tyguy2137

Hi all. I have a 2009 specialized Allez triple and am fairly new to bikes. I am looking into getting a power meter for this and was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to what kind would work for my particular bike. I know that power pedals would work but I was wondering if anyone more knowledgeable than me know if any crank arm meters would work with it.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Iride01 

Most PM's fit a wide variety of bikes. You just need to decide how much you want to spend. Older rear hub based PM's might be a deal on the used market just to get your feet wet using power. However most are using crank based power or pedal based power.

This guy does a lot of reviews of cycling products that will make your head spin with the depth that he goes to. But once you start to really understand the stuff he is telling you it is useful. But it sometimes just further complicates your willingness to pull the trigger and buy because you think something better is coming down the road.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/product-...s/power-meters

adamrice 

It looks like your bike has a square-taper bottom bracket. If you want a crank-based power meter, you'll have a very hard time finding one that's compatible with that, since the industry has moved on to "two-piece cranks" where the BB spindle is integrated into a crank arm (or in the case of Campagnolo, halves are integrated into both). Even if you do find a crank that fits a square-taper BB, you might want a new spindle anyhow, since you've got a triple. Triples take a longer spindle than doubles, and I can pretty much guarantee you won't find a triple PM. So budget a bottom bracket replacement as part of this.

Also, if you count on the gearing range you get with a triple, you'll need a cassette with more range to make up the difference, and a longer chain. And that might require a derailleur with a longer cage. So add that into your calculations. Never mind. Since you've already got a triple, you probably have a long-cage rear derailleur

Power-based training involves an extensive conceptual framework. And power meters (even without all this other stuff) aren't cheap. I would not bother getting a power meter just because the additional information seems interesting.

chaadster

Yeah, I’ll second the posts above; no crank PMs for triple crankset, and wheel PMs are one of the few options. I think pedal PMs are the best option in terms of cost, product support, and versatility.

base2 

The second hand market very likely has hub based powermeters available. It's very likely they're all built into wheels at this point. You might get lucky. If not, you'll have to budget yourself for a wheel build.

Pioneer makes left side crank arm based single sided power meters. If you have a hollowtech triple crankset this may be an option.

Otherwise, as others have said, a whole new crankset, drive train &leaving the triple world behind is the way to go if the above options & pedals are unacceptable.

If your hold-up on pedals is they only come in road cleat compatibility...There are SPD mountain pedals available. SRM xPower & Garmin Rally come to mind. As to availability? You'd have to investigate further. Neither is inexpensive.

adamrice 

About that, caveat emptor. Shimano acquired Pioneer's power-meter business and then killed the backend supporting them. See DC Rainmaker's story.

Iride01 

But 4iiii and Stages make left side crank PMs as do others. Their price is still less than most of the better PM pedals and you have a choice of what pedal to use. Personally I feel Stages and 4iiii's reputation in PM's as good as any of the top pedal PM makers out there.

Of course if the current crankset isn't what crankarms are offered, then that will require a crankset change. Though I haven't checked to see if they will put a PM on a customers existing crank arm that isn't also one of the Shimano, Campagnolo, FSA or other models they already offer both arm and PM for sale.

base2 

Oh, man. Wow.
That is much more spectacular than the way Sram/Quarq killed Powertap. At least Powertap still has warranty parts if you ask nicely.

It reads like Shimano killed Pioneer with a smile that only Hannibal Lector could appreciate.

I'll add this to the many reasons I continue to be on a Shimano boycott.

exercion

I just scored and installed a pair of carbon rims with PowerTap hub on my Synapse, which is the same age as your bike and has a triple too. I love it, worked out very well for me. I did go into it knowing the out of production status of PT, but figured worst case the wheels were (and are) a major upgrade on their own (dropped about a pound of weight off the bike over my stock rims). Got mine off Ebay, and there are more out there in both aluminum and carbon.

Eric

sean.hwy

I had these power pedals and there are great

https://cycling.favero.com/