Quarq

Cannondale Hollowgram SL Powermeter Crankset

Cannondale's original Hollowgram crankset was so light, stiff, and tough when it came out years ago that it was quickly recognized as one of the best ever made, by any company, period. The newer SL version made it only better. Look closely at the rides of bike über-nerds or connoisseurs of high performance anywhere, and you may even see some non-Cannondale machines hosting them. They're that good. So when Quarq and Cannondale teamed up to deliver the Quarq Cannondale Hollowgram SL Powermeter Crankset, based on Quarq's new Elsa powermeter platform, you can be sure that it's been a much-celebrated collaboration.

For Quarq's Elsa, we see a complete redesign over the last-gen Cinqo internals, with an emphasis placed on three key areas — weight, accuracy, and ease of use. The Cannondale Hollowgram SL version of the new powermeter platform handily addresses weight, given that it's already among the lightest crank on the planet, at any price point, in any material. This is in part because, as the name implies, the cranks feature a hollow construction. However, what isn't inferred is that the hollow cross-section design extends all the way to the new spider, reducing weight so much that the system begins to rival the complete crankset weights of non-powermeter sets. In fact, at 679 grams (172.5 arms), it's the lightest crankset Quarq has ever produced.

Elsa's innovation didn't stop at the crankarms. For a rigid crankarm attachment, the Elsa uses a newly designed, CNC-machined aluminum spider. All of the data-collecting electronics, and the system's battery, are housed in the spider. Quarq is calling this OmniCal, but you can call it liberating. OmniCal enables the powermeter system to collect data independent of the chainrings. You can swap out rings without affecting the accuracy of the system. And speaking of accuracy, the Elsa powermeter system operates on the powerful ANT+ wireless system with an expressed accuracy of +/- 1.5% — an accuracy improvement over the Cinqo Saturn's +/- 2%. Even more impressive is a new feature that we've only been witness to on pedal-based powermeter systems, Power Balance. Power Balance makes Elsa capable of capturing individual readings for the right and left drive strokes. You can measure your lateral distribution of power and adjust your training, position, or off-the-bike exercise routine accordingly.

Quarq's new Elsa interface also provides you with the advantage of incredible ease of use. Quarq has remedied a common frustration to powermeters: setup. Now, the Elsa's ANT+ ID is clearly visible and there's an LED indicator in order to make installation a simplified affair. Another big perk is the ability to change the system battery yourself. Unlike SRM Powermeter systems that require you to mail in your crankset for battery swap-outs, the Elsa features a tool-less user replaceable CR2032 cell battery. With a predicted 300 hours of ride time per battery, you won't have to be changing it too often.

The Quarq Cannondale Hollowgram SL Powermeter Crankset is available in the color Black and in 50/34-, 52/36-, and 53/39-tooth chainring configurations. The crankarms are available in 170, 172.5, and 175mm lengths. Please note that the crankset is only compatible with BB30 framesets. The crank uses high-end SRAM-made chainrings and is compatible with SRAM or Shimano 10-speed drivetrains. For CPU pairings, the Elsa is compatible with any ANT+ equipped head unit.