If you see perfectly smooth graphs (like a Wahoo KICKR has by default), that’s basically oversmoothed/fake data. ANT+ Support: Another relatively obvious one, all power meters on the market today transmit via ANT+ to compatible head units. My In-Depth review can be found here, as well as the boatloads of people in the comments who are largely quite happy with the device. Link under “For those, start here with these posts.” is not working…. It’s good for non-sprint durations, but not ideal for 15-30-second durations. Unfortunately, there isn’t really an easy way to validate accuracy without a bunch of math. The challenge with the C1 was always compatibility. Yup, they are: Pricing is competitive with other full left/right units currently shipping. Lol. link to analyze.dcrainmaker.com. I use the Xcadey powermeter since March and I concur with this conclusion. Given comment above, doesn’t seem like I have ability to purchase Stages R only to get true LR; I’d need to buy a new LR system and essentially start over. reliable, precise, going strong also after many years of use While a handful of people on Wattage hate auto-zero, the reality is that aero facilities love it (and most consumers do as well) Look up the Assioma modification that GPllama put on YouTube. Last summer they repeated that performance with their Assioma pedals (seen above). Note, I’m excluding running power meters here. Is there a way to set an offset manually either to the Stages or Tacx to make sure they have the same output? Riders looking to add power to their existing Cannondale Hollowgram SI 3D forged crank need only select length of the non-drive power meter to match their existing crank. I ended up settling on the PowerTap P1’s for the flexibility they offer moving between bikes and the ease of battery changing while getting all the data I need. Next evolution maybe. No cost to you, easy as pie! I have been looking out for a decent review of the Easton Cinch PM but haven’t been able to find one. One only need to look at the pedal installation/calibration process to see it comes from what LOOK previously had with their own pedals (which in turn were from their partnership with Polar years ago). Note, the older ROTOR sets do NOT do Bluetooth Smart, but 2INPower does. Avio customer service is the best that I have ever experienced; they go a long way to ensure that their PowerSense is the best for your bike. I am new to Power Meters, and am teaming up with a cycle coach for a winter training program. She is using it with a Wahoo cadence meter, and enjoying pelaton classes. Or….any more update on Speedplay(Garmin) coming out with a free-float Power Pedal? For the power meter, I ended up deciding on the Pioneer. So I was pleased to see you’d adopted the Stages for your test bike. Ray, great buyers guide. Correct, Stages Gen 2 and Gen 3 L-only power meters CAN BOTH be converted to true LR units by purchasing a Stages R model and linking them in the Stages app. Of course, Giant is a big company and has plenty of resources to get the job done. The cycling market has many unique use cases and thus you’ll need to take into consideration your specific requirements. I have 4iiii left side PowerMeter and been happy with it however this Fall it did start to fail and 4iiii gave great support and fixed my unit without any issues. For example, my pedals seem to wear out as I would think anything with bearings, hubs, chainrings… would that make the crank arm a better long term investment? I cannot really find any fault. ROTOR has been in the power meter market for more than six years now, and has iterated through four different products in that time. Found one more crank arm – link to inpeak.pl Not sure how accurate they’re. Any estimate on when we will see an Avio Powersense review? I expect the difference to be less pronounced in summer, but still be there. They’ve got a bottom-bracket region power meter, very similar to what Ashton Instruments is doing. They come with a big fat thumbs up from me. The company also offers an installation service too, or pre-installed crank/crankset options. Please enable Cookies and reload the page. Thanks for this. Fear not, it’s easy for your bike shop though. i’m quite happy with my vectors, but this has always been nagging me in the back of my mind. Loved the idea that I could have units on different bikes and get consistency between the units. We had looked at the pelaton, but seemed ridiculous. Disadvantages: Limited chainring compatibility is really the main one, being that the company is only offering certain compatibility options. Bluetooth Smart is most popular when used with applications on platforms like iOS that don’t support ANT+ (or some Android phones). Love your work and really appreciate the time and effort that you put into your reviews. I don’t really need BLE since I’ll be using it with a Wahoo anyways. Next up we’ve got a small gaggle of new units from Easton and Race Face, cohesively branded as their CINCH power meter. Stages power meters are tour-proven, having carried three Tour De France winners and championship winners to victory. I have had left only Precision on Ultegra 6800 crank for close to 2 years. I’m seeing a bunch of sales for pioneer power meters, but descriptions are scarce on if it has bluetooth smart. It should be noted that the term calibration can have very specific meanings to different people (technically most people are really doing a zero-offset). I don’t want to be stranded at night on a country road. Atop that, the unit doesn’t transmit power over Bluetooth Smart. thanks for the reply and all your great work. Would I buy it: I have zero issues with the Stages LR in terms of purchasing one, and in fact did so this past June for my main test bike. I clicked the 2019 link but this is the 2018 review! As I noted in the above sections, the market continues to expand, and thus you’ll continue to see new brands – and we’ll continue to see drops in prices as we have every year for a number of years now. Q : When will the $100 power meter first become available ? Can be applied to most cranks (non-carbon). Hands-on: WatTeam’s New Gen3 PowerBeat Power Meter (July) Hi there, clicked through the menu for 2019 Powermeters and it brings up your reviews from November 2018. An IPX7 waterproof rating and a strong power meter housing ensure that even wet weather won't keep you from getting out to ride. “Running power meters are as useful as cycling ones.”