Favero ASSIOMA Review – Longterm Report
My original Favero Assioma Review was in August 2017. Six and a half years on, they are still going strong, and I used my original (& only) pair this week. They are like many other sports sensors – as they always work correctly, it is that simple.
There are many positive points and a few negative points included below, and I had to think hard to find some negatives. The VERY detailed review is further below; if you have half an hour to spare for a good read about every last detail, there is a table of contents to help you skip to the appropriate section.
You could probably save £100 by buying a crank-based alternative, but I can’t understand why many people would need such a solution when you have versatile and accurate power meter pedals like these. Why would you want to buy some marginally prettier Garmin Rally units? Garmin has probably just about sorted out all the early teething troubles now with the original Vector 3, haven’t they? Are you sure? Maybe. Perhaps @ $1,000, they ought to have done, but they never quite nailed it. Other reviewers say that the Garmin Vectors and its Garmin Rally replacement are AWESOME…but then don’t use them day-to-day. Go figure.
My Favero ASSIOMAs were probably the first pair ever used in the UK. #NoTeethingTroubles. Go figure. Great Design. Great Build. Many thousands of miles. They are still working fine. They are still accurate, and GPLAMA and DCRAINMAKER also use them as test comparators; reviewers find them accurate.
Check Current Pricing at several local retailers: link
Favero discourages discounting. In Europe, this link above will take you through to the best current prices at Amazon (UK), Power Meter City (USA), and a few other select retailers.
Long Term Review - Feedback
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Price - 95%95%
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Apparent Accuracy - 95%95%
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Build Quality & Design - 95%95%
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Features, Including App - 95%95%
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Openness & Compatability - 95%95%
Assioma Longerm Review - Summary
I’ve used my Favero ASSIOMA Dual pedals for tens of thousands of miles as my main power meter. I’ve done an Ironman, several HIMs, the Alps (well, some of it), the Pyrenees (well, some of it), TTs, and faffed around in my local park many times. I’ve used them for trail rides; I’ve used them in the rain. I’ve used them a lot; they’ve never let me down.
I’ve changed them from bike to bike, when needed, in less than 5 minutes each time, and I’ve never run out of juice. I’ve never had problems pairing them to anything or calibrating them. They look good.
Favero has added some sweet little firmware upgrades over the last couple of years with an accuracy update that matches the best-claimed accuracy from all other pedal power meter solutions, and that was followed by the introduction of the more advanced Garmin Cycling dynamics metrics (except PCO).
They’re not perfect, but they are one of the most reliable bits of kit I’ve got, which is unexpected when you think of the knocks and things like that a pedal can get.
Are they the most expensive power meter pedals?…nope. They’re one of the cheapest and CERTAINLY the best value-for-money. As of February 2022, you can get discounts if you shop around the specialist PM companies at this link.
Other than making them a bit smaller around the hub, I can’t see how any improvement would materially change how much I like them.
This is a product you will end up recommending to all your mates…I did.
Buy DUO UK/EU/USA
Buy UNO UK/EU/USA
Pros
- Kinda just ALWAYS works
- At least as accurate as all other PM pedals…or, indeed, as accurate as ALL PMs.
- Nice looking
- Cost-effective
- Sturdy
- Easy to change between bikes in 2 minutes…literally like changing a pedal with a hex wrench 😉
- Dual-channel BLE and ANT+ works with anything
- Simple to calibrate before each ride..takes 10 seconds and ALWAYS zero offsets correctly
- Jul 2021 – now comes with a Shimano pedal/cleat option
Cons
- Earlier versions were hard to unclip but the current version allows for looser pedal tensioning
- Can be hard to clip IN. This is because the pedal could be better-weighted and spin around less than it does.
- Needs a shim when I use my Pyro platforms which is annoying as I haven’t got a shim (Edit…I have now)
- I am not convinced that the results with elliptical chainrings are correct, despite 3rd party studies. Power readings seem higher with ellipticals on my TT bike.
- I’d prefer the ‘hub’ to be smaller for aesthetics and it also affects the Q-factor tho I’m not too bothered about that.
Favero Assioma Duo Review – A Detailed Look At Favero’s Duo (Uno) Models
The Assioma is a candidate for.
