Power Meter for Endurance MTB - Quarq or Garmin XC200?

Triathlon Forum
1

Cost would be relatively similar - either quarq with rings, or pedals + separate purchase of new chainring.

So tell me:

  • Under what circumstances would you go with one versus the other?

On one hand: Pedals gives me option to switch between bikes (likely picking up a gravel bike at some point). And more info (actual left / right power and cycling dynamics - for whatever benefit that may turn out to be).

On the other: I’ve heard that pedals can have issues with in bad weather etc (how material that is who knows).

  • I have a quarq on my tarmac now and have never had an issue - perhaps that’s driving my hesitation to try something new *
2

Not one of the options you said, but I’m a real big fan of Power2Max. I currently have three of their power meters and had two others in the past that I sold with bikes. Never had an issue other than changing the battery a couple times a year.

I do not have a pm on my mountain bike - if I raced it I may add one, but I don’t do that. I added one to my gravel bike earlier this year, and it was just a spider swap on my current crankset - very easy.

3

I have raced and coached all version of endurance MTB for 25+ years and had a PM on my MTB since about 2000.

In order id go;
-SRM crank based
-Quarq (I have this on 2 race bikes)
-Power 2 Max (as Nate said, works very well and affordable)
-lastly pedal based. Problem here is YOUR PEDALS HIT things in MTB events and with precise electronics inside this seems bad to me.

Hope that helps.

4

This does help - I hadn’t even though about that re: hitting items; duh!! (new to MTB and not doing too much technical yet versus dirt road and some easy trails).

5

good luck.

6

I have a P2M on my mountain bike.

It works very well. The only thing I would suggest doing is to tape the battery cover on. Mine came off in a spill one time, luckily I found it but wasn’t looking for it. Had I not stumbled across it, it would have been lost.

7

Is the squeaking that seems to come with every set of the Garmin pedals a feature or a bug? It’s definitely been funny to find myself riding in groups at gravel rides/events and have someone yell out “OK, who has the Garmin pedals?” just as I’m thinking the same thing :wink: .

:wink: