⚡ What is PowerIQ?

PowerIQ is a feature in RaceYourTrack that turns a GPX file with speed data into a physically consistent power profile — without a power meter.

Instead of guessing “some” power value, PowerIQ uses our simulation physics to calculate, for every point along the route, the power required to achieve the recorded speed under the given conditions.

🧠 How does PowerIQ work?

PowerIQ combines several building blocks:

  • Route profile (grade/descending from the GPX)
  • Rolling resistance (Crr) and aerodynamics (CdA)
  • Wind (optional, if enabled in the simulation)
  • Inertia / acceleration: when GPX speed rises or falls, PowerIQ accounts for this dynamics so the result doesn’t just represent “holding a steady pace”, but reflects real speed changes.

One important point: PowerIQ handles downhills correctly. Gravity “helps” on descents — and PowerIQ avoids unrealistically high power values on downhills.

🧩 What makes PowerIQ especially reliable?

To ensure the result works well in practice, PowerIQ uses several plausibility mechanisms:

  • Physical consistency: power matches the route profile and resistive forces (rolling and aerodynamic drag) instead of “magically” inventing values.
  • Robust behavior on descents: no unrealistic power is generated just to “force” a certain speed.
  • Stable transitions: on changing grades or short speed variations, the model avoids extreme spikes that a real rider would hardly produce.
  • Smoothed power curve: to keep the curve realistic, PowerIQ reduces short-lived outliers and sharp power jumps. Total work is preserved — you get a “calmer” profile without ending up with too little or too much overall effort.

The result is a power curve that not only fits mathematically, but also feels like a plausible ride.

✅ What does it do for you?

PowerIQ is ideal if you want to:

  • analyze GPX files without a power meter
  • get a realistic power profile for simulation/strategy
  • compare routes (e.g., setup comparisons: CdA/weight/wind)
  • use a solid baseline for other features (e.g., energy and pacing analyses)

🏁 Conclusion

PowerIQ turns “speed & route” into a physically consistent power profile — including proper downhill logic and inertia. This makes it possible to reproduce real rides very well, even when no power data is available.

👉 You can find PowerIQ in RaceYourTrack as a power source for your simulations whenever your file contains speed data.