Back at the start of March, Look launched the Keo Blade Power pedals. These pedals came shortly after the French brand released the update to the non-power versions. They share a lot in common, to the untrained eye, one may not be able to spot the difference between the two as Look has done a fantastic job of concealing the technical gubbins inside the pedal body, making for a very sleek-looking product. 

I’ve been using these pedals for several months now, both indoors and, as the northern hemisphere has started to warm up again, outside too. There’s a lot to dive into when reflecting on my experience, but they have many undeniable benefits. They’re lightweight, practical, accurate, and in my opinion, the best-looking power pedals out there. I believe they’d suit the performance-orientated cyclist and stand to be one of the best power meter pedals currently available - if you’re happy to pay the price.

Look Keo Blade Power in use

One of the big claims when the new Keo Blade pedals were launched was that ‘the new Keo Blade has as a 60% easier clip-in rotation due to an improved weight balance’. In the past, some have complained that getting into a Look pedal is trickier than that of a Shimano. After my first ride, I couldn’t claim to have felt such an improvement, but, I have been running Look pedals for about 10 years, so, I feel I’ve become accustomed to the quirks of the platform to the point where clipping in and out is second nature. That being said, I’ve been on a journey with my ability to get in and out of these pedals and that journey started a few rides after I first got them.  

My initial impression was good, but, pretty soon after, I simply could not kick my foot out on the non-drive side. I ended up needing to unclip by bringing my heel towards my bike instead of away. This went on for a while until I reluctantly gave the cleats a good coating of WD40. Yes, this did fix the problem, however, my cleats were now very slippery. A couple of weeks later the WD40 had dried up and the interface between cleat and pedal became incredibly squeaky. It was frustrating, to say the least, but, after a good deep clean of both pedal and cleat and a light re-application of WD40, the problem seems to have been solved for good. I can clip in and out smoothly and the squeaking hasn’t returned. I wouldn’t expect everyone to have this problem, however, if you do, this could be the fix you need.

Using the pedals isn’t just limited to clipping in and out. You also need to charge the rechargeable batteries. This is an aspect of the pedals I love, it’s super easy to do. The pedals come supplied with a split USB-C cable to USB-A. When coupled with the magnetic adapters, you can get the pedals charging in an instant, taking a claimed two hours to provide 60 hours of ride time.

Using the app

Away from the hardware, the app plays an important role. Refreshed for the launch of these pedals, the app is good, but not great. It’s simple to use but does have a few niggling bugs. When the batteries are on charge, the app has occasionally indicated they are full, despite the LEDs in the pedal bodies flashing red or amber. Also, the app has struggled to install software updates - I found the solution was to ignore the issue for a day, try again, and the update would often work. 

That being said, for all the little niggles, the app does work. It has a clean interface and it’s not difficult to navigate. 

Power data accuracy

Sticking with software a little longer, the main reason to buy power meter pedals is because you want to monitor your performance. So how accurate are they? Well, I conducted some testing in conjunction with the Wahoo Kickr V6. Before I go any further, it has to be said that power meters from two different manufacturers will always read slightly differently. In the case of the Keo Blades they were tracking the Wahoo’s readings really closely. There was a skew of about 4 watts which is to be expected. The accuracy of the data was helped by the fact I was running the dual-sided pedals, so if you opt for the single-sided pedals, you may see a skew that doubles.  

Strangely, after completing some longer rides (50 km+), I noticed on Strava I had huge sections of missing data. For some reason, the connection would be lost, and then reconnect much, much later. So far I’m yet to get an explanation from Look on why this happened, but it's certainly frustrating to complete a big ride and not have the data to look at afterward. I am, however, hopeful that this is a problem that can be fixed with a future software update. 

Construction

One of the standout features of these pedals is their feathery weight. Coming in at a claimed 260g, a full 60 grams lighter than the comparable Garmin Rallys, they’re right up there with the lightest on the market. When paired with the sleek looks, I think these may be the most attractive power-meter pedals on the market. They don't have weird-looking spindles like the Wahoo Speedplays or Favero Assiomas and they don’t look overly bulky like the Garmin Rallys. The untrained eye may not notice that these are power meter pedals, which for me, makes their aesthetics near perfect. 

Competition

The versatility of being able to transfer your power meter pedals between bikes makes this a popular category and is one that is hotly contested. That’s why it was important for Look to shine since there are fierce rivals in the Garmin Rally, Favero Assioma and Wahoo Speedplay. The Looks aren’t the cheapest, they lean towards being the more expensive option in the category, costing €999, $999, £899. Thanks to their low weight, accurate data and ease of use, I believe they more than justify their price. The Favero Assioma pedals make sense if you want to save some money, and the Garmins make sense if you’re wedded to running an SPD-SL cleat. The same goes for Wahoo pedals, if Speedplays are your thing, but if you’d rather not compromise on anything, be that weight, aesthetics or performance, the new LOOK Keo Blade Power pedals make a lot of sense. 

Value and conclusion

I’m not going to say that my first few months with these pedals have been perfect, There’s been some annoying niggles to navigate but, once dealt with, the new Look Keo Blade power pedals work incredibly well, Just be warned that when you first get them there may be a certain ‘bedding in’ period. 

As mentioned, I’ve been using the Look platform for a while now, and before I was offered these pedals for review, I was seriously considering buying a pair for myself. Would I be disappointed if I’d purchased these myself? At first, perhaps, but now after a few months in and having overcome a few hurdles, they have settled in nicely. They are quickly merging in with the rest of my build as a trusty workhorse of a component.

For most riders there are two main limitations in getting started with a power meter: cost and compatibility. Power meters can be ridiculously expensive – comfortably $/£1,000 - a cost which is amplified by being integrated to another expensive part of your bike like a crank or a pedal. And then there’s the lack of compatibility, or transferability, onto other bikes you might own now or in the future. Somewhere in the back of my garage I’ve kept the non-power meter crank that I’ll need to swap back onto my bike in place of the power meter one that I’m currently running, which may or may not be compatible with any future bike I own…. You get the drift.

Step (or should that be spin?) forward the BIA power meter from the crowdfunded company Limits. Unlike other power meters which are integrated into part of your drivetrain, the Limits BIA is a separate component which sits between your pedal and crank. This means it can be fitted to any bike regardless of crank, bottom bracket and pedals. And at $280 / £229 it’s also one of the cheapest power meters on the market today.

Limits BIA: design and construction

The Limits BIA is a one-sided power meter, the current version was launched in 2022 with a claimed power accuracy of -/+2%. 

It consists of a small circular plastic and carbon fibre unit with metal pedal / crank threads as well as a plastic cover that clips over for additional protection. It’s 42mm in diameter and 18mm thick. To balance out the pedals, an 18mm spacer is included to add between the right pedal and crank. Adding 18mm between each pedal and crank will substantially increase your current stance width (the distance between your pedals; an extra 36mm to a typical 150mm on a road bike). How much this matters is something we’ve considered before in our guide to Q-Factor.

Total weight is 97g which is pretty close to the weight of some pedal power meters. Battery life is a claimed 80 hours. Waterproof rating is IP54, meaning it only has protection from 'water splashes' so is unlikely to stand up well to winter or off-road riding.

Limits BIA: fitting

Included in the box is everything you need for installation save a pedal spanner / hex key, grease and a coin for the battery cover.

Fitting the battery covers is a little tricky as it’s not that easy to see or feel how well lined up they are and there’s not a firm end point. There are tell-tales on the edges of the covers and unit which I found critical to getting the cover on properly. However, with the protective plastic cover on the power meter itself, it isn’t possible to see these marks so you need to pay attention to which way the slots are orientated. You can see from the picture that the cover doesn’t appear that tight when it’s on.

Limits say they've designed the cover to break if it's over tightened to protect the main unit. Two spare covers are included for this eventuality. 

A blue indicator light tells you when you have got the batteries correctly installed. You need to take care not to obscure the light when installing the power meter cover.

Batteries in, fitting to your bike is reasonably straightforward and I found the instructions easy to follow (although the supplied web address and QR code take you to a dead link). After removing your pedals you first install the power meter and spacer (on the right) with an 8mm hex key before reattaching the pedals. The process varies depending whether your pedals have spanner flats for installation (the most simple) or use a hex key. If, like mine, they use an 8mm hex key then you need to use the 6mm extender with 8-6mm shim (both included) which then remains in your pedal. Recommended tightening torque is 30Nm so it might be a job you ask your local bike shop to do if you don’t have an appropriate torque wrench.

This system worked fine on the bike, but when I came to remove the power meter one of the two shims / reducer in the pedal had disintegrated. Luckily this didn't jam my pedal thread but does mean I can't refit into my 8mm hex pedals unless I get a replacement. 

It takes a good few minutes spinning unit you can pick up the ANT+ signal and connect to your head unit and calibrate, which isn’t unusual for some power meters. Once transmitting, I had no issue connecting to my Garmin Edge 1000 and Edge 500 head units via the ‘add sensor’ function.

The unit is Bluetooth enabled but it's recommended that you connect via ANT+ so you can properly calibrate via a head unit. This means that although you can connect via Bluetooth to indoor training apps on your devices the data may not be very reliable (unless you use an ANT+ dongle). 

You can only connect through ANT+ or Bluetooth, not both at the same time and the BIA doesn't automatically detect a change. To switch both receivers on again you'll need to loosen and retighten the battery cover which is far from ideal especially given the fragility of the covers. 

The Limits app will soon be released which will improve connectivity, allow for automatic firmware updates (currently actioned through emailing Limits support) and enable calibration without the need for a head unit. For those with a 'dumb' turbo trainer, one of the big benefits of this will be the ability to connect and calibrate via Bluetooth to indoor training apps. 

Limits BIA: the ride

The first unit I tried the Limits with was my Garmin Edge 1000 where I set my crank length and calibrated as per instructions. Despite calibration, my power readings were 100 watts or so higher than what the Wahoo Kickr and 4iiii crank were showing. I went through the process several times on several different occasions but the head unit didn't seem to zero-offset the large calibration number that was returned. 

Rather pleasingly, a Garmin Edge 500 with older Garmin software on it didn’t share this problem and readings correlated well with the two other power meters. I’ve never had this problem with my Edge 1000, but I can't say for certain whether the issue lies with the Limits or this head unit.

Once I’d got things set up there was reasonably consistency between the power data from the Limits BIA and the comparison 4iiii and Wahoo Kickr. At consistent efforts (with my indoor trainer set to erg mode) there were a 5-10 watts difference, well within the +/-2% accuracy of the BIA and 1% of the Kickr. With the erg mode off, the Limits data was quite a bit spikier than that from the other meters. Whether you find this acceptable is a personal thing. 

Limits BIA: value and conclusion

At $280 / £229 the Limits BIA is one of the lowest priced power meters currently on the market. Alternative power meters at this end of the market include one-sided cranks like 4iii, Stages and FSA which all retail at $300- $380 / £250-300.

The Limits BIA is a great affordable option for those who want to try out a power meter. It’s very competitively priced and its transferability between bikes makes it even better value for money. But it's far from perfect. You may struggle with ANT connectivity and calibration and you can't currently connect to the best indoor training apps via Bluetooth. The effect on stance width may or may not be an issue for you. 

A power meter version of the iconic lollipop pedal was something Speedplay users had been looking forward to for years - and the Powrlink Zero delivers on all levels.

Wahoo acquired Speedplay in 2019 and launched an overhauled, pared back and improved version of the range in March 2021. The Powrlink Zero is based on the Speedplay Zero pedal with its stainless steel spindle and, like the standard Wahoo Speedplay pedals, is compatible with standard Speedplay cleats (included in the box).

Functionality

Like rival power meter pedals the Garmin Rally and Favero Assioma, the Powrlink Zero calculates cadence data as well as total power, left/right balance and other standard training metrics such as TSS (training stress) and IF (intensity factor), though it doesn’t incorporate ‘cycling dynamics’ features such as torque effectiveness and pedal smoothing. 

It’s IPX7 water resistant and oval chainring compatible and has a claimed accuracy of +/-1%.

Battery life is a claimed 75 hours of ride time - which seemed to tally with my riding. I would have timed it but lost count because the battery seemed to be going on forever. Having said that, battery percentage readout on the head unit and app could be more precise; more on that later. 

Garmin claims up to 120 hours for the Garmin Rally but unlike the Powrlink the Rally uses coincell rather than USB rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable is easier, cheaper and doesn't involve throwing anything away.

Charging is via an included charging cable - Y-shaped for the dual-sided option to charge both pedals simultaneously.

As for connectivity, the Powrlinks are compatible with ANT+ and Bluetooth devices and third-party apps and head units.

The electronics are housed in a pod that sits next to the crankarm, with LEDs at its base to display connection, low battery and charging status.

The Powrlink Zeros weigh a claimed 276g per pair (ours weighed less at 273g) or 250g for the left-only measurement. That’s lighter than the Gamin Rally (road version) and Favero Assiomas, neither of which come in under 300g - but, as with the regular pedals, the Speedplay cleat assembly which houses the spring trap mechanism is heavier than Shimano or Look road cleats.

Wahoo has had to slightly increase both the stack height and spindle length in order for the rider’s shoe to clear the pod when engaging and releasing. A thicker pedal takes stack height from the 11.5mm of the standard Speedplay Zero (above) up to 13mm, which is higher than Favero (10.5mm) and Garmin Rally (12.2mm). 

A longer spindle length for the Powrlink Zero (55mm compared to 53mm for the standard Speedplay Zero) increases Q factor slightly. The Garmin pedals stick with 53mm while Assioma measures 54mm, though the Assioma Shi, with a Shimano style platform, measures 64mm - a much greater deviation from standard pedals. 

Setup

The Powrlink pedals come packaged in Wahoo’s trademark, super chic black, white and silver box like a pair of very expensive chocolates. As with the other recent Wahoo products, a lot of attention has been paid to the unboxing experience.

In the box are the pedals themselves - equally high-end looking - plus the charging cable and a pair of standard Wahoo Speedplay cleats.

I won’t go into cleat setup here, but suffice to say it’s quite a bit more involved than with Shimano or Look. Fortunately I had already got my Wahoo Speedplay cleats correctly positioned and float dialled in as I’m a user of the regular Wahoo Speedplay pedals.

I found I didn’t need to adjust my cleat position or float for the extra 2mm length on each spindle, and I didn’t raise my saddle by 1.5mm  for the extra stack height and didn’t notice any difference.

If you’re incredibly finely tuned you might decide to move the cleat outwards by a tiny amount to compensate, but I would say most people won’t.

Wahoo says you need 1mm of clearance between the crankarm and the base of the housing which contains the LEDs: pedal washers are supplied to facilitate this. This is important. If you don’t comply you risk damaging the pods by tightening them against the crank. I had to use the washers when testing them against a Wattbike but not for modern Shimano or Campagnolo cranks.

The LEDs themselves indicate charging/charged status (green flashing/solid), low battery (red flashing) and searching/connecting/connected (blue slow flashing/fast flashing/solid). They turn off after 30 seconds to conserve battery life.

Charging is easy too - the cable is a generous two metres long and the charging clips snap onto the pedals very securely. They’re fully charged in a couple of hours.

You can set up crank length (crucial for accuracy) via the Wahoo app or via the head unit once it’s paired and also check battery life, though battery life seems to be displayed just in 10% increments rather than as a more exact number.

A head unit or GPS watch - I've used both Wahoo and Garmin - takes longer to ‘see’ the pedals than it does a heart rate monitor, but I’ve never had an instance where they have failed to pair. The blue LEDs give a good indication of where they’re at with the pairing process.

The Wahoo pedals have been criticised for not including any pedalling dynamics data such as torque effectiveness or pedal smoothness, as used by Garmin and Favero and others. The jury is still out on whether those things can be useful for training, according to Wahoo.

But post-ride analysis on the Wahoo app includes left/right balance (with the dual sided version), average and max power, TSS, normalized power, power curve and time in zones and that’s enough for me.

Obviously if you're using it with a Garmin head unit you'll get the data on Garmin Connect. 

I do enjoy Wattbike’s pedalling effectiveness score (PES), but that’s nice to have rather than essential. For me the basic metrics are enough for road riding.

Accuracy

Wahoo claims +/-1% accuracy, but remember that figure relates to how accurate the pedals are against themselves rather than an absolute number.

Although Wahoo says “the pedals automatically calibrate to the ambient temperature at the start of your ride” it’s crucial to ‘settle’ them before using them for the first time or on a different bike. I found they underread quite significantly if you don't. 

In order to ensure proper mechanical seating Wahoo tells you to perform 2-3 “quick standing track starts” (pedalling very hard in a big gear from a standstill. My pedals arrived before the official launch with the instructions on the app not yet live, so I know from experience that unless you do this you may think you’ve lost 20 or 30 watts overnight.

Although the pedals can auto-calibrate, Wahoo recommends doing a manual zero offset before each ride.

Once settled and calibrated, I tested the Wahoo pedals against my Wattbike Atom Next Generation that I know to be accurate. 

The pedals were within two watts of the Wattbike for ‘Jon’s Short Mix’ on Zwift, which is a half-hour workout with a bit of everything. For the steady 10-minute effort the Wattbike and the pedals both averaged 220 watts. For the three sprint efforts the Powrlink Zero pedals recorded slightly less than the Wattbike.

Zooming in on the ZwiftPower graph I created to compare them, the Wattbike during the steady 10-minute effort looks as if it’s spiking downwards below the Wahoo pedals as well as above them (see below), whereas the Wahoo pedals follow a smoother line - but they both end up with an average that’s within a watt or two of each other.

My own conclusion is that the variation in the sprints is down to the pedals’ strain gauges measuring the power in a different way from the Wattbike’s load cell measurement system but it could also be that at the start of a sprint in erg mode the Wattbike’s resistance ramps up quickly before settling down, hence the higher reading for peak power sprints. 

Additionally, in erg mode the Wattbike is constantly making small adjustments. If I could pedal smoothly at 500 watts I suspect the Wahoo pedals would read the same as the Wattbike, as they did with the 220-watt effort.

In summary, compared to a trusted smart bike, I’m satisfied with the Wahoo pedals’ accuracy.

Value

The single-sided Powrlink Zero retails at £549.99/$649.99 which is on a par with the single-sided Garmin Rally RS/RK100 (£579.99) but more expensive than the Favero Assioma Uno (£449).

The dual-sided Powrlink Zero we have on test here has an RRP of £849.99/$999.99 (compared to £969.99 for the Garmin Rally RS/RK200 and £699 for the Assioma Duo).

I’ve used the Wahoo Powrlink pedals on at least five bikes in the six months since they arrived and am 100% happy with the way they’ve been wearing - or rather haven’t been wearing.

Since the new Wahoo design uses a stainless steel rim that mates with the cleat, they’re looking almost as good as new after six months: all you can see is a slight scuff where the cleat spring engages. The bearings are beautifully smooth.

Conclusion

Other power meter pedals had teething problems with durability and battery connection issues but it’s hard to fault anything at all with the Wahoo Powrlinks. They are incredibly easy to set up and use, build quality is superb, there are no pairing issues and accuracy is spot on based on average power, with the single caveat being that the Wahoos appear to ‘smooth’ slightly, meaning sprinting peak power appears lower for short sprints.

Overall this is a high-quality product that's fairly priced compared to the competition and comes highly recommended.

Specs

• Weight 273g dual sided
• Q-factor/stack height: 55mm/13mm
• Connectivity: ANT+ and Bluetooth
• Battery: Rechargeable lithium
• Battery life 75 hours 
• Features: Total power, cadence, temperature, automatic calibration, IPX7 water resistance, LED indicators

Garmin’s Rally power meter pedals aim to be the very first to provide true cross-compatibility for riders of varying disciplines - with a single spindle that can be swapped between RS (Shimano), RK (Look) and XC (Shimano SPD) style pedals. The goal is to provide reliable data on any bike the owner chooses to ride.

The Rally family unseats Garmin’s Vector, the third version of which was launched with a battery door cover that was the source of frustration for many a user, myself included. However, as well as the new system agnostic pedal bodies, the Rally features a redesign that appears to have been victorious in the battle for reliability once and for all.

Garmin Rally RK200: construction 

The body of the Rally RK looks identical to the Look-compatible Vector 3 before it - which is pretty slick for a power meter pedal. Other versions in the market - the Favero Assioma and Powertap Quarq P2 - don’t look nearly so unobtrusive.

The pedals are fitted and removed with a 15mm spanner, and take either four LR44/SR44 or two CR1/3N batteries. Changing batteries is as simple as using a 4mm Allen key to loosen the door, which now mates with a metal insert, drastically reducing the chance of cross-threading leading to water damage.

Release tension can be adjusted via a small Alley key adjustment at the rear of the pedal. There’s also a screw that holds the pedal jaw in place, which is tightened up by a 2mm Allen key. Experiences with the Vector 3 lead me to suggest riders check this is snugged up occasionally over long-term use, I did have mine work its way loose but this hasn't repeated itself on the Rally as yet.

Accuracy is a claimed +/-1 per cent. This refers to the unit's own accuracy to itself - no power meter's accuracy claim is against 'finite power', and studies have shown drift between units is substantial. However, comparison testing showed results very close to that of a Quarq DZero implying good calibration here.

The battery life is a claimed 120 hours. Many factors will influence this, but I got to around 90 hours before receiving a ‘battery low’ message.

The pedals are Bluetooth and ANT+ compatible. The Q-factor is 53mm, or 55mm if you use supplied washers, and the stack height is 12.2mm. The pedals weighed in at 165g and 166g respectively (331g for the pair).

My test pair is the Rally RK200 - which is dual-sided; the RK100 is single-sided and can be upgraded at a later date.

Garmin Rally RK200: swapping spindles

The Rally party trick is that you can swap the spindle between pedals. For example, you might own the Rally RK and Rally XC bodies, giving you the opportunity to use the same strain gauge across all of your rides.

This is of course more hassle than having a power meter on each bike. However, in most cases, it's cheaper, and because there is drift between units, it does remove the need to complete an FTP test on every bike/power meter to ensure that set zones are accurate.

I don’t have a spare pair of pedal bodies to swap between - but I did try removing and replacing the spindle to understand how easy, or otherwise, the process would be.

At the Rally launch, Garmin suggested the swap would take “five to 10 minutes, with experience”, adding “we're looking at it more as a seasonal change but we see some riders changing every week if they want to."

The process is much like carrying out a pedal service. I don’t want to write a ‘how to’ here, that’s best left to Garmin’s video.

First time round, it took me 20 minutes. No doubt I'd speed up over time, but it's something you'd want to do the night before a ride and not whilst brewing coffee on the day. There are quite a few small parts, not less the tiny screws that need to be removed. I would wager that the heads of these would not take kindly to a weekly change - seasonal would be a much more sensible interval.

The process involved is somewhat of a fly in the ointment of a very good idea. Many riders who switch between road and gravel or mountain bike riding do so several times a week - I know I do. I wouldn’t repeat this process every time, I'd likely use the pedals for my road racing and training and only for an off-road event or race.

 Garmin Rally RK200: the ride

My experience with the Garmin Rally RK200 pedals has been excellent - I’ve enjoyed every positive element of the Garmin Vector 3s, without the pitfalls.

The pedals look just like any pair from Look, and the operational mechanics are similar - the hold on the cleat is firm and can be easily adjusted via the small screw at the rear.

I’ve been using these pedals since late February, through to the end of May - and have racked up 90 hours of riding. The reported battery life of 120 hours may therefore be a little ambitious, as I have performed one change - but I did do so as soon as the ‘battery low’ message arrived. I’ve used the pedals only for my road riding since I don’t have an XC model - but I’ve dragged them through plenty of ill-advised conditions.

The pedals have been quick to connect to my device in almost all instances, though I am using a friendly bedfellow in the Garmin Edge 1030 and occasionally 530 computers.

I had briefly believed that the Rally pedals might be reading lower than my previous Favero pedals, judging by low power output at an early season time trial. However, it quickly transpired that the underperforming component was me; a few events in and the numbers were back to normal.

When power meter brands provide ‘accuracy’ percentages, such as the +/-1 we have here, they refer to the unit's accuracy to itself - so 200 watts is only ever read as between 198 and 202 watts on that particular unit, so you can trust that your zones are correct on any day of the week.

The fact that no manufacturer's claims relate to 'finite power' means that, arguably, comparing one unit to another is actually fairly futile unless you're collecting a lot of data for a major study. However, it is interesting to keep a check on how great the drift could be between units, so I did it anyway.

I chose my ‘descending recovery sweetspot intervals’ session as the comparison mining site, and I was pretty impressed to find that the Rally pedals provided extremely similar readings to the Quarq DZero fitted to a SRAM Red eTap bike I also have on test.

To be honest, the 1-2 watt differences could easily be put down to the fact that it's near impossible to press 'lap' on two computers simultaneously whilst on the rollers.

Just like the Vector 3 before it, the Rally pedals provide a range of additional data points, such as left/right balance, pedal smoothness, power phase, platform offset and information on how much time you spend seated or standing.

Personally, the only data point I regularly use is left/right balance - if this begins to skew outside of 48/52 it generally tells me I’m about to develop some back pain and need to book in with my friendly osteopath.

Platform offset is only really useful in conjunction with bike fitting tools, and pedal smoothness/power phase/time seated or standing are metrics you might use if you had a particular process goal in mind. The pedals collect and display all the data, anyhow, so if you want it you can be sure it’ll be there.

Garmin Rally RK200: value and conclusions  

Garmin’s Rally RK/RS200 pedals cost £969.99, the XC model is steeper still at £1059.99 and if you want to make the most of the swapping functionality, you’ll want a set of pedal bodies at £179.99 for the RS/RK or £219.99 for the XC - that brings you to £1189.98 if you’d like an RS pair and XC bodies.

Comparatively, the Favero Assioma pedals come in at £699 - and our experience has shown that they’re extremely reliable and easy to live with, thanks to the rechargeable battery.

The only thing that the Garmin Rally provides which the Favero doesn't is the RS/Shimano style pedal system which has so far evaded the power meter world, and the off-road compatibility.

The benefit of power meter pedals has always been most felt by those who own multiple bikes. But emerging alternatives mean the pedal is no longer necessarily the most cost-effective option. SRAM’s new Rival groupset, for example, lets you add a single sided crank arm power meter for an additional £230 - so SRAM users could fit out five bikes for the price of one set of Rally pedals and additional bodies.

In short - Garmin’s Rally pedals have proved to be reliable and accurate. They look great and don’t add much to the weight of the bike. They are however expensive. For some riders, the ability to use the same power meter across all bikes and disciplines will justify the cost, if that's not you, there are plenty of other good options out there.

Garmin Rally specification

• RRP: £969.99 [Update, June 2026: this has since dropped to £769.99 and the XC200 is £859.99]
• Weight: 331g per pair
• RK200 - dual sided, also available as RK100, RS200/100 and XC200/100
• Bluetooth and Ant+ enabled
• Claimed battery life: 120 hrs, ~100 hours on test
• Q Factor 53mm/55mm with washers
• Stack height 12.2mm
• Claimed accuracy +/-1%

One of the best power meters needs to be reliable first and foremost, with a low weight, and ease of swapping between bikes also high up on the agenda. Power meter pedals have long been considered the gold standard in ease of transferring between bikes, with reliability a struggle among early creations.

Of the power meter pedals, Favero's Assioma pedals have the lowest RRP. They're also the lightest, and they're the only option that offers an in-built, USB rechargeable battery. How reliable are they? Well, that's what we're here to find out.

Full disclosure: it's important to note that this is our second pair of Favero pedals. The first pair (reviewed in February 2018) was used for around a year before being left dormant in Cycling Weekly's tech cupboard. I brought them back into use in January 2020. They worked faultlessly for a month, and then all of a sudden stopped working. I contacted Favero, via the standard channels, initially without disclosing my position as a reviewer. Favero quickly arranged a replacement. It is the replacement pair that I have on test.

Tech specs, set up and charging

Favero's Assioma consists of a Look style pedal, with what can only be described as a flashing UFO housing ahead of the spindle.

Unlike competitors, (Garmin Vector and PowerTap P2) the Assioma pedals are USB rechargeable via a magnetic connection. They come with a claimed battery life of 50 hours.

A set weighs in at 302g - you can purchase a single power meter pedal (the 'Uno') which will take reading from one leg and double it to provide data. In any case, the Assioma pedals far outstrip competitors, with the Vectors at 323g and the P2s at 398g.

The accuracy, like the Vector pedals, is +/- 1%. The Q-factor is 54mm, which feels well within range of a standard pedal.

Fitting the pedals was extremely simple - I typically hand fitted them, using the round UFO body to wind the pedals in before tightening with an 8mm allen key. There's no set torque needed for these pedals to work. I removed them using the same 8mm allen key.

The pedals are Bluetooth and ANT+ compatible. I set crank length via my Garmin 1030, and calibrated the pedals. All of this process ran smoothly and could be completed via the app on a smartphone if preferred. Software updates can be administered via the app too.

The pedals can be charged via USB, with magnetic ports connecting the pedals and a proprietary charger. Downside: you're not going to find a replacement charger in your local supermarket should you lose this one. A replacement costs about £27. Upside: you don't need to undo any ports on the pedals to change the batteries, dramatically reducing the chance of water ingress and resultant damage.

IAV cycling dynamics

The Assioma's have a couple of party tricks up its sleeves. The brand claims it offers greater accuracy over competitors due to the use of an onboard gyroscopic sensor aiding 'instantaneous angular velocity (IAV)' measuring. This measures instantaneous values, as opposed to providing the average angular velocity of each revolution. Favero says that this helps to avoid inaccuracy which can be caused by irregular pedalling for example during an uphill sprint or when using oval chainrings.

Favero compliments this with IAV Cycling Dynamics - riders can analyse the effectiveness of their pedal stroke, compare time spent seated vs climbing, and also their left/right balance (as long as you use a Duo pair). Data can be displayed on a Garmin computer via the Cycling Dynamics fields. The brand says that its analysis is more accurate than competitors because of the IAV system, however, the nature of the data displayed is similar.

During testing, I frequently made use of the left/right balance analysis. I'm usually at about 49/51% - any slippage is usually a sign that I'm carrying an imbalance and need to up my core/stretching routine.

I checked out the pedal smoothness data and rider position information. Whilst I was quite horrified to note than on a recent ride, I spent 3 hours 39 minutes seated and stood for only 7 minutes, it's not something that I target or would frequently use as part of optimising my training. Ditto, I might look at pedal smoothness if riding on the rollers and aiming to create the 'pefect' pedal stroke, but it's not a tool I used day-to-day and I expect other riders would be similar.

The ride

I've been using these pedals solidly for five months. Of the power meter pedals currently available on the market, these are the ones I recommend.

Following vigorous testing on the road, indoors and on the velodrome (where some pedals struggle due to the lack of freewheeling) I have not noticed a single dropout or power spike. Not once have the pedals failed to connect to my computer, iPad (when using Zwift) or phone (to update Firmware).

The battery has consistently lasted as advertised, and when it comes to charging, I simply remove the pedals and connect them to my computer. I have to add that you don't need to remove the pedals to charge, it's just a personal preference.

I've ridden through puddles, freak rain storms and I've left a bike - with the pedals fitted - in a shed overnight with no protection from the cold.

Whilst it is unfortunate that the initial pair - reviewed in February 2018 - did eventually fail, these would have been from a much earlier batch. It's also not recommended to leave a device such as this dormant, with no Firmware updates for a year. Therefore, I'm confident that buyers can expect consistent performance from the Favero Assioma pedals.

As is always the case, there is, however a 'but'.

In 2019, Favero updated its pedal body, to improve the aesthetics and offer a wider release torque tension, from 8Nm to 20Nm vs the 11Nm to 20Nm range of the outgoing version. The increased tension range is welcome, and the pedal feels secure once located. The body itself was reliable and robust. However, the pedals still take a bit of effort to clip into, not because of the spring, but because of the pedal weighting.

The 'UFO' which houses the gubbins of the power meter is heavy, and therefore, the pedal spins awkwardly. This means that clipping in sometimes took a few attempts - and whilst this made video and photoshoots (where clipping out is frequent) a hassle, I can see this being a genuine concern for example at the start of a hard and fast crit race.

Value

The Assioma pedals retail at  € 695,00 (£640.87). Whilst competitors can be purchased for that price via assorted price drops, we can only compare RRPs. The Powertap P2s retail at £845 whilst the Garmin Vector 3 pedals come in at £849, making the Assioma a clear winner there.

SRAM's AXS groupset arrived at the beginning of 2019. The brand was not the first to arrive at a 12-speed groupset - Campagnolo got there first. However, what it did provide was a bold vision of how 12-speed shifting could go beyond adding an extra cog to a standard 11 speed cassette. Smaller chainrings on the front and a 10-tooth rear cog meant a total rethink of how a drivetrain could function.

Features

Many of the features that made the original SRAM eTap system a success make their way to the new system as well. SRAM AXS is still a wireless system where each derailleur has a small battery of its own. Charging the batteries happens with a small USB charger and because they are the same front and rear it's possible to swap a dead battery. Along the same lines, if you fancy a bit of ultra-endurance riding bring a few extra batteries and leave the charger at home.

No matter what kind of bike you want to run SRAM AXS on there is an available configuration. All AXS pieces, but not the original eTap system, work together so you can pick and choose what will be best for you. 1x or 2x in front with options for an integrated or non-integrated power meter, disc or rim brakes, and plenty of options for remote shifting. I'm running the SRAM RED eTap AXS 2x disc system with the integrated power meter and a quoted weight of 2518 grams.

New to the AXS party is an app on your phone. The development of the app moves forward at a regular pace but the core functionality has remained the same. The AXS app is a centralised place to check battery, update firmware, and customise controls of your system. It can also, with some setup, add value as a place to analyse gear changes and miles covered.  

The biggest change, from a user perspective, comes with AXS rethinking gearing. I'm light and although I'm a strong cyclist I don't put down huge power numbers. I also climb a lot. A compact 50-34 chainring up front and an 11-28 in the rear means I spend most of my time in my big ring up front and near the top of the cassette in the back. The chain line isn't ideal and neither is my cadence. If I want just a little bit easier gearing I have to upset rhythm by shifting the front chainring and adjusting the rear as well. Turns out I'm not alone and SRAM addresses this issue in the AXS groupsets.

SRAM AXS doesn't offer standard 53/39, sub-compact 52/36, and compact 50/34 chainrings. Instead, SRAM completely rethought the system with an eye towards keeping riders in the big chainring. What SRAM RED eTap AXS offers instead is X-Range gearing. The front chainring options for X-Range include 50/37, 48/35, 46/33, and 43/30.

In order to make the X-Range gearing usable there had to be a change at the rear cassette as well. The number everyone pays attention to with AXS is the 12 gears in the cassette. That's not the number that really makes everything work though. What makes everything work is the addition of a 10-tooth cog, down from the traditional 11, in the rear to match the smaller front chainrings.

