The 4 Best Power Meter Pedals for Road, Mountain & Gravel Bikes

Power Meter Pedals: Favero Assioma DUO, Garmin Rally XC, Wahoo POWRLINK, Garmin Rally RS - each pair in my hands.

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These are the best power meter pedals for road, mountain, and gravel bikes available on the market, compatible with Look or Shimano cleat systems.

I selected them based on my experience, discussions with pro-cyclist friends, reading hundreds of customer reviews, and accuracy tests.

  • The best power meter pedals for a road bike are Favero Assioma UNO as a more budget, single-sided option. Get the Favero Assioma DUO if you are looking for dual-sided pedals. Both provide excellent consistency and accuracy. They are also more affordable than the closest alternatives.
  • The best power meter pedals for mountain and gravel bikes are Garmin Rally XC100 (single-sided) or XC200 (dual-sided). These are one of the very few SPD pedal power meters available.
    You will learn more about them below.

If you are new to power meter pedals and don’t know what to look for, don’t worry. I will guide you through the options available on the market.

Let’s dive in.

What Are the Best Power Meter Pedals?

The best pedal power meters have an accuracy rate of around ±1%, provide consistent and reliable data, are durable to withstand frequent use, and are lightweight (around 300g – road bike pedals, around 450g – MTB pedals).

You can skip to the buyer’s guide section to learn more about power meter pedals and their features.

Favero Assioma UNO power meter pedals (left and right pedal)
Favero Assioma UNO

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Favero Assioma DUO power meter pedals (left and right pedal)
Favero Assioma DUO

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Garmin Rally XC200 power meter pedals (left and right pedal)
Garmin Rally XC200

Also available at rei.com

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Skip to the comparison table…

Favero Assioma UNO and DUO (Best Budget and Best Overall)

Favero Assioma DUO Review: Assioma DUO pedals in my hands.
Read my Favero Assioma DUO review for more info

Favero Assioma UNO scoring:
Accuracy 5/5 | Reliability 5/5 | Ease of Installation 5/5 | Battery Life 2/5 | Price 4/5 | WEIGHTED OVERALL SCORE 4.5/5

Favero Assioma DUO scoring:
Accuracy 5/5 | Reliability 5/5 | Ease of Installation 5/5 | Battery Life 2/5 | Price 3/5 | WEIGHTED OVERALL SCORE 4.4/5

Main Features

  • Most popular pedal power meters
  • Highly accurate and consistent
  • Advanced features (L/R balance, pedal smoothness, etc.)
  • Automatic zero-offset
  • 2-year warranty

Technical Specification

  • Accuracy: ±1%
  • Weight: 299g (set)
  • Cleat system: Look KEO (or Shimano SPD-SL with DUO-Shi spindles)
  • Claimed battery life: 50h
  • Battery type: Rechargeable
  • Spindle length: 54 mm

Favero Assioma are the most popular pedal power meters on the market. This is because they are highly accurate, reliable, and, more importantly, affordable.

You can choose a single-sided option (UNO) or dual-sided (DUO) depending on your budget and needs.

I recommend UNO for beginners and people on a tight budget and DUO for advanced riders who can take advantage of the additional data.

Assioma DUO power meter pedals can independently measure your left/right leg balance, pedal smoothness, time seated vs. standing, etc.

Unlike the previous generation of Assioma pedals, the latest one has an auto-zero feature (what is it?). So you don’t have to think about performing it before every ride.

The Favero Assioma(s) has a much shorter battery life (up to 50 hours) than other road power meter pedals like Garmin Rally RS. Luckily, the battery is rechargeable.

Remember, Favero Assioma pedals are designed for the Look KEO cleat system. However, Favero Assioma DUO-Shi spindles allow you to transform your Shimano SPD-SL pedals into a power meter.

Unfortunately, their spindle width is longer, making your feet about 1 cm further apart on each side.

You might also be interested in this in-depth Favero Assioma vs. Garmin Rally comparison.

