The Stages power meter have won many fans among cyclists and triathletes in a short time - for a reason, we think! Meanwhile, they are available in the third generation.
The Stages power meter is light, very light - just 15g. The power meter measures the force exerted on the left crank arm. The Stages is mounted discreetly on the inner side of the left crankarm. The one-sided measurement has proven to be sufficient unless there is a major muscular imbalance.
We have tested the Stages power meter several times in our laboratory on a calibrated Cyclus II ergometer as well as on the road. We can confirm a measurement accuracy of +- 1.5% as stated by Stages Cycling.
Stages has solved the problems
The first series of Stages power meters had frequent problems with battery lids not being waterproof, which allowed water to get inside the electronics and lead to erroneous readings and discharged batteries. The problem was solved by a new housing from the 2nd generation.
In the 3rd generation, the measurement accuracy was improved to +-1.5% and the transmission power of the power meter was increased. In addition to the ANT+ standard, the Stages power meter even has Bluetooth Smart technology on board.
The Stages is available for a wide variety of cranks. With an existing crank, the left arm is simply exchanged. This makes the Stages power meter compatible with different chainrings and BCD (standard / compact).
The assembly is very simple and the power meter can quickly be exchanged between different bikes.
Stages power meter in the training camp
The special thing about Shimano: All Hollowtech II road cranks are compatible with each other. Thus, a Stages 105er power meter fits easily to an Ultegra or Dura-Ace crank. Therefore, the power meter can easily be taken to the training camp and mounted on a rental bike since these are mostly equipped with Shimano cranks.