No power meters for SPD pedals?

pbassred

The simple answer would be to tell me that I'm wrong and suggest one. The second rate answer would be to tell me to use a crank system. Yes ok, but not the point.
Is there a reason why there are no pedal based systems for SPD pedals? I mean mountain bikers and Cyclecross think about power too (as well as doing the whole "walking" thing that roadies don't need to worry about).

dowtcha

Look, Garmin, polar and Powertap are the major 4 pedal passed power meters at the moment. All 4 are based on the keo as the patent has run out so garmin, polar and powertap can use that platform and look can not stop them. To the best of my knowledge their is no spd-sl or spd as shimano still has the patent and wont allow it. All major powermeter companies offer MTB meters just not pedal based.

meanredspider

Would you want a PM in an MTB pedal? The risk of a damaged pedal is a bit too high, I think, for people to want to consider it.

NeXXus

No but crank arm and spider options exist

Man Of Lard

meanredspider wrote:

Would you want a PM in an MTB pedal? The risk of a damaged pedal is a bit too high, I think, for people to want to consider it.

That - I've worn the bearings and spindle out on 4 sets of pedals so far - I'd be raging if any of those sets also contained a power meter. Cranks on the other hand, I've worn out (or otherwise killed) precisely zero of those (I have replaced cranksets when chainrings have reached EOL - but only because the price difference between the big ring replacement and a whole crankset gave me the small ring and a spare set of cranks for buttons...)

BenderRodriguez

A couple of other points. Current SPD pedals are very small and open-framed to aid mud clearance, so it would be hard to fit all the gubbins needed to measure power into the pedal. Also, on something like a Keo the strain gauges can directly measure the force applied through the cleat as the cleat bears the whole force applied by the foot when pedalling. In the SPD design the shoe also rests on the pedal and the cleat is more of a retaining mechanism, making the measurement of the pedalling forces difficult.

To me, these factors, as well as the need to preserve the ability to clear mud and so on, suggest that the SPD design simply isn't suitable for use as part of a pedal-based power meter system.