Following the success of the Favero Assioma, Garmin Vector, and Rally power meter pedals, the pedal power meter market is attracting other manufacturers.
One of them is Magene, which already has its pedal power meters. For now, these are only available for the Chinese market; even if you buy them, you won’t be able to use them outside of China. However, I believe Magene will want to penetrate the Western markets with them. Maybe they will unveil them at Eurobike 2024. But I am just speculating here.
So what can and will the competitors do? I will try to answer these and other questions below.
Magene P705 Technical Specifications
Below is the summary of the technical specifications of the Magene P705 power meter.
Highlights
- Price: 4000 RMB (~$549)
- Active temperature compensation
- Advanced features (L/R balance, pedal smoothness, etc.)
- Automatic zero-offset
- Warranty: 1 year
Technical Specification
- Accuracy: ±1%
- Claimed weight: 149g/pedal (~298g/pair)
- Cleat system: LOOK Keo
- Claimed battery life: 100h
- Battery type: Rechargeable
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Q-factor: 55mm
- Temperature compensation: Yes
Various functionalities are common in pedal power meters. The first one is the ability to measure the left and right foot separately (in the dual variant). Other metrics include not only power but also torque efficiency, pedal smoothness, and similar metrics. Personally, I don’t use these advanced metrics much; I’m basically only interested in power, cadence, and L/R balance. How about you?
Magene claims 1% accuracy (which is comparable to other pedal wattmeters) and a weight of 149g/pedal. These are almost identical parameters to the Favero Assioma. However, the recently introduced LOOK KEO Blade Power is even lighter (130g/pedal).
The pedal body is made of carbon fiber and is compatible with LOOK Keo cleats. The pedal axis and bearings are made of stainless steel. The Q-factor is 55mm, which is 1mm more than the Favero.
The price in China is set at 4999 RMB for the dual variant, which translates to about $549. I assume that due to other costs such as shipping, duty, and taxes, the final price will be higher in foreign markets and probably comparable to the Favero Assioma.
Magene P705 vs. Favero Assioma vs. Garmin Rally vs. LOOK Keo Blade Power
The following table compares P705 with other power meter pedal alternatives.
| Feature | Favero Assioma | Garmin Rally | LOOK Keo Blade Power | Magene P705 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accuracy | ±1% | ±1% | ±1% | ±1% |
| Weight w/o cleats | 299g/pair | 320-444g/pair (depending on the option) | 260g/pair | 299g/pair |
| Cleat type | LOOK Keo | LOOK Keo Shimano SPD SL Shimano SPD | LOOK Keo | LOOK Keo |
| Claimed battery life | 50 hours | 120 hours | 60 hours | 100 hours |
| Rechargeable battery | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Spindle length | 54 mm | 53 mm 55 mm with 2mm washer | 53 mm | 55 mm |
| Auto zero | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Single-sided and dual-sided option | Yes (UNO and DUO) | Yes (100 and 200) | Yes | Yes |
| L/R Balance, power phase | Favero Assioma DUO only | ‘200’ series only | Dual-sided only | Dual-sided only |
| Pedal center offset | n/a | ‘200’ series only | Yes | n/a |
| Connectivity | ANT+, Bluetooth Smart | ANT+, Bluetooth Smart | ANT+, Bluetooth Smart | ANT+, Bluetooth Smart |
| More info | Favero Assioma Review | n/a | n/a | Magene P705 |
| Buy single-sided | Check Price | Check Price Check Price (tredz.co.uk) | Check Price Check Price (amazon.com) | n/a |
| Buy dual-sided | Check Price | Check Price Check Price (tredz.co.uk) | Check Price (amazon.com) | n/a |
Conclusion
After the positive feedback on the P505 power meter from reviewers like GPLama, it will be interesting to see if Magene lives up to its reputation with the P705. However, it depends if they decide to enter foreign markets. Until then, all we can do is wait.
What do you think about the P705? Would you consider buying it, or would you rather take the safe bet of the Favero Assioma? Let me know in the comments.
