MARKET SHAKE-UP: Stages Power Meters – Permanent Price Cuts

Stages, the Team-SKY power meter people of old, are PERMANENTLY cutting their prices by about 20% but up c40% in some cases.

On the face of it, this is a game-changer, especially in the entry-level section of the market. For Eu/$/£300 you can get a single-sided 105 crank with a pre-installed Stages power meter. That’s about $/Eu/£150 cheaper than a single-sided ASSIOMA pedal-based power meter and, for the sake of argument, about £/$/Eu100 more than a super-entry-level product like a PowerPod Lite.

So, it’s a compelling price for a ‘proper’ product, unless you have lots of bikes. Specifically compelling is the single-sided, entry-level option

● Shimano 105 R7000 Power Left $/Eu/€300
● Shimano Ultegra R8000 $/£350 and €400
● Shimano Ultegra R8000 Power Dual $730/£690/€750
● Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 Power Dual $1000/£940/ €1000

What to look for: You want the GEN 3 stages product range on the crank of your choice.

If you factor in a 10% discount (at least 12% from Wiggle in the UK, below) then the prices become even more attractive.

What’s wrong with single-sided? For 95% of cyclists, I don’t reckon it will make much difference if you get single-sided or dual. You will still get the same benefits from training with power. Having said that, if  you can afford DUAL then go for that.

Game Changer?: Yes, I think this is a game-changer as a proper manufacturer is now pricing products at sensible levels for a MUCH wider market. Others will follow suit and new entrants may well be deterred.

As you can see from the imagery, I’ve had the Stages Ultegra for a while now and it looks super-sweet. I’ll put up a review sometime along with the Stages Dash (also sweet and a proper  ‘contender’). Busy, busy, busy.