French startup Aeroscale has launched its “world‑first sensors and patented analysis technology,” designed to measure aerodynamic drag, rolling resistance and drivetrain efficiency in real-world conditions across all cycling disciplines. The system is already in use at WorldTour level, and its consumer device called Wasted Watts is expected to be made available to buy in November.
2025 Aeroscale technology sensor 3 (credit: Aeroscale)
Over the past few decades, the abundance of power meters and cycling computers has transformed both professional and amateur cycling, but the quest for data doesn’t stop there.
Last year, several companies experimented with live drag measuring devices, such as the Body Rocket System which is a device that fits onto your bike and streams real-time aerodynamic drag data directly to a Garmin head unit. Now, French startup Aeroscale is stepping into the arena, promising to “revolutionise cyclists’ performance by tracking the slightest waste of watts.”
Like Body Rocket, Aeroscale’s technology aims to measure aerodynamic drag (CdA) and rolling resistance (Crr) without the need to spend a fortune on wind tunnel sessions.
2024 Body Rocket aero sensor 2 (credit: road.cc)
“Thanks to world-unique sensors and patented analysis technology, Aeroscale evaluates in just a few minutes all the friction forces acting on the cyclist: aerodynamics, rolling resistance, drivetrain efficiency”, the company says. “Unlike lab-based solutions (wind tunnels, drum benches, etc.), Aeroscale’s technology quantifies energy losses directly on open roads, under real race conditions, and in record time.”
Currently, Aeroscale has released the F-Explorer field test device, which measures both rolling resistance and air resistance using its proprietary technology. It says that the system is being used by “most” French World Tour teams, the French women’s national road team, and numerous para-athletes. We got in touch with some of those teams to confirm if this was the case, and received swift replies from both Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and Groupama-FDJ. The former simply confirmed they are working with Aeroscale, and Groupama’s press officer said they worked with them last year, and potentially will again later in 2025: “They are serious people that work very well”, he added.
Later this year, the company plans to release Wasted Watts, a consumer version designed to provide real-time tracking, making the technology more accessible to non-professional cyclists.
“Our mission is to make the invisible visible: the hidden losses that cost you performance. We want to give every cyclist access to optimisation tools that were once reserved for the elite”, explains Manuel Sellier, founder of Aeroscale.
How does Wasted Watts calculate its figures?
Wasted Watts combines proprietary sensors with advanced modelling algorithms to measure energy losses in real time, delivering live feedback on watts lost to friction within just a few seconds, according to the brand.
2025 Aeroscale technology sensor riding shot (credit: Aeroscale)
However, unlike Body Rocket’s system, which you attach, ride, and leave to gather data as you go, Wasted Watts appears to require a dedicated testing setup. Images of the system show riders passing through a start zone to trigger measurements, suggesting it’s not a fit-and-forget device, but one designed for structured testing sessions.
The system uses:
- A proprietary Pitot tube to measure air speed
- A high-precision speed sensor
- An “innovative” cyclist detection system
These sensors then work together to quantify two resistance forces – rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag – under real-world riding conditions. The data is then processed by patented algorithms that also account for other performance factors, such as drivetrain efficiency.
2025 Aeroscale technology sensor (credit: Aeroscale)
This approach is said to achieve accuracy within +/-0.5 watts on a velodrome and 1–3 watts accuracy outdoors, regardless of weather or road surface.
For further details on the system’s reliability and sensitivity, a research paper is available here.
How does Aeroscale technology differ from other products out there?
Aeroscale says it was “frustrated by existing solutions due to their cumbersome implementation and their lack of precision”, and claims its technology sets itself apart from other testing systems thanks to proprietary hardware and validation methods.
“Unlike conventional solutions, Aeroscale delivers accurate, fast, and reliable measurements in real-world conditions, across all types of terrain”, according to the brand.
2025 Aeroscale technology sensor 4 (credit: Aeroscale)
According to the company, tests can achieve 1% single-run accuracy in under two minutes, while multi-run protocols deliver “watt level accuracy” within five minutes.
Getting Wasted Watts
You can currently contact Aeroscale for a quote on its F-Explorer field-testing device, while the consumer version of the system, Wasted Watts, is expected to launch in November 2025. Pricing has not yet been announced, but we’ll update this article as soon as more details are available.
For more information visit www.aeroscale.bike and wastedwatts.com