PowerTap Power Meter Review & Overview |
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Power Meter Type: Strain gauge. Hub mounted.
Point of Origin: United States Years in Business: Saris acquired the brand in 2001 U.S. Service Center: Yes. Wisconsin. Web Site: www.saris.com |
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| Overview: PowerTap has become the largest player in the power meter market by creating a wide range of power meter levels and offering strain gauge technology at prices that are below other options from competitors like SRM. The PowerTap design was invented in the 1990’s in Cambridge, MA by a company called Tune. Tune figured out how to place strain gauges into a hub shell to measure power at a price that was lower than the only other option a the time - the crank mounted SRM idea that was developed in Germany. The basic idea behind the PowerTap hub has not changed much since, but thankfully, a number of other things have changed as the PowerTap idea almost never made it to the next decade due to some chronic reliability issues.Tune had major issues with water penetration in their design and the issues created everything from faulty readings to failure. Tune never fully solved the issue and was on the brink of totally going under when Saris purchased them in 2001. As Saris did with CycleOps, they took a company who had a really good idea, but who was having trouble on executing the details and breathed new life into them. Once PowerTap was under Saris ownership, things started to change for the better. While the changes did not occur overnight, Saris infused much needed money into developing out the PowerTap line and year-by-year reliability slowly started improving and the number of problems started to decrease. They also made the expensive, but smart, move to continue to support and service original Tune PowerTap units and this built real credibility in Saris as a company and showed their dedication to optimizing the design.
While the design improved some every year, reliability and leap frogged forward and really started to come into its own when wireless technology was integrated into the design. Since the majority of PowerTap power meters became wireless, we have seen the number of service issues that require the units to go back to the factory for service be dramatically reduced and this number has decreased further since the ANT+Sport compatible units started shipping in 2009. Today, we are happy to report that current PowerTap ANT+Sport wireless product is approaching SRM’s standard of reliability in regards to the number of warranty and service related issues we process. Through the years, Saris has shown that the PowerTap concept is a valid and functional method of accurate power measurements. Saris is a strong company that is committed to support and development of PowerTap in the future and that inspires confidence.
Pros:
Considerations:
Accuracy: +/-2% Reliability/Maintenance: Reliability used to be a major knock against PowerTap, but has vastly improved since they switched the design over to wireless. The current generation of PowerTap hubs rivals SRM, which has had the best long-term reliability record in the business. The PowerTap hub is powered by small calculator style batteries. The batteries need periodic replacement, which is easy to do if you have the tool to remove the plastic cap. Otherwise, there really is no other specific maintenance outside of normal hub bearing service. Compatibility/Limitations: Available in versions for Shimano/SRAM or Campagnolo, there are not any known limitations or compatibility issues with readily available frames/bikes. If you can install a standard wheel in the bike, you can likely install a PowerTap. Display Quality/Features: Any ANT+ Sport cycling computer head may be used with the current generation of wireless PowerTap and older wireless versions can usually be upgraded with a ANT+ conversion firmware update for about $100. As of spring 2010, PowerTap offers the new Joule series of ANT+ computer heads that are a nice upgrade from the standard yellow Electro head that has been in use since PowerTap’s early days. The Electro is a good basic computer head with plenty of data storage and reasonable battery life for most athletes. However, with the latest generation of multi-display capable heads from Saris and Garmin, the Electro is looking a bit long in the tooth. Unless you are on a tight budget, you may want to consider a Garmin computer head or the CycleOps Joule 2.0 instead of the Electro. Weight: PowerTap systems vary widely in weight. The first level of PowerTap wireless hub, the Elite+ hub on its own weighs 624 grams while the SLC+ with an aluminum axle is substantially lighter at 466 grams for the hub. The increase in weight will depend on your current hubs, but will normally be from 200-300 grams. Installation: PowerTap wireless installation is about as simple as it gets, all you need to do is install the wheel in your bike and mount the computer mount on the handlebar. If you go with the entry level wired PowerTap Comp be prepared to route wires too, which substantially increases the installation time. As with all the power meters, you need to setup the data fields in the computer of your choice and enter your personal information and activate power meter functions - this will be the most time consuming part of the install in most cases. Software/Hardware: The software package from PowerTap is not the strongest. It works and provides basic data, but most people prefer aftermarket software like TrainingPeaks. Hardware durability on the current generation product is vastly improved, but be careful with old stock or used product as a finicky older PowerTap can require multiple trips to the factory for repair. Conclusions: Covering a very broad range of price points, PowerTap has shown that they are around for the long haul. If you value ease of being able to switch between bikes and/or know that you only need one wheel with a PowerTap, it will be the least expensive true strain gauge based option on the market and the product is supported by a quality company in Saris. |
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