In a bit of a quiet week – a calm before the storm that will be early May in sports tech, I’ve got a few arrivals that I figured I’d drop a quick note here and some minor first impressions on. Nothing long, it’s Friday after all.
Also, in addition to these, I’ve got a few others. Notably the Tacx Flux 2.1 with firmware that finally fixes issues from over a year ago around ERG mode in accuracy (they started shipping the updated Tacx Flux 2.1 hardware late last summer, but the software update didn’t come out till last month). Unfortunately it was damaged in shipping, so a new one is set to arrive today. Then there’s the IQ2 pedal-based power meter, which I had an initial test ride on, but it too needed to be looked at again, so they picked that up a day later. I don’t yet have a replacement pair. But I am optimistic that’ll happen again soon too. Ok, with those tidbits, onwards!
SRM X SPD Power Meter:
These came in a bit over a week ago now, and I’ve got some initial rides in, though only one power comparison to date (my other outside ride wasn’t a power meter test ride, as it was more of a ‘getting cool shots’ type ride).
In any case, these pedals started shipping last week and are priced at 999EUR, which is a fair price in EUR, given that there’s zero other SPD power meter products on the market today. However, the USD price ($1,199) is probably a touch high. Sure, this is SRM and pricing has always been out of whack in recent years. No doubt SRM will sell well, but I think at $999USD they could have really put a dent in the market before it’s likely others will come in with the Shimano patents now expired.
In any case, here’s some quick unboxing pics:
Now, I was happy to see they included two charging adapters this time – one for each pedal. On the SRM road pedals they only included one – silly for a nearly $2,000 product at time of launch. The chargers are magnetic kinda like the Assioma ones, and simply snap in place. The other side is micro-USB.
From an install standpoint, gone are all the dramatics of the SRM road pedals (which were made in partnership with Look). These are SRM’s own design through and through, and you just simply install them like any other road pedal. The singular thing you do in the app is place the right side crank arm facing down once, so it knows the positioning. Other companies like Favero/Garmin/PowerTap figure this out in software afterwards, but that’s fine. It takes 2 seconds and you’re done.
In my case, I like to baseline power meters indoors first on trainers. Basically a ‘if it doesn’t work here, it won’t work out there’ sort of thinking. So I first installed these on my road bike actually, since that has the deepest power meter test capabilities at present. On that bike was a Quarq and then I put that atop a Tacx NEO 2T trainer.
And installed fully (this was a post-outdoor ride through…umm…some off-road sections finding my drone that…oh nevermind):
Then I did a Zwift ride using the Titans Grove loop that I often do power meter and trainer accuracy testing with, due to the variations in terrain and gearing required. Looks pretty clean.
Though, the Quarq DZero is a bit spikey in some cases:
Next up is an outdoor road ride, and then it’s off-road we go. That’ll coincide with getting my Quarq DZero DUB crankset in for my mountain bike, which I’m having 4iiii add their dual-sided Precision Pro power meter to (non-Shimano crank arms). Thus I’ll have three comparative sources outside.
And then it’s off to the trails! More soon!
Wattbike ATOM X:
Next, we’ve got the newish Wattbike ATOM X. This bike is primarily aimed at the commercial market, but I think it probably sketches the future of where Wattbike wants to go with future consumer-targeted products.
Here’s the super-friendly dude delivering it. He was rather curious about the bike, which, to be fair – has been every delivery person delivering these sorts of units. Maybe it’s just natural for Dutch people to be curious about bikes. Pretty sure that’s it.
Also, I initially was expecting the Stages Bike to arrive yesterday, and didn’t carefully inspect the packing slip when he unloaded it and placed it off to the side (so we’d avoid direct contact). So, I presumed it was the Stages Bike.
Obviously, this was not the Stages Bike, as I found out the next morning when I un-bagged it:
Now from the outside the ATOM X probably looks a lot like the ATOM. However, internally it’s vastly different. In fact, externally in a few key areas, it’s different. Internally it’s an entirely different resistance scheme, instead being electromagnetic (like the Tacx NEO series or the Wahoo KICKR Bike). That should address the lag and responsiveness issues people had with the original ATOM.
Externally it’s beefier, since it’s targeted at the gym market. It’s got more resilient handles and parts to deal with people doing stupid things to gear they don’t own. Oh, and it has a touchscreen built into it:
It’s actually interesting how the touchscreen fits on there. Basically there’s a VGA plug at the top, and then you slide this custom-screen down over this pole, a perfect fit. And then you slap a few screws in there to lock in in place. No wiring or anything.
I know some people want a separate screen for their bike. But I suspect a lot of people do. And given Peloton has sold something like 700,000 bikes with that concept and has a crazy high customer satisfaction rate. It removes all the ‘issues’ associated with wireless connectivity and pairing and all the things. The just works factor is enormously high.
Again, this bike is targeted at the commercial market, so in theory they don’t need people running Zwift or TrainerRoad or some other app on there. As such, this particular Android display is both a bit small and a bit underpowered. My understanding is Zwift won’t run on it. But perhaps TrainerRoad would if someone side-loaded the APK file.
In any case – I’m just about to start my first workout with it, so I’ll swing back later and update this section with some more tidbits.