Garmin Rally XC100 and XC200 (Best SPD Power Meter Pedals for MTB and Gravel Bikes)

Garmin Rally XC power meter pedals in my hands.
Garmin Rally XC

Garmin Rally XC100 scoring:
Accuracy 5/5 | Reliability 5/5 | Ease of Installation 5/5 | Battery Life 3/5 | Price 3/5 | WEIGHTED OVERALL SCORE 4.5/5

Garmin Rally XC200 scoring:
Accuracy 5/5 | Reliability 5/5 | Ease of Installation 5/5 | Battery Life 3/5 | Price 1/5 | WEIGHTED OVERALL SCORE 4.3/5

Main Features

  • Highly durable
  • Advanced features (L/R balance, pedal smoothness, etc.)
  • The spindle is compatible with multiple conversion kits
  • Available in single-sided or dual-sided options
  • 2-year warranty

Technical Specification

  • Accuracy: ±1%
  • Weight: 444g (set)
  • Cleat system: Shimano SPD
  • Claimed battery life: 120h
  • Battery type: LR44/SR44 (4×) or CR1/3N (2×)
  • Spindle length: 53 mm

If you are a mountain biker or a gravel enthusiast looking for SPD pedal power meters, you don’t have as many options as road cyclists.

Pedal power meters are also more prone to damage, so consider a spider or a crank power meter for your MTB instead (check out the best ones here).

Garmin introduced a series of new power meter pedals in 2021, including the XC100 (single-sided) and XC200 (dual-sided).

The single-sided option is ideal for beginners on a tight budget. On the other hand, data geeks and demanding riders will appreciate the dual-sided option.

Both pedals are compatible with the Shimano SPD cleats system, which is the most popular among cross-country riders, and many riders use it on their gravel bikes.

One of the biggest advantages of Rally is spindle transferability. You can use conversion kits to use this power meter on your road bike with SPD-SL cleats (Garmin Rally RS) or LOOK KEO (Garmin Rally RK), for example. This way, you save money on power meters and get consistent data across multiple bikes.

Rally XC100 and XC200 are also durable enough to withstand elements like water, mud, dirt, etc. They also handle accidental rock impacts, but don’t forget they still include sensitive electronics. So, super-harsh conditions are not recommended.

One of the most significant downsides of the Rally line is the absence of an auto-zero feature. Therefore, you should perform zero-offsetting before each ride.

Garmin Rally (RS100, RS200, RK100, RK200)

Garmin Rally RS power meter pedals in my hands.
Garmin Rally RS

Garmin Rally RS and RK100 scoring:
Accuracy 5/5 | Reliability 5/5 | Ease of Installation 5/5 | Battery Life 3/5 | Price 3/5 | WEIGHTED OVERALL SCORE 4.5/5

Garmin Rally RS and RK200 scoring:
Accuracy 5/5 | Reliability 5/5 | Ease of Installation 5/5 | Battery Life 3/5 | Price 1/5 | WEIGHTED OVERALL SCORE 4.3/5

Main Features

  • Highly accurate and consistent
  • Advanced features (L/R balance, pedal smoothness, etc.)
  • The spindle is compatible with multiple conversion kits
  • Available in single-sided or dual-sided options
  • 2-year warranty

Technical Specification

  • Accuracy: ±1%
  • Weight: 320g (set)
  • Cleat system: LOOK KEO or Shimano SPD-SL
  • Claimed battery life: 120h
  • Battery type: LR44/SR44 (4×) or CR1/3N (2×)
  • Spindle length: 53 mm

Garmin introduced a new line of power meter pedals called ‘Rally’ in 2021. The road cycling pedals include:

  • The RS pedals compatible with the Shimano SPD-SL cleat system
  • The RK pedals compatible with the LOOK KEO cleat system

The number ‘100’ means the pedals are single-sided, while the ‘200’ are dual-sided.

The Rally line is a successor of the Vector line. Garmin Vectors didn’t have a good reputation due to their battery and reliability issues.

This changed with the Rally line. The first thing to appreciate is the Shimano SPD-SL compatibility (Vectors were compatible with LOOK KEO only).

The second positive thing is the spindle compatibility (also compatible with Garmin Vector 3) and transferability.

This means you can switch the spindle between Shimano SPD-SL, SPD, or LOOK KEO, using a Rally conversion kit if you are into multiple bike disciplines like road, gravel, and MTB.

Naturally, Rally offers the most features you expect from power meter pedals – advanced ride analysis like seated vs. standing, power phase, L/R balance, etc.

Rally’s battery life is much longer than Favero Assioma’s. However, the battery is not rechargeable.

Unlike Favero Assioma, Rally pedals don’t perform automatic zero offset, so you have to do it manually.

So, is the higher price compared to Assiomas justifiable? It is for riders who combine multiple disciplines and are already in the Garmin ecosystem.

Wahoo POWRLINK ZERO

Wahoo POWRLINK Zero power meter pedals in my hands.
Wahoo POWRLINK Zero

Wahoo POWRLINK ZERO (Single-sided) scoring:
Accuracy 5/5 | Reliability 5/5 | Ease of Installation 5/5 | Battery Life 2/5 | Price 3/5 | WEIGHTED OVERALL SCORE 4.4/5

Wahoo POWRLINK ZERO (Dual-sided) scoring:
Accuracy 5/5 | Reliability 5/5 | Ease of Installation 5/5 | Battery Life 2/5 | Price 1/5 | WEIGHTED OVERALL SCORE 4.2/5

Main Features

  • Advanced features (L/R balance, pedal smoothness, etc.)
  • Available in single-sided or dual-sided options
  • Auto zero-offset
  • 2-year warranty

Technical Specification

  • Accuracy: ±1%
  • Weight: 276g (set)
  • Cleat system: Wahoo Speedplay
  • Claimed battery life: 75h
  • Battery type: Rechargeable
  • Q Factor: 55 mm

Wahoo Speedplay owners longly anticipated some working pedal power meters for this system. Finally, after about an eight-month delay, Wahoo released their new POWRLINK ZERO pedals in early 2022. When writing this roundup, this was the only pedal power meter available for Wahoo Speedplay pedals.

So, if you use Wahoo Speedplay pedals and don’t want to switch to LOOK or Shimano, POWRLINK ZERO is the only option. Wahoo knows this, and you will pay much more for POWRLINKs than for Favero Assioma.

You can expect advanced features we are used to from other alternatives like the L/R leg balance (dual-sided only), pedal smoothness, active temperature compensation, auto zero-offset, etc.

Of course, you can choose a single-sided or dual-sided option, depending on your budget and needs.

The packing includes left and right pedals, cleats, spacers, etc. Simply everything you need to start using POWRLINK ZERO right out of the box.


Pedal Power MetersForCleatsAccuracyL/R MeasurementWeight (set)BuyAccuracyReliabilityEase of InstallationBattery LifePriceWeighted Score
Favero Assioma DUORoadLOOK KEO±1%Dual-sided299gCheck Price555234.4
Favero Assioma UNORoadLOOK KEO±1%Single-sided299gCheck Price555244.5
Favero Assioma DUO-ShiRoadShimano SPD-SL±1%Dual-sided198g (w/o pedal body)Check Price555234.4
Garmin Rally XC100MTBShimano SPD±1%Single-sided455gCheck Price
Check Price (tredz.co.uk)
555334.5
Garmin Rally XC200MTBShimano SPD±1%Dual-sided448gCheck Price
Check Price (tredz.co.uk)
555314.3
Garmin Rally RS100RoadShimano SPD-SL±1%Single-sided328gCheck Price
Check Price (tredz.co.uk)
555334.5
Garmin Rally RS200RoadShimano SPD-SL±1%Dual-sided320gCheck Price
Check Price (tredz.co.uk)
555314.3
Garmin Rally RK100RoadLOOK KEO±1%Single-sided334gCheck Price
Check Price (tredz.co.uk)
555334.5
Garmin Rally RK200RoadLOOK KEO±1%Dual-sided326gCheck Price
Check Price (tredz.co.uk)
555314.3
Wahoo POWRLINK ZERO SingleRoadWahoo Speedplay±1%Single-sided276gCheck Price
Check Price (tredz.co.uk)
555234.4
Wahoo POWRLINK ZERO DualRoadWahoo Speedplay±1%Dual-sided276gCheck Price
Check Price (tredz.co.uk)
555214.2
List of the best pedal power meters for road and mountain bikes with info about the compatible cleats, accuracy, L/R measurement, and weight. The power meters are scored based on this pedal power meter scoring system.

Honorable Mentions

SRM X-Power pedals don’t provide as good a price-value ratio as Garmin Rally. The same applies to SRM LOOK Exact pedals, which are not competitive against Favero Assioma.

IQ2 Power Meter pedals seemed promising and were successfully backed on Kickstarter, but unfortunately, they didn’t make it into production.

Summary

When choosing a pedal power meter, consider whether you need a dual-sided power meter.

