Stages Power Meter (L)

mrpbennett

Does anyone have any experience with Stages power meters? I looked at the quarq ones, but been introduced to stages. These look more versatile in terms of general fit.

I was looking at the left crank arm option which multiplies the watt by 2 to get your power output. I know that my pedal split is 52 / 48 % being quite close i cant see this being a problem.

Just wanted to see if we have any Stages users and their opinions.

imafatman

They are great when they work. You will however find plenty of people who have had problems over the years. I had two RMA's last year before I switched to another option.

That being said plenty of people say theirs work just fine so it's hard to say. Buy from a reputable company and be prepared to RMA if you get any problems within the first year.

StillGoing

If your choice is between Stages and Quarq, then Quarq every time.

slowbike

I have a Stages - it's a Gen1.

It has been reliable with just (iirc) 2 battery changes in the last 4 years. That said - it lives on my TT bike most of the time and I only move it to my road bike for a "significant" ride, bikes are stored inside. I haven't bothered with the firmware updates as it's working fine. It's paired via Ant+ and never by Bluetooth.

So it's had a pretty dry and perhaps easy life.

sloppyschleckonds

There is a really long thread somewhere about the unreliability of Quarqs, said no one ever

mrpbennett

philthy3 wrote:

If your choice is between Stages and Quarq, then Quarq every time.

Was looking at quarq but as I dont have sram cranks the spider wont work even thought it's compatible with Ultegra r8000 chain rings

I was looking at the following:

Quarq - https://www.quarq.com/product/quarq-dfo ... 1rw9sxu621
Stages - http://www.stagescycling.eu/shop/stages ... r8000.html

the reason for the above two is the price, i recently bought a new groupset and dont fancy changing the whole crank set. If the quarq would fit the Ultegra r8000 and have the ability to leave the ultegra cranks on there then ill go quarq.

Just new to the whole power meter thing but these two brands have been suggested to me. The Stages mainly for the ease of use and compatibility.

warrior4life

I've had 4 Stages over the years on different bikes, had problems with a gen 1 Rival version that got sorted (it just stopped working).
Apart from that theyve been great, I am careful when washing and try not to let Garage get too cold in winter.
I've had no qualms buying a new one last week, at the price and with the back up/warranty I have no problems.
Price, weight, ease of swithcing form bike to bike and reliability being not too bad are the reasons I've gone back.

They arent perfect but I do believe theyre worth the money.

supermurph09

People that knock Stages tend to be those in a position to buy something more expensive.

Gen 1 were well known for their water ingress, I had mine replaced with a Gen 2 and it's been faultless for 3 years. Admittedly when very cold (my bike is stored in a cold outhouse) you may need to change the battery a few more times but other than that the power has been consistent since day 1. When cleaning the bike don't be blasting a hose at it and you should have no issues.

Adrian Timmis from Cadence sport has done a few comparisons with Stages, Wahoo Kickr and a Quark (I think) and they were all pretty much exact in terms of power reading.

redvision

I have come to realise that as power meters have come down in price so has their reliability.
I have suffered failures with several different makes/types including stages, 4iiii, garmin vector 3 and the worst of the lot, the powertap p1.

Don't let the reports of failures put you off though. As mentioned above, some people are lucky and have no problems at all. BUT make sure you purchase from a shop rather than second hand, just in case you need to claim on the warranty.

bianchi_dave

Be aware that if you have (or intend buying) a bike with a direct mount brake mounted under the bb/chainstay, a Stages left crank power meter may foul against it.

bflk

I've got one on order. Bike is always kept indoors. Really looking forward to it.

MiddleRinger

If you do buy a Stages get a new Gen III one, not a second hand older model. Reliability seems to be improved somewhat from the early days where customers were basically beta testers. Personally I still wouldn't touch one of any generation, but you pay your money and take your chances!

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

There is a really long thread somewhere about the unreliability of Quarqs, said no one ever

^ This. If it's Quarq vs Stages. There's no comparison.

triggersbroom

I've had a Gen 2 for about 6 months now, it's been used all over winter in some really sh1t conditions and hasn't missed a beat paired to a Wahoo Elemnt. Battery has been changed twice in approx 2000 miles. Plus very easy to fit. I'd be happy to recommend one as a good budget PM.

timothyw

While it may not be right for you, I suggest looking at the Power2Max options - I received my NGEco power meter with FSA Gossamer Megaexo chainset last week, cost me about £450, and I never have to worry if my L/R balance is off (or that I've started favouring my left leg).

In my experience it's a straight swap for a shimano chainset, on the assumption that you are also using shimano bottom brackets (which have plastic sleeves so a bit more wiggle room for axle fit).

Not quite as quick to swap over as a stages, but still only a 10-15 minute job if you're on the same chainrings.

mrpbennett

I was looking at Power2Max this morning, I am generally looking a spider device so I dont have to replace my cranks.

The Power2Max doesnt seem to fit Shimano, so i looked at the stages crank arm as well as the Quarq DFour9 spider. Thing is about the spider power meters i am not sure if you need to replace the cranks (which i dont wanna do)

timothyw

On Shimano the spider is part of the cranks, so replacing the spider is a complete non starter for you I'm afraid.

mrpbennett

TimothyW wrote:

On Shimano the spider is part of the cranks, so replacing the spider is a complete non starter for you I'm afraid.

Well that bloody sucks! Stages crank arm it is then. I would be buying it brand new so hopefully get the best version of its self