Power meters have become an essential tool is a cyclist’s arsenal. Power is the most crucial metric a cyclist can use to demonstrate your fitness and see how you’re improving. Having long since overtaken heart rate in its perceived importance, the power meter shows not just how hard you’re working, but the results you’re achieving.
Power is measured in watts, the same units you might use to assess the energy efficiency of your toaster. To determine how many you’re producing at any particular moment, most power meters use a mixture of strain gauges and intelligent electronics to measure the microscopic bending of metal or carbon as you transmit pedalling forces to the road.
Wattage is a very useful number to know, as it allows you to choose specific training zones, keep to a sustainable effort on a long climb or simply brag about how many household appliances your legs can power.
Nowadays many power meters cost a few hundred pounds rather than a couple of thousand, making the insight they provide more attainable than ever where they were previously the preserve of elite athletes. Thanks to their more affordable price now, it’s not unusual to also find them being employed by riders with no interest in racing.
Best power meters: our picks
- 4iiii Precision 3+ Pro Power Meter (Ultegra): RRP £875
- Stages Cycling G3 Power Meter (Ultegra): RRP £379.99
- SRAM Rival Power Meter Crank: RRP £243.65
- Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 power meter: RRP £994.99
- Garmin Rally RS200 Pedal Power Meter: RRP £869.99
- Favero Assioma Duo-Shi power pedals: RRP £575
- Wahoo Powrlink Zero power pedals: RRP £549.99
- Look/SRM Exakt power pedals: RRP £1,350
- Rotor 2INPower Crankset: RRP £1,098.99
- Look Keo Power/X-Track Power RRP £599.99 – £999.99
- PowerPod power meter: RRP $349
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How to pick the best power meter for your needs
The power you produce can be measured from various parts of the bike, the most obvious being the crank. But the energy from your legs also travels through other components on its way to the tarmac, meaning it can just as readily be measured at the pedals, chainring or rear hub. Each has benefits and drawbacks.
For instance, the rear hub used to be a favourite place to locate a power meter. But, as many people use different wheels for training and racing, this has fallen out of fashion and the PowerTap hub is no longer sold.
Pedals offer another viable location. Yet, while quickly transferable between bikes, they restrict the choice of pedal and cleat system. Originally expensive, the development of cheaper options has seen their popularity boom.
Chainring and spider-based meters were among the first styles to be introduced. They remain popular and can come either as part of the crankset itself, the spider alone, or even built directly into the chainring.
No one system is better than another, as each has pros and cons. For more, head to our guide to choosing the right type of power meter for you and our feature delving into power meter accuracy.
Why trust Cyclist's advice?
Testing and writing about bikes is our job here at Cyclist day in and day out. We've ridden many of the best road bikes and best gravel bikes out there and many higher spec bikes now come ready-equipped with a power meter. We also review a wide range of components and with the popularity of power measurement, power meters are high on our list.
That gives us a broad understanding of different power meters, what's available and the advantages and disadvantages of each system, so we're able to present you with a balanced overview of the power meter market.
The best power meters currently available
4iiii Precision 3+ Pro Power Meter
£875 | View offer
- Pros: Very lightweight, can be retrofitted to your own crank, long battery life
- Cons: Pre-install only on Shimano cranks
- One of the lightest power meters available, with Apple Find My a plus
4iiii adds its power meter pods to a range of Shimano groupsets including road, gravel and MTB options. The Precision 3+ Pro is a dual sided power meter and 4iiii also sells the Precision 3+ single sided power meter mounted on the left crank arm. The latest Plus version adds Apple Find My as a zero cost, zero additional weight option to the Precision 3 power meter, helping you to keep track of your bike via the built-in Apple beacon.
With a weight that 4iiii says is just 23 grams, the Precision 3+ Pro runs for a claimed 500 hours on a single CR2032 coin cell for each crank arm. It's IPx7 rated for water resistance and transmits over BLE and ANT+, with a claimed +/-1% accuracy over cadences between 30 and 170rpm and 4,000W maximum power – enough to satisfy most weekend warriors.