What does all this mean for the riding experience? It means instead of spending my time at the very top of the cassette I spend my time in the middle of the rear cassette. Riding with the 46/33 front chainring and the 10-36 rear cassette I get more range, an easier low gear, a harder top gear, and with the extra cog I get that without large steps between gears. This is what SRAM AXS is all about.

Other features of the system radiate out from this starting place. To get 12 gears and a super tight 10 tooth cog to work without new wheels and frames SRAM introduced a flat top chain that's both narrower and stronger. Because SRAM allows any combination of front chainrings, both 1x and 2x, to work with any combination of rear cassette they introduced a clutch-like system for the rear derailleur. It's all a system that goes back to rethinking the gearing to be more usable no matter the situation.

SRAM RED eTap AXS after a year

After spending thousands of miles and more than a year with the system I can offer some insight not widely available.

I talked a little bit about the impact of the new gearing already but it's important to emphasise this. The impact of the rethink is big. It changes the way a rider and bike work together. Being in the middle of the cassette makes for more flexibility. Small changes in grade mean I can move up or down a gear or two without touching the front chainring. For the most part I don't touch the front derailleur unless the grade turns red on my Garmin. It works exactly as SRAM designed it.

The rear derailleur has a clutch. SRAM doesn't call it a clutch because it's driven by a fluid instead of a mechanical spring system but it's the same for the user. It allows for flexibility in setting up the bike without changing the rear derailleur but it also makes a 2x road bike setup better. Changing the front chainrings can upset the chassis when there's not a system to slow the chain movement. The SRAM fluid filled rear derailleur makes for smooth shifts that don't upset the chassis, even under high torque.

The 10 tooth cog on the rear is something people are curious about but for the rider it's invisible. The only thing to note is that the tolerances between the frame and the chain are very tight. If you don't tighten the freehub, all the way, the chain will jam against the chainstay.

Value

When SRAM introduced the RED eTap AXS system there was a lot of discussion about how expensive it was. The system I'm riding is the 2x Hydraulic Road Disc Brake w/ Power with an MSRP of $4,158/€4,118/£3,794. It's obviously not inexpensive but compared to a similar 11 speed system from Shimano it's almost exactly the same price. A 12 speed Campagnolo system is cheaper but that doesn't include a power meter.  The top of the line groupsets available all run about the same price no matter which system you choose.

When you talk about the value of a system like this it's important to look at all the costs associated with it. There's the initial price but there's also the cost of consumable parts and replacements if needed. SRAM sells a Force level AXS system and it's cross compatible. That means there's options for less expensive cassettes or a replacement for a broken derailleur. There's no getting around the need to replace the integrated power meter to change the chainrings but SRAM does offer a swap that drops the price by 50% - though you should check this applies where you are before taking it as a given. 

SRAM also has another trick up its sleeve when it comes to value for the system. The ease of installing a wireless system on nearly any frame, and the cross compatibility with all AXS parts, allows the AXS system to grow with you. As frames, and your cycling interests, change it's easy to keep moving and changing with AXS. That kind of longevity means real long-term value.

I've been a part of more impassioned conversations about power meter pedals than almost any other component group within cycling - save perhaps wheels and saddles.

A power meter you can swap between bikes is the dream for a lot of riders, but because pedals are exposed to so much muck, it's not uncommon for inaccuracies to occur - and an inaccurate power meter is basically a very expensive paper weight.

My time with the PowerTap Quarq P2 pedals has - thankfully - been incredibly amicable, with no data issues after 50 hours of riding. However, this review will come in two parts - first, this one month 'initial impressions' post; then I'll bring an update after at least six months of use and abuse in rain, wind and shine.

For an immediate insight into long term performance, check out our long term review of the PowerTap P1s. Briefly addressing naming convention, PowerTap was purchased by SRAM - which also owns Quarq - in 2019, hence the pedals now sit under their umbrella.

The pedal body

The P2 pedal is a pretty burly customer, coming in at 398g for a pair (with the batteries). In a rare occurrence, that's exactly what I got on the scales - and it's heavier than the likes of the Favero Assioma pedals (304.8g) and the Garmin Vectors (316g).

That is a fairly sizable weight difference. However, with that comes a very robust body. The P2s house all of the expensive componentry in a protective aluminium casing, the battery cover is aluminium and this sits snuggly into an aluminium thread.

The P2 pedals avoid a major pet peeve if mine - which is a metal thread mated to a plastic casing. This approach just doesn't work for anyone prone to rushing things - which, ask any bike shop mechanic, is a lot of people.

Unlike the competitors, they're also silver. Make of that what you will.

The pedals use AAA batteries. These must be Lithium, and SRAM is clear that using incorrect batteries will void your warranty. The claimed life is 80 hours and mine are still going strong with no changes required yet (though I've unscrewed the cap plenty of times to see if I could break it). The app shows me a green battery icon though I can't find an actual percentage which is a shame.

The PowerTap Quarq P2 pedals incorporate a strong rubber seal as further weatherproofing and this always sat flush.

The stack height on these is 14mm - which is around 3mm taller than on competitors. This isn't a major issue, if you're a real micro adjuster you may wish to increase your saddle height by 3mm in line with the change. I never had any issues with clipping these pedals, but then I've only ever clipped a pedal in a race (when brain and body sometimes momentarily divide) so I'll have to hold fire on judgement there.

Fitting and removing the pedals with an 8mm Allen key was a two minute job every time, there's no set torque requirement. As per all the existing options, these run with a Look style cleat though you are meant to use PowerTap's own version. The supplied red cleat provided a lot of float for me, so I used a standard grey Look cleat - this isn't advised by the brand but worked fine for me. I've done the same with all other power meter pedals.

There is a tensioning screw to allow you to create a firmer hold, which I used to the desired effect. The engagement and clasp isn't as strong as the likes of a top end Look Keo Blade carbon pedal, but then that applies across the board.

I did find that when heading off for a ride it sometimes took me a little longer than normal to locate my pedal with my foot. I almost always had to look down.  Of course in the current situation I've had no opportunity to test quick clipping in ahead of a race, but this is something that would add to start line nerves for me. I put the strange sensation down to the way a normal pedal spins freely on its axle, whilst the P2s seem to present quite a bit of stiction which means they don't flip so easily when you nudge one with your foot.

Changes in temperature, and wet conditions can both spell issues for power meters, typically causing battery draining and all manner of dodgy data. Whilst a longer term review will be needed to comment on their weatherproofing, I stored these pedals on a bike in an outdoor shed during chilly nights with no issue.

Connection

The pedals submit data via Bluetooth and Ant+ Smart - no surprises there.

I used the P2 pedals paired to a Garmin Edge 520 and then a Garmin Edge 1030 computer - the pedals always came up quickly on the device, setting crank length, zero-offsetting and calibration were all simple. The Garmin 1030 screen could show me pedal smoothness and torque effectiveness on screen - useful if you know what to do with the data and have the brain capacity to engage it during intervals.

Because power meter numbers do vary between units, I wanted to use the P2s when training aboard the Wahoo Kickr bike I also have on test, allowing me to have consistent data at all times. However - hooking up to Zwift, I noticed that my power numbers were halved.

The inability to draw in the two pedals and show combined power meter data on Zwift via Bluetooth isn't a PowerTap only problem, it's a Zwift problem. Other pedal brands overcome it by converting the pedals to a single sided unit, but PowerTap hasn't enabled this. I just used the Kickr numbers - and the brand says those that want their PowerTap data on Zwift would need to use an Ant+ stick.

Accuracy and reliability

Anyone who trains with power zones will know how frankly infuriating it is when a power meter stops working. Once you're used to training with watts, heart rate and RPE are not the same. I never had to contend with this issue whilst using the P2s. Occasionally, I had a 'right sensor missing' message after a stop by the side of the road, but connection was always up and running in seconds of pedalling.

PowerTap gives an accuracy rate of +/- 1.5 per cent which is within reasonable range at this price point. The accuracy rate given by a power meter brand refers to its 'precision' - which is the variability between that power meter's own numbers. So a 250 watt effort on the P2 should read between 246 and 253 watts at all times.

The accuracy rate doesn't refer to 'trueness' - reliability vs the actual finite power produced. To obtain that - reliably - you'd need to go to the measures of hooking a cyclist up on a downhill treadmill and have them pedal against a weight, as per this study which looked at precision and trueness of 54 power meters in 2017.

However, understandably people want more of a guide as to whether one brand typically 'over' or 'under' reads, and any drastic deviations of course would be a red flag. Whilst it's an imperfect science, tested against a Quarq DZero chainset powermeter I found that the P2 pedals read 3 per cent higher on sprint efforts - which makes a lot of sense due to drivetrain losses - and around 3 per cent lower on endurance efforts and overall average.

On the ride in question the P2s showed a slightly different L/R balance at 48/52 per cent vs a perfect 50/50 from the Quarq DZero chainset - but that'll be because the Quarq DZero doesn't actually measure power independently per leg, instead looking at what part of the pedal stroke the power is coming from. So, in short on L/R balance the pedals are much more accurate.

Regardless of difference between power meters, what's important is that if you're consistently using the same power meter, you can trust the numbers to show you performance progression (or regression) - and the readouts from the P2s never had me raising an eyebrow.

Working with the app

Since being bought by SRAM, PowerTap products now use SRAM's AXS app - as opposed to the previous 'Power Mobile' app.

It's this app that you'll need to use to issue firmware updates, and you can also use it to set crank length, zero offset and calibrate. I could also see that the battery life was 'good' (still green) after 50 hours, though I couldn't find a finite percentage.

Interestingly, where other power meter pedal brands offer detailed pedal metrics inside the platform, the SRAM AXS offers no such detail - all of that will have to come from a third party.

I used Garmin Connect for this, which felt like a slightly odd application with the Vector pedals being such an obvious competitor, but the process was smooth and I had access to all the data I could feasibly put to good use.

It's a great power meter, it offers plenty of fitment options but above all is durable, reliable and great looking, especially after its aesthetics update along with its sibling companies groupset update this year. We’d recommend getting one if you want power readings and that is why we’ve included it in Editor’s Choice.

The Quarq DZero power meter is named after the DZero experiment, according to Quarq. That experiment was one of science's most accurate and innovative projects to detect subatomic particles moving at the speed of light - so Quarq is hoping for great things after such a name check for 2019 it has an aesthetic update but remains the same internally, which is fine by us.

>>> Power meters: everything you need to know

So the same measurement circuit along with the same strain gauge design for the Quarq DZero Power meter still has accuracy to within 1.5%. I tested this against the Wahoo Kickr and found it to be three to four watts above what the Kickr was reading during the same effort.

This would account for drivetrain watt loss and proves that the reading is fairly accurate. I didn't experience any reading drop outs or any spikes during rides, efforts or post analysis either.

You can capture the data via Bluetooth or ANT+, so phone or cycle computer connection is possible. Bluetooth giving you constant readings over ANT+, something in favour of more and more data collection units and power meter companies.

Quarq DZero power meter is compatible with all BBs according to Quarq and it has said it has made it easier to ensure you buy the correct model for your setup. It has done this by simplifying your choices. I particularly like SRAM's own version here, which adopts its new chainset design that I can only think helps improve the power meters accuracy.

A number of BCD's are available, either in aluminium or carbon and you can buy in the DFour setup that suits Shimano chainrings. You can also purchase the spider alone, the price various depending on model.

Quarq DZero is easy to install to when ordered with your preferred bottom bracket standard but you'll need the right removal kit as SRAM and Shimano are different standards.

I've tested this power meter over 2000kms now, the single coin cell battery is still good and I haven't experienced and problems so far. The power meter still shows a green light and connects to my Garmin easily.

To keep the Quarq Dzero power meter functioning as it should you can download the app. This allows to update firmware update, run diagnostics and check battery voltage details another nice touch of the entire system. It'll help if there is an update from Garmin or other units so everything works together as it should.

>>> How to train with a power meter

On top of the great price and performance a two year warranty will give you piece of mind, a great job by Quarq.

