Favero has announced the Assioma PRO MX power meter pedals, its first off-road power meter pedal system.
Based around a set of clipless mountain bike pedals (compatible with Shimano SPD cleats), the Assioma PRO MX is Favero’s first power meter designed specifically for use on mountain and gravel bikes.
Thanks to a new spindle design, which sees all of the electronics housed within the pedal axle, Favero has ditched the ‘pods’ seen on its Assioma Duo power meter pedals.
With a claimed accuracy rating of ＋/－ 1 per cent, Favero says the Assioma PRO MX pedals are “the lightest” SPD power meter pedals available, at 191.4g per pedal.
Priced at €499 / $450 for a single-sided set, or €750 / $759 for a dual-sided set, the Assioma PRO MX pedals undercut key rivals on price, such as Garmin’s Rally XC200 and SRM’s X-Power pedals.
We’ve had a set of the dual-sided pedals for a few months and have been putting them through their paces in the British winter. Click through to check out our in-depth review of the Favero Assioma PRO MX power meter pedals.
Pods be gone
Rather than simply bolt an SPD-style pedal body to its existing power meter pedal spindle, the Favero Assioma PRO MX represents an entire new generation of technology from the Italian brand.
While the Assioma Duo and Assioma Duo Shi power meter pedals both used a spindle with a bulbous pod on the inside, the Assioma PRO MX pedals see all of the electronics shrunk into a ‘normal’-sized spindle.
To do this, Favero has switched from using an 8mm Allen key to a 15mm spanner to install the pedals. This then creates extra space inside the spindle, where the Allen key hole would otherwise be.
As on Garmin’s Rally pedals, a status-indicator light is then incorporated into the inward-facing side of each spindle.
Unlike on the Rally pedals, though, Favero opts for a sealed-spindle design with an internal rechargeable battery.
While this means the single-charge battery life is lower – at a claimed 60 hours, compared to 120 with the LR44 user-replaceable button batteries on Garmin Rally pedals – Favero says this brings other important advantages.
Primarily, Favero says a fully sealed system will have better resistance to water, dirt and dust ingress than one that can be opened up.
It also says a rechargeable battery can be welded to the internal electronic circuit, reducing the risk of drop-outs due to power cuts caused by damaged or worn ‘pressure contacts’.
Beyond that, Favero says it also means the pedal bodies themselves can be more easily removed and serviced as necessary, because the delicate electronics are protected by the spindle shell.
This means they’re cheaper, too, at only €49 each or €98 for a complete set.
In comparison, a set of replacement pedal bodies for Garmin’s Rally XC200 pedals costs £259.99 / $399.99 / €299.99.
Despite this new spindle design, Favero says the stack height and Q-Factor of the pedals is no different from that of a standard SPD pedal, at 11.2 and 54mm respectively.
This means swapping a set of Assioma PRO MX pedals onto your gravel or mountain bike shouldn’t necessitate any major changes to your bike fit.
As long as you have SPD cleats on your cycling shoes, Favero says the Assioma PRO MX pedals should be plug-and-play.
Is a new Favero Assioma PRO road pedal on the way too?
The existence of a new spindle design for SPD pedals naturally begs the question of whether it’s also compatible with road-style Look Keo or Shimano SPD-SL pedal bodies.
After all, a key selling point of Garmin’s Rally system is the ability to swap the spindle between Look Keo, Shimano SPD-SL and Shimano SPD pedal bodies.
Could new Favero road pedal bodies unlock a similar capability here?
We put this to Favero, but it declined to offer any insight into its plans. Instead, it said simply the existing Assioma Duo and Assioma Duo Shi power meter pedals would continue as part of its range for the foreseeable future.
Favero Assioma PRO MX specification, pricing and availability
Favero says the pedal bodies themselves are made from durable 6061-T6 aluminium, with the clipless systems treated “with specific superficial treatments” to protect them against wear and tear.
As noted, Favero claims the Assioma PRO MX pedals are accurate to ＋/－ 1 per cent.
In order to ensure best accuracy, the pedals use both active temperature compensation (which aims to account for the effect of temperature on the strain gauges) and an automatic zero-offset calibration function.
As well as power, cadence and left / right power balance, the Assioma PRO MX pedals can measure advanced 'Cycling Dynamics' power meter metrics.
These include Platform Centre Offset (a measure of where force is distributed across the pedal body), Power Phase (where in the pedal stroke force is produced) and Rider Position (which measures whether a rider is pedalling while seated or standing).
Favero says the Assioma PRO MX pedals are also compatible with oval chainrings, such as those made by Rotor and Osymetric.
Prices start at €450 / $499 for a single-sided set, rising to €750 / $759 for a dual-sided set.
A single- to dual-sided upgrade kit is also available for €430 / $489.
In comparison, a dual-sided Garmin Rally XC200 pedal set costs £959.99 / $1,199.99 / €1,099.99, while SRM's X-Power pedals cost £1,308 / €1,427.74 in the same configuration.
Favero Assioma PRO MX
- Price: €450 / $499 for a single-sided set or €750 / $759 for a dual-sided set
- Power meter type: SPD power meter pedal
- Claimed weight: 191.4g per pedal
- Claimed accuracy: ＋/－ 1 per cent
- Battery type: Rechargeable Li-ion
- Claimed battery life: 60 hours
- Waterproof rating: IP67
- Connectivity: ANT＋ and Bluetooth
