What is the BEST power meter pedal? Garmin Rally, Favero Assioma & Wahoo Powrlink tested and RANKED!
We put the three best power meter pedals to the test to find which one comes out on top.
Power meter pedals have exploded in popularity in recent years, as they’re generally very easy to use, can be fitted to any bike and don't require anything complicated like swapping your bike’s bottom bracket system.But which is the best power meter pedal system?
In this video, Simon von Bromley, BikeRadar’s Senior Technical Writer, is going to go through all of the advantages and disadvantages of each of the three major power meter pedal systems available today, and which one he thinks is best.
The three systems we have are the Garmin Rally RS200, Favero Assioma Duo and Wahoo Powrlink Zero.
What do you think of Simon’s choice? Have you used any of these power meter pedal? Let us know in the comments!
Find out more:
Best power meters in 2022 | Top-rated power meters and buyer’s guide:
→ www.bikeradar.com/reviews/tra...
Garmin Rally news:
→ • Garmin Rally RS200 Pow...
Wahoo Powerlink Pedals
→ • NEW Wahoo Speedplay Po...
Wahoo Pedals review:
→ www.bikeradar.com/reviews/tra...
Favero Assioma Duo power meter pedals review:
→ www.bikeradar.com/reviews/tra...
Garmin Rally RS200 power meter pedals review:
→ www.bikeradar.com/reviews/tra...
Want to see more of the latest tech? Check out our tech of the month playlist
→ • NEW Ridley Gravel Bike...
Contents:
00:00 Intro
01:15 Pricing and Installation
02:53 Pedal Body Options
05:40 Power and Data Accuracy
07:51 Battery Life
08:55 Serviceability
10:51 Overall Winner
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What do you think of Simon’s choice? Have you used any of these power meter pedal? Let us know in the comments!
I'm thinking about buying a power meter and would like someone to confirm (or test) one question I have about them: are they able to accurately measure power between different bicycles when 1 bicycle is a road cycle and the other one is a full suspension mtb? I'm basically interested if someone has tested or knows, if for example person that can produce 200w average for 30 minutes will get consistently the same average power readings on max effort regardless of bicycle type or could full suspension bobbing introduce some systematic error in the measurements?
Favero Assioma always works! Plus are light. And very serviceable. And the Electronics are completely waterproof.
After installing my power meter pedals I was excited to open the app after the ride to see how much power my manly legs produced, and all that was on the screen was "Really? That's it?" I sold them the next day.
Hahahahahaha
😂🤘
Favero has really no competition. They are time proven and have the best power measruing method on par with SRM and the cheapest. Unless you really need Speedplay pedals Assiomas are the way to go.
Thanks for the video especially for the part related to the connection with garmin.
Great review 👍
Thank you! i will go for Favero assioma duo :)
I own two pairs of Assioma pedals and they're fantastic!
Agree with your conclusion, I like my Favero pedals
Agree. Favero is the best choice to make! I used to use the Garmin one but gave up on them after they let me down numerous times. I hope they have improved in the meantime but the price difference to Favero is huge.
I have a couple of faveros, easy to use, work with my head unit. Allow me to understand my leg imbalance and the charging is easy. I like to climb, and they allow me to keep me on the zone I want to go long an efficiently.
Love my Faveros. For me, rechargable batteries and lower price were the gating factors. I've also rebuilt them recently which was very easy to do. On the 50hr battery life, not a big deal for me. My Garmin head unit and lights require recharging way more frequently and when the battery on the pedals is lower, I just plug them all in at the same time.
Favero Hackssioma with wellgo MTB body here. Almost 2 years working perfect with no issues.
I use the Rally XC, even on my road bike. This way I only need one set for all 3 bikes that I use for training (gravel, road, winter/mudguarded bike), and I can also use the same shoes. This is a huge saving for me both in time and money, even with the higher initial price tag of the pedals.
Excelllent review
The Assioma has sine about 2y had automatic zero offset funktion, which could explain why it handled temperature diff better. So it should not be required with manually resetting them - ever
No surprise at all. I like my FA Duo pedals a lot.
Favero any day of the week for me. I highly recommend them.
Pavero all the way. Much advantages with this unit specially price tag.
Honest review from the comments, ... The assioma's are awesome , Ive had a pair for 2 and a half years now , I've had crashes with them ,and water on them, they always work on multiple bike ,the Uno is enough for most people .
Favero really has no competition in terms of feature set and the price. The Garmin Rally look better but it’s also 2x more expensive, which is sufficient as a deal breaker.
How do they wk ,,,do they sync with phone or something
@@BobBob-uv9fq you need to pair it with a bike computer like those from Garmin or Wahoo.
@@jackyharuhiko thanks ,,they look brilliant
You should also have evaluated the software which comes with the pedals, its all about the data isn't it. PS I have the Garmins for 2 years now and they remained absolutely problem free so far.
The Favero pedals communicate with any Cycling gps using Ant plus and Bluetooth. And they record Cycling dynamics and cleat position. And work with oval chainrings.
