Devices

Devices are the key to automating gear tracking in Componentry. They serve as the bridge between your activities and your physical equipment, enabling automatic matching of gear to activities based on device data. This eliminates the need for manual gear selection after each ride and ensures accurate component wear tracking.

What are Devices?

Devices in Componentry represent electronic components that generate data during your activities. These can include power meters, heart rate monitors, bike computers, speed/cadence sensors, and any other electronic equipment that appears in your activity files.

When a device is properly configured, Componentry can automatically determine which bike and components were used for each activity, making gear tracking seamless and accurate.

[Screenshot placeholder: Devices overview showing various device types and their connection status]

How Device Matching Works

Automatic Recognition

When you upload or sync an activity, Componentry analyzes the device data included in the file. Each electronic device has unique identifiers that allow the system to recognize which specific devices were used during the activity.

Gear Association

By linking devices to specific gear (bikes and components), Componentry can automatically:

• Match activities to bikes - If a power meter is linked to your road bike, any activity using that power meter is automatically associated with that bike
• Track component usage - Components linked to the same bike inherit the activity data for wear calculations
• Eliminate manual selection - No need to manually specify which bike was used after each ride

Data Sources

Device information comes from:

• Activity files (.fit, .gpx, .tcx) that contain device serial numbers and IDs
• Strava integration which includes device data from connected activities
• Manual device registration for devices that may not appear automatically

[Screenshot placeholder: Activity detail showing device data and automatic gear matching]

Types of Devices

Power Meters

Power meters are excellent for automatic gear matching because:

• Unique identification - Each power meter has a distinct serial number
• Bike-specific installation - Usually permanently mounted to one bike
• Consistent data - Appears in every activity where the bike is used
• High accuracy - Provides reliable matching with minimal false positives

Common power meter types:

• Crank-based (Stages, SRAM, etc.)
• Pedal-based (Garmin Vector, Favero Assioma, etc.)
• Hub-based (PowerTap, etc.)
• Spider-based (Quarq, SRM, etc.)

Speed and Cadence Sensors

These sensors are excellent for matching because:

• Bike-specific mounting - Usually permanently attached to one bike
• Consistent presence - Appear in most activities for that bike
• Unique identifiers - Each sensor has distinct device IDs

[Screenshot placeholder: Different device types shown in the Devices management interface]

Device Identification and Setup

Automatic Discovery

Componentry automatically discovers devices from your activities:

1. Activity Analysis - When activities are uploaded or synced, device data is extracted
2. Device Recognition - New devices are identified and added to your device list
3. Matching Opportunities - Unlinked devices are flagged for potential gear association

<!-- ### Manual Device Addition You can also manually add devices that may not appear automatically:

• Enter device details - Model, manufacturer, serial number
• Specify device type - Power meter, heart rate monitor, etc.
• Link to gear - Associate with specific bikes or components -->

Device Verification

Componentry helps ensure accurate device tracking through:

• Serial number validation - Cross-reference with manufacturer databases when possible
• Activity correlation - Verify devices appear consistently in expected activities
• Conflict detection - Alert when the same device appears on multiple bikes simultaneously

[Screenshot placeholder: Device discovery process showing newly detected devices from activities]

Benefits of Proper Device Setup

Automatic Gear Tracking

Once devices are properly linked:

• Zero manual effort - Activities automatically match to the correct bike
• Accurate wear tracking - Component usage is precisely calculated
• Consistent data - No gaps or errors from forgotten manual selections

Activity Validation

Device data helps validate activity authenticity:

• Equipment verification - Confirms which equipment was actually used
• Performance correlation - Power and speed data should match bike capabilities
• Consistency checking - Unusual device combinations can flag data issues

Historical Analysis

With proper device linking, you can:

• Track component usage over time - See exactly how much each component has been used
• Analyze bike-specific performance - Compare performance across different bikes
• Plan maintenance schedules - Base service intervals on actual usage data

Multi-Bike Management

For cyclists with multiple bikes:

• Automatic bike detection - No need to remember which bike you rode
• Separate maintenance tracking - Each bike's components are tracked independently
• Usage distribution - See how much you ride each bike

[Screenshot placeholder: Activity list showing automatic gear matching with device-based identification]

Common Device Scenarios

Single Bike Setup

For cyclists with one bike:

• Link all devices to one bike - Power meter, speed sensor, cadence sensor
• Automatic matching - All activities with those devices use that bike
• Simple maintenance - All component wear accumulates on one bike

Multiple Bike Setup

For cyclists with multiple bikes:

• Unique devices per bike - Each bike has its own power meter or sensor setup
• Cross-bike devices - Heart rate monitors can be used across bikes
• Smart matching - Componentry uses bike-specific devices for accurate matching

Shared Device Setup

For devices used across multiple bikes:

• Manual bike selection may be needed - When device data alone isn't sufficient
• Activity pattern recognition - Componentry learns from manual selections
• Combined matching - Use multiple data points for accurate identification

Travel and Event Setup

For special situations:

• Temporary device changes - Account for borrowed or replacement equipment
• Event-specific setup - Different equipment configurations for races
• Backup device recognition - Handle situations when primary devices fail

[Screenshot placeholder: Multi-bike setup showing device allocation across different bikes]

Getting Started with Devices

To begin using Devices effectively:

1. Review Discovered Devices

• Check the Devices page for automatically discovered equipment
• Verify device information and identify any unknown devices
• Note which devices appear most frequently in your activities

2. Link Devices to Gear

• Start with bike-specific devices like power meters
• Associate devices with the appropriate bikes in your gear list
• Configure device relationships for accurate matching

3. Test Automatic Matching

• Upload a few test activities to verify proper gear matching
• Check that activities are automatically assigned to the correct bikes
• Adjust device links if matching isn't working as expected

4. Optimize Your Setup

• Fine-tune device configurations based on usage patterns
• Set up relationships between related devices
• Configure preferences for device conflicts or ambiguities

[Screenshot placeholder: Device setup workflow showing the configuration process]

Troubleshooting Device Issues

Common Problems

Activities Not Matching to Gear

• Verify devices are properly linked to bikes
• Check that device data is present in activity files
• Ensure device IDs match between activities and device records

Incorrect Gear Matching

• Review device associations for conflicts
• Check for devices shared between multiple bikes
• Verify device information accuracy

Missing Device Data

• Confirm devices are recording data properly
• Check activity file formats support device information
• Verify Strava integration includes device data

Duplicate Device Entries

• Consolidate multiple entries for the same physical device
• Update device links to use the correct device record
• Clean up historical activities with incorrect device associations

The following sections will guide you through the specific processes of linking devices to gear and configuring Strava bike relationships for optimal automatic matching.