This Special Pedal Measures Your Cycling Power on the (Relative) Cheap

Garmin

Measuring your heart rate is great, but if you really want to get the most out of your cycling training, power—measured in watts—is the metric you want. Unfortunately, power meters ain’t cheap. Rear power hubs like PowerTap run around $800 (and that’s just for the hub, not the whole wheel), while crank and pedal options, like the Garmin Vector, can cost upwards of $1,500.

Garmin is trying to make things slightly more affordable with a new power meter variant, the Garmin Vector S. It’s basically half of the Garmin Vector, and is able to calculate your overall power output using just a single left pedal. The pedal estimates your total power based on pedal strokes (specifically, pedal deflection as a measure of force) as well as your cadence, and transmits that data to ANT+ devices like Garmin bike computers. Like a single crank system, it works by sampling half of your total power output, since it only tracks one leg, and that number is doubled to estimate your actual output. The included right pedal is just your usual dummy pedal with no smarts built in. The set comes in two sizes, regular (for 12-15 mm thick cranks) and large (for 15-18 mm thick cranks).

For first time power meter users, data from a single pedal can be an adequate way to gauge your overall efforts. But later this year, dual pedal users—that is, the full Garmin Vector set, not owners of the Vector S—will get advanced metrics through a firmware upgrade that lets you compare power when you’re sitting versus standing, and track at which point in your pedal stroke you’re producing the most power.

The full Garmin Vector set up will run you $1,700, but the Vector S pedal is just $900, a decidedly more affordable price tag. A second right-side pedal upgrade can be purchased separately for $700, should you buy the S and then save up dough for the dual pedal system later on. The S will be available Q4 this year.