Assioma duo shi here... Cause I got spd-sl (with 4iii crank) on my other bike an on the technogym skillbikes at the gym... Just bought 'm, hope they'll last..
for the wahoo pedals, do you need specific shoes to use them?
Nope, Wahoo includes adaptors for mounting the cleats on standard road cycling shoes with a 3-bolt pattern. I believe you can get Speedplay-specific shoes from some manufacturers, which enable you to get a slightly lower stack height, but these are purely optional. Thanks for watching! Simon
Here's my problem: With my Favero Assiumo Duo pedals my left foot/leg angle apparently seems to rub the pedal body in a way that causes a fit issue and also leads the pedal to become quite squeaky and noisy. Replacing the worn pedal bodies with a kit from favero fixed the problem... . for about 2 months. I've also grown a little more keen to give Shimano pedals a try after researching them more closely and learning of the wider base plate so favored by pro riders. The shimano favero's have a wider Q factor, which has given me knee pain in the past. It seems to be a lesser known issue that the fit of Look cleats on the Favero pedals is NOT an exact fit, although it generally works most of the time. For me, after 3 years of squeaking and clicking I am getting tired of it and starting to get more curious about the Garmin Rally pedals. After all, I could have paid for them by now after replacing the pedal bodies! I wish these comparisons were more in depth about the actual tolerances on the fit of the cleats.
Hi Luke, I've had the Favero pedals for just over three years now and i can't say I've ever experienced that issue. I've used the Look-style cleats from Favero, LifeLine Look cleats and genuine Look cleats and all have worked fine, in my opinion. Of course, once the cleats are worn then they will inevitably not perform as well, but that's the same with Shimano SPD-SL and most other cleats/pedals too. Obviously it's tricky for me to diagnose the specific issue you're having without knowing all of the details, though I suspect it might be a fit issue and not a fault with the pedal system by the sounds of things... I'm not sure sure switching to a different pedal system such as Shimano SPD-SL is going to solve it, as they're very similar kinds of systems to be honest. Re. pro riders - don't forget they usually have to use whatever pedal brand sponsors their team, so it's not always the case that they're using what they think is best. Thanks for watching, Simon
@@bikeradar Check it out: kzhead.info/sun/ZciFfqubenuXlps/bejne.html While I agree that the look cleats work well most of the time for most people, it is also a KNOWN and established issue that the tolerances are NOT exact. If it didn't work most of the time then Favero would not have a viable product and obviously they do. I myself have used them for about 3 years, just not without issue. However, if your fit or angle isn't just quite so, lots of people have problems. The forums are full of people having problems like mine. It's pretty simple, the only pm pedal solution officially sanctioned by LOOK is the collaboration they did with SRM, and those are the only pm pedals that fit so precisely and ship with actual LOOK brand cleats. If the Garmin Shimano PM pedal are made to the actual licensed specs of a shimano pedal then I have to at least speculate that the fit could be better.
@@bikeradar also here: kzhead.info/sun/aZFtfKiLb4KJZq8/bejne.html
Hello. There is one aspect that you have not touched on, which is customer relations. I have Favero Assioma pedals and their customer service has always been outstanding. In fact, when I have had a technical query, I always get an answer directly from their engineering team. On the other hand, the one time I tried to contact Garmin about their pedals, namely that their weight limitation makes no engineering sense, I was unable to get in touch with their technical staff and their customer service was patronizing and dismissive. By the way, a weight limitation on a pedal makes no sense, since a pro sprinter under their weight limitation produces much more force than a recreational rider above the weight limit, maybe you can communicate that to them on my behalf...
Hi Ilan, thanks for your comment. That's a fair point, but it's obviously something that's tricky for me to comment on. As a journalist, I inevitably speak to different people in each company than general consumers, and while all of the people I've spoken to at each company have been extremely nice and helpful, I can't speak from consumer point of view. Thanks for sharing your experience, though. Cheers! Simon
@@bikeradar Thanks for your explanation! Apart from the sensitive issue of customer relations, I think it would be interesting for you to investigate the question of manufacturer weight limits on components. As far as I can tell, this makes no sense for pedals, and maybe for other components. This is from my point of view as a research scientist in mechanical engineering. By the way, I contacted Favero Assioma about adding a feature that displays power when backpedalling on a track bike. Right now, it reads zero. This would be especially useful for "eccentric cycling" workouts. You didn't test the different systems for that, I assume :)
Anyone know what GoPro mount is being used on the seatpost @0:32? I ride on solo on a lot of busy roads and use a front facing GoPro underneath my GPS mount “just in case,” but would love to have a rear facing cam as well. So far I’ve only found saddle rail style mounts, which obviously doesn’t play nice with a saddlebag.
Looks like one that can be installed on a roll cage's tube, but shims will be needed.
Is the center of a power meter pedal farther from the crank arm than a standard pedal? Can they be used the "limb-saver" pedal extensions?
Happen to see this. The assioma shimano version are 11mm wider. That's quite a lot which is why for some they're a no go and for others is actually very welcome. The look ones shown here are default width.
