LAS VEGAS, NV (BRAIN) — Stages, a Boulder, Colorado-based supplier to the fitness industry, is introducing a power meter that mounts on a left crank arm and retails for hundreds less than some other power-measuring options.
The 20-gram StagesONE device is sold with the left arm and is available for 14 models of aluminum cranks from SRAM, Cannondale and Shimano, for road, mountain bike (including downhill), BMX and track use.
While the device does not work on carbon cranks, in many cases a rider can substitute a matching aluminum left crank. Between the various models offered, the company has arms available for just about every bottom bracket option on the market.
The arm will sell for between $699 and $949, depending on the model of crank. The device is adhered to the inside of the arm with a high strength epoxy. The crank arm itself is not modified in what the company calls a “Non-invasive” procedure to attach the device.
The device communicates with various head units available on the market today, including Garmin computers, via the ANT+ wireless protocol. It also transmits on the Bluetooth SMART protocol, so that it can communicate with Bluetooth Smart enabled smart phones, which includes the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5.
The company has made and sold more than 7,000 power meters for stationary spin bikes that rely on similar technology. So it’s confident it can manufacture and deliver the new device as promised.
It will be sold consumer direct and dealer direct. The company also will provide its authorized dealers with a crank arm trade-in program that will make it more affordable to sell the device as a new bike add-on (and also prevent a surplus of left arms from accumulating). The trade-in program will only be available to authorized dealers, not consumers. The dealer can replace a new crank arm with a StagesONE arm, then return the unused new arm for store credit, which will vary according to crank model. Stages will use the trade-in arm to make a new power meter crank.
Stages expects to begin shipping the product in January. Watch BicycleRetailer.com and the Interbike Show Daily this week for more on the company and the technology behind the product.
More infomation: www.stagescycling.com.
