LowCel 

For those that have upgraded from PowerTaps to Quarq power meters have you had any regrets? I am thinking about upgrading so I can swap wheelsets out without losing the ability to monitor my wattage. I know to switch bikes I will need to swap out the crankset but that only takes about five minutes so I'm not overly concerned about it.

For what it's worth I currently have a powertap elite+ and am looking at a SRAM Quarq GXP.

merlinextraligh

I have a Power Tap and a Quarq. I really like the Quarq, mostly because of the ability to choose different wheels.

The downside to the Quarq is that I can't use a Dura Ace crank. So the front shifting is not quite as good, but imho not a big deal.

Also, the instaneous power on a PT tends to be higher than a Quarq, which is not really of any consequence, but it's easier to brag about your max sprint wattage with a PT.

All said, I'm glad I got the Quarq.

af2nr

Good thing to see you're easing back into things...

patentcad

How is that an upgrade?

LowCel 

Thank you, this is the type of information I am looking for. Since I currently have a Red crankset and the Quarq comes with red chainrings I shouldn't notice any difference in shifting.

Always.

Anything that could make my life easier and allow me to run various wheelsets including the Psimets I ordered would be an "upgrade". I want to see how weak I am when using all of my wheelsets, not just the pt.

lovestoride

well if he doesnt have a 404 with a powertap, then he cant get power and use his zipp. so i would say getting a quarq is an upgrade.

LowCel 

No longer have Zipps but I do have a set of Psimet 50mm's on order.

lovestoride

i was talking about pcad's zipp powertap.

kleinboogie

I just got a S975 Cinqo, only took Quarq 2 weeks to get my PM to my door, and gave my PT wheels to the wife or times when I want to ride the Synapse with the BB adapter thingie. No regrets except now I have a Red crankset sitting in a box and some nice DT Swiss/Aerolite 30mm wheels sitting on my wife's bike.

Best part of it all, imo, is the upcoming iPhone app to recalibrate the Quarq when I switch to chainrings, 50/34 <-> 52/36 when I want to do TT rides. Gotta get a TT frame now, probably a Slice. Yeah, fat chance here in So. Cal where Tri's are all the rage. GL

Hermes

I have a Quarq on my TT bike and a wireless Power Tap on my road bike and use a Garmin 705 for both. The Quarq works great and the big advantage is changing wheel sets on the TT bike and having power for racing. The Quarq had to go back due to stability problem but Quarq was very responsive and sent another one before they received mine back so that I would have a PM for a race. They have fabulous customer service.

Psimet2001 

I have and use both. I also sell both. I am also seeking deeper relationships with both as well. They both have their benefits and uses. I primarily use my Quarq for almost all power readings. I find that the response curve is more gentle and less variable. Overall the bike is lighter and I can swap wheels without the concern of losing power data.

The powertap is GREAT for someone just starting with power, someone who doesn't have a lot of gear as it is and the wheels would be their all around wheels, People that want something that has been around for a long time - lots of others that can give you feedback and troubleshooting information, etc.

They both have their niche and will continue to co-exist. From all accounts there is a great relationship between the two and a lot of reciprocity of information and data. Me likely. That makes for a great platform for development for both. SRM however....

patentcad

The Ptap Zipp set up answers my PM needs, lets me race with power, lets me swap the wheels between the road bike and the TT bike. Perfect for me, the Quark or SRM would sort of require two pricey crank units to do the same thing, and even then it wouldn't be as flexible for the most part. While it would be nice to be able to have a PM when I ride or race with the 404 tubulars, the advantages I get with the setup I bought from Psimet works for me.

That pedal spindle based PM would be awful nifty, that's for sure.

sstorkel

If you have N bikes, I would think it would required one pricey crank unit, N-1 normal cranks that can use the same BB, and 3-5 minutes to swap the Quarq into whichever bike you're planning to ride...

merlinextraligh

I've moved my Quarq from my road bike to my TT bike between the road race and the TT of a stage race, it really does only take a few minutes.

LowCel 

That is pretty much what I was thinking. I think that the few minutes it would take to switch would make it worth being able to run multiple wheelsets.

aham23

i had a PT SL+. i wanted a Quarq for several reasons; the ability to own and use multiple PSIMET sets of wheels. to lighten my bike up. i love bling and this thing screams BLING.

i sold off the year old PT to a fellow racer at a very nice price, but still recouped some of that cash. win win for me. later.

LowCel 

Well just ordered the following, should be here on Friday.

jrobe

Of course, the flip side is that if he wants to use his powermeter on 2 bikes (his road and TT bikes), it is a downgrade.

The point being that he shouldn't have used the word upgrade because it is largely a sideways move with some advantages and disadvantages either way.

kleinboogie

I consider going from a PT wheel to something like a DT240s or Zipp 188 hub based wheel an upgrade because the PT hubs are a bit too flexy for me. The Cinqo is just a requirement to get power with a better wheel.

LowCel 

One more day until Santa delivers my presents.

jwible

I did what you did. First set was PT Elite from Psimet. Loved it. Then I got the itch for Carbon and ordered the 50s from Psimet. And he was kind enough to open up a Quarq group buy. So, now I have my old Ksyrium Elite's on as training wheels. My Kinlins on my cross bike, and some nice carbon race wheels.

LowCel 

I just installed the new crankset, looking forward to trying it out on todays ride. The only downsides so far are the weight (123 grams more than Red) and that it's not as purdy as the Red crankset it is replacing.

Quarq


Red

kleinboogie

412 grams for a PT SL+ and the Cinqo is only 123 grams? Not a bad tradeoff. Agreed it doesn't look as cool but a set of deep wheels might make up the difference. Enjoy the PM.

Psimet2001 

Keep in mind that that is the net difference between the two cranks. The net difference between a powertap hub and a different hub is going to be less than the straight weight of the PT hub. In reality though the Quarq will save you 150g-250g net over a powertap depending on the model.

kleinboogie

Oops, forgot that. Thanks for the correction.