Quarq and Pioneer have both reduced power meter pricing as the market continues to expand with new brands launching and industry stalwarts branching out.
As power meter choice continues to increase, prices are decreasing – bringing the technology’s possible performance gains to a much wider base of riders. A combination of cheaper single-sided power meter adoption – see Stages, Rotor and Garmin – as well as new competition from the value-leading 4iiii Precision and Powertap’s recent expansion into chainrings and pedals means other companies are having to react to be in with a chance of maintaining a once unchallenged market share.
Quarq price drop
Following a cut in 2014, Quarq has once again reduced prices, meaning you can now get one (without chainrings or BB) for as little as £799 / US$1,099 / AU$1,300.
- Quarq Elsa RS, SRAM XX1 – GXP: £1,049 / US$1,399 / AU$1,655
- Quarq Elsa RS, SRAM XX1 – BB30: £1,099 / US$1,449 / AU$1,705
- Quarq Elsa R, SRAM Red 22 – GXP: £979 / US$1,299 / AU$1,536
- Quarq Elsa R, SRAM Red 22 – BB30: £1,029 / US$1,349 / AU$1,636
- Quarq Riken R – GXP: £799 / US$1,099 / AU$1,300
- Quarq Riken R – BB30: £849 / US$1,149 / AU$1,350
All Quarq’s models now feature temperature compensation (an issue with earlier units) and accelerometer rather than magnet, reed-switch based cadence measurement.
All but the Riken R feature estimated left-right power balance, though all give a true total power, taking data from both legs though strain gauges in the axle.
Bearing in mind that you get a crankset here and both legs are accounted for (rather than doubling a single leg), the Quarqs are pretty good value. Power2Max is perhaps the nearest direct competitor – starting at US$1,049 for fairly basic FSA Gossamer power meter cranks.
Pioneer Gen 2 Price Drop
Last year Pioneer launched a kit that allowed riders to add the company’s Gen 2 power meter to their existing Dura-Ace 9000 or Ultegra 6800 cranksets. That kit – bought in bike shops, who would then send the unit to Pioneer for installation – cost US$1,299 at introduction.
Pioneer has now announced a price drop to US$999 / AUS$1,499 – a price which Pioneer’s Russ Johnston calls “the lowest-priced dual-leg power meter on the market”. Pioneer’s Gen 2 is currently unavailable in the UK, but can be imported.
It's hard to imagine that Pioneer's move is unrelated to new-to-the-market brand 4iiii, which is based entirely on a retrofitting model and allows dual-sided power (admittedly without all the bells and whistle's Pioneer's head unit and software offers) for £700 / US$800 / AU$TBC.