Favero ASSIOMA Duo Review – A Quick History
Favero surprised us with the BePro in August/Fall 2015 – out of nowhere came a dual-sided power meter pedal to rival the incumbent Garmin Vector 2 and PowerTap P1 pedal-based alternatives. Fast forward two years, and Favero has sneaked out an improved ASSIOMA power meter pedal just ahead of the expected announcement of Garmin’s replacement Vector 3. We take a detailed look at them in this Favero ASSIOMA Review.
There are no other realistic pedal-based alternatives to Assioma and Garmin RALLY. (for a complete list: See best Power Meter pedals)
The original Favero bePRO was pretty good. I used a pair regularly and had a few issues. I would still keep the bePRO, but Favero has taken on board even the slightest criticisms and has made several incremental improvements to create the ASSIOMA. As we shall see by the end of the review, you may wonder if there is ANY scope to improve it further in the coming years.
If you are still in the early research stages, narrow your options by considering this guide for the Best Power Meter.
WHAT’S NEW – Favero ASSIOMA Review
Many relatively small improvements compared to the earlier bePRO add up to a great package to keep the ASSIOMA up with the changes happening to power meters and their place in the market through 2018 and hopefully WELL beyond. Whilst these changes do NOT add up to a reason to upgrade from a bePRO, they may well appeal to new PM users and PM users looking to switch brands for many reasons:
- Bluetooth SMART (dual) has been added. This might, at first, seem strange as most head units and watches are trending towards being dual-band themselves. So, indeed, ANT+ alone would have been good enough? No, because…
- Power dropouts: Several Garmin tri watches are experiencing power dropouts over several 3rd party sensor types. Having two protocols to connect through de-risks the purchase for you somewhat.
- Zwift – many of us have become very familiar with staring at the walls of our winter ‘pain caves’ and have watched every box set of ‘Breaking Bad’ way too many times. Online training options like Zwift are starting to take our fancy, and Bluetooth is the connection protocol of choice.
- STRAVA – a few cyclists use this from time to time. 😉 It’s on your phone and will inevitably need a BLE connection.
- Simultaneous dual-band transmission: you can transmit to your smartphone or tablet for the INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE of STRAVA or ZWIFT and, at the same time, use a WAHOO or Garmin head unit in ANT+ to RECORD YOUR SESSION as you would normally
- App-based configuration – the smartphone ASSIOMA app improves the previous computer-based alternative for firmware updates and settings.
- New proprietary charging connector – yep, another one! This attaches magnetically and no longer requires the plastic flap that covers the bePRO’s micro USB port.
- The diameter of the black sensor pod was reduced to 33.5 mm (bePRO was 37 mm), significantly reducing the occasional need for a shim with flatter bike shoes.
- The sensor covering is thicker and is made of a tougher compound, which maintains the aesthetics for longer.
- The battery life has been considerably increased
- Accuracy has been improved to 1%
- The ease of movement between bikes has been simplified. It’s very much ‘switch and go’ when previously it was a combination of switch, align, calibrate and go. It now takes 2 minutes to change between bikes with the ASSIOMA rather than 5 minutes with the bePRO.
- Weight reduced from 156g to 150g per pedal
- Battery life increased from 30 hours to 50 hours.
- Waterproofing increased to IPx67 from IPx7 in the bePRO (and the chance of standing water remaining in the charging port has been eliminated). Definitions: wiki
- There are two versions of power measurement – dual-sided and left-sided power (DUO and UNO models)
- Two versions of cleats are supported – Assioma for Look and Assioma-SHI for SHImano.
Of those reasons, perhaps only simultaneous BLUETOOTH and ANT+ support, the cleat support, accuracy and the extended battery might tempt some bePRO users to upgrade.
IS IT FOR YOU?
The best way to try out riding with power for the first time is either with a relatively inexpensive POWERPOD or a virtually free way to convert indoor trainer speed to power using an ANT+ dongle and PC software (e.g. Sporttracks/others). But when you have the option of a single-sided ASSIOMA UNO for £450/$450/Eu500, that is not so much more to pay for most people than the entry-level alternatives.
The ASSIOMA is much simpler to self-install than crank-based, spider-based, and other unusually-located alternatives. OK, a wheel is more straightforward to change, but many of you might have a trainer, race, and disc wheel. And even if you did have 3x power meters on 3x wheels, would you get the same readings across all 3?