Look paired up last year with power meter guru SRM to launch the Exakt pedal-based power meter.

SRM was the pioneer of cycling power measurement, but had previously only offered crank-based power meters. It has a large presence in the pro peloton and a reputation for accuracy, which Look and SRM have aimed to port to Exakt.

The Look/SRM Exakt power meter comes in a nice box, complete with the tools you need to set it up. There’s also an extra-long USB cable which plugs into a charging adapter. The adapter, in turn, makes a magnetic connection to the charging port on the inside end of each pedal and powers up the internal battery.

Look/SRM claim a 100 hour battery life. I got less than that, but it was still enough for multiple rides between charges.

It’s a neat system that does away with the need that some power meters have to swap out coin cells and means that Exakt is sealed against the elements. Look says that it’s IPX7 waterproof. I didn’t have the joy of riding on a wet day, but with Look’s expertise in pedals, there’s no reason to believe that its double seals would not be effective.

Set up process

The set-up process for the Exakt power meter is fiddly, although it’s guided by an easy to use app which runs on Android or iOS.

Turning the pedals switches them on; an indicator LED in the spindle end of each pedal showing that it’s powered up. Then the app will discover the pedals via Bluetooth. This process usually works smoothly, although on occasion I had to close the app and restart it for one or other pedal to be paired. The app also gives you battery status info for each pedal.

Next you need to line up a blue dot on the inside end of the pedal spindle so that it points towards the centre of the crank. Then using the app and pressing down on the pedal, while all the time keeping the bike vertical, you need to align an arrow so that it points to the middle of a dial on the phone display.

Next, you need to tighten a lock nut to 35Nm, without moving the spindle in the crank. There’s a strangely shaped allen key and a pedal spanner provided to help you with this. It's unlikely that the average rider will have one of the best torque wrenches for bikes to ensure that they've got the torque correct and any movement of the spindle in the crank can throw off the power measurement - something that you need to check for with the app. The remedy for incorrect alignment, as indicated by the app, is to repeat the whole alignment and tightening process.

Then the procedure needs to be replicated for the other pedal.

I just ended up aiming for “pretty tight”, but differences between how tight I got the left and right pedal may explain inconsistencies in left:right power balance readings I found when I started to ride.

The first generation Garmin Vector power meter pedals had to be torqued to a precise 40Nm. Garmin’s latest Vector 3 has escaped this constraint. Although you can get readings if you haven’t got the pedals correctly aligned, Look says that you need to go through the alignment process to get the highest accuracy.

Look and SRM say that other makers have avoided the precision set-up process by using a power estimation algorithm, whereas the Exakt power meter relies more directly on power measurement at the pedal.

Regardless of whether this is the case, the awkward set-up process means that swapping Exakt between bikes is not as easy as for most of its competitors, thus obviating one of the main advantages of pedal-based power measurement. On the other hand, it’s still a lot easier than installing a crank based power meter, it will work with whatever chainset you have and Exakt is still significantly cheaper and more flexible than SRM’s crank based options.

Exakt in operation

Exakt pairs up easily with non-SRM head units, using either ANT+ or Bluetooth, although you don’t get the full range of functionality supplied by SRM’s own PowerControl 8, which I also used as part of the package.

I found that swapping Exakt between different bikes, in some cases I got non-even left:right balance readings of up to 30:70. This might be due to my legs not working as hard as each other, but in some cases the bias was towards the left leg and others towards the right. It seems more likely that it’s due to differences in how tightly I had torqued the two pedals. Look says that you should check the alignment regularly with the app to ensure that everything is still set up right.

Being based on Look’s Kéo pedals, the cleat interface offered by Exakt is as secure as you’d expect and you have the option to increase or reduce the release tension. Plus, you can select standard Look cleats with different amounts of float, to suit your pedalling style.

With all the electronics hidden in the pedal spindle, the Exakt power meter is low profile. The pedal spindle extends under its platform, but otherwise there’s little except the blue end cap to distinguish it from a standard set of Kéo pedals. Exakt is also impressively light at 314g a pair, as against the Kéo 2 Max Carbon pedals’ 252g, so the electronics and batteries are only adding around 60g of additional weight.

SRM head unit

We’ve had the whole package in for test, including the SRM PowerControl 8 head unit. It’s the sleek-looking display you see on many pros’ bikes. UK importer ZyroFisher doesn’t offer the bundle including the head unit, although you can buy the complete package or the separate head unit from the Exaktpower website.

At £780, the head unit is a pricey piece of kit and a bit of a curate’s egg. The large display is easy to view and you can parameterise the screens displayed. It offers you data like torque effectiveness that you can’t get from Exakt otherwise, although other metrics like normalised power, training stress score and intensity factor can be displayed on other head units.

But there’s no mapping or navigation functionality in the PowerControl 8. Being aimed at the pros, they’re likely to know – or not care – where they’re going. There is a gradient profile, so you can see how much and how fast you’ve climbed. And there is GPS too. But you only get to see your route after you get back and have uploaded the data to your home computer.

Upload uses a custom USB cable, which has a magnetic connector that attaches neatly to the back of the head unit. It works well and also charges the head unit, which has an always-on screen, although this doesn’t drain the battery excessively.

>>> Buy now: Exakt power meter from Exaktpower.com

I found that the GPS was slow to pick up a signal – you need to turn the unit on a few minutes before you start riding or it will miss the first few miles. And the GPS trace isn’t very accurate; I found that its recorded distance was consistently shorter than that measured by the normally accurate Polar V800. Comparing traces, there was significant drift for the SRM, particularly under tree cover, and on one occasion there was a dropped trace mid-ride too.

SRM analysis software and interfaces

SRM’s analysis software is also a bit clunky. It took me a bit of time to navigate my way around the Windows-based SRMX app (it’s available for Macs too). The user interface isn’t very intuitive and you end up with a set of windows open on a PC. The Critical Power Curve graph is useful and interesting, but many of the other display options left me scratching my head as to what they were telling me.

>>> Best power meters 2019

But you can set SRMX up to link automatically to your Strava account or training programmes including Training Peaks, with one click all that’s then required to sync your rides. I found it easier to use Strava to review my data than SRMX.

As well as the £1280 dual sided power meter tested, there’s the £730 option of single sided power measurement. This uses just the right pedal and doubles up the power measured there. So of course, you don’t get the left:right balance info, but the set-up process should be a lot easier and you can buy a left side power meter pedal to upgrade your measurement at a later date.

When Specialized debuted its S-Works power cranks, it was one of the first bike brands to offer a top end bike, in our case the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL6 Disc, with the unit attached at the point of sale.

If you don't want to spend £9,500 on a bike then you can buy the power meter separately. It's available with the Specialized crankset, in a Shimano Dura-Ace crankset or as a single-sided Shimano Ultegra upgrade kit.

The power meter itself are two unassuming black pods that sit on the inside of both cranks. The 15g weight is forgettable and the pods are not an eye-sore, in fact the carbon S-Works crank in which its housed looks stunning. After all, that's the benefit of using crank based power meters over pedal based or hub based – they blend in perfectly with the bike.

Internally at least, the Specialized power meter uses 4iiiis technology but its housed in Specialized's own external housing. Other than just being an exercise in branding, Specialized told us that this was because it wanted to make certain of the quality of the waterproofing.

I've been using the device since for over four months now, including in bad weather and I've had no problems with water ingress or damage from the weather. This has also included multiple power washes and soapy scrubs.

In fact, my whole experience with the product has been close to flawless. The only tricky part of the product was the setup and that was purely because of the device's location. It involved unscrewing the top of the power meter pods off and removing the film from the back of the batteries (it uses coin cell batteries) then screwing them back on. Once done, the power meter started up with no issues.

As you'd expect, there's a companion app that is vital to the proper working of the unit. You pair it to the power meter and here you link the two together. It also tells you if they're both connected, as well as the battery life of each pod. To date, I haven't had to change the batteries in either of the arms. Crucially, you also use the app to perform a zero offset to help the power meter stay accurate as well as send firmware updates to the unit.

I'll be the first to admit I probably haven't performed enough zero offsets in my use, but this is because the device didn't dropout or spike in its readings so it has never really felt necessary.

It's a similar story with firmware updates, and I've had to send very few of these to the device, and in general, the power meter has been very stable. It has fired up every time straight away and has connected to both my Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin Edge 130 immediately, with no lagging. Importantly, I haven't had it drop out on rides and it doesn't spike or jump wildly between readings.

The Specialized S-Works Power Cranks is a dual-sided unit with an accuracy rating of +/- 1.5%, a number that's quite standard across the power market. Because the unit is dual-sided it's capable of giving left and right balance readings, although it depends on which of the best bike computers your using as to whether you can see it displayed.

It's a metric I've found particularly useful because, well, it has told me just how bad I am. If I'm focussed on my riding and working on technique I can hover around a 48/52 left-right balance but on longer, endurance based rides (almost all the riding I do) that's slipped to a pitiful 40/60 left-right balance, leaving my right side doing quite literally all the leg work!

In fact, it's so poor that at first I thought that the Specialized S-Works Power Cranks must be giving an incorrect reading but looking back through my old activities I now know that the Favero Assioma Duo power meter pedals also gave me very similar readings of 42/58 left-right balance – looks like it's time to work on some technique!

Testing the Specialized S-Works Power Cranks against my Elite Drivo smart turbo I found that the Specialized power meter read about 5-10 watts higher which is what you'd expect considering the turbo doesn't have the same drive chain inefficiencies as a bike does.

Ultimately, though, the main concern shouldn't be about the power meters accuracy with the turbo but with itself. After all, you'll be training against its numbers, so as long as its consistent, without spiking or dropouts then its ok.

The Specialized S-Works Power Cranks slots quite neatly into the rest of the power meter market. For example, the Shimano Dura-Ace R9100-P power meter retails at an eye watering £1,400 and the Stages Dura-Ace offering comes in at €1200. Comparatively, the S-Works Power Cranks cost £995 and and the cranks themselves are amazingly stiff and are one of my favourite cranksets on the market.

This review of the Garmin Vector 3 pedals has been over a year in the making, with original testing beginning in November 2017.

The initial Cycling Weekly review was published in January, 2018 - and the pedals received a brilliant 10/10 for offering accurate power readings plus a host of other useful metrics in a package that made for easy swapping between bikes.

However, around a month after publishing the shining report, the pedals began to exhibit problems: power spikes, battery draining and 'right sensor missing messages'. A simple Google search revealed multiple forum threads with customers having identical problems - and, if it's not a dirty word, anecdotally a high percentage of our cycling peers who had invested were experiencing the same issues.

After changing the batteries several times, Garmin sent a second pair of pedals to try. Issues persisted with both pairs. Then in June 2018, Garmin admitted that it had a problem with water damage caused by an insufficient battery cover design. All customers were treated to a new set of revised covers, and all new pairs come fitted with the updated cover as standard.

The first replacement cover pinged off after being clipped in a crit race - but the second replacement set of covers hasn't yielded incredible results, either. It seems performance can be boosted using a clever hack involving a piece of cardboard which closes the gap between contact and battery - but this may void your warranty and is not advised by Garmin.

In March 2020, Garmin released another new cover, once again to address issues with the design. We have been able to try a pair with this cover, and we did find that these were trouble free - so it does look like Garmin has solved the problem here. It's just unfortunate it took a few attempts. 

Garmin Vector 3: the construction

When power meter pedals arrived on the scene they seemed like the ultimate solution.

The pros: easily transferrable between bikes, unlike cranks; suitable for all rides, events and all weathers, unlike wheels. For a rider like myself who wants to train with power on the road, track and in time trials, they'd be ideal. However, the location makes them fragile and susceptible to damage.

