You bit the bullet and upgraded your drivetrain with the new Ultegra 8000 last year, and you're loving the smooth shifting and lightweight feel, but looking for new ways to push your training a little bit further. You've debated delving into dual-sided power meters before, admittedly grazing over them when you saw the astronomical prices — and we don't blame you, but now with the help of the Stages Cycling Shimano Ultegra R8000 Dual-Sided Power Meter Crankset you can push yourself further, making every training hour count, while maintaining the sleek aesthetic of your Ultegra groupset on point. With data collected from both sides you'll find it easier to blast past your old PR's, learning your weaknesses from left to right, independently, so you can push through them to become a stronger cyclist than before.
The key behind this crankset is the little power meter pod affixed to the inner face of the non-drive side, and near the spindle of the drive side crank, which takes what originally was a standard Ultegra 8000 crankset to the next level, and adds the ability to gather pinpoint power data to better measure your ride. It utilizes a blend of strain gauges and an accelerometer to gather position and force data 64 times per second and deliver power readings with a claimed +/- 1.5% accuracy that's right in line with what we'd expect from any quality power meter. Since this model comes with both a drive side, and non-drive side power meter you'll find that the data collected is improved, helping you pin point your strengths and weaknesses left-to-right, to train accordingly and push your power further.
For the gram counters out there, the Stages meter adds a miniscule 20 grams to each crank arm, which is a tiny concession to gain the massive data tracking and training specificity having a power meter affords. To put it in perspective, choosing the smaller safety pins the next time you don a race number should easily balance things out. This bilateral-measuring crankset runs off of a coincel battery, offering up to 200-hours of battery life. Since the meter sits externally on the cranks it's easy to swap mid-season without tools. The meter its self is well encased, earning an IPX7 waterproof rating to give you peace of mind if a storm breaks out on race day. When stormy weather rolls in, or the changing seasons cause the temperature to fluctuate, you'll be happy to find that the power meter has active temperature compensation to continually calibrate to the dropping and rising mercury on your ride, continuing to provide you with accurate data.
Daniel J.