To me it just feels obvious that most cyclists should get a decent pedal-based solution
There are a few counter cases where you might need something else, such as a seemingly more consistently accurate offering that can handle higher power levels (>2000w…ahem), or maybe you use elliptical chainrings where the readings would be slightly out, or perhaps you want the ability to change a battery during a ride like with the PowerTap P1, or perhaps you have a high degree of power asymmetry, or maybe you HAVE to use non-LOOK/KEO cleat types, or possibly you are concerned about drivetrain power losses affecting your readings.
Still not sure if the ASSIOMA is right for you? Maybe have a look at the following post, which covers the Best Power Meter for each kind of rider:
Best Power Meter 2024 Cycling Recommendation 🥇 Top 10 Review | Comparison
UNBOXING & CONTENTS
SEPARATE SECTION: UNBOXING AND CONTENTS – read
If you’ve just bought a pair and want more detailed guidance on what’s in the box and what to do with it, that is all (here) in the UNBOXING AND CONTENTS SECTION as a separate post. It’s not that interesting unless you already own the ASSIOMA. Even then, the words ‘paint,’ ‘interesting,’ ‘watching,’ and ‘dry‘ seem to conjure up the need for a sentence to describe the Unboxing and Contents section.
INSTALLATION, CONFIGURATION & PAIRING
The installation is as simple as changing a regular pedal in most cases. No proprietary tools or alignments are required (a large, standard Allen key/hex wrench is provided). No special manual calibration is required, and there are no special tricks of the trade for pairing the device.
About 1% of you might have head units that can’t set crank lengths, sports watches that can only accept single-channel Bluetooth power meter signals or different-length cranks on other bikes. For you (here), at the end of the UNBOXING SECTION, two sections cover the unusual configuration and pairing issues.
Changing between bikes will take less than 2 minutes; all left to do is the daily zero offset calibration on your cycling head unit.
VERSIONS, SPECIFICATIONS, SPARES
The ASSIOMA has a dual-sided power option (the ‘DUO’) and a single-sided power option (the ‘UNO’).
The UNO has one ‘blank’ pedal and one actual PM pedal – it is NOT firmware upgradeable from a UNO to a DUO.
The UNO can be upgraded to a DUO by purchasing a new pedal at just over half the price of the DUO. I.e. upgrading later will probably cost you £/$/Eu100 more than just buying the DUO in the first place.
You could probably firmware DOWNGRADE your DUO to a UNO in some strange scenario I can’t imagine.
Many cyclists don’t care much about the specifications of pedals. Others care about pedal specifications, which include weight, stack height, Q-factor/pedal centre, lean angle, and float angles of compatible cleats. So here goes:
WEIGHT
- ASSIOMA – 300g per pair
- Vector 2 + POD – 358g per pair
- Powertap P1 – 430g per pair with batteries
- Garmin Rally – 320g per pair
BATTERY LIFE
- ASSIOMA – 50 hours (internal, rechargeable)
- Vector 2 – 175 hours (CR2032)
- Powertap P1 – 60 hours (AAA lithium only)
- Garmin Rally – up to 120 hours (4xLR44/SR44 or 2xCR1/3N)
Consider: will you carry two spare batteries? Are the spares easily changed by hand, or do they need a tool? If you get a flat power meter battery, is this important to you or just a shrug of the shoulders? Does your head unit reasonably reliably indicate the remaining battery charge to enable you to plan for recharging?
Q-FACTOR
Definition: wiki
Many of us seem to mean the PEDAL CENTRE, which is the distance from the crank to the centre of the pedal when fully inserted.
STANCE = “how far apart the cleats are horizontally on your bike” = TREAD/Q-FACTOR + PEDAL CENTRE + SPACERS
- ASSIOMA – 54mm (Source: Favero)
- Vector 2 – 55mm (measured, approx)
- Vector 3 – 53mm (measured, approx)
- Powertap P1 – 53mm (Source: Powertap, others say 54mm)
Consider: Your cranks might require using spacers for the ASSIOMA (see INSTALLATION). This may increase the distance by 1-4mm (1mm per washer, 1 or 2 washers per pedal).
