Quarq TyreWiz Tire Pressure Monitor Review
How cool would it be if you can monitor your bike’s tire pressure in real time?
Here’s what Quarq says about the TyreWiz.
TyreWiz is the first-of-its-kind tire pressure sensor for riders of mountain bikes and road bikes, taking the guesswork out of finding that optimal tire pressure. Lightweight and durable, TyreWiz adds only 10 grams to your tires.
Now before I get further, the Quarq TyreWiz is an expensive gadget, and it is not for everyone.
But if you’re a data geek like myself, then you might want to learn more about this cool little gadget.
Quarq TyreWiz Tech Details
Let’s start with the technical details. Unlike other gadgets such as bike computers or powermeters, the Quarq TyreWiz is pretty straightforward.
Each unit weighs only 10g with the CR1632 battery installed.
It comes in a pair and is compatible with Presta valves.
You can use it on clincher tires as long as the inner tubes have removable valve cores. For tubeless tires, it’s even more straightforward as the valve cores are removable anyway.
Quarq claims that each unit has 300 hours of battery life. I’ve done around 200 hours of riding on it and haven’t had any low battery indicators yet. It uses a CR1632 battery and can be easily replaced by removing the cover, like how you’d replace your heart rate monitor battery.
It’s rated with an IPX7 waterproof rating, which means that it can be immersed under 1m water for up to 30 minutes. Having said that, I’d definitely recommend doing that. But for those that ride along trails with your gravel or mountain bikes, you’d have peace of mind when you ride through shallow river crossings.
You can connect the TyreWiz to either your smartphone or bike computer via ANT+ or Bluetooth Low Energy, just like how your power meter, cadence, or speed sensor does.
Quarq also claims that the accuracy is within +/-2% accuracy at a resolution of .1 PSI.
Technical Specifications
- Weight : 10g per unit
- Use : Road, Mountain, Gravel, Cyclocross bikes
- Battery Life : 300 Hours
Installation
Installing the Quarq TyreWiz is very straightforward.
You’ll find the valve core remover included in the box. Just use it to remove the existing valve core and replace it with a more extended valve core with the Quarq TyreWiz.
Important : Don’t forget to release all the air before removing the valve core, or otherwise it’d come out like a rocket.
Then, insert the sensor unit into the valve core and tighter the nuts, and you’re set.
One important thing to note is the rotation angle and direction of the sensor unit.
You want it to be installed in the opposite direction of the wheel rotation and angled not more than 20º in either direction. Otherwise, you might risk the sensor unit hitting your bike frame.
Once installed, you can pair the Quarq TyreWiz with your bike computer or smartphone. Just spin the wheels to activate the sensor unit (you’ll see the flashing red lights). The sensor unit’s ID is printed on the sides for your reference.
From there, you can configure how you want the tire pressure to be displayed. It’s usually in the form of F-R which denotes Front and Rear tire pressure.
All in all, it wouldn’t take more than 5 minutes of installation time.
Quarq TyreWiz Smartphone App
The Quarq TyreWiz can work with and without the TyreWiz smartphone app.
Besides showing the tire pressure, the app would allow you to update the firmware and show you the recommended tire pressure after you’ve set your weight, bike weight, tire width, and wheel size.
Read More : The 7 Factors that Affect Your Bike Tire Pressure
It’s just a recommended value, and you can override it as you wish.
How Much it Cost?
The Quarq TyreWiz retails for $199 and available at major bike shops such as Competitive Cyclist and JensonUSA.
Quarq TyreWiz Tire Pressure Monitor
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Buy This If...
You’re a gadget and data geek and don’t mind paying for a device that does nothing more than giving you live tire pressuring reading and recording.
