Hey gang,
Has anyone done the factory PT upgrade from wired to wireless?
Can you advise
Thanks,
Pete
I have gone wired to wireless twice. First to an sl+ and just last week to a g3.
I use my 910. Probably will acquire a 500 in the coming weeks.
I enjoyed losing the wires. They were a bit of a pain. Now I just slap the wheel on the desired bike and go ride.
I just recently did the upgrade. It worked out great, I wish I would have realized it was an option a long time ago. For $350 they replaced everything but the hub shell.
I’m using the Garmin 500 because I already had one. I only have 1 PT but the 500 will receive signals from multiple sources so there should be any issues with multiple wheels. I use it with a Quarq on another bike.
Yes, last winter
Yes it was worth it
Garmin 500…Good works all of the time
New Joule…I don’t recommend because of battery life and other stupid issues that were ignored on the PT thread.
Garmin 310xt …Works well but it’s a tri watch too.
Cannot use the LYC with the new PT electronics, Garmin 500 will take 3 sensors but I only have 2.
jaretj
I just recently did the upgrade. It worked out great, I wish I would have realized it was an option a long time ago. For $350 they replaced everything but the hub shell.
I’m using the Garmin 500 because I already had one. I only have 1 PT but the 500 will receive signals from multiple sources so there should be any issues with multiple wheels. I use it with a Quarq on another bike.
can you elaborate on this? what model did you have and what did they turn it into?
i have a Comp, the last of the best of the wired units. i contacted PT last year. they told me to send the unit and $700 and they would send me a G3. i contacted them again last month because of the recent price drop (you can buy a new G3 for $789). say said their upgrade program was still $700.
Dave
It was $350 to upgrade from the second generation hub to the G3 electronics.
Did you perhaps have the first generation hub shell?
jaretj
I had a wired Powertap SL. It was probably ~2009 vintage.
I sent in the entire wheel and they replaced everything but the hub shell with wireless. This was just last month and they charged me $350, I’m not sure why they would be quoting you $700. If it helps, they told me that they no longer repair the SLs but they just do this upgrade.
Same thing happened to me. I had a first generation that they said is no unable to get upgraded, nor supported. They offered me the same upgrade as you for 700. I opted for a used quarq and threw the wired pt on my road bike. The best thing about the older wired models are you can get most work done on them at the lbs, ie bearings replaced, not sure if you can do that with the newer models or they need to head back to cycleops.
huh. very odd. my PT was a 2009 comp. it looks like your picture.
perhaps the PT guys never understood what i was asking or maybe i didn’t understand what could be done. i sent an email based on jesse’s posts from the “official” thread. that was last year and confirmed this past August. i hoped the new lower price would help me.
Our Product Manager Jesse let me know that you were interested in a PowerTap upgrade. Here is how the program works:
Trade in your old hub and get the following prices on PowerTap G3 wheelsets:
G3 Alloy wheelset or hub only: $700
G3 Reynolds 46 wheelset: $1800
G3 Enve SES wheelset: $2900
I went that route when upgrading from a first generation PT but I sent my SL in (built in a Jet 90) and had the electronics replaced for $350. That was last December.
jaretj
The 700 is a new wheel set price for existing PT owners. $350 is to swap electronics into an existing hub shell.
dang. i would have done it for $350. Comps have that cool carbon fibre shell. i think they look better than the Gs.
i guess i didn’t ask the right question.
I had a wired version of one of these laced into my 808. Sent in to Wheelbuilder and I am not kidding you…within 24hours they sent me an email saying the upgrade was done.
Got the new G3 donut hub internals and still have the hubshell like you see below.
I do buy the Cr2032 batteries in bulk and before critical training rides and races go ahead and proactively replace the battery. When its 3.00 for 10 the .30 is worth the piece of mind to me.
cheers
S.
I had a wired Powertap SL. It was probably ~2009 vintage.
\
Did you send this to wheelbuilder or to powertap? I just want to confirm as wheelbuilder is right up the street from me.
Wheelbuilder. It’s my understanding they did all the work on site. Benny Szeto was my contact. I’m guessing that if they are terribly busy then there might be more time needed but since Kona just went off…
cheers
S.
Sorry to hijack but has anyone done this or similar in Canada? Orange Sport will only work through bike shops & won’t even give a ballpark estimate. Lambert never answers emails or phone calls.
if you do the torque test (or whatever that thing is called - getting old rules!) and you fall outside the acceptable range I’d bet you get better pricing. At least that’s what happened with me. It’s been a year or so but I think I paid ~$500 for the g3 wheelset.
Sorry to hijack but has anyone done this or similar in Canada? Orange Sport will only work through bike shops & won’t even give a ballpark estimate. Lambert never answers emails or phone calls.
That was my problem and the reason I never went through with it. I tried the Canadian route and was getting nothing. Went to a LBS and they guy tried to sell my $1800 carbon wheels instead of $400 to swap hub internals.
Wheelbuilder will do it for you. Costs much more since the cross border shipping is something like 50-80 each way. The Powertap ‘upgrade’ program is only available to US residents (send in a hub and get a completely new hub/wheel back). When I first looked into it, the PT was still around $1000, now they are $800 so the cost of swapping a hub doesn’t seem worthwhile unless it’s in a race wheel. I went with Stages and solved my wireless issues and my wheel choice issue 
The 700 is a new wheel set price for existing PT owners. $350 is to swap electronics into an existing hub shell.
Does the $350 include new bearings as well?
The 700 is a new wheel set price for existing PT owners. $350 is to swap electronics into an existing hub shell.
Does the $350 include new bearings as well?
My understanding is that everything is replaced except the hub shell. New axle, bearings, freewheel, electronics.