Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

[Question] What is the cheapest power meter. (Can be purchased from either UK or USA)

Hi guys

I've been looking into power meters once again and can't help noticing that they are still hideously expensive. So from your experience what's the absolute cheapest power meter out there? And in which country does it sell for at the lowest price.

Thanks guys.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

Add new comment

18 comments

Avatar
ajmarshal1 | 9 years ago
0 likes

Loads of people have kitchen scales. Not many people have powers meters. Low volume = high cost.

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to ajmarshal1 | 9 years ago
0 likes
ajmarshal1 wrote:

Loads of people have kitchen scales. Not many people have powers meters. Low volume = high cost.

I know, that's why I mentioned manufacturing scale, but there are also manufacturers who can do shorter runs that still don't cost proportionally more. The cost of applying a strain gauge network for a power meter appears to be many more times that from a commercial unit - at least from comments from power meter company staff i've heard over the years, although clearly they would wish to emphasise the high quality, hand-nibbled lovelyness of it all.

(edit) Just to clarify - it's always going to be more expensive than a kitchen scale, but I didn't say it should be the same price just that it should cost proportionally less than it does at the moment and that some of the cost could probably be removed if the enhancements for extra accuracy - which are not necessarily needed by most - were not included. Just Good Enough should be cheaper even modulo pricing structures.

Avatar
bashthebox | 9 years ago
0 likes

Power meters are a massive racket, aren't they? It's a strain gauge and an ANT+ transmitter.... and apparently that's worth 700 quid or so. I reckon at some point someone like Decathlon'll come along and do one for under a hundred quid.
I really, really want one though.

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to bashthebox | 9 years ago
0 likes
bashthebox wrote:

Power meters are a massive racket, aren't they? It's a strain gauge and an ANT+ transmitter.... and apparently that's worth 700 quid or so. I reckon at some point someone like Decathlon'll come along and do one for under a hundred quid.
I really, really want one though.

They can be over-priced - especially if you just want "good enough" power readings - but they'll still hard to get accurate, consistent and cheap. If you've not already seen it, I recommend looking back at the work Keith Wakeham did with DIY power meters (and the jolly good ANTRide sensor) before he went to 4iiii.

It does seem odd that strain gauge-based kitchen scales can be produced for buttons but we still don't have a bargain basement power meter to match. Accuracy is nice to have, but not essential to the n'th decimal point, but consistency is a must have. Part of the lack of cheap power meters inevitably is pricing (IIRC there's a good discussion about that in the first 4iiii Precision article from Ray Maker), part of it manufacturing scale, R&D and so on - and part of it the extra precision and consistency they're trying to get.

An example of that last one is the use of accelerometers to help with calculating/estimating the crank angle and true angular velocity at various parts in the pedal cycle rather than estimates over a full or (guessed) half cycle using a cadence sensor or similar. The underlying technology is still cheap but it needs to be researched, tested, calibrated, integrated, made robust etc etc....

At the moment 4iiii seem to have the current best bang for your buck in that a single-sided power meter is now under 300 quid - and it's upgradeable to dual-sided. Watteam may get their dual-sided one out for under £ 400, which seems good value if it works - so it's still on the way down with room to go lower, but understandably no-one wants to sprint straight to the bottom just yet, they'll get there in end though. It's already a completely different world to only a couple of years ago.

There will always be a market for things like SRM and InfoCrank - but like you, I look forward to the day when we can get hold of a "kitchen scale" accuracy power meter that's consistent enough to be useful. No, we're not there yet - but we're not a million miles away either... anyway, that's my take on it which may have bugger all to to with reality  1

Avatar
pablo | 9 years ago
0 likes

Bugger not 4iii Brimbrothers is speedplay only. 4iiii won't work for me either unless I change crank set I have FSA carbon arms.

Avatar
Chasseur Patate replied to pablo | 9 years ago
0 likes
pablo wrote:

Bugger not 4iii Brimbrothers is speedplay only. 4iiii won't work for me either unless I change crank set I have FSA carbon arms.

Are the inside of your crank arms flat? If they are it should work. Contact 4iiii and ask.

Avatar
ianrobo | 9 years ago
0 likes

After a ride today outside and compared to the Turbo Trainer I realised just how much I need a power meter now ... I am lost without it !!