STACK HEIGHT
- ASSIOMA – 10.5mm (Source: Favero)
- Vector 2 – 10.5mm
- Vector 3 – 12.5
- Powertap P1 – 14.5mm
Vector 2/P1 Not verified.
SUPPORTED CRANK WIDTHS – FAVERO ASSIOMA REVIEW
Garmin’s standard Vector pedals might not work on thicker cranks and come in a separate version with a longer thread just because of this (12-15mm and 15-18mm thread). This is not an issue for Powertap P1 or ASSIOMA.
CLEATS
- ASSIOMA – LOOK Keo-compatible
- Vector 2 – LOOK Keo-compatible
- Powertap – Powertap own-brand 6 degrees cleat float or 0-degree float (anecdotally KEO compatible)
The SHI version of Assioma now supports Shimano cleats.
Consider: 0-degree float (typically black-coloured) may contribute to knee problems. I use a 3-degree float (grey); you are usually supplied with a 6-degree float (red). I used to turn one of my feet on the downstroke, and this caused the shoe to contact the sensor body and affect the power reading of the earlier bePRO. A grey cleat stopped this movement sufficiently to avoid contact.
OTHER – SENSOR DIAMETER
The key physical difference between the bePRO and the ASSIOMA is that the black sensor body/POD next to the crank is reduced in size from the bePRO. Whilst that’s probably part of the reduced weight, the main benefit is the significantly reduced likelihood of your cleats or shoes catching the sensor.
- ASSIOMA – 33.5 mm
- bePRO – 37 mm
OTHER – DATA SHEET
To consider other technical data, such as IP67 waterproofing, look at the DATA SHEET.
SPARES
Whoever sold you the pedals should also sell spares. You can also buy them directly from FAVERO. I disassembled a bePRO when I considered replacing a bearing. The ASSIOMA, below, looks VERY similar in construction. It’s not complicated. But you would be better cautioned to use the 2-year warranty before a DIY piece.
Some people wear out the spindle/pedal bearing on one side more quickly than the other. Some people may damage the pedal with a serious ‘knock.’ Smaller components, such as bearings to replace the effects of the above, are replaceable at a sensible cost (here) in Favero’s online shop.
FIRST RIDES – GENERAL
Check: Are your crank lengths set? You can do it in the app.
No big surprises were expected when using the ASSIOMA. It is ‘just’ another power meter, after all. After a generally straightforward pairing, we move on to pedalling! And my Garmin nicely started by asking me which power meter I would like to use and if I would like to calibrate the chosen one. As expected.
The initial auto-calibration period of the ASSIOMA passed, and the data appeared. Ta Da!
The first ride was on my TT bike. That’s nicely set up with some awesome carbon cranks on ceramic bearings.
Moving onto other bikes, I will get some use on Cannondale Hollowgram, cranks, ULTEGRA, 105s, various ROTORs and a few flavours of Deore on my MTB for trail rides.
Other than specifying the crank length, if necessary, there shouldn’t be any issues with most cranks. The only one I will watch out for will be the TRI-MAX carbon cranks. Favero says that carbon cranks should be OK.
I have a mixture of round chainrings and elliptical chainrings (ROTOR Q-rings). With the earlier bePRO, Favero stated that power could be overestimated by 1-4%, but with the ASSIOMA, they are now saying 2-4%. For a reason known only to me, I have one bike set up with a round inner and an elliptical outer chainring, so I should be able to make some interesting direct comparisons on one ride from one ring to the next. (Edit: What Favero says about the oval chainrings appears to be true…slight and consistent over-estimation)
Moving then to some old MTBs, I tend not to do technical rides with them. The only serious MTB rides I do tend to be very long trail rides of 5-11 hours (Note: Favero has specifically asked me to point out that the ASSIOMA is not recommended for MTB). Collecting some power data to add to the higher duration end of my power duration curve is always good. I found that the power levels I can put out on my MTB are pretty much the same, probably due to a more upright and comfortable position; however, on those long rides, I never seem to be able to get anywhere near the CPs that the CP models say I should most probably due to the stop-start nature of trail cycling.
I would just add that I would NEVER risk the ASSIOMAs with a technical MTB ride. I would imagine they do not like being whacked by a stone or tree.