It can cost twice as much as a single-sided one, and you may end up with data you won’t use.

The Favero Assioma UNO are the best power meter pedals for road cycling. They are affordable, accurate, and reliable – these are the three main features to expect from a quality power meter. You can also buy them in a dual-sided option called Assioma DUO.

The Garmin Rally XC100 (single-sided) and XC200 (dual-sided) are the best pedal power meters for MTB and gravel. These SPD-style pedals are durable enough to withstand the elements and harsh MTB conditions. They will also provide accurate and consistent data and are compatible with conversion kits for road pedals.

Read the How to Choose Power Meter Pedals section to learn more about the features, benefits, and disadvantages of pedal power meters.

How to Choose Power Meter Pedals?

I focus solely on choosing pedal power meters in this guide. The following table compares different power meter types.

Power Meter TypeProsCons
Pedal• Easily transferable between bikes
• Compatible with almost any bike (assuming you use it with a particular bike type)
• Easy to set up
• Very accurate
• Can measure both legs independently
• Prone to mechanical damage (clipping in, crashes, etc.)
• High added (rotating) weight (assuming you have lighter pedals)
Crank Arm• Low added (rotating) weight
• Very accurate
• More affordable
• Not easily transferable between bikes (unless both bikes use the same cranks)
• Limited components compatibility
• Can't measure both legs independently (unless you use dual-sided crank arm power meters)
Spider• Low added (rotating) weight
• Very accurate
• Reliable
• Limited components compatibility
• Less affordable
• Not easy to set up
Bottom Bracket• Low added (rotating) weight
• Very accurate
• Reliable
• Protected against mechanical damage
• Limited components compatibility
• Complicated installation
• Not easily transferable between bikes
Handlebar• No added (rotating) weight
• Easily transferable between bikes
• Compatible with virtually any bike
• Less accurate
• Require attaching other sensors (speed + cadence) to your bike
• Prone to damage when crashing
• Can't detect cadence
Hub• No added (rotating) weight
• Easily transferable between bikes (assuming the bikes use the same wheels)
• Require replacing your current hubs or buying a whole wheelset
• Can be heavier than your current hubs
The pros & cons of power meter types compared
Sources: powermetercity.com, GC Performance, discussions with pro cyclists

NOTE: To learn more about other types of pedals, visit my power meter guide.

Now, let’s dive deeper into the features to look for when choosing pedal power meters.

Data Accuracy and Consistency

Pedal power meters are one of the most accurate because they measure the power closer to its source.

The accuracy rate of pedal power meters is usually ±1%. Other power meter types vary between ±1% and ±3%.

Unless you are hyper-sensitive to data accuracy, you won’t notice the slight differences between pedal power meters in lower power zones.

Check out the following table for the power deviations of different accuracy rates.

Accuracy Rate / Power Output250W500W1000W
0.5%248.8-251.3497.5-502.5502.5-1005
1%247.5-252.5495-505990-1010
1.5%246.3-253.8492.5-507.5985-1015
2%245-255490-510980-1020
2.5%243.8-256.3487.5-512.5975-1025
3%242.5-257.5485-515970-1030
Power meter accuracy for specific accuracy rate (0.5%, 1%...) and power output (250W, 500W, 1000W)

Data consistency is more important. Consistency means that a power meter measures consistent data regardless of the used bike, outside temperature, altitude, etc.

Consistent data are the key to effective training. You don’t want a power meter with high volatility (once it measures 190W, then 210W while you ride at 200W, for example).

You can learn more about this topic in my article power meter accuracy vs. power meter consistency.

Cleats Compatibility

Today’s power meter pedals are primarily compatible with LOOK and Shimano cleats.

Road bike power meter pedals like Favero Assioma DUO and UNO are designed for LOOK KEO cleats. If you want a Shimano SPD-SL-compatible Favero Assioma power meter, you have to buy DUO-Shi Spindles.

An illustration of Shimano SPD-SL cleats float 6°, 2°, 0°
Shimano SPD-SL cleats float
An illustration of Look cleats float 9°, 4.5°, 0°
Look cleats float

Garmin’s Rally line offers more options. The ‘RS‘ pedals are compatible with Shimano SPD-SL cleats, while the ‘RK‘ with LOOK KEO cleats. The mountain bike Rally ‘XC‘ pedals are compatible with the standard Shimano SPD system we know from clipless mountain bike pedals.

