Quarq

SRAM Red 22 Power Meter Crank Arms - BB30

Quarq's SRAM Red 22 Power Meter Crank Arms benefit from all the same Exogram Hollow technology that informs the standard Red 22 crankset, but with the added functionality of Quarq's five strain gauges strategically placed throughout the spider in order to measure the Newton meters you're throwing into the pedals. Its claimed accuracy of +/- 1.5% means it does so with 0.5% more accuracy than most meters, and since it communicates to your head unit via ANT+ wireless, your current computer is likely already compatible with it.

The crank arms' proprietary Power Balance technology adds another element to these measurements by charting the power you're generating in both crank arms separately, so you can compare the two and identify weaknesses in both legs to target for improvement. And while Power Balance is nice, our favorite feature may be the ability to change the system battery yourself with a tool-free user replacement system. This means more time in the saddle and no need for backup cranksets while your main set is being serviced.

One issue that has plagued power meters since their inception is wildly variable temperatures in geographies where rapidly rising or falling mercury necessitates one or more mid-race zeroings. Even if it's just freewheeling for a few seconds or toggling through your head unit to the proper option, it can still be the difference between winning and losing. It's also obnoxious as hell.

The Red 22 Power Meter addresses this with the 10K dynamic temperature compensation feature, which is best described as an auto-adjust schedule that Quarq developed by mapping an estimated 10,000 data points to record how the unit responds to temperatures ranging from zero to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The gist of this is that it figures out the atmospheric details for you with minimal drift, so you can focus on turning the cranks, not babysitting them. We also now have some real-world testing to back this up, as AG2R's diminutive climber, Pozzovivo, wielded these exact crank arms on the snowy climb to Terminillo of Tirreno's Queen Stage.

The unit's internals can survive extreme conditions like that; the system is waterproof for 30 minutes while submerged under one meter of water. We suppose this will come in handy for those rare days when you decided to take your bike on the swim leg, too. The BB30-compatible Red 22 Power Meter also performs roles of traditional cycling computers, such as measuring cadence with an AxCad accelerometer. It's compatible with various training software, including Training Peaks WKO+, Training Peaks, Golden Cheetah, and Strava.