Power Meter Road Pedals Comparison

Pedal-based power meters are one of the most popular and widely used types of power meter. There are several different ones to choose from and each has its own unique set of advantages and considerations. Because of this, we thought it would be appropriate to review your different power meter pedal options! Specifically, we’ll touch on why this type of power meter is so popular, summarize the different pedals by brand, and then put them head-to-head in a power meter pedals comparison. Sound good? Let’s check it out!

Why Are Pedal-Based Power Meters Popular?

Power meter pedals were introduced in 2015 and they quickly became one of the most popular power meter types. They use strain gauges (the tiny devices that measure your power) inside the pedal itself. Here are some of the advantages to using a power meter pedal:

• Power meter pedals are one of the easiest power meters to install. They simply attach to the crank arm like a normal set of pedals. (More on this later.)
• They are compatible with every bike. This is unlike other power meter types where compatibility is often a concern.
• They can be quickly and easily moved from one bike to the next.
• Since the pedals house a power sensor in each pedal, they can measure each leg’s power independently (assuming you opt for a dual-sided model). This is referred to as left vs. right or independent left/right power measurement.
• They are a great indoor power meter option if you are looking to add power to a stationary bike.

Options Abound!

There is another advantage of going with a pedal based power meter…you have options…five different manufacturers to be exact. This increases the likelihood that you can find a set of pedals that fits your needs. Garmin offers the Rally series which has options for Shimano SPD-SL and LOOK Keo cleats. Favero Electronics, based in Italy, makes the Assioma. It’s a terrific pedal, is highly accurate and has a wonderful track record of reliability. Wahoo makes the POWRLINK Zero which is a power meter version of their SPEEDPLAY pedals. The latest power meter pedals are from LOOK and SRM. The LOOK Keo Blade Power Meter Pedals feature LOOK’s blade technology and SRM’s X-Power Power Meter Pedals have one of the lowest stack heights available.

A Quick Note on Cost…

One more thing before we move on…cost. In general, we would put power meter pedals somewhere in the middle of the power meter cost spectrum – with the exception of the SRM X-Power pedals which come at a premium price point. Specifically, a set of dual-sided power meter pedals costs $759 on the low end (Favero Assioma DUO) and $1,699 on the high end (SRM X-Power). The Garmin Rally series and Wahoo POWRLINK Zero slot in the middle at $1,099.99 and $999.99 respectively. Note that most of these companies offer a single-sided version of their pedal at a lower price.

Ok, so let’s review these power meters in a bit more detail.

Favero Assioma DUO/UNO

The Assioma power meter pedals are manufactured by Favero Electronics, an Italian-based company. The Assioma DUO is a dual-sided system and takes power from both legs, whereas the UNO is a left-sided pedal. These power meters measure power up to 2,000 watts and cadence from 30-180 RPM. In addition to being the most affordable dual-sided power meter on the market, the Assioma is also one of the most reliable and consistent power meters we sell. The icing on the cake is the fact that, using Favero’s IAV Power Technology, they are accurate to +/- 1.0%.

Garmin Rally

The Garmin Rally Power Meters are also available in both dual- and single-sided options. Unlike the Faveros, Garmin has eliminated the pedal pod required to measure your power. They also feature access to Garmin’s suite of advanced cycling dynamics data. Garmin Rally power meter pedals are some of the only power meter pedals that use a replaceable battery instead of a rechargeable battery. This is especially valuable for riders who would prefer to not worry about keeping their pedals charged.

SRM X-Power

The SRM X-Power is SRM’s latest road power meter pedal. This premium power meter follows SRM’s heritage of excellent craftsmanship. Available in both dual-sided and single-sided versions, the X-Power is +/- 2.0% accurate and features an extremely low stack height of only 9.75 mm. It offers all the features you would expect in a modern-day power meter: ANT+ and Bluetooth SMART compatibility, a rechargeable battery and built-in magnet for cadence. However, the pedal does come at a premium price point.

LOOK Keo Blade

The LOOK Keo Blade power meter integrates all of the sensors into a lightweight, carbon pedal body. These pedals are compatible with LOOK Keo cleats, are +/- 1.0% accurate and feature a 70-hour rechargeable battery. They weigh only 130 grams per pedal and are some of the lightest power meter pedals available. They are compatible with ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart devices and have active temperature compensation.

Head-to-Head Power Meter Road Pedals Comparison

Ok, now let’s see how these four brands stack up head-to-head across the key features that are important to power meter users.

Installation

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Installation doesn’t get easier than with power meter pedals! While older models may have required special tools that made installation more cumbersome, all of the power meter pedals mentioned in this article can be installed with a pedal wrench or Allen key. This also makes moving the pedals between bikes a breeze, should that need arise.

While installation is easy and all use a similar process, most of these pedals do require the use of an app to register and set up. For example, the Favero Assioma’s do require that you register the pedals with the free Assioma app and ride for a minute or two to set the installation angles – before the pedals will send power and cadence to your head unit. Most apps feature the ability to calibrate and update your firmware so this is a recommended step for any power meter pedal.