I frankly don’t know what type of future post I’ll do on this. It’s more about me understanding their implementation of this technology (electromagnetic), as well as the display pieces. I’d love to see a consumer variant of this with a much larger screen and the ability to load Zwift or TrainerRoad. I’m an instant buyer then.
Casio GBD-H1000:
Last but definitely not least, is the new Casio GBD-H1000. This beast is almost as heavy as that Wattbike, except…wearable.
It came last week and I promptly got it unboxed:
It was quite a bit heftier than I expected. I had mentally imagined it in line with a Garmin Instinct in terms of size, but it’s clearly far bigger and heavier.
It’s more in line with a Garmin Fenix 6X series watch.
In any case, the two things that are interesting on this watch are:
A) The GPS
B) The new optical HR sensor (the first in a Casio)
It’s also got a baro altimeter, compass, and all the usual things you’d expect. Casio does say that they take into account the compass and altitude information to help with GPS distance measurements. I’m interested in understanding that a bit more.
It’s also got Casio’s solar charging, which can charge both indoors and outdoors. It says it’ll maintain battery state (neutral) for daily watch mode if used 8hrs a day under fluorescent lights, or 2hrs a day next to a sunny window.
And finally, it’s got a pile of FirstBeat metrics in it:
Many of these are exactly the same modules as found in Garmin’s higher-end running watches (Fenix and Forerunner) – specifically the Training Load and Training Status that were added last year. Features not found in the Garmin Instinct.
Of course, how accurate GPS & HR are will be key to some of these bits. And I can’t quite tell you that yet. I’m working through some early teething issues with the app that are blocking my ability to move forward. Technically the app is still in beta till the end of the month. Casio is working to get everything untangled, so hopefully I’ll be in business soon!
With that – thanks for reading and have a great weekend ahead!
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These days, friday is just like any other day. It’s a 7 day weekend. Looking forward to the reviews.
I haven’t decided if it’s a 7-day weekend, or 7 days of Tuesday without day care.
Definitely the latter. Which is both good and bad 🙂
I’ll stick with my bodged up Assioma Duo’s strapped to XPedo MTB pedals for my SPD power needs. That price is just way too high for me to consider it for my gravel bike.
Yeah, I think for gravel scenarios the Assioma hack is a solid option.
Where I haven’t seen much (any?) data is true mountain-bike type scenarios. I don’t think I’ve seen any comparative data there. Not saying SRM is right, or that Favero is wrong – simply that going to hard off-road surfaces is historically much more challenging for power meters than what most roads can throw at it.
Based on strictly anecdotal data (aka: “anecdata”), I would guess 80% of demand for SPD-based power is due to the fact that shoes with SPD cleats are walkable where shoes with SPD-SL/Look cleats are not.
But because SPD is the MTB cleat of choice, powermeter manufacturers assume those would get beat to crap (like everything else MTB-related) and so they shy away because they assume warranty claims would be off the charts.
You have some places nearby for MTB-like scenarios? Or just find some of the poorly cobbled streets. 🙂 I’m more interested in the gravel type of rides but curious about the results for both.
Gravel/compact dirt roads/trails aren’t too hard to find here. Not much crazy long that I know of, more piece-meal.
MTB trails are reasonably easy to find here too, some a bit knobby in terms of roots and stuff.
What I lack are high speed descent and rock-filled trails. Like something I might find in the Alps or down in Mallorca or such. Mostly cause I lack elevation to get that speed, and most of the terrain here lacks the hard rocks found near mountains.
Normally I’d consider traveling to such a locale for extended testing, but obviously that’s off the table for a while.
Add one more vote to your anecdotal data. Like the SPD walkability and think the “hotspot”/power transfer concerns compared to 3-bolt cleats are overblown, at least for those of us not winning races.
Are you using the m-Force 4 pedals? I was really looking forward to the Xpower ones till they came out with insane price. Thanks
I think John is absolute right with his anecdata: I can second that. 60-70% of the road bike users I know ride SPD on their “dayly” road bike because the shoes are more comfortable and/or the can use the shoes on their Crossbike/Treckingbike Commuter with dual side cleat-platform pedals.
I think Assioma could earn a crapload of money if they sell us guys these “gravel” pedals. SRM is just a bit too expensive and IQ2 is not yet on the marked, established and proven.
I guess coming from the tri side, where it’s not uncommon to run on cycling shoes for certain races (ideally you’d have shoes mounted already, but in some rare cases races don’t permit that for odd reasons) – it’s never really bothered me to walk in SPD-SL or Keo cleats. :-/
Are they marketing these at professional (high category) XC racers? Or rich people who ride SPD’s on the road bikes?
Wait, are you implying that those are the only two categories of people? There are lots of amateurs who do MTB races, but not necessarily “professionals”.
I myself am looking very much forward to these, because I have no idea during a long climb what my output is, and – because many times this happens in the sun – I can’t rely well on heart rate only. I don’t care at all at power on the downhill or technical sections, but for races starting at 1500m altitude gain, these would be very useful.
I think the exact same. I only want SPD Powermeter to put them on my roadbike and enjoy SPD-Shoes 🙂
Hobby rider…
I think SPD power is one of the topic areas that shows the diversity in Ray’s readership a little better than most.