Other features of the Precision 3+ Pro include an automatic terrain selector that detects the surface you're riding on and switches from using the in-built accelerometer to a gyroscope to ensure accurate cadence data over uneven surfaces such as gravel. There's also pedal stroke analysis built in.
As well as the pre-installed power meter, 4iiii offers a factory install for its devices. You can send a range of different cranks from Shimano, SRAM, Cannondale or FSA, including carbon cranks, to the 4iiii factory in Canada or several locations in the UK and Europe and have a power meter added.
Stages Cycling G3 Power Meter
£379.99 | View offer
- Pros: Wide range of crank options, compact and lightweight
- Cons: Dual sided measurement only available for Shimano
- A low weight option with broad compatibility, including carbon cranks and Campagnolo
Stages offers a similar power meter to 4iiii, with a small pod attached to the crank arm and the option of a factory install on your own crank. A superbly simple system, Stages takes an original crank, prepares the surface, then attaches strain gauges and the electronics in a sleek package that runs on a CR2032 watch battery.
The Stages Cycling Power Meter range started out with just three Shimano left-hand cranks but has grown into an offering of a dozen options for road riding, covering Cannondale’s Hollowgram Si, FSA, SRAM, Campagnolo and of course multiple Shimano versions. We covered the mid-level Stages G3 Ultegra option in standard alloy, which uses the same electronics as higher-end models. Stages also includes carbon crank options.
Stages power meters come as either a left-hand only crank (which measures power in one leg and multiplies to both legs) or as a full crankset with a power meter in both crank arms, which provides separate left and right readings, although the latter is only available on Shimano cranksets.
Compatibility is huge – we’ve yet to meet a frame that clashes with the add-on. At 20g it’s very light and comes packed with features such as temperature compensation and an accelerometer to measure cadence. It transmits both Bluetooth Smart and ANT+ protocols and accuracy is claimed to be within 1.5%.
Accurate, easy to fit and competitively priced, it’s easy to see why Stages is so widely used and, with the third generation, they’ve proved to be long-term reliable too.
SRAM Integrated Power Meters
£243.65 | View offer
- Pros: Neatly integrated into groupset, inexpensive to upgrade Rival and Apex to a single-sided power meter
- Cons: Red and Force power meters need to be replaced with the chainrings, lower tier power meters are single-sided only, only on AXS 12-speed
- For SRAM users the neatest way to add a power meter and among the least expensive
Saving you shopping around, SRAM’s Red, Force, Rival and Apex 12-speed AXS groupsets now each come with the option to add a dedicated power meter. However, they take a slightly different form depending on the groupset in question.
On the fancy Red and Force groupsets, the power meter is built into the chainrings themselves on the double chainring options. This makes it extremely neat, the downside being that when the rings wear out you’ll be looking at £250-plus to replace them. Yet with SRAM promising they’ll last 50% longer and offering a discount on a replacement, it’s an option many people seem keen to take up.
SRAM’s more egalitarian Rival and Apex 12-speed AXS systems also now gets the option to fit a power meter. Either bought as part of the groupset or available as a single left-hand crank to add to your existing crankset, for just a few hundred quid extra (just over £200 to be precise) it’ll read the watts you’re generating via the spindle.
So four different options, but with each being made by SRAM in collaboration with its in-house power expert Quarq, you can bet on reliability, ease of use and accuracy all being excellent. Quarq also sells stand-alone power meter spiders if you want to upgrade an existing system.
- Read more about SRAM's Red AXS power meters
- Read more about SRAM Rival AXS 12-speed range
- Read more about SRAM Force groupset power meter
Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 power meter
£994.99 | View offer
- Pros: One-stop shop for Shimano users, neatly integrated, more stable than previous generation power meter
- Cons: Only for Dura-Ace and Ultegra cranksets, not as light as some alternatives
- A well-integrated power meter that allows you to swap chainring sizes
Getting your power meter from the same supplier as your groupset is a pleasing concept.
Shimano's headline Dura-Ace and Ultegra groupsets include the option to spec an in-series power meter. It's a system that’s discreet, dual-sided and accurate. It adds around 50g to the crankset weight, with great battery life and minimal calibration faff. With the ability to swap rings independently of the power measurement, it’s versatile too.
