00:00 If you're thinking about buying a power meter,
00:01 but you're not sure what to look for or what to go for,
00:04 then this video is for you.
00:06 I'm gonna run you through what a power meter is,
00:08 the different types available,
00:09 and which ones might be perfect for you.
00:12 A power meter is the best way of objectively telling you
00:14 how hard you're pushing the pedals on your bike.
00:17 This is done by measuring your torque,
00:19 how hard you're pushing on the pedals,
00:20 multiplied by your cadence,
00:22 how fast you're turning the pedals.
00:24 This will appear as a number in watts,
00:26 which will appear on your cycling computer
00:27 while you're riding.
00:28 But what do you do with those watts?
00:30 Well, we need an entirely separate video
00:32 to really go into the details,
00:33 so I've dropped a few links below to some of our guides.
00:36 Now you know what a power meter is,
00:38 I'm gonna run you through the different types
00:40 that are available.
00:41 I'll run you through their pros, their cons,
00:43 and anything else worth mentioning.
00:44 First up, we've got crank base,
00:50 which as you can imagine,
00:51 are located in and around the cranks.
00:53 Now, they can be positioned
00:54 in multiple different positions.
00:55 First up, they can be on the crank arm, like so.
00:58 Then, you can also have them in the chain rings itself,
01:02 or potentially on the spindle.
01:03 Now that's just completely dependent
01:05 on which brand you buy from.
01:06 The pros for crank base systems are that traditionally,
01:08 they've always been some of the most accurate,
01:10 so you can be really confident with the data.
01:12 They can also include pretty cool tech,
01:14 like being able to measure wattage from each leg,
01:17 so you can see if you've got a power imbalance.
01:19 The cons tend to be that they've been
01:20 on the slightly pricier end of the market,
01:22 but those prices have been coming down.
01:24 The other thing which isn't so great with them
01:26 is that they aren't as easy to switch
01:28 between bikes.
01:30 Power meter brands like Stages and 4i
01:31 do also offer single sided only options,
01:34 which helps keep that price a little bit lower.
01:36 However, what it does to get your power reading
01:39 is that it takes the reading from one leg
01:40 and then doubles it.
01:41 So, it's not quite as accurate,
01:43 but that being said,
01:44 if you do wanna dip your toe into the power meter market
01:47 and you don't wanna spend a fortune,
01:48 then a single sided power meter might be the way to go.
01:51 (upbeat music)
01:53 Next up, we've got pedal based power meters,
01:58 which as you'd expect,
01:59 locate all the cool tech within the pedal.
02:02 So, the pros for pedal based power meters
02:03 are that they are also accurate and reliable.
02:06 So, similar to the cranks,
02:07 you can be confident with your data.
02:09 Also with pedals,
02:10 they're much easier to switch between bikes.
02:12 So, if you've got multiple bikes
02:13 you'd want to use pedals on,
02:14 that's something that's a lot more easily done.
02:16 The cons though,
02:17 pedal based power meters can be expensive.
02:20 They're also prone to crash damage
02:21 due to being in a much more exposed area
02:23 compared to their crank counterparts.
02:25 Depending on which brand you buy,
02:27 you might find yourself locked
02:28 into a specific pedal platform.
02:29 So, if you're particular about the pedals that you use,
02:32 you might find that those cleats aren't compatible
02:34 with any pedal based power meter.
02:36 Finally, if you're sensitive to things like Q-Factor
02:38 or stack, you might find that these values increase
02:41 when you go to a pedal based power meter.
02:43 So, these things can be altered with a bike fit.
02:46 So, what I would recommend is
02:47 if you do go for a pedal based power meter,
02:49 go see your local bike fitter
02:50 to make adjustments for those changes.
02:53 (upbeat music)
02:56 (upbeat music)
02:58 Before we get onto what might be right for you,
03:00 a quick word about hub based power meters.
03:02 Now, you don't see too many of them,
03:03 but the way that they worked was again,
03:05 by measuring your power through the hub.
03:08 Powertap was a well-known hub based brand,
03:10 but they were discontinued in 2021
03:12 by their parent company, SRAM.
03:13 Now, there may still be a few for sale out on the market,
03:17 but I would probably steer clear of them
03:18 purely because you won't be able to get parts
03:20 or the support should they go wrong.
03:22 However, SRAM might bring them back in the future.
03:25 So, that's something we'll just have to wait and see for.
03:27 (upbeat music)
03:29 So, which power meter is gonna be right for you?
03:35 Well, I think for those of you that are on a budget
03:37 and maybe just want to dip your toe
03:38 into the power meter market,
03:40 then a single sided crank based system could be really good.
03:43 They might not be as accurate,
03:44 but with a discrepancy of a few percent here or there,
03:48 I think that's gonna be good for most of us.
03:50 If you have more to spend and potentially more bikes
03:52 that you want to switch a power meter between,
03:54 then I think this is where a pedal based system
03:56 comes in superior.
03:57 Just remember, you might be limited
03:59 on the different pedal systems that you can use.
04:01 If you only have one bike
04:03 and don't mind a little bit of mechanical faff
04:05 and want to spend more,
04:06 then I think a dual sided crank based system
04:08 is gonna be a really good option.
04:10 Crank based systems are used by the vast majority of pros.
04:13 And as the old saying goes,
04:15 if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for us.
04:17 Hopefully now you're all clued in
04:19 with the ins and outs of power meters
04:20 and you've got a good idea on which one you'd like to buy.
04:23 If you do have any questions though,
04:25 drop them down in the comments.
04:26 If you enjoyed the video, drop it a like,
04:27 subscribe to the channel for more content
04:29 and I'll see you again very soon.
04:31 (motor revving)
04:34 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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