SPD pedals are certainly one of the better choices for off-road riding & racing, but It would surprise me if the majority of consumer SPD pedal use includes anything technical. There are simply that many more riders that want a convenient clipless solution and it is hard to get burned going with SPD. The gravel-specific footwear companies seem to be nudging roadies toward two-bolt solutions so average speeds across all SPD users may pop up a bit.
We’re probably reaching the point where cycling power meters are just another general sensor for fitness tracking. Yes, the price point is a bit high still. Prosumers and enthusiasts that don’t buy new bikes frequently won’t have much trouble justifying a power-measurement upgrade. TSS is fairly easy to understand and can be a better metric than total miles to evaluate weekly health maintenance. Riders with chronic knee pain may desire L+R balance measurements simply for peace of mind. If the additional goodie gets people to ride more often, then it can be more cost-effective than a health club membership over time.
At some point different nomenclature will be helpful to describe flat-bar bikes with 26″ tires that don’t go off-road. Once upon a time calling them MTB’s worked, but that seems to imply the riding style more than the hardware configuration.
This. I ride SPD on road so I can walk a bit.
I think the bigger issue for any MTB pedal power meter will be pedal strikes. Not often but when they happen…. I run a quarq. But I’ve had sparks off my egg beaters!
Hard to say if it is customer support/warranty burden that has slowed introduction down, or the IP/technology side of things.
Over the years some of the Shimano SPD pedals have replaceable cages so a few minor mishaps won’t wreck the pedal.
It wouldn’t stop the support calls, but a pedal manufacturer could just decline to replace a part that is obviously crashed. I don’t know how fragile the spindle-meter mechanism is, but it seems unlikely that a rider could damage it without leaving obvious signs of damage to the cage & casing. Either way an appropriate-use warning on the product box seems like a good first step. They can probably just put the word “Touring” in the product name.
James how is the Assioma hack Look like?
How much is the Casio G-Shock compared with a fenix
G-Shock is $399, Fenix starts from $699. But, they’re pretty different in feature-sets. A more similiar comparison is honestly Instinct.
It seems like the Casio will have deeper FirstBeat integration than the Instinct (or at least, more training load bits), but the Garmin Fenix series has far deeper workout type features/functionality.
So said differently: I think that if you’re an endurance sports-focused Fenix owner, there’s virtually no chance of you picking up this Casio as a replacement. However, if you mostly got a Fenix more for looks than functionality, with occasional outdoor use – that’s where Casio may be compelling. On the Instinct front, that’s where Garmin is more exposed, though realistically Garmin is also $100 cheaper.
Is there anything like that Casio or the Instinct that will work with a power meter for mountain biking? Looking for rugged and not Fenix pricing.
Why don’t you buy a Fenix 5 plus? Its always on sale somewhere these days.
basically I hate the way it looks. And for that money, I should like it.
also the 5 is stil several hundred dollars more expensive.
I’ve visited the X pedals site N times already, and they keep being out of stock. I should wake up on Monday at 4AM, maybe? Would definitely be interested in them for the… wait, what racing season. Still, would be interested 🙂
Will be interested in your feedback on the Wattbike Atom X. Looks a lot more sturdy than the original Atom. I have a first gen Wattbike Pro with a B model monitor which I pair to an Apple TV and onto a 50 inch TV. Works well but at times there is definite lag on say Zwift. I agree re wanting a display on the trainer and if you could load Zwift onto the display that would be great as long as you could also project or mirror it onto a bigger screen.
I did not know that the Shimano cleat patent had expired. Will we finally see some power meter SPD road pedals as I would definitely be a buyer for those.
I find myself drawn to the idea of power meter pedals for offroad based on the perceived versatility of swapping between different bikes… even though 99% of my usage would probably be on just one bike. I just can’t see the value proposition at the current price point vs options like Stages or even the Quarq DZero if you have a compatible crank. Both those options are between $500-600 and as much as I’m trying to sell myself on the idea of ‘you can swap to another bike!’, I could literally outfit 2 bikes with crank-based power for the same price.
Alas, wish there was more competition in this market because the US price point on the X-power just isn’t doing it for me.
I was eagerly awaiting these because I was in a similar situation where I have two mountain bikes that I was hoping I could swap the SRM pedals between. I ride one regularly and one occasionally and already use SPD pedals on my mountain bikes, so it was a win win.
After seeing the actual price I went ahead and ordered the Quarq XX1 Eagle Dub power meter from Clever Training. With the 20% discount the Powermeter, comparable crank, and new bottom bracket were half the price of the SRM pedals. I’ll likely get a Stages single sided for my other bike and still spend significantly less the the SRM, I could even have Stages install a dual sided PM on the XT crank I use on my second bike and still be in for less for two power meters than the SRM pedals.
If the SRMs had come in at less than $1k USD I probably wouldn’t have even looked into other options, it wasn’t until I felt a little shocked at the price that I really looked into options.
Was there a particular sale at CT that got you 20% off on the Quarq or just a coupon code? That makes it even more of a no brainer.
It was a coupon code.
Why is it that my impression is that SRM is struggling to maintain some sort of relavancy?