Reports suggest the new Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 power meter has ironed out some of the glitchy data reads of its predecessor, which is certainly a big plus.
- Read our first look of the new Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 groupset
Garmin Rally Pedal Power Meter
£869.99 | View offer
- Pros: Options for Shimano SPD-SL, SPD and Look cleats, swappable pedal bodies, dual or single-sided
- Cons: Non-rechargeable battery
- A comprehensive range of power meter options that can be swapped between pedal systems
The Garmin Rally power meter pedals offer a wide range of options, now including the choice of both Shimano SPD-SL single-sided as well as SPD dual-sided pedal system compatibility in addition to the Look cleat compatibility of the previous generation Garmin Vector power meter. In addition, there's the choice of single-sided or dual-sided measurement, with the latter offering pedalling dynamics analysis both on your cycling computer and on Garmin Connect.
Furthermore, you can upgrade from single-sided to dual-sided measurement (although it's significantly cheaper to buy the dual-sided system initially) and you can swap pedal bodies to change between pedal systems (again a pricy option).
A +/-1% accuracy is claimed as is a 120-hour battery life from the non-rechargeable coin cells, while a pair of the SPD-SL version of these pedals weighs 320g. Versatility is ensured as you can swap pedals between bikes without any need for further setup or calibration. They are one of the more expensive options, however.
- Read more about the Garmin RS200 Rally power pedals
Favero Assioma Duo power pedals
£575 | View offer
- Pros: Relatively inexpensive, wide range of metrics, rechargeable battery
- Cons: Shimano compatible system sold as spindle only
- A good range of options with extensive power delivery analysis
Italian brand Favero offers its Assioma power meter both as a complete Look-compatible system with single-sided or dual-sided measurement and as a set of dual-sided Shimano SPD-SL compatible pedal spindles, to which you can attach your own pedal bodies. This sounds like a bit of a faff but it's actually straightforward enough.
Favero will tell you its accuracy is partly down to the pedal’s in-built gyroscopes, which allow angular velocity to be measured in real-time, rather than averaged over several strokes as with some alternatives.
The dual-sided system includes the usual measurement of pedalling dynamics, but also offers comprehensive pedalling dynamics analysis and is even claimed to show ride time spent standing versus sitting. It's relatively inexpensive and has rechargeable batteries too.
Wahoo Powrlink Zero pedal power meter
£549.99 | View offer
- Pros: Only Speedplay-compatible pedal power meter, left side or dual-sided options
- Cons: Some pedalling metrics not provided
- A swappable power meter for Speedplay users
Pedal-based power measurement wasn't an option for Speedplay users until Wahoo launched the Powrlink Zero, based on the Speedplay pedal system, which it now owns. There are dual-sided and single-sided power measurement options and prices are generally in line with the Garmin Rally power meter. The power meter has the same extensive adjustability as Speedplay pedals, as it uses the same cleats.
The Wahoo Powrlink Zero has a slightly higher stack than a standard Speedplay pedal, but otherwise retains the classic lollipop profile, with an annular pod around the spindle housing electronics and the rechargeable battery. Wahoo claims +/-1% measurement accuracy and there's an array of metrics and analysis, although this doesn't include some such as pedalling effectiveness available in other systems.
- Read more about the Wahoo Powrlink Zero power meter
Look/SRM Exakt power pedals
£1,350 | View offer
- Pros: Low weight, low profile, rechargeable
- Cons: Set-up and calibration is fiddly, expensive
- A neatly integrated pedal power meter from the original power meter brand
A collaboration between French pedal giant Look and German power meter supremo SRM, these pedals look and feel conventional. With no additional pods or attachments, they’re less bulky than some competitors and weigh only 26g more than a standard Look Keo 2 Max pedal. There are single-sided and dual-sided options available.
Look also claims the stack height is just 1.9mm higher, and otherwise they look remarkably similar. The Exakt pedal body is made from carbon and uses the same carbon leaf-spring retention system as Look's pedals.
With the power-measuring gubbins tucked neatly inside, SRM’s ultra-accurate strain gauges are what sets the Exakt apart. They're rechargeable via a magnetic cable connector that pops into the end of the spindle, with battery life at around 100 hours.