So the only choice I like is the Garmin Vector S as one pedal is enough really and can upgrade to two later. There are promising options later on but can not wait really.

Avatar
ianrobo | 9 years ago
0 likes

The latest on 4iiii

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/01/update-4iiii-precision.html

Looks like they will be shipping soon so can pre order if you like

Avatar
thre3aces | 9 years ago
0 likes

The 4iiii power meter looks pretty awesome. Might consider getting on if it's available now.

Avatar
pablo | 9 years ago
0 likes

The 4iii system is speed play only which could be a problem. Speed play pedals seem pretty expensive (on wiggle at least £80) i've got two bikes and am looking to get a third so would be expensive to change system. If DC Rainmaker gives any cheap power meter a good review i will probably sign up.

Avatar
fukawitribe replied to pablo | 9 years ago
0 likes
pablo wrote:

The 4iii system is speed play only which could be a problem. Speed play pedals seem pretty expensive (on wiggle at least £80) i've got two bikes and am looking to get a third so would be expensive to change system. If DC Rainmaker gives any cheap power meter a good review i will probably sign up.

The 4iiii Precision is a crank arm power meter with a DIY fixing kit - much of the dev of it was down to Keith Wakeham (he of the DIY power meter) who 4iiii hired. Ray Maker also has (had ?) a 10% discount code for them which was working towards the end of last year - no idea about now. His review of a pre-release version is here

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/09/4iiiis-introduces-precision.html

Avatar
ajmarshal1 replied to pablo | 9 years ago
0 likes
pablo wrote:

The 4iii system is speed play only which could be a problem. Speed play pedals seem pretty expensive (on wiggle at least £80) i've got two bikes and am looking to get a third so would be expensive to change system. If DC Rainmaker gives any cheap power meter a good review i will probably sign up.

Speedplay only?

I have absolutely no idea where you got that from. Pedal system has no bearing whatsoever on what is a crank based system similar to stages.

Avatar
thre3aces | 9 years ago
0 likes

Hmm. Interesting. Not familiar with Watteam but I'll dig into them. Yea I know the problems with "cheap" power meters. Just don't fancy paying £1k for a power meter haha.

Vectors do look good. Might look around for a second hand set. For me I just want some sort of power reading. Can be one pedal, one crank, hub, anything.

Just had a look online the Watteam Powerbeat look seriously good. Definitely saving up for that when it comes out xD

Avatar
ianrobo | 9 years ago
0 likes

yep I am looking at the Vector S as probable but £650 for one side is not at the levels yet I will pay.

You may say be wary of cheaper BUT if they can bring down the cost of the likes of Garmin, Powertap etc then surely good ?

Avatar
glynr36 | 9 years ago
0 likes

Depends what you want;
Crank - single side or dual
Pedal - single side or dual
Hub.

I'd be weary of all these start ups giving 'cheap' power meters, or one you have to mount yourself, just not a controlled environment and introduce more variables.
Stump up for what they're worth, or if that's too much look second hand or wait for prices to drop. I can see the vector S dropping below £500 Q3/4 of this year.

Avatar
ajmarshal1 replied to glynr36 | 9 years ago
0 likes
glynr36 wrote:

Depends what you want;
Crank - single side or dual
Pedal - single side or dual
Hub.

I'd be weary of all these start ups giving 'cheap' power meters, or one you have to mount yourself, just not a controlled environment and introduce more variables.
Stump up for what they're worth, or if that's too much look second hand or wait for prices to drop. I can see the vector S dropping below £500 Q3/4 of this year.

4iii IS proven and you can pay for install. I've seen the protos tested and they're as consistent as anything else out there. I say that as an SRM owner.

I know what I'll be spending on my next PM and it won't be more than £400.

Avatar
Chasseur Patate | 9 years ago
0 likes

There is also Watteam but it's not available until summer: Left and right retailing at $499.

Avatar
ianrobo | 9 years ago
0 likes

Is not the cheapest at the moment a left Garmin Vector ? But 4III are the ones that will be but every time I look at them online nothing for the UK and in the US saying awaiting shipment for Q1 $399

Latest Comments