Stages Power Meter
I had a Powertap once upon a time on a 32 spoke training wheel and it was great. I didn't like having to remove it to use my Zipp rear wheel though, so I sold it and ordered a Stages crankarm power meter. I ordered it on 3/26, and today it finally shipped! Waiting was difficult to say the least, but it will be here Monday. Thanks to traveling 4 weekends in a row I won't get to really wring it out until June. I will let everyone know what I think of it though.
I'm one of those silly "light is right" types when it comes to bike gear and equipment. I wish I could get there on a personal level too, but that is a different story. The stages PM will be light compared to anything else out there, and I get to remove all of my cadence sensors too! No more silly magnets to keep track of.
Next up is a Polar V800 once its released to replace my Garmin 310XT.
I'm just excited my powermeter is finally on its way.
Comments
I like the Bluetooth/ANT+ connection feature so I can update the firmware right from my iPhone
Although I'm pretty sure it won't connect to any Polar device including the V800 since Polar is always using a totally home-brew communication protocol so you will most likely have to look for a Garmin Edge or something like this ... even an old iPhone4 would do the job nicely
I've been using a Stages PM since its release. Previously, I used a PowerTap Hub that was on my trainers built from Wheel Builder (bullet-proof wheels, btw).
The reason that I wanted to switch to crank, pedal or spider PM was that I got a great deal on a set of Zipp race wheels, and I didn't want to tear them down to build back up with a PowerTap. Overall, I really like the Stages PM.
Initially, I spent WAY too much time analyzing the cost and features of Stages, Garmin Vector and Quark. Should have spent that time training instead! Finally went with the Stages because of cost, and I like the Bluetooth and ANT+ combination. BT is useful for firmware updates from the iPhone or if you'd prefer to use your phone as your bike computer instead of a Garmin/PowerTap head unit.
To be satisfied with Stages, you really need to be most interested in your (1) power trend; and (2) relative versus absolute power numbers. True that you only get the numbers from 1 side (leg). So if you are that meticulous and you want exact wattage during a race, etc - then you may be best off with Vector.
That said, I've found Stages to be extremely accurate when compared to my PowerTap. Especially over the course of an hour or two hour long ride. Overall power numbers are almost identical. What tends to vary are the 5s/10s/1m numbers. By variance, the range is maybe 3-6% over the short duration.
My use with a power meter is to get a 20 minute+ threshold, averages over a long 3-5 hour ride, and watch my overall trends. Is my power increasing over 20min and for the duration of a repeated ride? To that extent, Stages is a great choice and good value relative to buying a Vector at 2x price, or purchasing Power Taps for both training and racing wheels.
Marc
IM Arizona 2014
The polar V800 uses bluetooth protocol like their new Loop band which I have. The Stages PM uses both Bluetooth and ANT+ so it will connect to my old Garmin and the V800 when I get it. I was sure to research compatibility before buying. I like my new bluetooth Polar HRM it works on all kinds of exercise equipment in most gyms as an added bonus.
I'm really excited about the V800 coming out soon too. It's not out yet, but I will be getting one as soon as it is realeased instead of a 910XT.
If only they could figure out a way for HRMs to work in water.....
As a result of all this bluetooth compatibility, I'm about to go back to an iphone from android too. Polar has an iphone app but not an android one (at least not yet). Being able to download all of my data without a cord straight to their website and not having to plug in an ANT+ drive and sync it is going to be very nice.
I got a Stages PM in February after doing a fair amount of research. Ultimately, it came down to ROI and utility for me.
I have a road bike (Giant Defy 1 -- my first bike ever!) and a TT bike (Cervelo P2 -- after catching the tri bug). For the cost of most other PMs, I could get Stages plus 105 cranks for both bikes -- and still save some scratch. That way, I can easily switch the PM between bikes in less than 5 minutes.
I read through the omnibus threads on Slowtwitch where people got very OCD about the the left/right power balance. Since it's my first PM, I don't have anything to compare it to. My sense is the left/right power balance thing is overblown.
I did my first race with the Stages last week, St George, which has ~3000 feet of climbing. It definitely helped me keep my power in check on the climbs when many of the other riders were hammering it. It also kept me from dogging it on the flats when I fell below my target power.
So far, I've been very happy with the product and would recommend it. The only downside is that it took the advertised 5 weeks to ship, making it an agonizing wait.
Hope that helps if anyone is considering the Stages PM.