using the END button. Press the LIGHT button to enter the menu, and then use the STAGE or END button to scroll between options. Press the LIGHT button to choose the units, and then scroll to EXIT and press the LIGHT button to exit the Service menu How do I check the battery level? Enter the Service menu by pressing and holding the STAGE and END buttons together for 5 seconds. Scroll to the BATTERIES menu using the END button. Press the LIGHT button to enter the menu and check the percentage of battery life remaining. Press the LIGHT button to exit the BATTERIES menu, and then scroll to EXIT and press the LIGHT button to exit the Service menu. TROUBLESHOOTING The console will not turn on. What do I do? Replace the batteries. If the console still does not turn on after installing fresh batteries, then contact Schwinn Support. RPMs will not display. What do I do? Check the position of the RPM sensor next to the flywheel. The RPM sensor should be 1 to 2 mm away from the flywheel, or about the width of a credit card. Check the connection to the back of the console and to the power sensor to ensure that all connections are secure. Watts will not display. What do I do? Check the cable connection at the back of the console and inside the power sensor to ensure that the connections are secure. Why am I getting erratic RPM and watts numbers? In most cases, erratic RPM numbers are caused the RPM sensor not being properly positioned relative to the magnet on the flywheel. Erratic RPM readings will cause erratic watts readings because watts are calculated from RPMs. The first step in diagnosing erratic RPM readings is to check the RPM sensor position. Refer to the Echelon Installation Guide for details on how to properly position the RPM sensor. Other things to check are cables to make sure there is no damage, and connectors to make sure they are secure and not damaged. If none of these measures correct the issue, contact Schwinn customer support. Why am I getting abnormally low watts readings even at high resistance? Page 4
In rare cases, the Echelon power sensor may lose its zero set point calibration. Follow the instructions in the calibration document on the Schwinn Support website to check zero point and recalibrate. Why are certain bikes giving higher or lower watts readings than other bikes for a given level of perceived resistance? Bikes that give higher or lower Watts readings (i.e. feel easier or harder) than other bikes may not have been properly calibrated. Refer to the calibration instructions for the Echelon on the Schwinn Support website at www.schwinnequipment.com. In rare cases where a particular bike or bikes appear to display higher or lower watts noticeably different from other bikes, the ANGLE OFFSET feature in the service menu can be used to increase or decrease the watts value to make all bikes consistent. Why won t my heart rate strap to pair with the Echelon2? You must be wearing a 5.3 Khz analog or compatible 2.4 Ghz ANT+ heart rate strap. When you first power on the console, the heart rate icon on the left side of the top half of the screen will flash for 30 seconds while it searches for a signal from the strap. You must be within 31inches in order for the strap to establish a connection with the console. If after 30 seconds the strap does not pair with the console, you must turn the console off and then turn it back on again to reinitiate the pairing process. Once the strap and console pair, the heart rate will display on the console. If you are unable to establish a connection using a compatible heart rate strap, then the battery may be dead. Change the battery and attempt to pair again. Help!!! I read all the frequently asked questions but I still have questions or issues. How can I get additional help or answers? Go to www.schwinnequipment.com where we have all of our contact information, and customer resources for all of our products, including owner s manuals, installation guides, service bulletins, and firmware updates. Page 5