>>> How to train with a power meter 

The Vector 3's looked to solve the cons. Unlike the outgoing Vector 2, the power meter is housed inside the pedal – doing away with the idea of having an expensive strain gauge dangling around unprotected and with the need to set them up with the perfect level of torque.

A pair weighs 324g (claimed weight is 316g). The pedals themselves, initially made by external brand Exustar, have become an in-house project, produced by Garmin. They use needle bearings instead of bronze and can support a rider weight up to 105kg.

They’re both Ant+ and Bluetooth compatible, which makes them friendly to more software options without the use of a dongle. The pedals can be purchased as a pair – 'Garmin Vector 3' – or as a single pedal in 'Garmin Vector 3S' form. The latter measures power from  the left pedal and uses an algorithm to establish output.

Garmin Vector 3 Set up

Sometimes getting to know a power meter, cycling computer or other particularly software heavy item comes with a side order of hassle and dressing of irritation.

That wasn't the case at all with the Vectors. The pedals were easy to fit, easy to connect and calibrate.

The pedals are Look style, and the box comes with a pair of cleats.

There's no special trick to fitting the pedals: remove your old ones, apply a little grease, add a supplied spacer if there's risk of rubbing (in my case there was not) and they're fitted. The battery indicator is in the space where you might use an Allen key to tighten the pedals, but you can use a pedal wrench.

To connect to a GPS computer – I was using a Garmin Edge 1030 – you simply go into your settings > sensors, and search for sensors. The power meter should come up – it did so for me in less than a minute. You then set crank length and calibrate.

Calibration needs to be performed ahead of every ride. Thankfully, it was very easy: I just had to select the sensor, hit 'calibrate', unclip from the pedals and wait a few seconds.

Updates can be administered via your Garmin Edge unit, and you can also adjust settings using the Garmin Connect mobile app – including scaling if you're using the Garmin 3S (single pedal) version and know you have a power discrepancy between left and right leg.

The pedals themselves

The pedal itself is light enough that I'd never have any concern over performance. They come in at 324g a pair, as a comparison Shimano Ultegra Carbon R8000 pedals have a claimed weight of 248g.

Stack height is low at 11.5mm and there's 13.7" of clearance. I have clipped them at crit races twice - in both cases I'm confident in calling the fault my own, though unfortunately the usual result is that the cover comes off, which means a replacement is needed, these cost £30 each.

The connection between cleat and pedal felt solid and reliable.

Accuracy

The stated accuracy is +/- 1.0%. When the pedals were working smoothly, I found them pretty spot on.

Generally speaking, power meters that measure from the pedal as opposed to the hub give slightly higher readings because a few watts are lost in transmission.

I found the Garmin Vector pedals read a bit lower during short bursts when compared to my Powertap hub, but a bit higher than the Wahoo Kickr. Over longer durations, the numbers were generally very slightly higher than the Powertap and lower than the Wahoo - which was rather generous.

Below are numbers for a couple of durations. All the figures come from rides of 90 minutes, completing the same intervals with heart rate within 5 BPM.

All power meters show some discrepancy between the numbers. However, for most riders, what a power meter needs to do is maintain consistency with itself.

The Garmin Vector pedals achieve this, most of the time.

However, in their lifetime with me I've had multiple experiences of 'right sensor missing', resulting in rides where my average power would be 80 watts (instead of 160) - thus messing with Training Stress Score and other metrics.

When riding in the wet, they'd often fail during the ride, or on the next outing. I've also experienced multiple incidents of power spikes (37,000 watts as a max power), and general drop outs.

Interestingly, when riding with club mates also using Vector 3 pedals, we've experienced drop outs simultaneously,  as though there were some sort of black spot in the lanes of Kent.

Bizarrely I found that when riding on the volcanic island of Gran Canaria the readings would skip wildly between 50 watts and 30,000 watts, rendering them utterly useless over the course of a week long riding holiday. The batteries ran out three days after arriving home (two weeks since their last change). And yet on the similarly volcanic island of Tenerife they were as good as gold.

With software updates (we're now on version 3.5), the new covers and the cardboard fix mentioned above (which may void your warranty) the problems above have decreased in frequency. However, they've not ceased completely. Around 80 per cent of the time, these pedals work fine - but that remaining 20 per cent is annoying.

Battery life

The power spikes, drop outs and 'right sensor missing' messages are associated with water damage and battery draining.

The LR44 batteries are meant to last 120 hours, but I've had them last anywhere from a couple of months to a couple of weeks. My most recent battery chance was after having used the new cover, and came after less than 20 hours of riding.

Usually, on replacing the batteries, I'll find black smudges on the surface - which is an indication of water damage. So in short: not great.

The metal cover screws into a plastic base, and many changes means that there's some evidence of threading in my set. It's possible that riders using a brand new set, installed with the new covers, could escape all of these problems.

Cycling Dynamics

The Garmin Vector 3's offer 'Cycling Dynamics' data, which is not available with the Vector 3S (single pedal).

Cycling Dynamics is Garmin's own system for measuring pedal stroke – it can be displayed on a Garmin unit, in Garmin Connect or on compatible apps like TrainerRoad.

The 'dynamics' include left/right pedal stroke, time spent seated vs standing, Power Phase (at what point during the pedal stroke power is being produced) and Platform Centre Offset (where on the pedal axle power is being produced).

Left right intrigued me because I've found when riding hard for long durations, for example during time trials, my right leg always feels fatigue much more strongly than my left, and I've had some injury issues on the left side.

It's never been clear which side is actually weaker, but the pedals were able to confirm there's not a huge discrepancy, around two per cent at times, though this became much higher under fatigue and during sprints. The dominant leg varied depending on whether sprints were seated or standing, which was really interesting. Knowing this could be very useful in the next few weeks of training.

As you can see in the 'L/R' balance chart below, the ideal would be that the pink line sits exactly on 50/50, with the occasional anomaly which you'd expect to occur from time to time.

Power Phase was also really interesting to explore. A circle-shaped diagram shows where power is being produced. I found mine was showing the most power at the front of the stroke and very little during the pull phase - in fact I could only get a full circle when completing minute long single legged drills.

Though interesting to look at on screen, the definition of 'perfect pedal stroke' depends upon who you ask. As a result, I was never entirely certain what I was actually aiming for. It might be interesting to track changes over time if I were to up the number of drills I performed.

Platform Centre Offset, like Power Phase, really needs to be used in conjunction with expert advice. A negative value indicates that force is being generated toward the outside of the pedal, and a positive means it's toward the inside of the pedal. Joe Bloggs could determine that a massive discrepancy between the two, or a high number either way, probably means a cleat adjustment is in order - but fine tuning seems like a job for a bike fitter.

Compatibility with non-Garmin headunits

I tested the Vector 3's with a Garmin Edge computer, and the brand is  still very much the market leader. But it's got competition, and therefore it's worth being aware that there are some connectivity issues.

Firstly, Cycling Dynamics is Garmin's own construction. It has opened it up to other power meter and computer brands to use, but so far it's not been widely adopted - though Trainer Road now incorporates it.

Asked if Cycling Dynamics could be displayed on a Wahoo Bolt computer, a spokesperson from Wahoo told Cycling Weekly: 'The Garmin pedalling dynamics is technology native to Garmin power meters and head units. The ELEMNT will not be able to record that metic so it will not be included in the .fit file which is produced at the end of a workout and synced with a 3rd party website (such as Strava, Training peaks, Garmin Connect etc)."

We tested this with a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, and indeed found that though left/right was displayed, peak power phase and pedal offset were not.

There may also be some other compatibility issues. Wahoo added: "To get the most accurate power meter data, make sure the crank length is entered using [a Garmin Edge computer] before connecting to the ELEMNT. This will save the crank length data to the power meter itself, so when it is connected to the ELEMNT this will be transferred to it."

Value

A pair of Garmin Vector 3 pedals will come in at £849.99, whilst a single pedal in the 3S form is £499.99. Powertap P1 pedals have an RRP if £1,050.00 so the price seems fair.

The price seems fair - if all the battery and drop-out problems were eliminated.

There was a great deal of excitement upon hearing the initial news that Shimano was to make it's first ever power meter - and with good reason. The Japanese giant has long been at the top of market for it's quality groupsets and components, so what reason was there to doubt that the new Shimano Dura-Ace R9100-P power meter wouldn't follow suit?

>>> Do we really need 12 speed?

The first impression of the Shimano Dura-Ace R9100-P power meter is that it looks really sleek. The rectangular pods containing the strain gauges on either side of this dual-sided power meter complement the aesthetics of the new Dura-Ace design.

The left side is housed neatly on the inner side of the crank arm, while the right side is hardly noticeable; tucked neatly right up towards the chainring bolts. There's no issue with clearance of the right side pod, while Shimano says the left pod (8mm deep) should provide enough clearance for direct mount brakes under the chainstays.

>>> Shimano grouspsets compared

The only real giveaway on the drive side is the small power port which sits between the arms of the crank spider. This is where the meter is recharged via a magnetic cable which fits under a plastic flap on the port. The flap doesn't feel overly secure, but according to Shimano it should prove fully waterproof.

As well as the charging port, this unit also has the calibration and an LED indicator (for charge and calibration). The last aesthetic element to mention is the magnet sensor, which sits on the chainstay of the drive side.

The Shimano Dura-Ace R9100-P power meter power meter comes built as full chainset with the standard Dura-Ace Hollowtech II cranks and chainrings, and was pre-installed on my bike ahead of the review. Judging by the installation manual, if you're as mechanically challenged as me, it would definitely be worth having this installed professionally to get it right.

The sides of the R9100-P are connected by a 'Left and Right Connector' - basically a cable through the spindle, which also houses a non-replaceable, rechargeable battery. With the sensors hardwired, the meter is unlike others on the market in that only a single signal to head unit rather than sending units between each crank and then to the head unit.

The meter connects to head units via ANT+, and can connect via Bluetooth LE to the Shimano E-Tube app for calibration and updates, however can't connect to computers via Bluetooth yet.

Shimano Dura-Ace R9100-P power meter: how it performed

With the battery charged (to a reported 300 hour longevity - I haven't yet had to recharge), calibration is nice and simple. Follow the steps in Shimano's guide and you should be ready to hit the road in a few minutes.

The meter was quick to get going off the mark, particularly if you were jumping straight up to speed. It lagged very slightly at lower cadence/speed to get up and running, but you would struggle to notice unless you were testing that specifically.

The wattage readings of the Shimano Dura-Ace R9100-P power meter were very consistent. Shimano claims a fairly industry standard +/- 2 per cent accuracy, and I'd support the accuracy and stability of the overall readings. I did most of the comparison testing against the power meter on the Tacx Neo, and the readings were consistently 10 watts above that on the Neo.

One thing that felt a little inconsistent however was the left/right balance readings. While it's not a feature I'd use a huge amount, based on past experience, I was surprised to see the left side consistently reading higher than the right, as much as 60/40 sometimes.

On two occasions I also found that the left/right readings had lost calibration, with 100 per cent being shown through the left. While this was easy to restore with a quick zero offset calibration, the overall number seemed to be working fine, so it was slightly annoying to find the left/right wasn't reading correctly when I switched screens on my computer.

The R9100-P also offers torque effectiveness and pedals smoothness readings, but is yet to offer pedal stroke analysis like the Garmin Vector 3s do - a tool which I personally would have used more to improve my riding than the former two.

I found the meter to be pretty consistent in varied temperatures. I had no issues at all while in the milder climate of southern Spain during the winter, even with changes in altitude and temperatures, while it remained consistent for me in the cold and wet back in the UK.

In general I enjoyed using Shimano's first power meter - it looks great, has all the pluses of a regular Shimano chainset and performs well - the price would leave me looking elsewhere before purchasing.