I’m curious whether SRM intend these as mtb use and if so are they pitching them as leg only power meters and somehow excluding pumping, or all up power and somehow guessing the power input that the pedals can’t detect. I’d like to see a firm position one way or the other at the very least so you know how to test them. Hopefully Des also has a set and can test a descent with zero pedalling over a few miles to see the output.
Having watched a video tutorial on “pumping” I now follow where you’re going. Unless Grit or Flow somehow infer it I suspect it would take something exotic to measure that maneuvering.
The seat, pedals, and bars would all need to agree they are being unloaded on an uphill & subsequently loaded over expected G-forces on the connected downhill? Accelerometers in the HRM may have some chance combined with data from the head unit about elevation? There are a few more oddball possibilities but they wouldn’t be pedal-based.
It will probably just show up as increased heart rate & calorie consumption for a while longer.
This sort of technique would have been lumped in as “posting” in years gone by, but it is a different dance step.
Thanks Ray for the info
Until recently I used the Wattbike Trainer with Wattbike HUB via iPad Mini 4, Apple TV and a 32 inch HD TV. And now I’m looking forward to the new AtomX that will come in the next few weeks.
The Zwift may not be running on the AtomX display, shouldn’t be a problem for me with the Apple devices.
I’m curious what Ray will find out about the AtomX.
Yes, similar to my setup here.
I like my Wattbike Atom very much. I don’t mind using my own iPad screen as I’m only using the Wattbike App at the moment.
Being able to create my own sessions in this app would be high on my priority list. I believe this is mentioned as being possible with the new Atom X?
The Atom’s USP for me is being able to show pedalling efficiency with the Polar view.
I’m interested in the idea of completely new resistance mechanism, I guess this will make it more useful for Zwift, etc? If this were to be the case, and otherwise more or less the same as my current machine, I’d be tempted to upgrade ?. I already have a potential home for my current Atom ?.
Though the more sophisticated saddle and handlebar adjustment levers might be tempting?
Look forward to more detail in due course ??
I wonder how the IQ2 will compare to the SRM MTB pedals. They are supposed to start production and shipping soon. Price point, way below the SRM offering and could force SRM to lower their price. Providing of course IQ2 perform well. When will you be reviewing the road pedals they sent you? Long delayed start-up project but now signs they are finally getting there..I hope!
Ray already had a first look at the IQ² Road Pedals. You can read about it in the comment section of the Rays IQ² articles. Let’s say there is still work to be done until they work and are shipped to everyone.
That said, IQ² never said when we could see the SPD pedals. They only wrote in their updates that after they have a road product they will start working on the SPD body. They wrote this should be done quickly, but again we don’t now and still have to wait…
I’m more interessted in other brands, as Ray mentioned the expired SPD Shimano patent.
If, lets dream, Favero would offer a ready to ride SPD powermeter at their prize point – I would get it without hessitation. Right away.
If you could (side)load the Zwift companion app onto the ATOM Z screen, that would be pretty handy.
Looking at the specs there, my guess is that it’s too small to support it.
Any comment on the battery life on the x-power? Its spec to 30hrs? I guess there are pros and cons on rechargeable vs non-rechargeable batteries in powermeters.
Honestly too early to say at this point.
I’m typically in the camp of coin-cell based batteries, as long as we’re talking above 70 or so hours of battery life. But I think this design is fairly clean and low-risk.
Cool. I have my pair in the mail in a week. Exciting times. Got rid of the Vector 3 for a Quarq on my road bike, knee issues with the cleat. If these are good I will get a second pair for my other MTB as well.
@Jüeg Any feedback on your SRM mtb pedals?
@Jürg How has your SRM X-Power pedal experience been?
VGA!? Do they realize the year is 2020 and not 2002?
As far as can be seen on one of the pictures, the VGA interface is only used to connect the display to the AtomX.
On a related note: “The other side is micro-USB”
Seriously SRM? that is soooo 2007…
(but at least you didn’t hardwire the cable)
Ray – we haven’t seen a random things or a week in review for a while, but now that the suns out here in europe – how about that pizza oven? Did you ever get to finish all the tasks on the list? (and sorry to ms maker in advance) – but this oven looks like it’s portable enough to put on the kiddos bike link to youtube.com
🙂
More importantly: is The Girl alright? I’m getting newsletter withdrawal symptoms…
My guess is that she has her hands full with three little monstars 🙂
1 more point of anecatata: I’m a triathlete, have Assioma’s on the tri bike, can run in Look cleats when the situation demands, yet have SPD’s on the road bike because I prefer the walkability.
On the SRM pedals I’d love to hear if they work at low cadence. I got a left side crank arm power meter from Stages (pre-installed Shimano) to see what my power was on my single speed MTB, but when I would stand to climb and the cadence dropped (below what, I’m not sure, but I’m guessing around 40-50 RPM), then the power would just cut out. Stages said that was a “feature” so that it wouldn’t register power when you were descending. Surely there must be a better way to solve that problem. Kudos to them they gave me my money back, but still! I’m hoping these can solve that problem and then I’ll also be able to move them around amoung my bikes. I can’t wait for your review. Thanks Ray!