As the Faveros are $350 USD cheaper and they have a reputation of 'they just work' and you can spend even less on single sided - clear winner and there on my bike 🚴
As far as I know Garmin have never fully resolved the battery issues with their pedals, and having looked at how the battery works I suspect it is impossible (vibration will cause the pogo pins to bounce). I had what was meant to be the 3rd attempt at fixing the vector3 battery, and riding over a cattle stop/stock grid/cattle guard caused them to drop out, and subsequently report massive power spikes. I returned them after one ride and got the Assioma, which have never missed a beat. I heard the spindle is unchanged from Vector3 to the current version; not 100% sure.
Hi James, thanks for your comment. I have sets of both Vector 3 and Rally RS200 pedals (both dual-sided sets), and haven't had any issues with drop-outs. I know it's an issue some people had on early Vector models, but I believe Garmin released an updated battery door in 2020 which was supposed to solved the problem. You're correct the spindles on the Vector 3 are the same as those on the Rally system, though (which happens to mean the Vector 3 is compatible with the Rally pedal body conversion kits, which is cool). Obviously I can only speak from my personal experience with them, and as with any product there will no doubt be some issues out there, but that just isn't something i've experienced. Cheers for watching, Simon.
The spindles are the same but the new Rally pedal bodies have metal threads instead of plastic threads for the battery caps. I agree this was a poor design in the Vectors since even if you were extremely careful, you could end up cross-threading the plastic threads so the battery caps wouldn't tighten properly anymore. That is not an issue anymore with the Rally, since they introduced a metal sleeve where the battery cap screws. With the rally bodies, the updated 4 point battery contacts and using the 1/3N 3v batteries, I really struggle to see how there can be issues now. I have been using vector 3 spindles with the Rally SPD-SL pedal bodies and it has been a totally stress free experience for me so far.
But there’s also the issue of the plastic threading on the battery doors of the Garmin pedals. It’s very simple to strip them. Ask Garmin support about it. The Assioma pedals just work. It’s not even close.
i'm using the favero, my argument was price and the fact i don't have to change batteries. They have about 50 hours i guess, that's pretty good. I just got used to look at the charge level from time to time and then charge them again. Simply hang the cable on the pedals, done!
If only they were prettier. I wish the Look Keo Blade Carbon came in power meter.
Shock!
What about the Q-factor of the Favero ?
Hi Chris, apologies for the late response - on the standard, Look Keo Favero pedals, the Q-Factor is 54mm (which is pretty standard for road pedals). On the Shimano SPD-SL version, though, the Q-Factor is 65mm. For me, I prefer the narrower Q-Factor of the Look Keo version, even if the cleats aren't as good as Shimano SPD-Sl ones.
Do I have any limitation for cycling dynamics data, if I use Favero with the Garmin app? This would be my only concern, that I need to open two apps and cannot see evrything in one app.
Can you connect Garmin ralley with a Wahoo cyklingcomputer?
Yes, you can - they should connect to any ANT+ or Bluetooth compatible head unit. Cheers for watching! Simon
I hate the idea of disposable batteries, especially in 2022! Just ordered the Favero over the Garmin for this reason alone.
What do you do if your battery goes bad in your pedal? Built in batteries are nice for convenience but in the end all batteries are disposable and have a given life cycle.
@@Donalbane You're right ! That's why I've chose Garmin Rally.
@@Donalbane you'll dispose far fewer batteries with rechargeable batteries...
@Veganpotter Thevegan I'm just saying built in rechargeable batteries are bad. You can but rechargeable batteries, like AAA, AA or whatever size you need.
Where are the mountain bike pedals?
Garmin has an spd pedal
wait a minute- wahoo powelink doesn't offer pedal smoothness data?!! after charging all that money
How do they work ?
It certainly hasnt exploded in my area... Most ppl are broke if and after they buy a bike.. And ppl are more into 'gravel' and casual riding and not caring about pretending to be a tdf racer
We get it…you dislike speedplay
Second
Rally RS200 are currently reduced to £720 and can be found for £650 with discount codes on top. Far more comparable at that price point. The RRP is way too high
These things are overly expensive.
The fact that almost every power meter available costs $500-$1000 is completely ludicrous and just shows how much cyclists are being taken advantage of.
You're more than welcome to try and make your own, sell them for $50 and corner the market!!!
first
Go home garmin, your pedals are awfully unreliable. Hit ot miss. If they were a third of the price, then yes, I would gladly take the bet.
A really great way to spend a ton of money on something that has little functional use for 999/1000 riders.
If you just wanna pedal around, getting from A to B, sure it's useless. But if you train with intervals and recovery rides its very useful. No need to spend a fortune, there are also one sided comparably affordable powermeters.
A speedometer on a bike is useless... I bet you've got one!
BTW, its pronounced ‘three, think, and thumb, and not free, fink and fumb FFS!
When you touted your opinion as "expert", 0:30 in, is when I stopped watching. Self-appointed experts are nothing of the sort. Jog on.