. Great review. I recently bought a Stages LR (Dual) power meter and it’s about 12w and 18w off from my Tacx. I have also received replacement pedals that were supposed to have been “fixed.”. The power meter transmits total power (by doubling the left side), as well as cadence, via ANT+. I don’t want to change my Chris King hub to the hub power meter, don’t want to change my pedals either, don’t want to send away my crank arm or buy a new one. It’s three models of left-only crank arm power meters like Stages/Avio/4iiii between 300 and 400 USD. If you see PowerTap offer discounts on their refurbished units, take it. I have Avio Powersense and it gives me all I want – power data (albeit single-sided) at a budget priced. For the Stages L or R (non-dual), the single-sided approach means simply doubling left-leg power, may not be a fully accurate representation of your power (high or lower). Do you think PM’s will eventually become standard crank tech for brands offering pro level equipment? The new Gen 3 single-sided Stages Power L meter for Cannondale Si Stages Power meter is built on to a non-drive-side Cannondale Si crank arm and is compatible with existing Cannondale Hollowgram Si … After 12 years of PowerTap hubs, I am moving to crank PM. I am running SRAM Force 1x for all applications. Sure Garmin should resolve it, but they are not the only ones to blame. changing bikes or not). I also use a Pioneer L/R ANT+ w/o BLE. I'm fairly certain it will require the non-boost (the first F-Si and the Scalpel-Si do). I would like to know if the complains are from a minority of users or if it is general owners problem, and somehow Garmin is being able to block new reviews. Truth be told, I haven’t paid much attention to them, so that may not have been the best criteria. I am asking about how the measurement takes place not which muscles are being used. Wanna save some cash and support the site? I got them on my doorstep for $544! They are consistent, accurate (in testing against Elite Direto trainer), portable (rented a bike for a race this year and still had my power meter), and just work with little fuss. Stages are a cycling company that manufacture and sell cycling power meters to drivetrain manufacturers from downhill mountains, track and road cycling. In The Box Power MeterHigh quality CR2032 coin cell batteryLifetime access to Stages Link for power meter … Would I buy it: Yes, I have no issues buying this unit (and recently recommended it as a solid option for my Dad’s bike). I’m seriously thinking of getting myself a power2max. but at the end of the day i have to almost blindly trust the QA of garmin because i have no other tools to verify. Some limitations are straight technical (i.e. SRM cranksets have been around since the beginning of power meter measurement, and I don’t think there’s anyone that would argue that SRM doesn’t produce solid power meters. Plus, you'll be more awesome. Stages has improved on its first generation of power meters but has it improved enough. Given I am at 3x for consistency, would you have any recommendations for a solution? Hassle free, simple to use. Same issues happen on a trainer when using a low resistance and big gear (so high rear wheel speed): an offset drift may cause power drift, and auto-zero will not help a lot. Works very well. So what is an acceptable range of wattage swing when smoothing is disabled? Some take offense to these being called ‘power meters’ since they lack a strain gauge, but frankly that’s stupid. Hopefully that is a sign that it is about to be updated very soon, because I am hanging out to hear your thoughts on the latest additions and editions. First one with the cap issue (was not solved by the replacement) and the second one with the new cap, suffering from battery frettling. I don’t like it). Power meter readings should be jaggy, and should smooth out when looked at over an average sample. My own 4iiii left crank arm went kaput after just 1.5 years and 4iiii didn’t offer any support past telling me I could buy another one. Also worthwhile noting that PowerTap’s bearing service policies are wonky though, and can be cumbersome if overseas. If 6mm, you want a non-boost power meter spider. As part of the shift to the Stages LR product, Stages also refreshed their left-only power meters, to their new ‘Gen3’ models. Hey Ray, Thank you yet again for the exhaustive reviews and explanations on power meters. Thanks! 4. And in fact, it was far more accurate than you’d expect. Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. So unlike the other three above that don’t require a phone and app, this does. While WatTeam has committed to continuing support, I find that these types of last-ditch commitments only go as far as the next change of wind direction. Any upgrades for P2 over P1? For the most part, your primary concern here is really that some sort of calibration occurs, and that you can trigger it to happen on demand. Have a warranty claim in to the shop where I purchased it and they have been non-responsive. Beyond that, it’s really hard to find disadvantages of the current units. I asked again this year though nonetheless – and the answer remains the same. Ray, I want to know if the power measurement is cumulative, average, or peak per revolution. Thank you for yet another valuable guide. It’s as simple as that. Disadvantages: Limited compatibility with cranksets. Same as Garmin Vector 3 and Favero Assioma. Do you have a review of the SRM X MTB petals upcoming? DFPMs, on the other hand, would be varied as some are single sided and others are double sided and would also depend upon where they are placed. I’d normally expect to see 10-20 watts maybe. I kinda put the PowerTap C1, Power2Max and Quarq units all in the same boat: All are great options and all are fairly similar in features  (and roughly in the same price range) – simply go with whatever fits your requirements around compatibility best. But no power meter out there today is perfect. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. :-/. Anyway, enough ranting, thanks for the guide Ray ! Just to share my personal experience, been riding on Vector 1 since they were released and NEVER had an issue, even moving them every other day from one bike to another one. In some cases I’ve test ridden versions of these products, or seen them in trade shows. I bought recharge-able batteries, and swap them out when needed (which is way less often then I would have thought). Good call, will add it in somewhere here in the morning. Hands on with the latest generation of the Stages Power cycling power meter. Factory Install Has Been Temporarily Suspended. I have two PowerTap hub on my MTB. Estimated Left/Right Power: This became all the rage just prior to true left/right units coming out, starting with the Quarq RED unit offering left/right power. Running power meters can’t. Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? The CR2032 battery is good for about 2,000km and they even send you a spare. Would I buy it: Absolutely, and in fact, it’s one of the units that I’ve bought myself as a workhorse in my power meter testing (I own three units, one for each bike). Is there nothing at all in the rumour mill? They may have slight backorders if you were to order today, but units are shipping to consumers (which is where I draw the line). Also, the lack of Bluetooth Smart support is challenging. Have you heard anything? Note that all bottom-bracket power meters are left-only power. Waiting for Shimano to bring Di2 to their 12-speed 10-46 cassette. One disadvantage is that the smallest inner chainwheel available is a 36. Seriously, there’s no other company in the power meter space that’s seemingly as focused on making consumers happy with updates as Favero. The rest were very minor incremental updates that in some cases would barely be seen as new products. No matter your ability level, the addition of a power meter to your setup will dramatically enhance your performance, providing insight … Cost is certainly a factor I am pivoting around, as I would rather not be swapping cranks, pedals etc before heading into a session outside or on the bike. I landed on left only Stages for my XTR M9000 crankset. End of life, end of power measuring. The second set had similar issues. The precision strain gauge just broke after 12 months mid ride. In other words 4iiii has great products and sub par customer service. I believe that Stages does sell a R-only (Ultegra and Dura Ace) that they claim can upgrade an existing L-only to LR. The company offers a few ways to get the unit (some only within the UK, but expanding out to the EU this week), including buying the add-on kit for an existing Shimano 105 or Ultegra crank arm, as well as an installation service. I have to choice the best product… There’s no international definition that states how a power meter shall measure power, but rather just that it measures it in some way. the obvious drawback is that you are tied to one wheel, so that’s quite limiting if you are the kind of cyclist who likes to change from time to time depending on the type of ride… Excited!! I love your product reviews ! Quarq Elsa to D-Zero), I’m lumping them together with differences noted in that section. I would not recommend Vector 3 pedals and being one of the owners with issues, I'm sad to see Ray recommend them. But a year ago at Eurobike they finally announced the intention to sell their long-awaited dual option, which has both left/right sides (you can see the right side above too). I have the speed/cadence of course. One day i barely manage to keep 300 W, the next day i pedal away at 360. I had multiple instances where I got no response and another time where it took three weeks to receive an email back. What are your thoughts on oval chainrings, I had no idea where to look these up? Monitoring a rider’s work is the most accurate and consistent way to quantify a rider’s improvement. And if you look at, for example, Wilson’s “Bicycling Science” (and I’ve seen this elsewhere as well), you’ll see that essentially nobody produces an upward force on the upstroke. Then check out the massive list of everything, from $150 off the Garmin Fenix 6, plus big deals on Apple, GoPro, Suunto, Polar, Samsung, Withings, and many more! So it remains to be seen whether or not they can achieve what will be the most impressive power meter development cycle in power meter history (and deliver an accurate device). The new Gen 3 single-sided Stages Power meter for Cannondale Si Stages Power meter is built on to a non-drive-side Cannondale Si crank arm and is compatible with existing Cannondale Hollowgram Si … I noticed that Tempo is shipping their power meters now. If I already have a wahoo elemnt bolt and plan to use my existing crank arm on the only bike I have, would you suggest the new pioneer dual system crank arm over other branded crank arm sets? So i decided to cancel my subscription and ditch the unit. I have two 4iiii precision power meters. 3. Otherwise it is obviously very easy to install and to maintain. It’s also a good option for those that travel and are stuck with hotel bikes and want to get some mileage with Zwift on an otherwise non-useful hotel bike. But, do power meters measure power in both/all directions or just while pushing? Compared to my friends P2M who’s had numerous issues with his PM going into permanent sleep mode when idling too long during a ride (only fixable by fiddling with the battery cell), I’m still very happy with the deal I got. I bought it 2nd hand because it was the only match for my Campagnolo bike. Both the 4iiiis and Pioneer are on DA9100 cranks. So If the BT is your major consideration, I think I will try to find a gen 2 discount. Their Assioma pedals ( knee issues stages cannondale si power meter review need power by Northern Hemisphere spring getting a. 1200-1500 watt spikes, and occasional small kittens died US had the power meter in the future is to for! Cell batteries needed normal replacing with left/right balance a compelling model if priced right then started units. The exact same physical unit, just different branding, and then started shipping in more of a status... 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