I use SPDs on my commute bike and then some shimano shoes that are kinda like a heave trainer. Great for when you park your bike in one place then head over to the gym, etc and so are walking way beyond the 10m or so you’d want to be doing twice a day and wearing out the soft cleat plastic on the road pedal cleats.
And my top observation here is the 10 watt difference between Net 2T and the quarq / SRM X-power. Reminds me to sort out my BB as I’m getting nearer 20w difference at the moment……..
Ray, have you heard of the rare and elusive Casio Aqualung?
Model is DWG-100.
It was the first (of two) Casio’s that could read your HR. The Aqualung used a photosensor, as opposed to the optical one on this new Casio.
Just a cool tidbit!
At $1099, the SRM pedals better come with their own beards, tattoos and 10k Insta followers.
$US1200? EUR999? That’s, respectively, $1900 and $1700 AUD. BEFORE you add on GST (10%) and the distributor’s margin.
_Ouch_.
Even allowing for the fact that these are mountain bike pedals, I very much doubt that you’ll see much market penetration in Australia at that price. Not when a single side power meter can be had for under $AU550, or dual side cranks for $AU1200 (retail pricing).
Where are you getting $AU550 power meter? Is that MTB?
Single sided Stages, at the low end of the market. Do a search for Stages Gen 3 105 R7000 (rather than my linking to a specific retailer, which might be considered spamming).
I’m not a mountain biker, so I can’t comment on how appropriate it might be for that market, or even if it will actually fit into the mountain bike’s bottom bracket. That said, Stages do make their power meter for multiple different cranks, so I’m sure you can find something for significantly less than what SRM is asking for these pedals.
I dunno about Stages. Majority of posts I see regarding folks who have issues with power/cadence spikes are also on Stages.
Hi,
you missed at CASIO GBD-H1000 to list beside
1) GPS
2) Heart rate
one very useful and standalone feature at this price range.
The watch got solar charging.
This option is one of the most important feature for me and I don’t want to spend double of the price for Fenix 6X Solar to get this feature.
Regards
Marc
I included more details on solar charging in the line directly after that:
“It’s also got Casio’s solar charging, which can charge both indoors and outdoors. It says it’ll maintain battery state (neutral) for daily watch mode if used 8hrs a day under fluorescent lights, or 2hrs a day next to a sunny window.”
Hi,
thanks.
I know. I’ve seen it but I guess that many persons Incl.me are very interested in.
You wrote
In any case, the two things that are interesting on this watch are:
A) The GPS
B) The new optical HR sensor (the first in a Casio)”
I would like to add “Solar charging” to this list as third interesting point.
Further the named Garmin Instinct do not have such feature and therefore I think you cannot compare it.
Casio solar charging is a killer feature for this kind of watch. It is not a gimmick as Garmin tried with F6X Solar, but instead Casio got near-zero maintenance with solar charging (i.e. it is the second option for charging, not just supplemental battery help).
I think you miss to emphasize a very important feature. Oh, I almnost forgot – Casio is not Garmin 🙂
Again, Casio’s had solar charging for countless years. Honestly, that’s not that exciting *from them*.
Also – we haven’t seen much in the way of battery life replenishment of the GPS or optical side of the house (it wasn’t really viable/practical for the Rangeman to use solar to keep it even for GPS). So, that’s something to keep in mind. It’s easy-peasy to do replenishment of the battery for 24×7 stuff, especially given Casio doesn’t have a super feature rich set of things it does behind the scenes in those modes.
As for comparing Garmin Instinct – that’s the most common request I see to compare it too (obviously Casio has solar charging, but Garmin has other features, so it depends on what you want). Almost nobody is comparing it to the Fenix series, and having the Casio watch I can see why: While it has tons of FirstBeat stuffs, at present I can’t even connect it to Strava or TrainingPeaks or anything else. So it’s a bit of a weird state. I suspect that’ll come, but I think folks need to understand how…limited…the feature set really is. At this juncture it’s more limited than an Instinct (by far).
On one hand, ignoring the FirstBeat bits, it’s essentially got less features/customization/details than a Garmin FR35 watch (sub-$100 GPS watch). Whereas the huge slate of FirstBeat features specifically compete with the higher end Garmin’s.
The best/worst analogy I can think of is taking a Prius, and then adding gold paint to it, and thinking it makes it a Tesla. It doesn’t exactly work that way. Which doesn’t mean the Casio isn’t super-interesting (it is), but again, it’s super unbaked right now (I can’t even use it I any meaningful test type of way type of unbaked).
Looking forward to seeing where it ends up!
“Zero maintenance”for this G-Shock model would be questionable as you Will not be able to change the wriststrap(as i Read in Casios own F&Q about it).
I’m another one who always uses SPD on road (tourism) bike and I have been waiting for SPD pedal power meters since the first Vector appeared. Even though I’m delighted to see these, I guess I’ll wait a bit to see the price go dow
I have been waiting for the SRM spd pedals, so curious to see how they perform. Gravel riding would seem to be the hardest scenario for accuracy, since you are often still pedaling consistently but with a lot of vibration at the pedals. On an MTB, the vibration is damped somewhat by larger tires and possibly suspension, and on really bumpy bits you may not be pedaling, making it easier for the algorithm to decide what is pedaling force and what is not. I am concerned about durability on an MTB….my Shimano pedals take a beating from rock strikes. Trail bikes are getting lower and lower bottom bracket heights, and even with shorter cranks I hit my pedals more often than I did a few years ago.
