Interested in the Haus' opinions
Just emailed the almighty coaches for some insight and pricing. Given my length of time working with the team (back from the old Performance Training System days) I really haven't asked much from the incredible members - til now that is and today is just that day 
I'm in a bit of a pickle and am looking for some advice. I originally bought an Ergomo Pro several years ago but the thing is really starting to crap out now. I've had it serviced, replaced the batteries, but keep ending up with problems (freezing, rebooting, limited battery, etc).
Anyway, this morning's long ride was the last straw with 7 reboots over 3.5hrs. I have Ironman Florida 70.3 coming in 5 weeks, Ironman Louisville in August and then Ironman Florida in November and have REALLY come to rely on power with IF and TSS as a training and racing guide. So, a few questions to you good and faithful team:
1) Given the additional price, seeming lack of supply, etc does it seem to make the most sense to get a replacement Ergomo head unit for ~$500 and hope that does the trick while still knowing that it will eventually go the way of the dodo bird?
2) Given that I ride compact Ergomo cranks, shimano cassettes, 404's for training and 808/1080s for racing do i need to get the quarqs as opposed to something from Saris (I seem to remember they wouldn't work with 1080s)? What would you suggest as far as setup? Anything specials to consider with my setup?
3) Can i put an SL+ on the 1080s? If so, would it be better to order two of those for the rears and call it a day?
I know it's your opinion but hey, there's some 'wicked smart members' out there 
.
Just got really nervous with today's ride and a race in 5 weeks..... THANK YOU for any and ALL of your insight as well as time!
Comments
According to the Ergomo google group, the company is not dead, but has resurrected. It appears that JDS Sport Coaching is the distributor in the US. I've used them for the CPU battery change. The service was sort of prompt, but not cheap. If the problem is your CPU and not the bottom bracket, it might be worth it to get a new CPU ($500? Really?!).
I decided to dump the whole thing (well, put it on my road bike) and went with the Quarq. For no real good reason besides a gut feeling, I don't have alot of confidence that the Ergomo company is going to make a comeback. Also, I chose Quarq because I have alot of wheels and putting PT hubs on all of them would be really $$$$. Yes, I could sell the race wheels, put a PT hub on the training wheels and get a wheel cover...but I am emotionally attached to my race wheels.
The thing about Quarq is that it doesn't come with a CPU. Alot of folks have used the Garmin Edges with great success. The Quarq is ANT+ so Garmin, Ibike, and the Joule can serve as CPU's for it. I got a Joule because I wanted TSS, NP, and IS displayed on the CPU (just like dear Ergomo did).
Also, for compact cranks the Quarq is compatible with SRAM S900, Truvative Rouleur, Bontrager Race X-lite, Kuota K03. I bought the SRAM S900 with my Quarq.
Yes, you can put a PT SL+ hub on 1080's. My DH has one.
I think PT and Quarq are equally easy to use...as in, you'll figure it out in a couple of hours so no worries about learning about a new PM before your race. I bought both my Quarq and Joule from EN (with an awesome discount). Coach Rich should be able to give you more details about that.
+1 with Kitma.
I have an Ergomo sitting in a box with about 7 months of use if you want to buy it but I really recommend the Quark Cinqo with the Joule 2.0. You will also need to buy a Saris Candence/Speed sensor (open the unit and flip the blue switch to speed as it is factory set to cadence) to work with the Cinqo.
It is a more expensive proposition that PT BUT I move my Cinqo from bike to bike in 2-3 mins and ride whatever wheel combo I want. I have replaced my battery 1x in the cingo and it was a 1 min deal with zero tools. Common battery from Radio Shack (got to support the new team of Armstrong).
Metri-gear's product looks promissing but they won't meet your timeline and have many hurdles to cross yet.
Vince
Just an FYI... Zipp will void your warranty on a 1080 if you put a power tap in it. I would stay away from that set up.
If you want to go the PT route, I would sell the 1080 and that would about cover the cost of the PT hub. Then have it built into the 404 and get a wheel cover...as long as your races allow disk wheels you are all set as the wheel cover is faster than a 1080 anyway.
Thanks, Chris
P
Thanks Coach -
Thinking I need to go with a Quarq - Just need to see how fast I can get one - hoping to hear some good news from Rich soon
Switched from Ergomo to Quark in November. I really thought I would buy the Joule when it came out becasue I really liked having TSS and NP on the bike. The plan was to use my Garmin 310xt until the Joule was available, but after 2 or 3 weeks of riding, I found I really didn't miss TSS and NP on the ride. You are looking at real time watts anyway. I've gotten so I can judge a ride while in progress by looking at pAVG versus NP and have a good idea how hard I am working. I don't miss TSS and NP on the ride at all. In fact I bought a Garmin 500 to replace the 310xt which I will just use for running. Love the Quark (it just works.... always)
How much for a Quarq + a CPU?
You can get an iBike Pro (TSS IF and NP, wind speed, temp power etc) for about $700. Also, the iBike is exportable to however many bikes you want to use it on. It is ANT+ compliant, so if you wanted to use it in the future in conjunction with a Quarq or PT you can.
I've used one extensively for a long time and for me, it works great.
Not sure if you have or want race wheels, but I decided to go PT, flashpoint 60's (racing and training), a wheelcover for races when it's not windy, and the garminn edge 500. That cost me about the same as a quarq, and new crankset. If I'd gone with a quarq, I probably never would have bought any other wheels. Had this setup a couple of months, and have been very happy. Wheelbuilder service is great.