00:00If you've been putting off buying a power meter because it felt too complicated or overpriced,
00:05then I get you. For years, power meters have, in my opinion, been too unreliable,
00:10too fragile, and too focused on the pros to make it worth most of us handing over hard-earned cash.
00:172026 really does feel like a turning point, though. Right now, you can buy dual-sided,
00:23podless power meters that weigh less than most standard pedals. They only need charging once
00:28or twice a year, and they cost half of what a single-sided unit did just a few seasons ago.
00:34So, here are five reasons why we think 2026 is the year to finally invest in power.
00:43Using a power meter often comes with a compromise, usually involving either great expense,
00:49only having a power meter on one bike, or a move away from your preferred cleat system.
00:54Today, though, that's all changed. Today's video is kindly sponsored by Favaro,
00:59and they're an excellent example of how we're now sort of spoiled for choice.
01:03They've recently released their Asioma Pro RL pedals, which means you can now get the choice of
01:09Pro RS as a Shimano road pedal, a Look Road version, or the Pro MX, a Shimano SPD version.
01:18What's more is that with Favaro's technology, you can actually pretty quickly and easily swap the pedal
01:23bodies between a single set of spindles, so if they wear out, or you fancy a cleat system switch in
01:30the future, or just want to use a different pedal body on different bikes, you no longer have to
01:35splash out on multiple power meters. These ones are even 100% look compatible, so you don't have to
01:41use knock-off or own-brand cleats like with many options in the past. You also don't have to compromise
01:47on Q-factor, these are no wider than an ordinary pair of pedals, and neither do you have to compromise
01:53on platform contact area. These ones, they have a 755 square millimetres of contact area, that's more
02:00than on most non-power meter pedals. Now, in nearly every bike review, the first thing that people
02:08normally ask is how much does it weigh? I don't think bike weight is the be-all and end-all
02:14that some
02:14people think it is, but few people would recommend meaninglessly lugging around extra grams.
02:21Fitting a power meter used to mean hiding your bike from all the weight weenies at the cafe.
02:26Now though, power meters often only add a few grams, and in some cases are actually lighter
02:32than non-power options. I still don't understand how they do that. These ones are the lightest
02:37road power meter pedals in the world. They weigh just 124.8 grams per pedal, and you can even change
02:45the release spring tension. Tidy.
02:50The big one, price. Premium dual-sided power data used to cost an absolute shed load, well over a
02:57thousand dollars. What that meant is that power meters had an exclusivity problem. They were seen
03:03as something for pros, or at least for people who were super interested in data. In 2026 though,
03:09that is changing. Highly reliable dual-sided setups can now be had for under a thousand dollars,
03:16while single-sided options now cost less than most integrated cockpits. These Favaro Asioma Pro RS and
03:23Pro RL pedals, for example, are $789 for the dual-sided version, and $499 for the single-sided version.
03:32That means that data-driven training is now more affordable than most wheelset upgrades.
03:38Let that one sink in.
03:41Power meters used to tell you your power number whilst riding, and that was about it. It was up
03:47to you to work out the rest, and in the early days of power meters, if you wanted to do
03:52some
03:52post-ride analysis, then you quite literally needed a degree in sports science to understand your files.
03:58Modern software, though, has come on a very long way, and helped to make power meters a lot more,
04:04well, beneficial really, and a lot more interesting to the average rider. Software such as Strava,
04:11and it now automatically flags your breakthroughs, your power PBs, watches your fatigue levels,
04:17and other apps can even adjust your training dynamically. In 2026, power meters can tell you
04:23a lot more than just your power number, too. They can tell you your cadence. In some cases,
04:28they can even tell you pedaling dynamics, such as pedaling smoothness, left-right balance,
04:32torque effectiveness, and even, well, these ones do a PCO metric to help you fine-tune your cleat
04:38position. Now, I know that not all of this will be of interest to everyone. Some people will just
04:44want to play power top trumps with their mates at the end of a ride, or see if they can
04:48average higher
04:48the next week. That's cool, but in 2026, we do at least have the option of all this easy access
04:55data
04:56at our fingertips.
05:00And my final reason is the accuracy and reliability. Using a power meter always has been great when
05:08they've worked, but using one that picks numbers at random, or breaks when you need it most, can cause
05:14more harm than good, and is also one hell of a waste of money. In 2026, power meter technology feels
05:20like it's evolved past the clunky and exclusive phase into a streamlined and reliable offering.
05:27Take our trusty Feveros. On this latest generation of pedals, they can measure power to plus or minus 1%.
05:33That means that it should be within a few watts of your indoor trainer if you train on one of
05:37them
05:37during the winter, and all of the electronics, such as the strain gauges, the rechargeable battery,
05:44is safely housed inside the stainless steel spindle. That means less chance of knocks or braking,
05:49it's out the way of the weather, and with 160 hours of battery life,
05:53you can be sure that if you're pedaling, these know exactly how hard.
05:57Ed, you're going to be using power for the first time this year, aren't you?
05:59I am, and allegedly it's going to make me loads faster up out to us.
06:03Hopefully. We hope. Well, to be fair, your pacing was awful last year,
06:07so if there's one thing a power meter can help with, it's definitely that.
06:11If you want to see Ed in quite a lot of pain and using a power meter up out to
06:15us,
06:16then make sure you subscribe to the channel, because I'm excited to see how fast he can go up it.
06:22He did an hour and 40 seconds last year.
06:25Hour and 31 seconds.
06:27So we're going back, we're going under an hour, and hopefully a power meter can help.
06:32Let me know if you train with power in 2026, and if you do, have you seen any improvements over
06:39the
06:39last few years? Thank you very much to Fervero for sponsoring this video, and to find out more
06:43about any of their Asioma Pro range, click the link in the description below.
06:48If you liked this video, then please give it a like, subscribe to the channel for lots more road
06:52and gravel content, and we'll see you next time.
