I wanted to update my power meter. I currently have a 10 year old power tap. I wanted to go with the garmin vectors and was considering going cheap and Getting the vector 3’s single sided pedal. Any thoughts on doing that vs running a dual? I am trying to stay on a reasonable budget.
Thanks
Brando
Yeah it’s always tough to find the best option on a budget. Each one will have good and bad sides.
So I don’t coach anyone who recently has used the Garmin pedals. However I have in the past and they always seemed to have consistency issues. I know the pedals use to have to be torqued correctly which was an issue. Also a pedal is something that will wear out over time as opposed to a crank arm or crank spider.
As for single or dual, single sided won’t be as accurate but consistency should be there which is the most important thing. As long as your one leg is always working at the same percentage compared to the other it shouldn’t be much of an issue.
A power tap is really consistent and reliable. So you may notice a difference in your power and FTP with a new system. Also the power tap uses power coming from the rear hub which is different than a pedal or crank based system.
For one single sided based power meters Stages as improved a bit over the years and I coach many who use those pretty successfully. I would recommend using something such as a Quarq. It might be a bit of investment at first but I’ve had the same one for several years with no issue. Also with being a FasCat Athlete you can get a possible discount through ExcelSports.
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Thanks for answering that. I kinda thought the pedals were a good idea just because I could change them around on the bikes. I gotta have relatable data.
So I have campy now that’s got tons of miles on it and needs reworked. It looks like I can go sram which I like by the way. And do force 22 then add a power quart power meter spider? Am I looking at that right. I have been outta the game the past 5 or 6 years
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You can use a Quarq power meter with any drivetrain. It will work. They do sell the crank\spider separate from chainrings now. So just make sure you get the bolt pattern you need and chain rings.
SRAM Force 22 is good and reliable. I used that for many years. Anything 5 years newer will feel really nice!
Hi @brandonmitchell - tell us your goal with regards to solving your powermeter dilemma. As you know we used to sell some 
If accurate to price is your goal - use your Excel Discount and look at what they have in SRAM offerings. Quarq is going to be really good but more pricey than Stages. Matching a Stage with your new SRAM cranks can be a thing to.
Here are all the powermeters that Excel sells:
https://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=7&major=3&minor=20
I’d like something lighter than the power tap so I could run a better wheel and hub. But I would like something reliable and Beas bang for the buck.
It would be nice for me to go sram because I will have a gravel bike with sram on it. So if I decided to do primarily gravel I could use it.
I never had any race data cause I never ran the powertap hub at a race due to the weight on the rear wheel.
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You could do the Quarq or even the Stages like Frank mentioned. If you get the same crankset for road bike that is on gravel bike (Force?) You could use the same stages left crank arm. I know not ideal taking a crank arm on and off, but it’s possible. Make sure they are the same length as well.
You guys aren’t worried about crank arms being single sided?
Thanks for you guys help!!!
Most people don’t have a huge discrepancy between left and right balance. It might not be 100% accurate but you should still have consistency which is most important. Is it ideal no. Can it work yes. The pedal system just tends to have a few more drawbacks such as setting torque correctly and pedals will wear out. We find the crank arm is just more reliable as far as one sided systems go.
Thanks guys that helps a ton. Going by excel today to have a talk with those guys and see what I can do.
Thanks
Brandon
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I have the Rotor 2INpower on one of my bikes and it works well. The crank arms are incredibly stiff (which I prefer).
Edit - I am currently running Quarq on the main bike now. Also very good. I agree with Jake’s sentiments above.
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Thanks Dinan for the input I decided on a quark. I went by excel sports and they hooked it up.
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Hi folks - I’m a Vector user through versions 1,2 and 3. As Jake says they have had teething issues in each rev. However the v3 version is really reliable now.
The v3 doesn’t need a torque wrench any more - just a standard pedal spanner.
They are superb for bringing to different places - I use them back and forth between Ireland and Massachusetts as well as around the USA on business with rentals. Much easier than cranks (and of course hubs). They also have Cycling Dynamics, if that sort of thing is of interest - I’ve a lot more things to improve before I worry about the minutiae of my pedal stroke 
One more thing,…Vegan Cyclist did a VLOG on this subject a wee while ago - he suggests a cheaper single sided pedal i hadn’t heard of before. Worth a look as it was also rechargeable rather than swapping batteries.
So, if multiple bikes is more important then a pedal system rocks. If it’s one bike, then Jake nails it.
happy riding everyone…
Aaron
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Thanks Aaron!
Good to hear the new Vectors are more reliable and user friendly. Have not had anyone on them in a while. Thanks for sharing.
I had Quarq since they first came out and trust me they had their growning pains as well! Any moisture, like riding in the rain and it be toast. Plus the little magnet that would move or fall off. But now just really dialed in and haven’t had an issue in years.
+1 for the Vectors.
I’ve been using the 2s for over 4 years and never had an issue.
Got a 3S (single sided) for a new bike and it’s had no problems. This is nice as you can upgrade to dual sided at a later date if you want to. It’s not the cheapest way to do it but it avoids the big up front cost.
My wife got a pair of 3s (dual sided)from Bike Tire Direct. They’re dual sided “refurbed” no fancy box but the pedals look brand new. $550 all in.
Both the 2s and 3s have a range of replacement parts so if you wipe out you rebuild the pedals.
They do show different outputs compared to my Kickr and at one time a Stages I had on the bike but the difference is consistent so I’m not worried.
Stock up on batteries too. Set a phone reminder to change them the first of every month. Prevention is always better than frustration!
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Hello Brandon! I am using the single side vector 2 for some time and its been pretty consistent with the data. Only issue with them it’s the torque thing when switching to a different bike, but bought a torque wrench for that. Since switching it between bikes it’s one of my main priorities I will continue using pedal base power meter and now they got really better since Vector 2, now we have different brand and they all very reliable and cheap.
Thanks Jairo!
I appreciate all the feedback! I ended up going with the quarq D zero. We will see how it goes should be in soon. The guys at Excel sports hooked it up! They are knowledgeable and helped make the decision. Along with every one here. I decided I would do another one with my gravel bike when I go to get it. I know it’s more than I wanted to spend. I hate screwing around with things that are hard to work with. It’s part of my stress reduction program. I went budget shoes and clothes. We will see how that works out.