One great thing I’ve found with the ASSIOMA is that they look pretty cool. But it’s evident to potential bike thieves that they might also look cool. If I carry the large hex wrench, I can easily take the pedals off at the destination. This eliminates the chance of the pedals being stolen entirely AND makes the bike harder to steal and cycle away. I would never have done that with the bePRO, as the 5 minutes required to tighten those up would be a little too much for my impatient self.
A viable commuting option perhaps?
I also should point out here that selecting in and out of the pedals can be pretty tricky. They are TIGHT when new. I seem to remember the bePRO being similarly tight. The pedals can be adjusted to have less tension for cleat retention.
COMPATIBILITY – FAVERO ASSIOMA REVIEW
I have paired the following and they pick up a power (w) signal with ANT+: Garmin Edge (520, 810, 820); WAHOO ELEMNT & BOLT; LEZYNE SUPER GPS; MIO CYCLO 505HC; Garmin Forerunner (920XT, 935); Garmin Fenix 5; Garmin Forerunner 945; Garmin Edge 530 and many more.
Using BLE, I’ve also paired with the following and received a power (w) signal: WAHOO ELEMNT; Suunto SPARTAN (SPORT, SPORT WHR, ULTRA, TRAINER); Polar M450/M460.
I actively use a WAHOO ELEMNT, Garmin Edge 820 and WAHOO ELEMNT Bolt. So, I am NOT explicitly saying all the above models I paired with are entirely and operationally correct.
There are vagaries in how each head unit interacts with a power meter to make the experience better or worse than others. That is not in the scope of this review.
There is one big compatibility issue, and then I will add to the list of more minor issues as they come up:
- A Dual-sided BLE power meter is only as good as the head unit/watch. Specifically, Polar’s M460 is also dual-sided and a pairing is required for both the left and right channels. However, Suunto’s SPARTAN/S5/S9/Vertical/Race are single-sided and can only pair to one side and double it. In that case, it makes sense to buy the ASSIOMA UNO, not DUO.
- I have found quite a few times that head units (WAHOO) seem to prefer to pair in BLE. That’s fine, but bear in mind that when you try to additionally and simultaneously pair your smartphone/tablet/Zwift, it won’t work. Pair and open the smartphone + app + Zwift FIRST and then pair subsequent devices by ANT+ (the only method that will be available). WAHOO will give a message saying which protocol was used in the pairing in this scenario.
BATTERY
As we’ve seen, the 2x long USB cables can charge both pedals simultaneously on the bike or off. It’s a standard USB cable with a proprietary end connector piece. The dual-adapter plug even has a light that glows when plugged into a wall socket.
The charger connects to the pedal body magnetically. It’s a strong enough magnet for the cable to hold the entire weight of the pedal. There are two copper connectors which complete the charging circuit.
The battery in each pedal is rated for up to 50 (fifty) hours of use. That’s enough for me.
Favero states, “After 500 full recharges, battery capacity is reduced by only 20%; 20 full recharges equivalent to 1000 hours of use.” ie that is 25,000. But this relies on a full discharge (which is unlikely to happen), and Favero adds (sic), “If the battery is recharged once it is not empty, the number of recharges increases a lot.”
After more than two years with the earlier bePRO, I understand that the battery life has possibly decreased from its stated 30 (thirty) hours. But it’s still more than 20 hours. That bodes well for the ASSIOMA but is not conclusive of any aspect of the ASSIOMA’s future battery performance.
Some cycling head units will report the battery status of a sensor. This can be useful even though the information about the sensor is hidden away in detail rather than in a data field. This information can be inaccurate.
LEDs
Favero ASSIOMA has 4x LEDs. This is a minor improvement over the earlier bePRO, as you can see the LED flashing from any angle. It sounds trivial, but it has removed a slight annoyance!
- Fast and continuous blinking for 3 seconds – Assioma is being switched on.
- Short blinking every 3 seconds – Assioma is switched on.
Fixed light – the battery is being charged. - Short blinking every 0.5 seconds – battery charging has been completed.
I prefer a RED/AMBER/GREEN approach to indicate battery levels.