Connectivity is via Bluetooth LE and ANT+, meaning the power meter should connect to any bike computer or smartphone. Cadence is taken care of using a small magnet in the pedal body that rotates past the spindle and there are dual-sided and left side only options.
- Read our full Look/SRM Exakt power pedals review
- Buy the Look/SRM Exakt power pedals from Condor Cycles (£1,200)
Rotor 2INPower Crankset
£1,098.99 | View offer
- Pros: Wide compatibility, long battery life
- Cons: Expensive
- A comprehensive range of power meter options for both road and MTB bikes
Rotor provides an extensive range of single-sided INpower and dual-sensing 2INpower power meters compatible with both road and mountain bike standards.
With up to eight strain gauges measuring the twisting effect on the axle and crank arm, the system adds a few grams, including the USB rechargeable battery to fuel it. A single charge should see you provided with data for around 250 hours.
Adaptable to fit most frames thanks to Rotor’s UBB (Universal Bottom Bracket) adaptor system, this works with most common bottom bracket standards. 2INpower transmits power, cadence, OCA (Optimum Chainring Angle – useful for those who run Rotor’s elliptical Q-rings), torque effectiveness and pedal smoothness. Data is transmitted via ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart, so it’ll work happily with most head units.
We were impressed with the speed of the updates displayed on the head unit and the sleek design of the system. It all works very well indeed. It's available as just crank arms, weighing 596g, or with various chainring configurations from 775g, while the newer 2INpower SL complete crankset has a claimed 530g weight.
Look Power Pedals
£599.99 - £999.99
- Pros: Road and off-road options, standard stack height, rechargeable
- Cons: Limited current availability
- Road and off-road compatible power meters which have the same stack height as Look's standard pedals
Look has gone it alone on the development of its latest power meters. The Keo Power is road cleat compatible and has the updated, more aero Keo Blade body profile, while the X-Track Power is MTB cleat compatible. Both have the same stack height as Look's standard non-instrumented pedals, so there's no need to micro-adjust your saddle height when swapping them in or out. Look claims a lower weight than its competitors too: 260g a pair for the Keo Power and 405g for the X-Track Power.
The electronics are completely enclosed in the hardened stainless steel pedal spindle and the batteries are rechargeable, with a claimed 60 hour battery life. Both formats are available with either single sided or dual sided power measurement, which explains the significant price range.
- Read more in our full Look Power Pedal launch story
PowerPod power meter
$349 | View offer
- Pros: Low price, novel measurement
- Cons: Won't work indoors, fiddly setup
- A novel power meter option measuring your CdA to determine power
This cheap and unusual power meter eschews the usual strain gauge, instead using a filter with a Gore-Tex membrane to measure frontal wind force, along with elevation and atmospheric pressure. Run through an algorithm, the PowerPod then promises to combine these to determine your power output.
Able to communicate this to your computer in real-time via ANT+, in our experience it manages this feat with accuracy and consistency. However, there are a few caveats.
First, it won’t work for indoor training. Then there’s the setup, which can be time-consuming thanks to the product’s clunky software that demands a level of understanding from the user. However, considering its low price, these may be worth putting up with, especially if you’re already a science nerd.
- Read our PowerPod power meter in-depth review
- Buy the PowerPod from Velocomp ($349)
Five pro coaching tips for power meters
Fitting your power meter and getting the numbers is just the start of your fun. Growing those numbers is the key to getting fitter, but where do you start?
1. Learn how to use it: There are lots of resources online that can help but understanding how power can help is crucial. Like any tool, you’ll only get the best out of it if you really understand how to use it properly.
2. Test yourself: Regular self-testing will give you an idea of your current level if you’re improving. Simple tests you can do include FTP (functional threshold power) or MMP (maximum minute power). Use these to set your training zones.
3. Train in zones: What change do you want to see in your body? Train in the appropriate zone using a structured training program to help you reach your targets, such as riding faster for longer.
4. Track your data: All that data is no good if you don’t use it properly. Use systems like TrainingPeaks to monitor progression and so you can structure in your recovery.
5. Learn your limits: Effective pacing can change the way you ride in events, dramatically increasing speed. Use power zones to manage your efforts so you don’t go too hard too early.
