SRM Power Meter Review & Overview |
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Power Meter Type: Strain gauge. Crank mounted.
Point of Origin: Germany Years in Business: Since 1986 U.S. Service Center: Yes. Colorado. Web Site: www.srm.de |
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| Overview: There is something great about a well executed original product that has kept up with the times. SRM is the original power meter and they have been developing power meters for significantly longer than any other company. In the 1980’s, a medical engineer named Ulrich Schoberer wanted to allow riders to gain power information like they could in a lab setting while riding outdoors. In 1986 he made this a reality with the advent of the first SRM. Ulrich’s original idea was to put the power meter in the pedals, but the technology proved too bulky and complicated to be ridden outside (Metrigear is trying to change this) and he went with a crank based design instead. Ulrich chose the crank as it is a bigger and more universal component than the pedals and is also very close to the point of origin for power production (the bike’s contact point with the feet).
Since 1986, Ulrich’s design idea has progressed markedly as athletes from Greg LeMond to Lance Armstrong and Normann Stadler all started training with power and using SRM to do so. SRM was also smart enough to recognize that power meter users like to use the very best shifting and lightest cranks and they have integrated SRM systems into modern cranks made by top drivetrain companies like Shimano, SRAM and FSA. Today, SRM remains the gold standard that all other power meter systems are judged. The level of accuracy, refinement of design, low incidence of failure and strong support structure (SRM offers a U.S. service center that handles distribution as well as all repairs and modifications) combined with few compromises in regards to component and frame compatibility continues to keep SRM at the forefront of power meter technology decades later. Pros:
Considerations:
Accuracy: The vast majority of SRM units today are sold in the +/-2% version. However, SRM also offers a lab unit that tests to +/- 0.5% for those looking for the tightest accuracy currently available. Reliability/Maintenance: SRM has the best long-term reliability record of any power meter we have been able to find. Maintenance is minimal, but plan on the unit going back for service on the power source every couple years. Compatibility/Limitations: SRM has relatively few compatibility issues and most of their units will work on the vast majority of frames available today. On their web site, SRM offers charts that show compatibility for some of the more popular frame options. Links are as follows: Road Bike/Frame Compatibility Display Quality/Features: While most any ANT+ Sport cycling computer head may be used, the SRM PowerControl is an impressively thought out and refined head. You can choose how often the unit records data between 0.5 and 2 seconds and, with the setting at 1 second, it will store an impressive 130 hours of data. Battery life is also very good with up to 30 hours between charges and you can adjust most of the display options to suit your individual needs. The new PowerControl VII will be even more powerful and more compact (making it better suited for aerobar use) and offering significantly greater battery life. Weight: The SRM Power Meter crankset varies greatly in weight, depending on the crank it is built into. SRM usually adds 180-210 grams of weight to the crankset (if a stock Dura Ace 7900 crankset weighs 640 grams, a SRM unit will weigh about 830) and then you need to add in the weight of the computer head of your choice. If you use a small and light computer head like the Garmin 500 with your SRM, and are currently using a standard cycling computer, you will only be adding about 150 grams to the weight of your bike with the addition of a SRM and the Garmin. Installation: Wired SRM units used to be quite challenging on some frames, but ANT and ANT+ Sport have changed this for the better. With the exception of some challenges getting a magnet mounted properly on some frames (especially internally routed frames), mounting a SRM can be as simple as sliding the new crankset into your bottom bracket (assuming you get a SRM that is compatible with your current bottom bracket) and mounting the computer to your handlebar. Of course, you need to setup the data fields in the computer of your choice and enter your personal information and activate power meter functions and this is likely the most time consuming part of the install now. Software/Hardware: While many riders choose to use aftermarket software, like TrainingPeaks, with their power meter, the software that comes with an SRM is solid and powerful. Like SRM’s hardware, SRM’s software has been developed over decades and it is a pretty polished, if not slightly over engineered, package. SRM software allows you to break down many variables of your ride data and offers powerful graphing, sorting and comparaitive functions. While few of us will have the need for it, the telemetric options that you may have seen displayed next to the rider on TV during Pro Tour races is impressive. Being able to stream data from multiple riders into real time video is pretty cool no matter how you look at it. Conclusions: While the competition is getting better each year, the vast majority of people buying a power meter would find a SRM to be at or near the very top of the list of the best options for their needs. We have a hard time not liking how refined and versatile the design is and it is nice being able to use any wheel you want at anytime. |
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