DATA METRICS
The data metrics that ASSIOMA provides are the same as the first tranche of Cycling Dynamics released for Garmin’s Vectors (technically, they are standard ANT+ power-related metrics). WAHOO, Garmin, and others support these metrics in their head units. The head units then produce additional metrics based on bits of maths – for example, a 30-second moving average of power or normalised lap power. Other things, too.
Essentially, most transmitted metrics are also usually available for both the left and right sides or are combined. For example, providing a left and right version of some metrics, such as cadence, doesn’t make sense.
Measured data, linking to definitions on Favero’s website:
Note that Garmin’s second tranche of advanced cycling dynamics is not measured and transmitted, i.e. seated/standing, Platform Centre Offset, and power Phase. That’s no significant loss for most of you to worry about. Garmin’s private ANT+ channel transmits this data, but it is unavailable outside Garmin.
You will likely never look at left/right data unless you have an issue with a specific technique. However, don’t let that necessarily put you off buying the DUO version. Remember, it is still ‘correct’ to measure left and right-sided power separately.
Ignoring drive train losses of power, it is more likely in the future that if you use another power meter (e.g., a watt bike at the gym), it will match your previous efforts. I.e., doubling one side of your power will over- or under-estimate power levels for many people because of asymmetries to some degree.
DURABILITY
Ultimately, someone needs to use a pair until they break and then tell us how long it took and what kind of cycling it was. That will take a LONG time.
The pedals certainly DO NOT seem flimsy and more robust than the bePRO model I have been using for over 2 years, which is still going strong.
After 200 or 300 or 400 hours of use, loading into cars and vans, dropping against walls, and hanging on bike/transition racks, I can only speculate what the ASSIOMA’s condition will be – I don’t know yet. Look at the condition of your regular pedals now – likely not a pretty sight. The ASSIOMAs will have to handle that same level of inevitable long-term wear from even the most careful of us.
I changed the pedals between 4 bikes/5 cranks. I didn’t particularly notice any discrepancies and bedding in time for each new installation. I have completed two >50km trail rides, and the pedals were probably periodically hit by grit and gravel. There are no specific signs of damage (Note: Favero has specifically asked me to point out that ASSIOMA is not recommended for MTB use)
OTHER TIDBITS for the Favero ASSIOMA Review
- Elliptical chainrings/ovals/Q-rings affect power readings by 2-4% (Source: Favero). If accuracy is your thing (as opposed to consistency), then this makes the ASSIOMA somewhat INaccurate.
- Favero delivered a firmware update in 2017 to accommodate oval/elliptical chainrings better.
Favero Assioma POWER ACCURACY
I will update this section in September as I pull together various combinations of ride types for power data comparisons. I already have some comparisons with products under NDA (exciting!).
My findings so far are that: they look accurate
And
Favero state a +/-1% accuracy.
Here are three good charts for starters showing ASSIOMA (duo) vs Watteam Powerbeat (dual) vs WAHOO KICKR. Compared to the WAHOO KICKR, the ASSIOMA was +/-0w average and the Powerbeat +4w.
Along a similar vein, here, the ASSIOMA was 3w over on average over the KICKR.
Yep, and more, this time around Watopia, again 3w over on average. Nothing particularly stands out for the ASSIOMA on these tests. It just looks pretty solid.
So, 6 years on, the accuracy will have fallen, right? Nope. Check this out. I’ve got a pretty noisy drivetrain, which might explain some of these trivial differences.
GPLlama has quite a nice test that covers extended periods at 200w and 250w, followed by some short under/over sprints. It covers sensible power ranges most of us will encounter in everyday riding. You can click this link to explore the source data charts.
Note: One Wahoo element ran out of battery at about 18 minutes, so the replacement recording device started at that time.
Favero Assioma Alternative Review
The direct alternatives are listed in this review—namely the POWERTAP P1 and GARMIN VECTOR 2 (detailed review).
I can’t see why anyone would buy the Vector/Rally with the same accuracy but at a greater price.
Your other alternatives are power meters in different places on your bike. These are a few:
- CRANK – single- or double-sided solutions exist, e.g. STAGES, 4iiii. These can be ones where you buy the crank, have your crank retrofitted, or where you stick sensors onto your cranks. Moving a single-sided crank between bikes is easier than you might think, but changing pedals is much easier, in my opinion.
