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Powertap C1: is it worth it?
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Does anyone know if the Oval Concepts 500 crankset found on a Kestrel Talon? I'm looking to enter the realm of power meters but with a budget I really want to know if it'll work 100% and if that's my best option for the price range.

EDIT: Can any C1 owners give me an honest opinion? I'm really interested in it but I don't know anyone personally that has used one. Would you recommend this or is there a better option in this price range?
Last edited by: JeffreyIThink: Dec 3, 16 15:18
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Re: Powertap C1 compatibility/worth it? [JeffreyIThink] [ In reply to ]
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Is it a compact crank? 110 BCD? 5 bolts? If the answer is yes to these questions, it will most likely fit.
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Re: Powertap C1: is it worth it? [JeffreyIThink] [ In reply to ]
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Bump for the edit. Any opinions?
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Re: Powertap C1: is it worth it? [JeffreyIThink] [ In reply to ]
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It's plug and play. Works without any fuss. Get probably 200+ hours per battery out of it.

Should have bought one last week when they were 525 bucks, though. Real steal at that price. Wish I could have bought a second for the TT bike.
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Re: Powertap C1: is it worth it? [JeffreyIThink] [ In reply to ]
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JeffreyIThink wrote:
Does anyone know if the Oval Concepts 500 crankset found on a Kestrel Talon? I'm looking to enter the realm of power meters but with a budget I really want to know if it'll work 100% and if that's my best option for the price range.

EDIT: Can any C1 owners give me an honest opinion? I'm really interested in it but I don't know anyone personally that has used one. Would you recommend this or is there a better option in this price range?

I've had mine for 15 months. I love it. It's super accurate compared to a Powertap hub, easy to install (you should use a torque wrench), and their support has been great when I needed them. I've had some water ingress issues, but they said it's not a widespread issue. I swap it between my road and TT bike in about 10 minutes.
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Re: Powertap C1: is it worth it? [nickwhite] [ In reply to ]
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I have really liked mine. Purchased for my road bike. It is easy to install and I like it transmits through Bluetooth smart and Ant plus. I would buy one again if needed.
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Re: Powertap C1: is it worth it? [JeffreyIThink] [ In reply to ]
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If the oval concepts 500 is 110BCD it should work, I have installed two of them on two bikes. One has worked flawlessly for about 14months. The other had problems where the battery would be dead after any ride in rain, this was ok because the bike it was being used on was not ridden that frequently in the rain, but then got to the point where the battery would be dead after each ride. Called Powertap, and sent it in, they replaced all electronics and got it back within 2 weeks of putting it in the mail to them. Very happy with Powertap's customer service and the C1.
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Re: Powertap C1: is it worth it? [JeffreyIThink] [ In reply to ]
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I would be wary of the C1 chainrings - I had two sets:
- first set lasted around 3 weeks before dying completely. Went back and were replaced under warranty;
- second set lasted all summer, but then started having a connection issue whereby they became unusable. Went back and got a refund.
Looking at the pod with the electronics/battery, I think it is simply not robust enough - flimsy plastic shell and a crappy rubber seal. If you look at DC Rainmaker's review in the comments there are a reasonable number of people having issues.

I would advise looking at the Qarq DZero AL - I just picked one up with my refund money for a similar price and they look a lot more solid, and the reviews are good.
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Re: Powertap C1: is it worth it? [ni31mo] [ In reply to ]
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I've had mine for a year without any issues.

I'd agree the pod and shell are lightweight plastic, but there's no force on those parts at all. It's essentially like saying your bike computer is too fragile. Not sure if you got the electronics wet (you mentioned the seal) or just had bad luck, but I couldn't be happier with my C1.

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Madison photographer Timothy Hughes | Instagram
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Re: Powertap C1: is it worth it? [nickwhite] [ In reply to ]
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nickwhite wrote:
I've had mine for 15 months. I love it. It's super accurate compared to a Powertap hub, easy to install (you should use a torque wrench), and their support has been great when I needed them. I've had some water ingress issues, but they said it's not a widespread issue. I swap it between my road and TT bike in about 10 minutes.

Could you share a bit as to why it's more accurate than the Powertap hub?
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Re: Powertap C1: is it worth it? [FatandSlow] [ In reply to ]
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FatandSlow wrote:
nickwhite wrote:

I've had mine for 15 months. I love it. It's super accurate compared to a Powertap hub, easy to install (you should use a torque wrench), and their support has been great when I needed them. I've had some water ingress issues, but they said it's not a widespread issue. I swap it between my road and TT bike in about 10 minutes.


Could you share a bit as to why it's more accurate than the Powertap hub?


It matched my Powertap. I never said it's more accurate, but numbers were very very close to each other. I rode the first month with the C1, G3 hub, and 2 ANT+ head units.

*editing to add that I originally meant "It's super accurate compared alongside a Powertap hub" - as I believe Powertap hubs to be pretty good.
Last edited by: nickwhite: Dec 5, 16 17:57
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Re: Powertap C1: is it worth it? [nickwhite] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the clarification, Nick.
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