With an RRP of £1,499, the option of buying a standard Shimano Dura-Ace chainset and dual-sided Garmin Vector 3s or Powertap P1s (which can also be switched between bikes) instead and still having some change sounds much more tempting, although you can already get the R9100-P at a reduced price from some retailers. The price isn't absurdly high by market standards, coming in lower than an SRM, a shade higher than the Stages equivalent dual-sided Dura-Ace meter, but higher than top performers like the Quarq DZero.

That said, if you're looking for a dual sided power meter with sleek design and consistent overall readings, the R9100-P is an easy to use and good performer once installed, which will hopefully have its issues addressed through firmware updates.

We're now on the third generation of the much-used Stages power meter and after a fairly long time out in the cycling world, mainly under the feet of Team Sky, you can purchase the dual-sided Stages Power LR power meter – which adds only grams to a standard chains – for a respectable £899.

>>> All you need to know about power meters

Previously, the Stages power meter has suffered from intermittent reliability problems, sealing problems and compatibility issues. On some occasions I've had no trouble whatsoever. But at other times, with different units, batteries have drained quickly, pairing has been hit and miss and I've had reading dropouts.

So what am I looking for here? Well, an improvement in accuracy and reliability first and foremost, but also general ease of use with easy firmware upgrades.

Stages Power LR setup

The best thing about the Stages Power LR is how easy it is to install. The new cranks come with the pods attached and with the Shimano Ultegra chainset version, swapping like for like was a doddle – quite literally two bolts and a plastic bung.

Initially I was worried that the new Stages Power LR might be same old same old. But after install both green lights came one, I checked firmware with the mobile phone app, calibrated it and things were looking fine.

However, I ran into problems in the first two rides in the UK. After 30 seconds to a minute the right side stopped reading and didn't come back on for the two hour-long rides I did. This in Stages' eyes shouldn't be a problem: if the left power meter doesn't get any information from the right it should become single sided and read normally. However, my balance remained 100 per cent left and the wattage underread by some margin.

Back to the drawing board before I jetted off to Majorca for a holiday, ahem, I mean training camp.

On the Stages app, which is one of the better bits of software I've seen out in the power meter market, both power meters were connecting fine via Bluetooth, battery life was shown as 'good', and so I couldn't understand why the power meter wasn't working correctly.

So just a precaution, I changed the batteries both sides. The right crank needs a mini screwdriver to get to the battery and the left just needs a coin to access the battery. (CR2032 both sides).

In theory you should get over 200 working hours. So far over the course of around 1,000km (a few hundred at home and 800km whilst I was away in Majorca) I haven't seen any drainage of the battery after the change – so far so good on this front. That's around 30 hours of use.

Via the app I updated the firmware and was able do a calibration too. This was straightforward, but when I updated, I expected to be brought back to the home screen. Instead, I needed to press back and was greeted with an error message, so wasn't really sure if I had updated or not. Turns out I had.

I was also able to link and unlink the left and right-side power meters in the app. I unlinked and linked them back together to ensure connection was made.

Note that when calibrating (I usually do this whilst rolling on the bike) you must have the cranks at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock otherwise it'll fail.

Hurrah! When I landed in Majorca and went out for my first ride everything was working and connection to my Garmin 1030 (on loan from Rupert Radley, thanks mate) worked fine.

Despite it being the third generation you'll see no visual changes to the pods but they do include LED lights on both to indicate battery life and startup – a nice addition – and now they should actively adapt to temperature change. Stages say they've worked on the internals too.

Stages Power LR: ride

Out on the road the Stages LR is totally unobtrusive. You wouldn't know it was on the bike, which is nice.

Startup is quick enough and I never noticed a drop-off in wattage from my unit, though I did expeierence a fair bit of wildly off readings in my left/right balance.

Despite my initial problems mentioned above, I'd say that is an improvement over the previous generation. Looking back at the data I have seen a few skipped beats but nothing major. (pictures of screengrabs coming soon.)

On my head unit I used three seconds average wattage.

Left/right balance was an interesting one to view. The Stages gave a steady average over a number of rides of 54/46 per cent where as the Power P1 pedals regularly read 53/47 per cent on my rides. Though as I said above, looking at the data post-rides I have some spikes in left/right balance readings.

Power seemed constant at least, although readings seemed to be a little lower than I expected. By maybe around 10 or so watts. This isn't a problem as long as those readings are consistent and they seemed to remain so for me.

Despite smooth running for the rest of my time with the Stages Power LR, it still doesn't fill me with confidence that this is one of the best in terms of accuracy and reliablity. It has improved, no doubt about that, but I feel the likes of Quarq and its DZero power meter offer far superior data capture.

The Favero Assioma Duo are Italian brand Favero's dual-sided power meter pedals that caught our eyes because of its performance-pushing promises on a budget of just £719, significantly less than competitor models like the Garmin Vector 3 and the Powertap P1.

Favero Assioma Duo: Design

As with most power meter pedals, the design is based on the Look cleat system, and the Faveros are even compatible with the original Look Keo cleats. If you don't have any, don't worry as the red version of the cleats are supplied in the box, but you'll have to buy different float versions separately.

The Look design is a much smaller platform than Shimano's SPD-SL system. If you're used to clipping into Shimano's system then the Look-based one will take a bit of getting used to.

The sensors and all the other important parts sit in a housing next to the pedal body. It's a design that Garmin struggled with on its own Vector 2 pedals but Favero doesn't fall into the same trap of specifying a required torque to provide accurate data. Instead, simply put them on with an 8mm Allen key the same as any other pedal.

Having all the electronics housed in one place on each pedal also has the added benefit of keeping the pedal looking like a normal pedal. Unlike the enormous Powertap P1, the Faveros are not too bulky. The stack height is 10.5mm, the same as a standard road pedal.

The rechargeable batteries are a particularly nice touch, and should hopefully prevent you being caught short if you're on holiday (although you must remember the charger!), where it can be difficult to find the correct replaceable battery.

In terms of longevity, we've been impressed so far. The pedals had about 50 per cent charge after three big turbo rides, two five-hour epics and a handful of morning commutes. Favero also claims that its battery indicator is far more accurate than any other non-rechargeable battery powered unit – so you should see 50 per cent battery life and actually have 50 per cent battery life.

Watch: Power meter buyer's guide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KRFsDEtl_s

Like all pedal bodies, there is a tensioning screw at the back of the pedal that adjusts how easy or difficult it is to clip in and out of the pedal. I found it far less accurate than a Shimano counterpart, with the screw winding out of the pedal rather than releasing much tension. We found we couldn't max it out in either direction, making it less finessed than other options on the market.

Favero also hasn't quite weighted the pedal correctly, so if you accidentally miss clipping in, it spins round and round, forcing you to look down to kick it the right way, a real pain if you're in town or constant stop-start traffic.

Connection

The pedals communicate with devices, whether that's your phone or one of the best bike computers via a series of blinking LEDs on the pods. So far they've been flashing constantly and I'm none the wiser as to what it's telling me, other than if you back pedal it blinks three times, telling you its in pairing mode.

It was initially confusing to set up. The Wahoo Elemnt head unit was receiving mixed messages about which Favero Assioma Duo pedal to pair to. I paired with the first "power" option that came up, which turned out to be a mistake. I had, in fact, paired with the right hand side pedal, which is a slave to the left. The result was illegible power readings out on the road, with my numbers spiking between 45 watts and 175 watts.

Pairing and re-pairing and some desperate recalibration attempts solved nothing, and I reached out to Favero who quickly revealed I had actually paired to the wrong pedal, and that if I entered the "power" sensor settings on the Wahoo and waited a bit longer a "power" option with a serial number appears – this is the master pedal.

From here on, things became much better for the Favero Assioma Duo. I began getting far more realistic numbers and the watts no longer dart up and down like before.

It does, however, beg the question: why does Favero leave the right pedal as an option in the pairing process. There'd have been a lot less hassle if the two were hardwired in the same way the Powertap p1s or the Garmin Vector 3s are.

That said, calibration is swift and easy to do, and I've paired these pedals with both my Wahoo Elemnt and my Garmin Edge 820 (on the latter you can rename the pedals so you don't keep pairing with the wrong one).

Once set up and connected you can find a whole wealth of data fields available depending on what you want measured or where you want to improve. For my time with the pedals I opted for 3 second average power, average power and left and right balance. In terms of accuracy, Favero give a stat of +/- 2% for accuracy, which is less than either the Powertap P1s or the Garmin Vector 3s. When compared to my Elite smart turbo, they were plus or minus 10-15 watts which, when considering drive chain wastage, isn't too dramatic.

The 4iiii Precision power meter is a left-side-only, crankarm-based power meter. It can be purchased with a crankarm, or alternatively you can send your crankarm off to the company and it will fit the 4iiii Precision pod for you and post it back. The pod runs on a single CR2032 coin battery which, according to 4iiii, currently gives about 120 hours of battery life.

A Shimano 105 crank equipped with the unit costs £379, which is roughly in line with the price of a Stages power meter. If you send your own crank off to 4iiii, it will also charge you £379. In the meantime I have a 4iiii-equipped Dura-Ace 9000 crank to review (£549)

Buyer's guide to power meters - which is right for you?

Ease of fitting depends on your crankarm manufacturer. In the case of Shimano, it is a five-minute job. The 4iiii is to my knowledge the lightest power meter on the market with a weight of just 9g including the battery. This makes it a very attractive proposition to those building lightweight machines.

4iiii Precision power meter: accuracy

At the heart of any power meter is accuracy and 4iiii claims +/- 1%. To test the accuracy of the 4iiii Precision power meter I tested it against two known power meters I currently have – PowerTap P1 pedals and the Tacx Neo direct drive turbo trainer.

I performed a series of efforts and rides across different lengths and intensities. On the same test ride, here is an example of how the 4iiii's data compared with the PowerTap P1:

4iii Precision Max Power - 717W             PowerTap P1 Max Power - 746W

4iiii 20 secs - 653W                                    PowerTap P1 20 secs - 668W

4iiii 4 min - 256W                                       PowerTap P1 4 min - 248W

4iiii 1 hour - 154W                                      PowerTap P1 1 hour - 156W

4iiii Cadence Av 69                                    PowerTap P1 Cadence Av - 71

4iiii Cadence Max 131                                PowerTap P1 Cadence Max - 102

From this data, we can see that the 4iiii reads considerably lower than the PowerTaps at high intensities. The discrepancy on the 4min effort is down to left-right balance. The PowerTap P1 pedals are dual sided and I tend to have a slight imbalance of 51/49 in favour of my left leg. The 4iiii measures left-leg power only and doubles it, which means that it will often give me a slightly higher score.

Over the course of one hour, the two meters are very consistent with each other, suggesting only a 2W discrepancy. A bigger difference was seen on the cadence. The 4iiii precision appears less accurate in this area and did experience a small spike of 131.

While comparing the 4iiii Precision with the Tacx Neo, I performed a 20min interval at a target power of 290W. The Tacx Neo recorded an average power of 284W over 20 mins, while the 4iiii gave me an average of 295W. I would expect the Neo to read slightly lower owing to drivetrain losses and this is consistent with other meters I have tested. I can attribute the rest of the discrepancy to my left/right imbalance.

I know from extensive testing that in an effort of this intensity and duration I am slightly left-leg dominant (typically 1-2 %). Because the 4iiii measures the left leg only and effectively doubles the reading, this means my score is slightly inflated. Note that this is the case with all left-only power meters. For the majority of training and riders this is fine, but it can become a problem in time trials.

If you are intending to tread the tightrope of functional threshold power in a 25-mile TT, then a left-right balance discrepancy of just 1-2% can make a significant difference. It is also something to think about if you have a history of single-leg injury.

Imbalance Correction

Fortunately, a selling point of the 4iiii Precision, is the ability to correct for an imbalance. You can adjust the scale factor to account for a known imbalance and you can also use this the make the 4iiii consistent with other power meters you may run or own. This is a welcome feature over many left only power meters on the market, but it doesn't entirely solve the problem, as I know from analysing lots of ride data, I am never always at 49/51. Sometimes I am 50/50 for considerable periods depending upon the intensity.

It is worth noting that 4iiii also makes a more expensive dual sided unit, the 'Precision Pro' which is used by Quickstep and Bora Hansgrohe

Watch - How to perform a critical power test to get the most from your power meter

Durability

How does the 4iiii cope with riding in the rain? Many users of Stages power meters have experienced reliability issues relating to water ingress. I have ridden the 4iiii Precision on three wet and rainy rides and have also cleaned my bike with a hose. So far I have experienced no issues with regard to water ingress. However, I must stress that only longer-term use will give a true reflection of this. Initial testing is positive in this regard.

One thing to be aware of is compatibility issues. On bikes with bottom bracket-mounted rear brakes, left crankarm-based power meters such as the 4iiii and Stages can sometimes catch as there are clearance issues. It is worth checking your particular frameset if you think this may be an issue.

Italian component manufacturer FSA has combined its wealth of experience with that of respected wireless electronic and power measuring experts Power2Max – a German company – to create the FSA Powerbox power meter. Power2Max has been producing power meters since 2010.

The FSA Powerbox power meter is supplied to the likes of Astana, Cofidis and Direct Energie as well as other pro teams. However, this partnership has allowed FSA to price one aluminium four-armed chainset (tested here) at the lower end of the price market, with a hollow carbon-cranked version available but at nearly double the price aimed at the higher end.

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As with all good things German, reliability, good design and accuracy are at the heart of the product’s remit. In the three months I’ve been using it the reliability has been impressive, something that with other power meters has frustrated me in the past. The only time I had cause for concern was when the data kept flicking on and off, something that was resolved at the side of the road by wiggling the easily accessed battery about; since then I haven’t had this problem again.

It’s typical that when you need to give electronic kit a wet weather test you get an unseasonably dry spell, I would have really liked to test in real world conditions the robustness of the FSA Powerbox power meter to see if ingress of water would be a problem, so, going against Power2Max’s recommendation I’ve had to resort to giving it the odd blast with a hose pipe, nothing too serious, just comparable to a good bike wash.

Despite the only thing between the battery and the outside world being a rubber slip-on cover, which initially caused concern, I’m happy to report this simple solution held good and no issues have come up.

I’ve found it to give a consistent accurate reading. FSA claims a ±2% discrepancy. Response time is also impressive with the unit waking up and linking to a head unit very quickly – in fact it’s been activating itself and linking to a head unit long before any GPS satellites have been found. Information is relayed in one second intervals.

The sensors are located in the four-arm spider. A 110mm BCD chainring is standard despite the chainring configuration giving comprehensive size options and upgrading, and works with the big three component manufacturers.

The spindle only comes in 30mm, so it’s not compatible with Shimano bottom brackets. Crank lengths available are 170mm, 172.5mm and 175mm.

FSA claims the battery life is good for 400 hours of use, something that I can’t claim to have tested but I’ve no reason to believe from the hours that I’ve put in that battery life will be a problem.

The FSA Powerbox power meter has the capacity to relay measurements for both legs, although the software to read it hasn’t been released just yet; FSA claims the app won’t be available until September 2017. Bluetooth connectivity is available with a firmware upgrade but isn’t standard.

As accuracy can be affected by the temperature, thermal correction is taken into account every time the crank stops turning for more than two seconds. The unit also takes this opportunity to self calibrate.

If you want to get the most out of your training, a power meter is the best tool to quantify your workouts. Currently, power meters can be placed in five key areas of a bike: The rear wheel hub, the bottom bracket/spindle, the chainrings, the crankarm and pedals – such as the Garmin Vector we have here. Each of these locations provides different advantages and disadvantages.

Pedal-based systems are easy to fit and swap between bikes, but can be less accurate owing to the complexity of the force measurement and being exposed, puts them at greater risk of damage.

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Being pedal based, the key advantage is portability between bikes. In the case of the Garmin Vector 2 this is easier than the with the original Vector because the pods are fitted after fitting the pedals and torquing them to 40Nm. However, this is much more of a fiddle than the non-torque dependent PowerTap P1 pedals since the Garmin requires special tools to achieve the precise torque settings. The tools required are a torque wrench and a crowfoot adapter. This is a significant disadvantage. Accuracy is decent, but will vary depending on the exact torque applied to the pedals when fitting them.

>>> How to train with power

With left and right measurement Vector offers cycling dynamics analytics on your Garmin screen, which is potentially useful for honing your pedalling technique. It is also useful for spotting imbalances and giving more accurate data. Although Garmin Vector comes with Look-style pedals you can now update them to Shimano Ultegra pedals with a separate kit.

Watch - How to use your Power meter and do a Critical Power test

There are disadvantages to Vector. I question the durability of the pedals, especially the exposed pedal pods. I have broken pods, as have colleagues and plenty of our readers. Regarding connectivity, Garmin Vector is also only ANT+ and not Bluetooth, meaning connectivity to head units or smartphones is limited. Having tested many of the leading power meters, I can tell you it also makes updating firmware less convenient, as the easiest way to do this is via a smartphone app. PowerTap pedals are updatable with a phone app and it is easy to check that you're up to date.

I should stress, updating firmware is crucial for maintaining the accuracy of the product.

As with PowerTap P1, there is a less-expensive single-sided option that can be upgraded to dual sided at a later date. However, if your budget will allow for it, I would recommend the double-sided option, especially if you have had a history of single-leg injury.

If you are reading this then chances are you also considering the PowerTap P1 pedals. Both products are not perfect and warranty claims appear to be more common than I'd like. However, overall the PowerTap P1 is a better pedal-based power meter. Although slightly heavier than the Garmin Vector, I have found it to be more robust, to have better connectivity and it's far easier to install or swap between bikes.

Hub-based systems such as the PowerTap G3 are among the most simple power meters on the market. With fewer variables acting on the strain gauges, many engineers regard the hub as the most accurate location to measure power.

Power measurement will be slightly lower here than on a pedal or crank system as you are measuring what is left post-drivetrain losses. This means that if your chain is dirty, your power reading will be slightly lower than if clean.

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The PowerTap G3 gives you a combined measurement of the power produced from both right and left legs and does not measure independently. While not essential, if you require specific right and left leg independent measurement you may want to consider the PowerTap P1 pedals or Garmin Vector.

The PowerTap hub is one of the most widely used and established power meters on the market and for good reason – it has been around in different models for over 15 years.

>>> How to train with power

You have the option of buying just the hub, which can be installed into a wheel, or the more convenient option of purchasing the hub already built into a wheel. The PowerTap G3 Hub we have pictured here is built into a very aero Fast Forward F9R rim, but there are plenty of options.

An alloy clincher with G3 hub typically costs around £699.

Manual calibration of the PowerTap G3 is very easy, as is changing the battery which typically lasts 160 hours or so. The battery is CR2032 coin cell, the same as most heart rate straps. A special tool is supplied to remove the battery cover, but I have found myself without said tool on a number of occasions where I needed to change the battery.

Fortunately there is a neat 'hack' you can do with an inner tube to remove the battery cover without damaging the wheel. I suggest you Google it if you are ever caught without the tool.

Temperature can affect strain gauges and the power reading, but the G3 is better at dealing with this than previous models.

The G3 will auto-zero when you freewheel and is a very accurate unit, which benefits from simplicity of design. Durability is amongst the best we have encountered on a power meter too.

The main disadvantage comes when you have separate wheels for racing and training. However, two G3 hubs can still work out cheaper than some of the more expensive units. A lack of thru-axle compatibility is worth factoring in too.

Connectivity is both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart, meaning that updating firmware is easily done with your phone app. The connectivity also means you don't have to worry about head unit compatibility.

Although best known for its oval-shaped Q-rings, Spanish company Rotor released its first power meter three years ago and its latest offering, the Rotor INpower power meter, has been used by WorldTour teams Lampre-Merida and Dimension Data.

The Rotor INpower power meter’s electronics (including strain gauges and accelerometer) are all stowed within the axle, which is attached to the non-driveside crank.

The spindle records the power generated by your left leg and then, much like the Stages power meter, extrapolates that to give a total power output.

With a 30mm diameter axle the INpower is compatible with most frames (spacers are provided) and, although not as simple as the PowerTap P1 pedals, installation is pretty straightforward - in effect no different from replacing the bottom bracket and installing a new chainring and crank.

Housed within the axle, the AA battery provides up to 300 hours of use and is easy to replace - the locking cap is opened by hand; just don’t be heavy handed as the rubber seal could fall out and/or the metal connectors could be bent.

Using ANT+ the device is quickly picked up by a cycling computer and calibrating the unit on your first ride takes minutes.

The Rotor INpower power meter is activated by pushing down on the pedals and measures the force your left leg puts through the pedals 200 times a second to give various metrics: cadence, your total power output at any point (default setting is to double left leg power), torque effectiveness and pedal smoothness.

By downloading the user software you can consider your power at different angles in the stroke as well as the optimum chainring angle, which will appeal to those with Q-rings.

Importantly for a power meter, and reflecting its claimed +/- one per cent accuracy, the Rotor INpower power meter gave consistent feedback throughout testing, save for the odd anomaly.

However, swapping the unit between bikes is time consuming, it only offers one-side power measurement and it is not Bluetooth compatible.

For more details visit the Saddleback website.

The power meter of choice for both British Cycling and the Australian Institute of Sport, the Verve Infocrank’s credentials can be bettered only by the gold-standard SRM - not bad going for a company that has only been in existence for three years.

Installing the Verve Infocrank power meter is similar to installing a normal crankset, the only additional step being the need to fit cadence-sensing magnets between the crank and frame. Despite being a fairly simple process, this is still more hassle than any of the other power meters on test; you’re not going to want to swap the Infocrank between bikes too often.

Once attached, the Infocrank is a doddle to use. ANT+ transmission means it is compatible with the vast majority of cycling computers, while the unit is able to offer dual-sided power measurement.

The number of metrics on offer should be enough to satisfy any data junkie, with the Infocranks measuring everything from power and cadence, to left/right balance, pedal smoothness, and torque effectiveness.

All of these metrics remained consistent through months of testing in different conditions, never suffering from data drift, with an overall accuracy of +/- 1 per cent.

The battery life of the Verve Infocrank power meter is excellent: 500 hours compared to 200 hours for the Stages power meter, 300 hours for the Rotor INpower power meter, and 60 hours for the PowerTap P1 pedals, with power provided by SR44 silver oxide batteries which can be bought in most supermarkets.

Aside from being difficult to swap between bikes, the only other points against the Infocrank are that the cadence readings can be inaccurate when freewheeling giving a false average, its high price, and the less than elegant appearance.

I’ve been using this power meter on my winter bike, where it looks fine, but would perhaps think twice about fitting it to a high-end bike where

aesthetics may be a factor.

Out of the box, they are easy to fit if you follow the instructions and, of course, have the correct bottom bracket (we had a Rotor BB to match). There’s no need for any specific tools.

Front mech adjustment needs to be spot-on, but when it is, the change works well, even with the Q-rings that move the chain up and down through its revolution. The front mech misfired on a couple of occasions, but I’ve yet to ride a bike on which it hasn’t.

The pinch-bolt (that locks the crank in position) did come lose but once re-tightened it stayed in place, so we are happy to put that down to the bedding-in process.

The hollow 3D cranks (each side housing four strain gauges) are incredibly stiff, and this, coupled with carbon-soled shoes, made my steel winter bike’s drivetrain feel as stiff as a race bike. All Rotor components are CNC’d out of one piece of aluminium at its HQ in Madrid, and beautifully so.

Power data is sampled 500 times per second and quickly fed through to my Garmin 500 (via Ant+) and has remained reliable. The batteries — mounted in that small pod at the end of each crank — have worked flawlessly throughout the wettest winter any of us can remember.