- CRANK SPINDLE – ie the bit that both cranks fasten onto that goes through your bike. Changing that requires a compatible bike width and compatible bearing diameters. It can be simple…or not.
- An insert between the pedal and crank, e.g. LIMITS
- REAR WHEEL HUB – eg Powertap
- NOVEL solutions – e.g. POWERPOD (opposing forces) or shoe-based systems.
SUPPORT – Assioma Review
I have been given excellent and detailed support as and when requested. Then again, Favero knew I was doing a review, so it was impossible to extrapolate that to the entire customer base.
PROBLEMS Found In Assioma Review
I’ve tried to put the battery charger on the wrong way around (sigh), but that’s all. After only a few weeks of use, I’ve not encountered any problems of note as and when, and if I do, I will update this section.
These are things I will be specifically watching out for
- Durability – the previous bePROs were fine for well over a year but then started to look a bit ragged after the cumulative effect of numerous knocks began to show (but still worked fine). The ASSIOMAs are supposed to be MORE durable. Let’s see.
- Power Balance – I have an asymmetry issue, but I have also noticed some inconsistencies with the bePRO’s power balance over the years. Maybe that was due to recalibrations through firmware and dangling weights from the pedals! – I did those with the bePRO, but they are not required for ASSIOMA.
- I seem to have issues with Garmin picking up the ASSIOMA once the signal is lost, although it only appears to be with Garmins. Reboot the Garmin, and all is good. (Although it’s not good when you’ve just come out of T1…grrr).
PRICE, AVAILABILITY & WARRANTY
There is a 2-year warranty (UK), and in all my dealings with Favero, and all the dealings with Favero that I hear other people have had, they are out to make friends. Warranties in different countries might differ.
Favero Prices: | Eu RRP | Typical UK RRP | USA RRP |
ASSIOMA DUO | £699 | ||
ASSIOMA UNO | £439 | ||
ASSIOMA UNO UPGRADE |
DISCOUNTED LINKS IMMEDIATELY BELOW: These should be the cheapest deal you can get (if not, they will be VERY close to the most affordable).
>> Current Pricing: link <<
Favero discourages discounting. In Europe, the link above will take you through to the UK/EU options – depending on exchange rates, they usually have the best price (check club deals)
RECOMMENDATION & SUMMARY
Whichever way you look at it, a consistent/accurate power meter will cost you the same as an essential, budget bike or top-end Garmin Fenix or Edge. If you are going to buy a power meter based on this Assioma Review, then you are already happy with that fact.
The cost consideration then comes down to what you can afford, what you are willing to spend, and if you have a specific need that requires the power meter to be situated in one particular place on the bike.
Next comes the accuracy criteria. Even if you can afford multiple excellent power meters, ask yourself if they will all report the same consistent power. I doubt it. It’s similar, but I doubt the same.
Most power meters, including the ASSIOMAs, have stated accuracies of 1-3% or thereabouts. One brand could be +3% and your other -2%..that’s 5% difference or somewhere between 5w and 20w for most people.
So, is accuracy really that important? For a multiple power meter solution, it probably is essential. But for most people, “consistency is king”. I would argue that a transferable SINGLE power meter is the most accurate solution—especially one like the ASSIOMA, which claims to be consistent as temperatures change.
If you are looking for advanced cycling dynamics metrics, then the Garmin Vector 2 or Vector 3 is your choice. I don’t buy into the usefulness of the advanced cycling dynamics, and, as I have pointed out, the ASSIOMA produce the base-level cycling dynamics anyway, i.e. L|R/TE/PS Vectors (technically, they are standard ANT+ power-related metrics).
For the mass market at which ASSIOMA is aimed I HAVE NO CONCERNS
Edit: A personal area of concern for me in this Assioma Review WAS oval/elliptical chainrings. With the April 2018 firmware, this concern goes away.
It seems sensible that most of us should rely on one readily transferable technology between our bikes. You might use the Powertap or Garmin alternatives if you have the money. If you need super-accuracy and super-consistency, then there might be a better choice for a power meter located elsewhere on the bike.
For very many of us the ASSIOMA are a very convincing ‘buy’ – in my opinion.
This review took a considerable time to prepare and write. Hopefully, you benefitted from it in some way. Thank you for any support you want to give.
DISCOUNTED LINKS IMMEDIATELY BELOW: These should be the cheapest deal you can get (if not, they will be VERY close to the most affordable).
>> Current Pricing: link <<
I couldn’t agree more, I’veI messed with Garmin vectors for years from the 1s and 2s and so was reluctant when I bought these, I only bought the single sided version for fear that they wouldn’t be that reliable…. I’m looking to upgrade because they have been excellent.
Hi the5krunner, completely agree with Assioma being reliable and have been working well on my bikes for over a year. I went from Powertap P1 to Assioma and never looked back.
Just wondering what power difference you’ve found with oval chainrings. I compared round and non-round chainrings on the same bike using Assioma and Neo (as control) last winter. Assioma were reading around 5% higher on non-round chainrings compared to round ones.
yes i did exactly what you did (eliptical outer, round inner).
it was about 3%, i tried to control for cadence as well.
https://the5krunner.com/2017/08/31/power-with-ovalelliptical-chain-rings-an-anecdotal-40-minutes-with-3-pms/
Favero say their tests do not tally with mine
also: https://the5krunner.com/2018/04/24/assioma-new-v2-firmware-for-super-accuracy/
The test seems to have been done when the pedals were not compatible with oval chain rings.
On 2017 there was no update for IAV power.
IAV released here: https://the5krunner.com/2018/04/24/assioma-new-v2-firmware-for-super-accuracy/
I had beta before that
you might be referring to this https://the5krunner.com/2017/08/31/power-with-ovalelliptical-chain-rings-an-anecdotal-40-minutes-with-3-pms/ which WAS produced before IAV
I have done other tests that I have not published, hence my assertion. you have to weigh up my assertion based on unpublished experiences versus Favero’s published scientific paper.
I would be intrigued to learn of others’ experiences with ovals and IAV (mine are ROTOR and set to quite an extreme position)
My only complain about the Assiomas (DUO) I have is: Weak ANT+ signal.
I have many dropouts. I’ve contacted Favero, but they didn’t want to follow my testing results.
https://analyze.dcrainmaker.com/#/public/00b5195f-951e-4065-6d87-4427bcc3a9ca
which head unit/watch?
E1K, FR935, F3, F3HR
did you try putting the receiver close to the PM? to see if it is a factor of weak signal due to distance
are the results the same with the newer Garmin sensor hub.
Sure, I even did put devices in the bottle cage, just to double check if it makes any difference.
I tried Laptops (Windows and MacOS with different Applications), with passive and active USB cables and even the Tacx Antenna. I tried two different Android devices with built-in ANT+. Our other power meters (P2M, Vector2) do NOT fail that much. Vector2 have the strongest signal (and never fail), PM2 is in the midrange (and fails sometimes too) Tacx NEO 1 (T2800) is strong, but fails sometimes too (but that has another reason; I think). ANT+ dropouts can be (read: are) a bit tricky as the summary of many little things… well you know it. The New Grrmin sensor hub makes no difference.
There are some ANT+ tools for Android. They can show the signal strength… Assiomas (at least the pair I have) show always the lowest signal – especially compared to my other devices.
During workouts I‘ve seen that the signal constantly build up and then they suddenly they drop to one or near zero. That‘s an ongoing thing, but happens only with the Assiomas.
(My) Assiomas have very low transmission power. Maybe FW update could fix (boost) that, but for that Favero would need to acknowledge – support was chatty and responsive, but not into a solution.
and you have a replacement pair to show it’s not just a one-off?
if so, i can’t see how it’s ok on other bikes…I assume your bike is the same size!!
Favero (and my dealer) gave me no opportunity for a replacement unit to check against it. And no, I‘m not going to buy a second pair just to see if it‘s only a one-off.
if the ‘fault’ developed within a year then surely you can return it to be fixed?
it has to be up to the job.
at least that’s how it is in the uk
2 years in the EU?
Dropouts due to „weak signal“ (can be hardware or firmware) is something difficult/subtile… I know this game (company and/or dealer is playing 🙈🙉) well enough.
#ebay
😂
I broke down and bought the Duo. Setup was relatively easy, just waiting for a good day to take out the bike.
every day is a good day.
Work+where I live= Hope things correlate.