I would like to start riding with power. The more I look into this, the more confused I get. Someone give me the power for dummies cut to the chase. I am riding a Cannondale Slice, SRAM Red BB30 Crank, Flow 90 rear wheel. Just made the jump to the 910xt so I will not be getting a second dedicated bike computer as of now. Second bike is a CAAD 95 with FSA cranks. Any help sorting this out would be great. I was excited about the stages, but don’t think it is possible with SRAM Red.
Thanks
I would like to start riding with power…
Tell me more…
Stages will not work with carbon cranks. So, you are now looking at replacing either your rear wheel or crankset. I have a stages (Dura-Ace crankset). However in looking at all options I found the Power2max option to be the most economical if replacing crankset is required. This option, crankset replacement, will limit you to riding with power on one bike. If multiple bikes are required, you can go with Powertap rear wheel and easily switch wheel from bike to bike.
Once you make the equipment choice, I think riding with power is both fun and effective. Using www.trainerroad.com for workouts and trying to hit the targets and maintain them for the specified interval seems to make time on the trainer go fast.
Why cant I just get the same length crank arm just not carbon? What am I missing? Why wont that work?
This option, crankset replacement, will limit you to riding with power on one bike. If multiple bikes are required, you can go with Powertap rear wheel and easily switch wheel from bike to bike.
Not necessarily…in fact, in some cases swapping a crankset between bikes could be as fast and easy as swapping a wheel.
Once you make the equipment choice, I think riding with power is both fun and effective. Using www.trainerroad.com for workouts and trying to hit the targets and maintain them for the specified interval seems to make time on the trainer go fast.
I think you have this backwards, hence my original comment above.
I think it’s important for someone to figure out how they plan on using the tool, both in the immediate sense and also potentially in the future, before deciding what hardware best suits their needs. That process may allow them to realize that some initial constraints they may have put on their selections may not be necessary, or they may discover they’ve missed something that is actually important…or, by educating themselves about the use of the tool, they might discover they don’t want/need a PM at all.
Stages will not work with carbon cranks. Incorrect sir. You can use a rival arm with red cranks
Will that work if it is a BB30?
I thought the Rival arms were alloy. My bad.
Just my opinion but since you are just starting out with training with power, you could just use your trainer if you have one (buy one if not) and use the USB Ant stick that came with your 910XT and use trainerroad to do virtual power. This is what I have done and have really found it to be useful. It works for me because I do most of my cycling indoors - this may not be the case for you but it sure is an inexpensive way to experiment with power before dropping $ on an actual power meter. For the record, I am in no way affiliated with trainerroad, just a happy customer.
Anyway, I hope this helps!
Get a SRAM Red Quarq BB30 and swap it between your bikes if you want. Both of your frames should be BB30 (unless your CAAD 9-5 is one of the early models from back when they only offered BB30 on team order framesets).
Alternatively, get a Quarq Riken BB30 and swap it between your bikes if you want (a fair bit cheaper than the Red Quarq, and a good option if you don’t care about L/R power or a little weight).
Alternatively, get a Power2Max Rotor 3D+ and swap it between your bikes if you want (a little cheaper still than the Riken, and/or want a crank arm that’s outside the 170-175mm range offered on the Riken).
For those saying get a Rival Stages and put it on the Red crank – won’t work on the Red BB30 crank. The Rival crank arm fits on the GXP Red crank but not on the BB30 version.
Why cant I just get the same length crank arm just not carbon? What am I missing? Why wont that work?
There is no non-carbon crank arm that you can buy that will fit on your Red crank.
Thanks. Very helpful post.
Get a SRAM Red Quarq BB30 and swap it between your bikes if you want. Both of your frames should be BB30 (unless your CAAD 9-5 is one of the early models from back when they only offered BB30 on team order framesets).
Alternatively, get a Quarq Riken BB30 and swap it between your bikes if you want (a fair bit cheaper than the Red Quarq, and a good option if you don’t care about L/R power or a little weight).
Alternatively, get a Power2Max Rotor 3D+ and swap it between your bikes if you want (a little cheaper still than the Riken, and/or want a crank arm that’s outside the 170-175mm range offered on the Riken).
For those saying get a Rival Stages and put it on the Red crank – won’t work on the Red BB30 crank. The Rival crank arm fits on the GXP Red crank but not on the BB30 version.
Could go with the Stages Cannondale Si crank arm if I’m not mistaken? Also bb30 I think…
Could go with the Stages Cannondale Si crank arm if I’m not mistaken? Also bb30 I think…
Just because it’s BB30 doesn’t mean it’ll fit a Red BB30 crank. Not all BB30 cranks have the same spindle-to-arm interface. In fact I’d wager that most, especially from different brands, are different. The BB30 spec just defines the spindle length and diameter (and the corresponding bottom bracket dimensions), nothing more.
Oh ok, that part I wasn’t sure about. Re the OP, Cannondale Si w/ Stages (like with the full crank) would be a great though deluxe option. I might have done that if my road bike was bb30 too.
You speak wisdom (nothing new, but always worth noting)
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stages will not work with your right leg…currently.
Why cant I just get the same length crank arm just not carbon? What am I missing? Why wont that work?
There is no non-carbon crank arm that you can buy that will fit on your Red crank.
Are you sure? As I understood it, that is exactly what the SRAM Rival version of stages does. Says just so on the stages website:
(Note: Rival OCT GXP is compatible with Apex, Rival, Force, Red, and other Truvativ GXP models)
EDIT: My bad - just realized we’re talking BB30 here - so the Rival GXP won’t work of course.
So I guess for 2K. I could get a SRAM Red BB30 quarq power and the. I would have 2 SRAM red BB30 crank. 1 with power 1 without and swap them between road and Tri bike. Seems like that would work?
I just purchased my first power meter. I went with crank based, and with very limited DIY knowledge was able to install it myself pretty easily. It’s really not much more time to swap cranks as it would be swapping PT wheels (more tools involved). That said choosing the PM is the easy part. As it’s already been stated, it’s good to get an understanding of how you’re going to use the PM to your benefit. Thankfully my coach has taken care of that part for me, I just ask 100 questions to get an understanding myself. I got my quarq off flebay for the price of a Stages. Contacted quarq and asked questions prior to purchasing used. Their customer service is awesome, and I’d go that route again (fleabay or ST classifieds) if I had the chance. Just my experience if you didn’t want to drop $2k on a new one.