Weight

The LOOK Keo Blade is the lightest pedal in this power meter pedals comparison at only 130 grams per pedal. This compares to the Wahoo POWRLINK Zero at 138 grams per pedal and the SRM X-Power at 140 grams per pedal. The Favero Assioma is not far behind at 149.5 grams per pedal and the Garmin Rally is the heaviest at 160 grams. The difference here is slight, especially between the lightest of the pedals but as we all know, grams add up.

Left/Right Power Measurement

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The dual-sided versions from all power meter manufacturers contain a power sensor in both the left and right pedal and can therefore measure independent left/right power. As previously stated, the ability to measure left/right power is a major draw to using a pedal-based power meter.

Battery Type

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These pedals use different batteries, but who are we to tell you which battery is best – which is why we call this a tie. All battery types have their pros and cons so it’s up to you on what you think will best fit your needs.

All of these pedals except the Garmin Rally use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The Garmin Rallys use a LR44/SR44 battery (similar, but not exactly the same as the CR2032 battery you are probably familiar with).

The LR44/SR44 batteries are both relatively cheap and easy to find. With the rest of these power meter pedals, you don’t have to worry about buying and replacing batteries. However you do have to remember to charge the battery regularly. Again, we’ll let you decide if a traditional or rechargeable battery is best for you.

Battery Life

The Garmin Rally RK and RS power meter pedals have an estimated battery life of 120-150 hours. This gives it the best battery life when compared to the other power meter pedals here.

The Garmin Rally 120 hours of battery life compares to 75 hours for Wahoo, 60 hours for LOOK, 50 hours for the Favero Assioma, and 30 hours for the SRM X-Power. Note however that it’s a bit like comparing apples to oranges when you compare battery life between a traditional battery and a rechargeable battery. When a traditional battery runs out of life, you have to buy and install a new battery. The rechargeable battery however, just needs to be plugged in.

Ability to Easily Change Batteries

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The power meter pedals that use a rechargeable battery mean their battery never needs to be replaced. Therefore, they tie here. Note that the process of replacing the battery in the Garmin Rally power meter pedals is very simple. So we feel this really shouldn’t be much of a concern for anyone.

Communication Protocol

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All five pedals transmit data via both the ANT+ and Bluetooth SMART wireless protocols. This gives you the choice of using the pedals with your favorite bicycle computer, smartphone or tablet.

Accuracy

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All of these pedals except the SRM X-Power claim +/- 1.0% which is about as accurate as a power meter can be. The SRM X-Power claims +/- 2.0% accuracy. Because these accuracy claims are so close, we recommend looking at other categories to help you select the best power meter for you.

Cadence Detection

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All direct force power meters transmit cadence to the head unit, in addition to power. Most power meters do so by using an accelerometer. An accelerometer is a tiny electronic device that is housed inside the power meter and measures the acceleration of the device that is in motion – in this case a pair of pedals. Prior to accelerometers, most power meters used magnets to measure cadence. All five power meter pedal manufacturers have moved away from this way of measuring cadence, so this is a tie.

Integrated Design

All five pedals feature a fully integrated design. However, Favero locates the battery and electronics in a round cylinder that sits on the spindle between the pedal body and the crank arm – so this design isn’t quite as sleek. However, this does allow Favero to use a very minimalistic pedal body which is a plus.  However, the other four sets of power meter pedals are sleeker overall and do not feature a pod on the spindle.

Calibration

It is best practice to perform a calibration (more correctly referred to as a zero-offset) procedure before every ride. The process of zero-offsetting your power meter is quick and easy. The Favero Assioma, Wahoo POWRLINK Zero, Garmin Rallys, LOOK Keo Blade power meter pedals all feature auto-zero. With auto-zero, the power meter will perform an automatic zero-offset every time you coast for at least two seconds during a ride. Therefore, while it is still possible to perform a zero using the head unit, it really is not necessary.

The SRM X-Power is the only power meter here that still requires manual calibration with the use of their app.

Warranty

Each of these power meters comes with a warranty, but they vary in length. The LOOK Keo Blades have a three year warranty while the Favero Assioma, Garmin Rally and SRM X-Power each have a two year warranty. The Wahoo POWRLINK Zero has the shortest warranty with just 1 year.

Rider Weight Limit

The Favero Assioma and LOOK Keo Blade both have a rider weight limit of 265 lbs. The Wahoo POWRLINK Zero pedals have a 250 lbs weight limit and the Garmin Rally comes with a maximum rider weight limit of 231 lbs. We have not seen a weight limit for the SRM X-Power so it remains a bit of an unknown here.

While the Garmin weight limit seems low, we note that we have customers on the Garmin Rally pedals that weigh more than 231 lbs. and they haven’t reported any issues. So we think this is a fairly conservative limit.

In addition, it’s worth noting that this weight limit pertains more to accuracy issues, rather than functional or safety issues. However, to err on the side of caution, if you do weigh more than 231 lbs., you might want to consider one of the other pedals.

