Garmin has just announced their Vector pedal-based power system is coming to Shimano pedals (sort of). The new DIY Vector Shimano Cartridge Kit will allow the Vector 2 and 2S hardware (bought separately) to be swapped into a Shimano PD-6800 pedal body.
Essentially the cartridge kit is made up of a Shimano spindle adaptor, a cartridge removal tool and a few replacement nuts, washers and spacers in case any are lost or damaged in the change over. The process seems quite simple and doesn’t require any specialist tools that aren’t included in the kit.
Garmin have said the Spindle Kit is only compatible with the Ultegra level pedals, and we understand the incompatibility with the Dura-Ace as there's an outboard bearing where the pedal pods would sit, but we're unsure why it won't work with the 105 pedals, as the body and spindle design are nearly identical.
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When the Vector 2 and 2S were announced we’d expected to see a mountain bike version of the pedal based power meter, though with the widespread use of Shimano road pedals, it’s no surprise the spindle kit was designed for the popular Ultegra level pedals based on their price and performance. That said, the GPS giant has also said they won't be selling pre-built versions of the Ultegra Vector combo.
It's exciting Garmin is beginning to explore adapting the Vector to existing pedal systems, as it means you won’t necessarily need to change to the Garmin (Exustar) pedals and Look cleats for pedal based power.
The Vector Shimano Cartridge Kit will cost US$99.99 and will be available in the next couple of months (UK and AU availability are to be confirmed). To be clear, you will still need to separately buy Vector 2 or 2S pedals, to swap the power measurement parts over to the Shimano pedals.