The only compatible power meter pedals with the Wahoo Speedplay system are the POWRLINK ZERO power meter pedals launched in early 2022.

Left/Right Leg Measurement

Pedal power meters can either be:

  1. Single-sided – they measure the left leg only and estimate your overall power output.
  2. Dual-sided – measure the power output of both your legs independently.
Left-Right Leg Balance (Giant Power Meter App)
Left-Right leg balance in Giant’s RideLink App

Single-sided power meters have one significant disadvantage. They are not suitable for single-leg drills because they show zero power for the leg where the power sensor isn’t located (usually your right leg).
Read my summary of single vs. dual-sided power meters, where you learn which one you should choose.

Getting dual-sided pedal power meters may seem tempting, but you must remember that dual-sided power meters are more expensive. Furthermore, analyzing the additional data is not as easy as it may seem.

The left/right leg balance is also an interesting topic. If you find out your balance is 52:48 and you don’t experience any pain, you are fine.

However some riders may have the same imbalance and experience left knee pain. If you are one of them, consult a physiotherapist or a bike fitter.

I also recommend watching the following video from TrainerRoad’s YouTube channel and reading this article on TrainingPeaks.com to learn more about L/R imbalance.

Power Imbalance: What is Left/Right Balance & How Should You Use It?(Ask a Cycling Coach 308)

Q Factor, Spindle, and Stance Width

When buying power meter pedals, you encounter the so-called Q factor. It’s often mixed up with a spindle width and stance width. They are defined as follows:

The Q factor is the width between the inside faces of the cranks where the pedals screw in.

The spindle width (also called spindle length) is the distance from the outside of the cranks to the pedal center.

The last important term is the stance width. It is the width between the centers of the pedals.

An illustration of a spindle width, Q factor, and stance width
Important measurements – spindle width, q-factor, and stance width

Pedal power meter manufacturers use the Q factor to describe the spindle width.

Pedals with a wider spindle width than your current will cause your legs to be further apart and may also affect your cornering ability.

Luckily, most pedal power meters have a spindle width close to standard pedals (around 53mm).

Zero-Offset vs. Calibration

Zero-offset ≠ Calibration

These two terms are often mixed up. So, what is the difference? Josh Matthew from Power Meter City explained them as follows:

Calibration is a one-time process done during manufacturing while zero-offsetting should be done by the rider before every ride.

Pedal power meters can have:

  1. Manual zero-offset – done manually by the rider via a power meter app or a head unit.
  2. Automatic zero-offset – done automatically before every ride.

Naturally, pedal power meters with an automatic zero-offset are more convenient and user-friendly.

To learn why this is important, read my article explaining calibration vs. zero-offset.

Battery Type and Battery Life

Pedal power meters use one of the following two battery types:

  1. Single-use batteries (LR44/SR44, CR1/3N, etc.) – tend to last longer*, but require replacing.
  2. In-built, rechargeable batteries don’t last as long as single-use batteries, but you can recharge them.

*Power Meter City found out that rechargeable batteries lasted only 140 hours, while single-use batteries 230 hours on average.

For example, Favero Assioma pedals use a rechargeable battery and have a claimed battery life of 50 hours. The Garmin Rally pedals use single-use batteries and have a claimed battery life of up to 120 hours.

Weight

Pedal power meters tend to be slightly heavier than standard road bike pedals. Here are a few examples:

  • Shimano 105 road bike pedals: 276g
  • Shimano Ultegra road bike pedals: 248g
  • LOOK Keo 2 Max Carbon: 250g
  • Time Xpro 10 road bike pedals: 226g

Depending on the pedals you currently use, the added rotating weight may be one of the most significant downsides of pedal power meters.

Brand

There are just a few brands that specialize in pedal power meters.

  1. Favero and their Assioma line belong to the most popular ones thanks to their affordable price, high reliability, and precision.
  2. Garmin launched their first power meter pedal line called Vector. Unfortunately, owners of these pedals often experience battery issues. Luckily for Garmin, they saved their reputation with the launch of the Rally line in 2021.
  3. SRM is one of the most experienced power meter companies. They teamed up with LOOK and introduced EXAKT power meters. They look sleek and have long battery life, but they have a complicated setup process and are expensive.

Power Meter Pedals FAQ

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