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Last July, Stages Cycling announced two new computers, the Dash L50 and Dash M50, an evolution of the original Dash L10 which added GPS mapping and detailed power-training graphics on bright color screens. After nearly a year in production, the new comptures are finally on sale and the Colorado based outfit now shipping out the first batch of M50's, with the L50's soon to follow.
Stages Dash M50 highlights
- Auto-population of workouts from Stages Link
- Color "EverBrite" screen
- Claimed 15hr battery life
- 73x53mm body, 320x240 display
- 65g
- Portrait or landscape orientation with stock aluminum mount
- £210 / $249 / AU$399
- Available now via Stages
Stages Dash L50 highlights
- Auto-population of workouts from Stages Link
- Color "EverBrite" screen
- Claimed 18hr battery life
- 85x58mm body, 400x240 display
- 100g
- Portrait or landscape orientation with stock aluminum mount
- £275 / $349 / AU$499
- Available soon
Still power-centric, but with GPS mapping plus color display
Stages Cycling began six years ago with single-sided, crank-based power meters. The company recently added its Dash computer to the mix with a myopic focus on training. The black-and-white Dash — still available as the L10 for £135 / $145 — features a highly customizable layout and deep layers of power-centric analysis and interval execution. The Dash was best for riders looking to specifically follow a power-based training plan to the T.
The new Dash L50 and M50 build on that power-centric training focus, but in more user-friendly packages with color infographics. Many of Stages Cycling's founders come from the indoor cycling world, where power-based training is common but often communicated just in colors on a circular dial, not in watts. The new Dash computers offer both, plus the frequently used bar graphs for interval visualization.
The new Dash comes with a variety of stock workouts on the unit. The computers also track a rider's 90-day personal best power for a variety of durations, and adapts the workouts to that. (You can turn that auto feature off and set your training zones manually, too, if you like.)
"The idea is that, you can take it out of the box, and never sync it to our training software Stages Link or pair to your phone, and you can just start riding with power or HR, do workouts, and it learns," said Stages senior vice president Pat Warner.
Notably, the new Dash units also have GPS mapping for the first time and cycling-specific OSM-based maps with color coded roads, bike routes, paths and trails are pre-uploaded.
Also, the Stages Link app has been significantly upgraded, from its original function as a way to just upload files to a robust analysis tool more along the lines of a TrainingPeaks app. Now the app can also push call and text notifcations the Dash, and plays nice with thrid party apps like Strava for automatic ride uploads.
As before, the Dash computers work with power meters and heart rate monitors from any brand on ANT+ and Bluetooth.
Stages is calling its new screen EverBrite, which Stages claims to be easier to read in all conditions than a Garmin Edge or Wahoo Elemnt screen. The backlight on EverBrite does not turn off, but requires less power than other GPS computers, according to Stages.
"We never intended to go after Garmin. We wanted to focus on power-training workout functionality," Warner said. "Since the release of the Dash, we have listened to our customers, and have added what they have asked for. We haven’t taken anything away – we still believe in power training – we have just added to it."
Both the L50 and the M50 support GPX, TCX and FIT routes. They both work on ANT+ and Bluetooth, but not wifi.
Both come with low-profile aluminum mounts that put the Dash right in front of the stem.