The patent for SPD lapsed last year. That is another reason why you weren’t seeing 3rd party applications and are now.
Regarding what I have seen in current YouTube presentation s the Casio GBD-H1000 Read heartrate out of thin air…..Very strange behavoir indeed, and make the accuracy questionable…
Please do an openwater test of the Casio GBD-H1000. Thanks!
Hi Ray. I’ve had a good look around the G-Shock Move app, and there is an option under Settings, “Link with External App”. Strava is listed here, and the process is completed with a link to the Casio website. Presumably other app improvements will come along with increased user feedback.
I’m really quite interested in your long-term test of the GBD-H1000. My everyday wear is a GWG-1000 so I’m used to the size/weight. The solar charging is excellent even under a tempered glass screen protector. The inverted display is fantastic in bright sunshine, a great improvement on previous models. I hope these two features work just as well on the GBD-H1000.
I’m *still* using an Ambit 3 Peak HR, if nothing else because I haven’t seen anything substantially better than it for my needs (mountain running and racing in Northern England). Given the climate, it is often worn over several layers of clothing; otherwise, it would simply become a data recorder. Using the GBD-H1000 in that way would likely render the optical HR null and void, so I’m hoping it will connect to external BT sensors, eg chest HR strap, Stryd. GPS navigation is banned in competition here, so for me the absence of colour topo maps is a non-issue.
Indeed, just added! They were targeting end of May for the export and link-up functionality.
I’ll probably swap out one of the units on my wrist tomorrow or Monday for the Casio, now that I can actually get the data out (otherwise, it’s kinda wasted data for me).
Hej What happening with The Casio G-shock review .?
Yup, working on it! Soon hopefully! You can see me using it in some of my ‘5 Random Things’ posts recently.
Hi ray
have you already planned the date for a review of the new Wattbike Atom X?
Greetings Horst
Just now SRM increase price up to 1199€ for the X-Power Pedal set. @DCR hopefully your ongoing tests looking promisingly. When you expect to finish your in depth review?
Hi Ray,
With the announcement of the Atom v2 today, your thoughts on how the Atom X resistance performs would be great, as the new Atom very much seems to be a consumer version of the Atom X minus the display.
I returned my original Atom at launch due to the less than impressive experience with Zwift, but would love to buy again if they have nailed it as the design, footprint and quality of everything else was way above any of the competition – and importantly the price is very competitive along with finance packages available direct from Wattbike.
Responsive resistance seems to have been fixed, but by the looks of it theres still no shift levers (i’d love something like the Kickr bike levers) or any mention of any haptic feedback – so the gear shifting experience may still be less than ideal??
Any thoughts much appreciated.
I just packed up a pair of the X-Power pedals to send back to SRM.
For those in the U.S. (and possibly elsewhere), thought I’d point out that currently SRM is only shipping the pedals in red with no ETA for the black pedals. Also, because of manufacturing shortages, they are only including one charging adapter and cable with each set.
Another interested in the G-Shock here. I am a daily G-Shock wearer and I would be interested in it if it is a good fit to my use.
I am a pretty boring person. I ride my bicycle to work and walk a lot at work (I am a middle school, robotics teacher). I currently track my commute with Ride with GPS. I use my phone as a step-counter.
I would like to:
1. Track my commute and heart rate and share the data with Ride with GPS.
2. Count steps without my phone needing to be on my person.
Unfortunately, the Casio doesn’t have a bike profile. It literally only has a Run profile. I’m not kidding.
But, even if we set aside the lack of ability to change from ‘Pace’ to MPH for cycling, it then dorks up all your Firstbeat-driven analytics like VO2Max/etc, because it assumes you’re always running. 🙁
No G-Shock review up yet. Anytime soon ?
Yup! I’ve got a trip to a spot with some solid elevation gain this weekend, so I want to get in a run or two there to complete the elevation testing aspects.
(Also, I’ve updated your name to remove your e-mail address, since it showed on the public site – hope that’s OK!)
No issues, thanks.
Actually what I am curious about is the possibility to use the watch as a stopwatch just like a Timex (elapsed time + lap time ) and have unlimited battery life. Turn on the GPS maybe once every week and recharge the watch only once a month or so..
The problem with garmins that even if everything was turned off, the battery just drains super fast. I mean even the F6 holds up only for a couple of weeks at most, and after like 2 years it will be disastrous.
Comparing to a Gshock Tough Solar with lifelong battery it is nothing. The only issue with the Gshock classics is that there is no lap time, no loopable countdown timer neither interval timer. No very basic Timex Ironman functions.
Hi,
what about the SRM XPower Meter In Depth Review? Since this post I have never seen anything of it on your page.
I thought I commented above, but I guess it was on another post.
TLDR – The’re replacing the set I have. It’s been problematic, and they believe it’s an issue related to an earlier production run. Should have the new set next week.
I’m really interested to hear more about these. I use spd pedals for everything since a lot of my cycling is commuting and I like the walkability. In theory the SRM XPower has been released but it is out of stock everywhere – presumably it is manufacturing delays? Have you heard anything about other manufacturers making spd pedal power meters now that the patent has expired?