LOOK Keo Compatible

Folks often ask us which pedals are compatible with LOOK Keo cleats – so we have added this as a criteria. If you are already using LOOK Keo cleats on another bike, it’s handy if you can use the same shoes with your power meter pedals so you don’t have to worry about swapping out your cleats. The Favero Assioma, Garmin Rally and LOOK Keo Blade are all compatible with LOOK Keo original cleats.

Pedal/Cleat Engagement

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One of the very few criticisms of the Assioma’s was the pedal/cleat engagement. Specifically, unclipping proved a bit difficult. Sure, the pedals have an adjustable tension setting, but even when set to the easiest setting, it took more force to unclip than with other pedals. Favero heard this critique and responded. The DUO and UNO now come with a changed spring that offers a wider release torque tension regulation range (from 8Nm to 20Nm) which alleviates this issue. All of the other power meter pedals in this comparison offer normal levels of pedal/cleat engagement so we view this category as a tie.

Smartphone App Functionality

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As previously mentioned, all five of these pedals feature ANT + and Bluetooth SMART. Therefore the manufacturers also offer free apps you can download and use. While these power meter apps have their slight differences, they all allow you to do things such as perform manual calibrations, update firmware and set your crank arm lengths. Some also display battery levels and will record ride data. All of the apps are available for both iOS and Android.

Additional Cycling Metrics

The Garmin Rally power meter pedals provide access to Garmin’s Cycling Dynamics. Cycling Dynamics provides real-time feedback on your position and pedal form. Specifically, it shows seated/standing position, Power Phase and Platform Center Offset. Please note you need a Garmin head unit to access this data.

Favero also has its IAV Cycling Dynamics. With this functionality, you are able to see Power Phase and Rider Position. So you get access to basically the same data that the Rally provides less the Platform Center Offset. Also, like Garmin’s Cycling Dynamics, Favero’s Cycling Dynamics is only accessible when your Favero pedals are paired via ANT+ to a Garmin head unit. Compatible Garmin Edge bike computers include the 1040, 1030, 830, 820, 530 and 520 Plus.

We should note that while “cool”, there is debate as to whether these types of cycling metrics are meaningful or useful. We find (and think most coaches will agree), that watts and cadence is really where it’s at. But if you’re interested in the additional data the Rally and Assioma pedals can provide…more power to you.

Q-Ring Compatible

Q-Rings or other non-round rings can cause your power numbers to be slightly inflated. Most studies show an impact of 1% to 4%. This is because oval rings change the velocity of your pedal stroke within each pedal revolution. Some power meters account for this, but some do not. When it comes to pedals, the Favero Assioma, LOOK Keo Blade and Wahoo POWRLINK Zero do while the Garmin Rally and X-Power do not. So if you use or are looking to use an oval ring with your power meter, we would recommend one of the three previously listed.

Active Temperature Compensation

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In order to compensate for temperature drift during your ride, select power meters use what is called active temperature compensation. With this technology, the power meter effectively auto-zeros your power meter while you ride, which helps to ensure accurate data. Four of these pedals use some form of active temperature compensation, but the SRM X-Power pedals do not.

Extended Apps Compatibility

When dual-sided power meters are paired to training apps such as Zwift, Rouvy, TrainerRoad, etc., sadly, they typically only pair to the left or right sensor. This effectually puts your power meter in single-side mode. In this mode, one pedal will double its values to approximate your total power. So you still get a total power figure, however you are losing a bit of the accuracy that is normally afforded by having a dual-sided power meter.

Well Favero, Garmin and SRM and LOOK all have workarounds to this issue. The technicalities of how each manufacturer accomplishes this is probably beyond the scope of this article, however the result is that these power meters are effectively able to transmit power from both pedals to the training app through a single channel. The only manufacturer that can only communicate with a single pedal is Wahoo.

Single-Sided Option

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In addition to a dual-sided pedal, all five power meter pedals are available as single-sided power meters. With the single-sided pedal, you still get both a left and right pedal, however only one pedal contains a sensor – we’ll call it the primary. The primary pedal doubles your single leg power, in order to compute a total power figure. (Note this is how all single-sided power meters work.) These single-sided pedals cost less than the dual-sided versions. This is nice for those looking for a more affordable way to get a pedal-based power meter on their bike.

Cost (Dual-Sided Versions)

As previously noted, the Favero Assioma DUO is the most affordable pedal at $759. Followed by the Wahoo POWRLINK and LOOK KEO Blade at $999. The Garmin Rallys come in at $1,099 and the SRM LOOK EXAKT a distant fourth at $1,699.

Stack Height

Just something to be aware of…

Stack height refers to the distance from the center of the pedal spindle to the bottom surface of the cycling shoe. We mention this because you might need to adjust the height of your saddle ever so slightly with each of these pedals in order to keep your bike fit the same. This of course is not a deciding factor – rather just something we wanted to mention.

Summary – Power Meter Pedals Comparison

And the winner is…

You already know the answer here…there isn’t one. Which pedal you ultimately choose should be based upon which features are most important to you and your budget. Moreover, they will all afford you the numerous advantages that come with using power meter pedals.

Thanks for checking out our power meter road pedals comparison. If you still have questions or need some additional guidance, just give us a call. We would be happy to help!