I'm in the market for a power meter.

One my cycling buddes has the Garmin Vector pedals (dual sided) with an Edge 1000 head unit. Garmin's cycling dynamics data is impressive, although I don't really NEED all that.

DC Rainmaker really got enthusiastic about the fairly new Powertap P1, mostly due to their super-easy intallation/setup and transportability. They are also a couple hundred $$ cheaper than the Vectors.

Anyone have any experience with both and/or opinions about whether the "advanced" pedaling data is worth anything? Any idea about whether PowerTap might be working on their own version of advanced pedaling data?

TIA.

STP

I have not used either but have seen both. I don't like the bulky appearance and reduced cornering clearance of the Powertap pedals. With their clamp-on pods, the new Vector II pedals are significantly easier to install than the originals but still should be done with a torque wrench. Garmin now includes a crow's foot with the pedals to facilitate this.

As far as advanced data, I don't know of anybody that has come up with a way to use it that has shown any benefit.

Thanks again, Looigi. Do you know whether buying a set of Vector I pedals that have the "upgrade" kit to Vector II's included? There seem to be some bargains available with that configuration.

STP

Favero bePRO Power Meter Pedals ? Detailed Review | the5krunner

I'd forgotten about these. Thanks for the link--excellent review. I read this and re-read DC Rainmaker's review. They sound like a viable option. Support is my main concern/fear. Halfway around the world...have to brush up on my Italain ;-). But definitely priced well below Garmin and P1's. The linked review even found that they read some of Garmin's advanced dynamics.

STP

I have a set of (dual) Vector I pedals and a head (Edge 520) that can record cycling dynamics. Your second sentence seems to be a question, but I can't figure out exactly what the question is. But from what I have read the difference between an upgraded to Vector II pedals and 'Vector II out of the box' is a bushing or bearing in the pedals that gives some measure of improved durability. Functionally they are identical from all that I can tell.

Cruising through the Garmin Vector support forum at https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?424-Vector might be interesting to you. My experience with this particular sub-forum is most positive (in large part due to the seemingly tireless efforts of "t_smit").

dave

Thanks, Dave - and apologies for the incomprehensible question. I was thinking faster than I was typing and didn't bother to proofread.

I followed your suggestion and spent some time at the Garmin site. . You are correct about the upgrade: functionally the II's are identical and only the pods, bushings, washers are different.

And I did notice the overall positive attitude in the Vector forum, which is pretty atypical for that site! .

The Vectors would be my choice, at least at this point, except for the price. That's also DC Rainmaker's only reason for not recommending them. They do seem to have come down to $1,300 but that's still a $200 premium over the P1's. The bEPro's are mighty tempting, but on backorder anyway. Not in a huge rush, but I would like to get going on my PM + smart trainer project.

STP

Which "advanced dynamics" do the Vectors offer which the PIs don't?

Chadster,

Good question. I've spent some time searching the internet and even calling Garmin and Powertap for data on this.

First, Garmin's term for this is "Cycling Dynamics"--so my term of "advanced" isn't quite correct. The best summary of what I found is contained here. Look under the "Cycling Dynamics" heading.

Apparently there are only three "Cycling Dynamics"-specific data fields: Power Phase, Seated/Standing Time and Platform Center Offset. I agree with the reviewer's assessment that these are all of dubious value, especially the seated/standing metric.

There are a BOATLOAD of other power-related measurements available though. You can get that list from the Garmin Vector Owner's Manual Appendix.

Of all those listed the only one that really sounds intriguing to me at this point is "Pedal Smoothness." (I'm never going to be fast, but smoothness/souplesse is a worthy goal, IMHO. There could be many others in that list that might be helpful at some point.

I cannot find any list of data fields supported by Powertap so far. And a Powertap customer service rep said there isn't one. He did say that any data related to power, cadence and speed would be available--for example Normalized Power is available. He also stated that Powertap is actively working on their own "advanced" cycling data measurements coming sometime early in 2016.

I would like to discover what specific data fields are available with the P1's AND the bePro's though. Maybe they are part of an ANT + (or some other) standard? If something like pedal smoothness is just a standard metric and transmitted by any decent PM, that would be helpful.

I'm certainly not in any position to judge the merits of this or that power metric and I'm also reasonably certain that something like a one-sided, inexpensive Stages meter would get me started in fine fashion. So, to some extent, this is just an exercise in curiosity and self-education. The main attraction of a pedal-based system is portability, which coupled with true dual-sided measurements and a reputation for accuracy/reliability (all three) make them attractive.

All that said it seems that Garmin's specific "Dyamics" fields are certainly nothing to get worked up about.

STP

Gyrine--thanks for this link. Very helpful--see my post above.

STP

I've been using Vector 2 (dual sided) pedals since the spring. I like them very much. I considered the P1 pedals but there wasn't much feedback available on them yet, I didn't love the clunky appearance, and I got a pretty good deal on the Vectors.

I got mine at REI during their 20 % off sale, which brought the price to $1,200 and then used my dividend and some gift cards I'd bought at a discount.

I find the Cycling Dynamics data interesting but not terribly useful. It could probably be used to work out certain fit issues, but not ones that bother me personally. Seated vs standing time/power is interesting to look at.

Thanks for the input. I'm pretty sure I'd be happy with Vectors OR P1's at this point. Since I'm an inveterate bargain hunter, there's probably a better chance that I can find a great deal on a lightly-used pair of Vectors. At least I understand the pro's and cons a little better now too.

STP