Anxious to read the outcome on these. Expensive option but the only true SPD one to surface. Assioma spd hack isn’t a mtb solution.
Ray, any updates on when the SRM X-Power will be available in the market? Thanks
It’s been in the market and shipping for a few months now. Just hard to get ahold of.
That’s interesting. The team at PowerMeterCity have told me that it is only being sold in the Euro Zone.
Thanks.
In North America, SRM has has a wait list that you can join at link to ridesrm.com. I joined the list back in April or May and was contacted in June with an opportunity to purchase.
When I received the pedals, however, they were red and only contained one power cable. I was expecting that they would be black and include 2 power cables, but because of supply chain issues they sent something different than what I was expecting.
Had they told me at the time I placed the order (I talked to them on the phone to give them my credit card info) I might have accepted what they were able to ship, but because they didn’t let me know what I would receive I decided to send the pedals back.
I lost some money (I had to pay for return shipping), but I don’t feel I can really trust SRM so I didn’t want to gamble with the pedals.
Hi. Thanks.
I’ve placed myself on that list multiple times since Ray first posted about these pedals last September. Never received email confirmation that I’m on it, never received any updates, etc.
I’m getting a bit frustrated. I’m about to pick up a Gravel bike and I wanted to use these instead of crank/chain ring power media.
SRM changed the wait list procedure sometime early in the year and didn’t contact people who were on the old list to let them know they would need to sign-up to the new list. I only found out after I wrote asking when my name would come up and was told I’d have to sign-up again.
I had intended to use the SRM pedals for a gravel bike, but after I sent them back I decided to just throw on an old Vector 1 set of pedals (that I had upgraded to Vector 2). They’ve been working great. The only problem I had was that I lost a battery door off of one pedal (it vibrated off when riding on some heavy washboard). I had a spare battery door from the Vector 2 upgrade, so I was able to replace it and get the pedal working again. I put a piece of strapping tape across the battery door for each pedal and haven’t had any further issues.
The Vector pedals might not be great if you ride roads that are muddy and get mud in the cleats/pedals, but where I ride things are generally dry and I haven’t had a problem with the cleat/pedal interface.
If Garmin comes out with a MTB/Gravel power meter I’d likely pick up a pair for the gravel bike, but right now there’s no real reason not to continue using the road pedals.
Thanks.
I have two sets of Vector 3. Since the gravel bike will be replacing one of the bikes (it will be relegated to living on the Kick’r) I could always use those.
I very rarely ride when it is muddy. I’m getting the Gravel bike for some of the rail trails that I use are not paved There are also a few roads that are intentionally not maintained (they don’t want cars. the roads are inside protected water shed area (reservoirs). Also, I want the wider tires for the winter, so that I’m less concerned with ice.
The first time I found out I was eligible to purchase I think was a phone call. Any emails I was getting from them at the start of purchasing ended up in junk or spam.
@Mark – just in case you have not yet purchased, I bought a new gravel bike with SRAM Force AXS wide and to my surprise it is not compatible with ANY crank based PM. SRAM basically says the only option is a Powertap hub.
@kevin, the bike is on order, expected around the end of Nov, since I wanted a 2021 model. I decided for the short term, I will just use a set of vectors.
I just bought a pair of the Xpedo SPD pedals to test out. I’ve read some people who say they’re difficult to clip in/out of. If they work well, I’m going to invest in Assioma Duo’s and do the conversion. I don’t like doing a workaround, and I don’t like losing the warranty, but at this point, I’m not sure we’ll ever have “real” SPD PM pedals.
I thought about that.
When I look at the costs, it is not any more cost effective than waiting for the X-Power pedals. I tried to find them used on eBay. No luck.
Also, there is no way of determine if my shoes would work until I have everything assembled. I know the pair of shoes I have will not take well to being modified to work with the Assiomas. Not mention, I don’t have a dremel.
The costs just keep adding up. I figured I would use my Vectors for the short term, or just replace the crankset when the bike reaches the LBS.
They bike comes with a Praxis Alba. I can swap it out for the Praxis Alba X or Zayante Carb-S without any issues. Then it is just a matter of the power meter. I can use a 4i or the P2Max NGeco or NG.
Anyway I slice it, I’m still come to the same approximate price point once I have all the parts.
Most of my riding with the new bike will be paved roads during the winter months, that tend to have the potential for ice, or hard pack/rail trails/intentionally unmaintained roads all the time, I can still use the vectors.
I’ve been using an old pair of Vector 2 pedals on my gravel bike for the past few months and I’ve only had two problems: the battery door on one vibrated off once (due to heavy washboard) and the connector that connects the pod to the pedal vibrated off once (same reason).
For Vector 3 I don’t think the battery door would be a problem (since it has a screw-in cap), but I put a piece of strapping tape over the doors on the Vector 2 pedals and haven’t had that problem since. For the connector, I just had to stop and push the connector back in.
I’m hoping that Garmin has a pair of pedals in the works for MTB/Gravel (there were some whispers earlier this year, but haven’t heard anything since).
