At a Glance: Quick Ratings
Ease of Installation
Value for Money
Battery Life
Ease of Battery change
Where To Get It
A Deep Dive Into Powertap P1 Pedals
The Powertap P1 power metering pedals have been reviewed by Tristan Haskins for Power-Pedals.com. Currently one of the most popular power metering options with all the main cycle superstores. At Wiggle for instance this product has received 48 x 5/5 Star Reviews from genuine customers (as of April 2021). The pedal based power meters are very easy to install with no special skills or tools required. Their ease of installation in no way compromises their accuracy or reliability. The objective of this product presentation is to provide an overview of what the product does, who’s it for, how easy it is to fit and how much it costs.
Pros & Cons
The Powertap P1 pedals are for the cyclist looking for a combination of accuracy, efficiency, feedback and ease of installation. Ideally suited for the cyclist wanting to fit the product themselves without the need for specialist tools or bike mechanic skills. They are also great for customers looking to swap them from one bike to another. The cyclist who buys the PowerTap P1 is probably a competitive / club cyclist seeking to improve their performance and power over speed/endurance events.
Method of Installation
Fitting these power meters is what makes them so popular. The simple one-piece design easily mounts to any crank and does not require calibration nor installation angle setting, providing a true ”plug-and-play” experience. From receiving them to going for a ride should only take about 30 minutes. It’s simply a matter of removing your existing pedals with an Allen key, clean and grease the crank arm and fit your new pedals. Pair them up with your ANT+ or Bluetooth compatible head unit … you are ready to ride.
Tools Required to fit this Power Meter
- Allen key set
Alternative Power Meters
If the dual sided power metering and ease of installation attracted you to these PowerTap P1 power pedals then the obvious alternative are the Garmin Vector 2 pedals. However, the PowerTap P1 system has the advantage of NO EXTERNAL sensors / components. If budget is an issue Powertap offer their SINGLE sided version – the Powertap P1S is approx 40% cheaper than the dual sided option. It comes with TWO pedals, but only ONE has the strain gauges, thus providing only TOTAL power (no left/right balance) The Garmin Vector 2 power pedal is also avalable in either DUAL sided or SINGLE sided power metering options. The Vector 2S (single sided) costs approximately 40% less than the dual sided version.
Technical Specification
Features
- Highly accurate and reliable power meter
- Easy to install and easy to use – can be easily and quickly swapped between bikes
- Can be mounted on any crank
- Crash resistant aluminium casing
- Detailed data collection, including right and left leg measurement
- Compatible with ANT+ enabled head units and Bluetooth SMART devices
- Data is not skewed by environmental factors such as temperature
- 2 year PowerTap warranty
Specification
- Weight: 398 grams
- Thread type: 9/16″
- Cleat: Red, 6 degree floating
- Spring type: Adjustable Elastomer
- Release tension: 6-20 Nm
- Stack height: 14mm
- Q-Factor: 53mm (measured from crank to pedal)
- Lean angle: 16 degrees (based on 175mm crank length, 75mm BB drop and 147mm Q-Factor crank)
- Firmware updates: Over the air
- Battery: AAA
- Battery Life: 60 hours
External Videos
Installing the Powertap P1 Pedals
A short video presentation from Powertap showing how easy it is to install the Powertap P1 pedals to your bike.
Pairing the P1 Pedals
A short video presentation from Powertap themselves showing how to PAIR the Powertap P1 pedals to a cycling computer.
External Resources
The purpose of Power-Pedals.com product presentations is to give the visitor a summary overview of each power meter. They are NOT intended as an in-depth technical review, more a summary providing essential top level features, functions, pros and cons. Further information can be found at these links to other external reference sites.
- Powertap P1 FAQ’s (external site)
- BikeRadar Powertap P1 Review
Product Summary
All of the clever electronic components are located inside the pedal in a protective aluminium casing. This makes the Powertap P1 pedals crash resistant. With regard to compatibility with bike computers, wrist units and smart devices, the P1 features dual band ANT+ and Bluetooth SMART. Data recording is accurate to within +/- 1.5% and isn’t skewed by environmental factors such as temperature. The Powertap P1 provide genuine bi-lateral power assessment with both legs being measured independently ….
Note > the P1 is also available as the Powertap P1S – same design but cheaper as power is measured from LEFT side only.
