There are a great many different types of power meters on the market, how do you know which is the ‘right’ one? Fortunately, there is a right one and it is dependent on what you want out of a power meter device. All options are compatible with Garmin head units or other ANT+ devices. We explore some options for you below, in order of price point, considering most buyers are money conscious:

Stages Power meters are the cheapest power meter on the market and have revolutionized the market for this reason, generating their own market entry point. A pod containing strain gauges and an accelerometer placed on the non drive side crank arm measures the force application through a pedal stroke generating torque and measures the cadence of the crank. The benefit of this device is its price point, with crank arms coming in 105, Ultegra, Dura ace, Mountain Bike, track and other equivalents. Batteries are also easily replaceable. The downside of these units is that we are only measuring one side of the force equation, but the price component is low enough that almost everyone can enter the power market for the first time.

The Power tap hub based power unit is a hub that can be laced to almost any wheel-set. The units are highly accurate and stable over time, but their strong point is they can be applied to any bike you own, meaning a power meter for every bike. Their price point is between $800-$1000 for the Hub only. You will then need to have them built into a wheel-set, so the price of rims and spokes needs to also be accounted for. Batteries are replaceable by the user. A good quality unit with these unique features making it a very usable option.

The Garmin Vector is a power meter device that can be used on any bike. It has a power measuring device in each pedal spindle for left and right pedals. The advantage is the units can be moved across from bike to bike, with care required in order to tighten the pedal only to a recommended tension. Failure to do this results in very inaccurate readings. This unit measures left and right leg power through the Garmin head-unit device. Cost is approximately $1500RRP

The Quark power meter has the strain gauges placed in the spider of the drive side crank. The crank software segments left and right data through the pedal stroke without measuring each crank directly. Thus it approximates the left and hand side power generation. The brand has been around a long time and offers great product support and regular updates to its firmware which can be completed through an Apple device and wifi connection. Batteries are also easily replaced by the user. Price is from $1800 upwards depending on crank configuration.

The Pioneer power meter works on a similar premise as the Stages, in that a pod is placed onto the non drive side crank arm and also on the drive side crank spider. This device measures both left and right crank power which can be transmitted to the pioneer head-unit or Garmin device for analysis and data collection. The benefit of this unit is also in the software. You can see the magnitude of force being created through every moment through the cranks, which allows you to see, quite clearly, where in the crank rotation you are generating the most power, or the least. With this device you are able to capture every moment through both cranks. Batteries are also replaced by the user. For a new set of cranks with power meters and the headset the price is as high at $2200 RRP. However Pioneer also offer after market installs to crank sets for around $1500 RRP.

The Verve Infocrank works in a similar fashion to the Pioneer, but for very different reasons. The Infocrank has a set of strain gauges in each crank arm. These devices measure force through the crank arm and also offer feedback about left and right leg power production through some innovative software technology. Importantly the Infocrank was made for the strain gauges, not the other way around. This means the quality of measurement is precise and highly stable over time and changing climatic conditions. Considering temperature changes across a ride and metal components expand and contract through these conditions, a power meter needs to calibrate in order to read accurately across a ride. The need to calibrate the unit across a ride is almost non-existent owing to the level of precision in engineering. The Infocrank was made with one goal in mind: accuracy. Batteries are also replaced by the user. The price for the Infocrank is around $2250.

The SRM power meter has been around the longest and is the more costly power meter device on the market. It has excellent features pertaining to accuracy using hardware that has been refined across decades of engineering. For a great many years it was almost the only power meter on the market.  The benefits of the SRM include accuracy, reliability and options with respect to what crank set you would like. The downside is cost. Recommended retail for these units is still above its competitors ranging from $3000 RRP upwards depending on configuration.

These  listed brands offer the bulk of power meters on the market presently, but not all of them. With an ever increasing scope for customers to choose from the consumer will have a hard task in choosing the right one. You will no doubt still have more questions and we are here to help assist you in getting the best outcome for your purchase.

Vault are Perth’s experts on power meters and we only want the best outcome for your cycling needs when offering advice. We hope to hear from you soon.

The post Power Meters: The right one? appeared first on Vault Cycle Services.

Power meters are ever present in the cycling industry now. In this article we outline the immense value in owning one and offer further insight into how to best use the units to fast track your own fitness goals.

Power meters offer an ability to capture your OWN fitness level, represented as wattage on your Garmin or other bike computer device. This is unique in that heart rate, and/or speed, also are indicative of fitness, yet are very prone to being impacted upon by external forces. For example if riding with a tail wind, speed is not really reflective of fitness as opposed to a head wind. With heart rate you can have days where the heart rate is particularly high or low depending on the body’s balance or status.

A power meter, however, reflects what your body is presently producing as a function of fitness. It is not so much impacted on by external elements and can track 1% gains in fitness over time, even weekly. With a power meter you now have the ability to measure your own fitness levels and therefore set goals as to how much you might like to improve over time, or even in setting targets for particular rides and intervals. You therefore take your goal setting to internal measures rather than comparison to others or to time.

Vault Cycle Services are the leading power meter experts in Perth and are very happy to answer any questions you might have pertaining to the purchase and use of power meters

For more detailed insights into power meter analysis please follow the links below to Perth’s leading coaching service, Hall Cycle Training:

Why train with power?

How to train with a power meter

Using a power meter instead of speed

Using a power meter for specific training

Power meters when training in cold environments

The post Why Train With Power appeared first on Vault Cycle Services.

A brief introduction to Richard:

Please book your bike in for a service today!

The post Introducing Expert Mechanic, Richard Greaney appeared first on Vault Cycle Services.

Vault cycle services is very pleased to offer customers expert advice, sales and fitting of power meters across a range of products, including Stages, Pioneer, Infocrank and many more

Each type of power meter effectively has different purposes, price points, and strengths/weaknesses.

Vault recognizes that a particular power meter may not be suitable for every individual and can best assist you in making an informed decision about what model might best suit your needs!

Please contact us today bookings@vaultcycleservices.com.au

The post Perth’s Power Meter Experts appeared first on Vault Cycle Services.

We are confident we can exceed your expectations both on the quality of the service and convenience.

See our SERVICES page for the full range of options and our BOOKING PAGE if you wish to book online.

We look forward to being of assistance!

The post Workshop now open! appeared first on Vault Cycle Services.