As each year passes the power meter market seems to get more and more exciting. With the widespread adoption of the ANT+ wireless transmission protocol, wireless power meters are no longer a luxury, they are the new standard.

The ANT+ protocol has introduced the ability to mix and match power meters and head units from different companies. The end result has been more options and perhaps more confusion. Hopefully this post will serve to help simplify the process of choosing a power meter. We’ll start by raising a few questions…

• Do you currently own a head unit that will support a power meter?
• Do you have multiple sets of wheels that you train and race with?
• Do you ride Shimano components and cringe at the thought of having a mismatched crankset?

Now that you’ve answered the above questions let’s dig a little deeper…

If you already have an ANT+ head unit you’ve just chopped a substantial amount of money off your purchase price for a new power meter. Let’s assume you’ve got the head unit and move on to the power meter itself.

CycleOps, SRM, and Quarq are the three companies you’ll want to get familiar with.

• Cycleops is the maker of Powertap hubs that measure power at the hub of a rear wheel. The great thing about the Powertap design is its portability between different bikes. The Powertap is also less expensive than the offerings from Quarq and SRM. The downside to the hub design is that your power meter is laced to a specific wheel. If you only have one set of wheels and plan to train and race on the same set then that’s less of a problem. If you train and race on different wheels then you’re missing out on recording your race data. Either you’ll need to purchase two Powertap rear wheels or you’re better off going with a Quarq or SRM. Not having the ability to record your race data is an absolute deal breaker in my mind.

• SRM is the grand daddy of the power meter scene and has the most established and time tested power meter design. SRM literally started the power meter market and continues to be the choice for most professional cycling teams. Because of their heralded history you can expect to pay more for an SRM than any other power meter. The SRM unit is housed in the crank and is available for a wide range of cranksets including Shimano. Obviously with the unit being crank-based you are free to swap out any wheels you choose. The downside to this design is that you might not have as much flexibility in using your power meter on different bikes. Unless you have the same bottom bracket across your arsenal, your power meter is going to be restricted to one steed and one steed only.

• Quarq is the youngest of the three companies but has built a great reputation in a short amount of time. Like SRM, the Quarq power meter design is housed in the crank and allows total wheel set flexibility. One unique characteristic of the Quarq power meter is the ability to quickly and easily swap out the battery. This is a small design touch that can make a big difference come battery change time. Currently Quarq doesn’t make a power meter for Shimano cranks which might be problematic for the uber fashion conscious cyclist. Although the newest of the power meter companies, Quarq has quickly gained a loyal following with a competitively priced unit and fantastic customer service.

So who makes the best power meter? The short answer to that question is that there is no “best” power meter. It’s up to you to decide which product most closely matches your specific criteria. The “best” power meter is the one that insures you are able to train and race with power as soon as possible!

Best of luck in choosing your power meter…