those of you using them. what are your thoughts? have you been happy with it?
Any recomendations for someone looking to get into training with power?
Good one, interested in this myself.
I’ve been using mine since april and I like it very much.
The user interface can be finnicky and annoying sometimes, but if you’re willing to learn how to use it it’s typically pretty simple to navigate. The key is to get it installed correctly and to offset (calibrate) it before every ride. It takes about a minute to offset it, but you need a bike stand or a trainer to really do it well.
If you get it installed correct and do the offset thing, it’s about as consistent as could be.
I had a hard time installing it with my internal cable routing, but that’s more my bikes fault (guru crono) than the power meter’s fault. If your cables run internal around the bottom bracket it’s difficult to install, but if they exit the downtube right before the BB as typical on many bikes, it’s not a problem.
They only measure power for one leg.
thanks for the responce, if anyone else has anything that they would like to add i am all ears.
Disclaimer : I am an SRM dealer!!! I dont want BurtsH20Bottle calling me out for some sort of alien mind trickery here!
I was really fired up for the new Ergomo, thought it would be a great option for my clients who could not afford SRMs. But! In the last 6 months, I have seen/heard of many problems with the Ergomo. Not limited to…BB wear (this is a wear item folks), Ergomo claims 10K I think, I have seen them “worn” at 3K. Installation nightmares (Rich Strauss seems to have good instructrions for the best install), High wattage readings (now, this is ok as long as they are consistent…just don’t post to ST that you rode 390w for a TT :-)), Firmware issues (not sure of the problem) and lastly, if you have a leg strength issue, the unit only reads on the left crank then “doubles” the output to get the watts.
I have sold 3 SRM’s to folks who currently own Ergomo’s for a lot of the above reasons. Just check the first 2 pages of the classifieds, I think there are 2-3 for sale there…so something is up.
My .02. Good luck with whatever power device you buy.
KP
this is the type of info i am looking for.
i would love an SRM but cannot afford right now, and PT is out as i race a disk.
So, it would seem the choice is clear.
this is the type of info i am looking for.
i would love an SRM but cannot afford right now, and PT is out as i race a disk.
Well, I just got talked out of a switch from my Ergomo to an SRM by my lbs, who carries both. He has had 2 customers make the switch this year and both reported that they noticed very little, if any, difference in the overall readings and reliability. Sure, the numbers were not identical, but, the consistency was the same with both units.
I wouldn’t try to argue that Ergomo is the best power meter out there. The SRM has it on a number of levels. However, I have to laugh at the number of people who try to pass off the Ergomo as junk. If installed properly, the readings are consistent. The software is far more user-friendly than SRM. I have had no issues with my Ergomo and I think it has made a tremendous difference in my training.
By getting an Ergomo, you certainly are not “settling” for a “substandard” unit (sorry Paulo, it really is a good product). You are getting a very useful, very helpful tool that will help you fine tune your training to get more out of your cycling sessions.
I changed my mind about Ergomo since I saw that all the people that are selling theirs say it’s a great product.
I loooove my Ergomo. I recalibrate before every ride, but I always get a boost of confidence after hard efforts. Like after an 8 mile TT on Saturday when I averaged 446 watts, or Coeur d’Alene when my NP was 337!
Though, my results never seem to match up. And for some reason my coach wants me to use his SRM from now on. But I looooove the ergomo…
;^)
I have one and am pretty happy with it. I have also had a PT and had a lot of problems with it dying out, plus the wheel choice was a problem. The Ergomo works well, is very consistant. Mine does not report high at all (I am actually suscpicious if it is a bit low right now), but so long as the numbers are consistant I wouldn’t care if it was high or low. Yes, it measures one leg, but I don’t see this as a prolem either. I just want a number to ride to. All things being equal (ie cost) I probably would go with an SRM…
I loooove my Ergomo. I recalibrate before every ride, but I always get a boost of confidence after hard efforts. Like after an 8 mile TT on Saturday when I averaged 446 watts, or Coeur d’Alene when my NP was 337!
Though, my results never seem to match up. And for some reason my coach wants me to use his SRM from now on. But I looooove the ergomo…
;^)
There are 4 or 5 of us in my training group that have them. None of us ever have out-of-whack numbers like that.
I think you’re coach is going about it the wrong way. He should really be looking at your position. 337 NP, how many spacers do you have under there? 
But it really doesn’t matter. As long as your power output is consistently really high…
I changed my mind about Ergomo since I saw that all the people that are selling theirs say it’s a great product.
As opposed to all those used SRMs that people are selling …
none…
Or Zipp wheels, Cervelo bikes, etc. Yeah- there all junk :P.
I have had my Ergomo for a year with no problems. I guess I am one of the lucky ones. By that I mean following the install instructions of course :). I couldn’t be happier with mine. I think it is a great unit and fills the cost void between the SRM and the PowerTap. Great software is a real bonus.
Where do you get info on recalibrating…I have an ergomo and I didn’t see anything in the manual on calibration…
Where do you get info on recalibrating…I have an ergomo and I didn’t see anything in the manual on calibration…
I think he’s talking about performing the offset test. I stopped doing mine often because the number never changes.
Have used my Ergomo for about 6 months:
- Installed it myself and it seemed pretty straight forward.
- Power seems very consistent in general, and for 4 months offset sensor was steady at 1012-1013
- Suddenly offset sensor dropped to 1006-1007 - not sure why.
- I like altitude with power and HR all in one. I did some post-ride comparison for average watts versus pace for segments in rides with constant grade, and it seems to compare very well to predictions on web-sites for my bike setup and weight.
- Customer support is so-so. I would like to know the equation for power as a function of beta,K-factor, twist in crank etc. For some reason Ergomo is not willing to share this information.
- Ergomo told me that one digit in the offset sensor is about 5 watts of power, so my 6 point drop is about 30 watts. I am not sure what could cause this since I have not touched the installation and the offset value does not seem to depend on temperature. I have seen people report that their offset value constantly drifts - that would worry me. I asked Ergomo what could explain the offset change, and only answer was temperature, but I can recalibrate on a cold morning and again immediately after a long ride in sunny weather and the offset value doesn’t change at all, and surely with friction and temperature increase that indicates that temperature is not the issue. I hope I do not have 30 watts lost in a blown bearing :o)
- All-in-all very happy with Ergomo, but is still trying to convince myself it is for sure accurate/consistent - again, my data indicate that everything is working fine, but on days when my power sucks I just wonder if… :o)