I think you’re making the right call. I have a quarq on my MTB and a 4iiii on my Roadie. If I could put either on my gravel bike I absolutely would. It’s just that the SRAM Force Wide is forcing me to pedals and we’ve been waiting years for SRM to come out with theirs. ?♂️
Ray have you received a replacement set of the SRM pedals and if you can share your issues that would ne interesting.
Sorry, yes, I have been using it a few weeks now. Things seem good. About to switch it over from road bike now to mountain bike, to wrap up testing.
My previous failure was basically that the left pedal went wonk, and would report like 10w. While some might say I’m weak sauce, I don’t think my sauce is that weak. 🙂
Brilliant thanks for letting me know. Let’s hope your sauce is not that weak.
I have a set now too and they seems to be working well and track my Neo within very acceptable differences when run through your analyser. So far so good let’s hope it lasts. Looking forward to your review.
Interesting on the failure… there’s a video on youtube where someone else has from what I recall the Left pedal failed and not reading as well.. this was just recent… there is also a 1 star review from someone on site that sold them and he says they worked for 4 weeks then failed.. I was looking at a sey for my gravel bike, but with the gravel around here, I could probably just use road pedals so thinking about some Garmin Vector 3s…
Any update on the SRM SPD pedals?
Are you planning an Atom X review? Many thanks.
Atom X no, but Atom 2020 yes. However, with the Atom X I might just do an explainer post – kinda a ‘Here’s what it is, it’s for commercial use, and you probably don’t want to buy one as a home user for the following reasons’.
For Atom 2020, I just got a replacement unit in again, so wrapping up my review there. It’s the same internals as the Atom X, just without the forward display unit.
Actually, my mistake, I meant Atom 2020! Look forward to the review….coming soon? Keen to purchase, but holding back for your review!
Definitely soon. I wanted it out last week, but then it broke as I was finishing up shooting. So, it’s mostly just me getting this one all unboxed, set back up, and finishing up the shooting.
Ray, Any update on the SRM X-Power SPD pedals?
Hi Speedy-
Yup, things are going good with this second set. I’m probably two weeks out from finishing all the outdoor bits, inclusive of off-road aspects. The rains have limited some of the trail riding I’ve wanted to do the last few weeks.
But on road and trainer, things are looking good.
Cheers!
I got my Duals and ran them on my Neo and they are awesome… in a race they were within 4 watts of the Neo average on a 1:15 min race and I know my Neo is dead on with 3 other SRMs and a P2Max NG… very impressed so far.. I won’t be able to get em outside for a gravel beating til spring now because Im in Canada, and Im waiting for my Ekar Diverge still… le sigh…
Is it just me who can’t use the search or this review process is still on going?
Hi there. Thanks for the amazing website, etc. You and GPL are the best! My question: Any updates on SPD power pedals from other manufacturers you’ve mentioned in the past who have been planning to release them? I am hoping to get some good ones at a lower price than the ones you mention here. Thanks again!
Nothing quite yet. IQ2 was the other public one, and at this point…well…who knows with their timing.
Ray,
I’m sure you love when we pester you about product reviews :), but Christmas is coming, and people gotta make decisions. So….how’s the SRM X-Power holding up? Thumbs up or thumbs down on accuracy and reliability?
Thanks!
It’s good thus far. Battery life seems a tiny bit below expectation, but otherwise accuracy seems to be where I want it.
I seem to hook up my pedals every week or so. Only put like 10hrs on a week. Still waiting for a second charging cord and connector. They’ve never completely died on me but have gotten fairly low.
I’ve found the battery to be on the shorter end of the charge range, although it’s quite cold here right now. The Garmin will be convinced the charge is low but it’s easily at half when I check it. My set up is the single side (until they release the update to make it a double).
It’s the only viable mtb pedal available right now. While there’s the Assioma hack there’s no way I’d ride those anywhere but road or gravel.
Can the G-Shock collected data be uploaded to Firstbeat Athlete SW? Yes, I am still using that old software, as I bought it and I am not eager to spend $250 per year on subscription SW (currently my Garmin Forerunner works very well with that SW).
I’m not aware of any way to do that.
Are you still planning a review of the GBD-H1000? I have been using mine since they first came out and am curious to hear your thoughts. I love the watch but the app is so bad and not getting better that I might have to move on.
I know the Casio GBD-H1000, gets all of the attention, but I recently purchased and have been using its little brother the GBD-100. All I can say is it is a pretty sweet watch.
For starters, it doesn’t have to be recharged as it has a CR2032 battery that supposed to last two years. Secondly, it uses the G-Shock Move app to update settings, view runs recorded on the watch, etc. This watch doesn’t have GPS but uses your phones GPS with the Move app (connected GPS). Also, doesn’t have a optical HRM. But I found that when using a external HRM, the data does get saved to Apple Health and added to the workout in the Fitness app. The display is likely the same as the GBD-H1000 and very readable indoors and out.
But the watch software (for better or worse) is mostly the same as the GBD-H1000. It receives notifications and IMs for your watch via bluetooth like its bigger brother. I have used it for a couple of runs and it has been spot on as far as pace and distance when the activity is uploaded to Strava via the Move app,
For $119 on Amazon .. it is a great watch .. that never needs to be recharged. And best of all ,. it is a lot smaller and lighter than the GBD-H1000.