kosmo886

Anyone have experience with both? Looking to get a left crank power meter. Seems the same cost so wondering which is preferred. Thanks.

Badger6

I have a stages on my CX bike, purchased on Dec 2015. It is reliable and give power readings similar to my newer Quarq meters on the road and gravel bikes. By all accounts the newer PMs are considered more reliable and accurate. I’ve never used a 4iii, but a couple of guys I ride with have, and they’ve never mentioned issues. Both are reliable and have good reputations, sure there are occasionally some units with issues, but overall this is not a widespread issue. The key for any PM isn’t necessarily that it records precisely the watts youa re putting out, rather that it accurately captures the data from ride to ride. You want variance to be inside +/-2% at minimum, but 1.5% (Stages claim) or even 1% (4iii claim) will be much more desirable.

Beach Bob

I have one of each, a 4iiii on my road bike and a Stages on my gravel bike. There really is no difference between them, so I'd say get whatever one is cheaper.

NoWhammies

I've had a 4iiii left sided PM on my bike for the past three years. Work great. Never had any issues. I get approx. 3,100km per CD2032 battery. In fact I liked the 4iiii left sided PM so much I put a dual sided PM on Mrs. NoWhammies bike. And they are a Canadian company to boot!

Barry2 

I shopped both. I like the Temp compensation in the Stages and went that way.

Barry

msr_78

Cautionary tale - I am having to go through all forums to denounce 4iiii in hopes they will answer my emails, but let it be an example of their customer support if you decide to go with them

- I have a Stages dual sided powermeter on Ultegra cranks that I bought off the shelf, and have been very happy with it - no connection drops, no weird power readings. Wanting to have a crank based powermeter in my other bike, I checked and saw that Stages don't do factory installs on FSA cranks (I like the FSA carbon cranks I have on that bike and wanted to keep them) but 4iiii do
- Checked on their webpage and my FSA K-light are listed as compatible - so I sent the required emails with the model, the photos checking clearance to frame and sent the left crank for the factory install
- 10 days later, I start to wonder why the crank is still in the scheduled installation/installation phase - so I write an email and get a response saying the crank is not compatible for a Precision factory install and that I will be refunded
- I am pretty annoyed at this point, as it has taken them 10 days to check the crank and see that it is not compatible (BS, as they still show FSA as compatible in their site), but ok, I ask why is it not compatible and when will I get my crank back
- No response (although they did refund the money, thank God) on either of the two points: so I start calling, sending emails and finally, I have to resort to public shaming in the hopes they will return my frigging crank. Still no sign of my crank btw.
- So I cannot speak on how their powermeters work, but I can say that their customer service is non-existent and they will leave you to rot if tyou have an issue, so I'd honestly give them a pass based on my experience.

Erzulis Boat 

You have one post. The only reason you joined was to bash a company. You have zero credibility.

msr_78

Well, I do say I am having to revert to public shaming in the hopes I get my crank back, don't I? I really don't much care what you think, but unfortunately I have found that unless you make your complaints public, companies that don't respond to customers will keep not responding to customers.

You're free to alert the moderator or ban me, but again, I think I did say why I am posting and what I hope to accomplish.

And if it helps someone not to go with 4iiii and have them go through what I'm going through, all the better.

Doomrider74

I have had a 4iiii pm for a couple of months now and its been flawless. They were excellent to deal with as well.

Contrary to what was said above, the 4iiii PMs do have active temp compensation.

I went with 4iiii because a) they're Canadian, and b) their customer service seems better than Stages, from the research I did.

msr_78

Do you have an email for 4iiii you could share? I have tried with support@4iiii.com and sales@4iiii.com and I have only received one reply, by one Kerry, when they told me the crank was not compatible, Phone is a no go - it just goes to voicemail.

Thanks

Doomrider74

Kerry was the one I dealt with, using the sales@... email.

msr_78

Thanks Doomsrider74

Though this worries me even more - seems he/she is the only one working in client support. If I don't get an answer from him/her I'm screwed and out of luck. Did they answer your emails/support requests relatively quickly (48h/72h)? It's ridiculous they will not answer emails or calls not to speak of not even giving me a tracking number for the return package

Zaskar

I bought a dual-sided Ultegra Stages crank. It's as reliable as my old SRM - at 1/6 the price. Also, it's nice to be able move the left arm to other bikes. Also, never heard anything bad about 4iii

msr_78

Yeah, their products may well be the best, but I will never know, nor is that what I'm complaining about.

I honestly dislike having to post these type of complaints, but after chasing them and having zero (well, one) replies, this is the next step, in the hopes someone in the company will notice and decide to return my crank. The next will be suing, as for all intent and purposes they are unwilling to return my property.

I also don't deal in absolutes, I'm sure many people are so happy with their service they would marry 4iiii if they could, but that's not my case.

And to be clear, I don't think I was asking too much, just that they explained why the crank had suddenly become incompatible and when would it be returned.

Doomrider74

Tbh I didn't exchange many emails with them, just some queries regarding the tracking for the shipment not showing on the system. She responded within 24hr, IIRC.

I hope your issue gets sorted soon. As I said, from the research I did before buying it, they seemed to have a better reputation than Stages.

argulator

This is interesting to me, as I also have SL-K light crank I was considering a factory install on. I've emailed 4iiii asking whether my crank is really eligible.

Chandne

I'm thinking abut a dual-sided one. Are the Shimano Dura Ace ones good? It is either Stages or the Shimano one. I'm not sure if Shimano makes their own or just install some else's power meter on their cranks.

msr_78

24h...I'd give my left crank for a 24h response time...no, wait...

Seriously though, thanks for the info; I am now getting paranoid and started thinking they somehow screwed the crank during the installation and they don't want to admit it

I'll give them till next Monday and then I'll have to lawyer up...oh the joy...

@argulator: if they say it is, keep that email for proof, and if they do respond to your enquiry, can you let me know? I'd like to confirm it's not that they're on holidays or something.

Doomrider74

Not from what I've heard. Apparently the drive side of the current crank design doesn't play well with power meters. Shane Miller (GP Llama) did a video which is on YT. RChung, who hangs out here, also recommends staying away from certain versions of Shimano cranks if you want a dual-sided PM.

argulator

Will do.

Chandne

Thanks, Doomrider! I appreciate the feedback and believe what you have heard. I'll keep looking and researching.

argulator

I did hear back to my query. Their response-
"We do either SLK-Light or K-Force. We do not do K-Light"

msr_78

Yeah, my mistake, mine is a 2016 K-Force Light

I wonder if it being 177.5mm has anything to do with they deciding it was not compatible

msr_78

Well, credit where it's due, they have written back and it seems they will be delivering my crank soon, and it has only taken a month since I placed the order, so whining like a little b*tch online works

Sad that I had to revert to threatening to sue to get them to answer; and thanks for the advise to those who gave it

Chandne

I see no problem with what you did. Your gripe seemed legit to me. Glad it is working out.