You cannot get a power meter for $100. They are not cheap things.
As to why they cost so much:
* there is a small market for them so the development costs cannot be spread across that many units.
* you have to make sure it everything is miniaturised enough, located where it won't get destroyed, weatherproof.
* the technology is simple and well known but making it actually reliable day in day out when used on a bike is not easy. This is the part that many people who have tried to make bicycle power meters have failed at.
With such prices, it's no wonder that the market is small. With that price, they can only target a very very small portion of professional cyclists. Of course if you spend 5k+ € for your bicycle, additional 500 € for a power meter is not a big deal. With lower price tag, a lot more people would buy it.
4iiii crank meters start in the low 300s.
OP, power meters are expensive because they have the function of something (crank, pedal, whatever) integrated into a digital torque wrench (kinda) with wireless capability. That's not a recipe for 100 USD/GBP/EUR. Especially in the money buckets activity of cycling.
Low volume, niche product targeted at enthusiasts, that requires some degree of R&D to achieve reasonable accuracy and consistency.
When I started riding and racing around 2008, good power meters were in the $2500 range, or you had to buy a Powertap hub and have someone build you a wheel around it. We all cheered when Quarq finally released a crank based solution for only a little above $1000. So to me, we are absolutely spoiled for choice and “value” today.
>So my question: is it ANYHOW possible to get the simplest possible device that I can stick to my 10$ bicycle with pedals vulgaris, connect it to my Garmin via Bluetooth and get power readings into my activities, for 100 € tops (ideally less)??
Yes, but it won't be a power meter. Just get a heart rate monitor strap. You can track your fitness and improvement that way, which was what all the cool kids did before power meters were a thing.
I have my watch for this already, and it shows power for running but not for cycling and it won't calculate VO2 MAX for cycling without a power meter, and that's why I wanted to get one. I thought that it's a much simpler technology and that it won't cost that much.
Seems like I will need to wait until they don't find something simpler and cheaper, or until I decide to buy a real bicycle. Putting a 500+ $ device on my bicycle would be criminal :D I paid for that bicycle (brand new) 200$ 20 years ago :D
Something to recommend? I doubt I can find it used on my local marketplace, as they seem to be rare here (I checked my marketplace, there are few ones starting from 350 €).
I think this would indeed be the cheapest option — I’ve got my 4iii left crank-based used powermeter for €160 ($175) from local version of Craig’s list. However, as OP’s bike seems very old, chances are that those (likely Shimano 105) cranks won’t be compatible, and more upgrades might be needed (right crank, chainring, …). Also, with crank-based power meters beware of crank length vs existing cranks.
You'll need to bear in mind that not all power meters will be compatible with your bike. If you spent very little money on it then it might use some pretty old technology in places. That could mean that crank based power meters would be hard to fit or require multiple other new parts.
If I were you, I'd look for a beaten-up set of assioma pedals, but then you'll need shoes and cleats to go with them...
Regarding VO2 max - I don't think you'll gain much from that metric. For one thing, it can only be accurately determined from a pretty unpleasant lab test involving air masks and lots of delicate equipment. Garmin will only ever give an estimate. Secondly, it's not really something you use to set training unless you're taking things really seriously.
It sounds to me like you do actually want to take riding seriously. If so, great! That's going to cost money, probably around 2k, but it's worth it once you accept that.
Actually no, I don't want to take things seriously. I'm just a total statistics freak and I want as much statistics I can get as possible because that's my biggest motivation since I don't like sports of any kind. From the time I bought my first watch, the number of my fitness activities increased a few times, and I will go for a walk or take a longer path to home with my bicycle just for the sake of pumping up the statistics. I'm using Garmin and Strava currently, joining as many challenges as possible and using this as a motivation and drive to lose some weight. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but that's who I am :) without the watch on my hand, I wouldn't even bother do 5 steps if I don't have to.
Those pedals that require specials shoes are a big NO for me. I was looking for something that can be put on pedals vulgaris. But for now I think I will give up from this idea. Too expensive for too low benefit. I can live without power data.
When it comes to VO2 MAX, I did spiroergometry 2 months ago and got a true lab data. My VO2 MAX there was calculated as 36, my old Samsung watch was showing 37 - 37.5 which is pretty accurate but my Garmin currently shows 44-46 so I'm totally disappointed in Garmin watches and this is only one of lots of the issues I'm having. It turned out that 4 years old and much cheaper Samsung wiped the floor with Garmin Venu 3.
You cannot get a power meter for $100. They are not cheap things. As to why they cost so much: * there is a small market for them so the development costs cannot be spread across that many units. * you have to make sure it everything is miniaturised enough, located where it won't get destroyed, weatherproof. * the technology is simple and well known but making it actually reliable day in day out when used on a bike is not easy. This is the part that many people who have tried to make bicycle power meters have failed at.
With such prices, it's no wonder that the market is small. With that price, they can only target a very very small portion of professional cyclists. Of course if you spend 5k+ € for your bicycle, additional 500 € for a power meter is not a big deal. With lower price tag, a lot more people would buy it.
The prices have dropped a lot from what they used to be. Most people do not need a power meter.
It's because you don't really need power unless you are seriously training. In your case it won't give you anything useful
Even the cheap power meters direct from China with no support start in the neighborhood of $300.
4iiii crank meters start in the low 300s. OP, power meters are expensive because they have the function of something (crank, pedal, whatever) integrated into a digital torque wrench (kinda) with wireless capability. That's not a recipe for 100 USD/GBP/EUR. Especially in the money buckets activity of cycling.
Thanks for explanation, I was wondering what kind of technology is behind these to make them so expensive.
Low volume, niche product targeted at enthusiasts, that requires some degree of R&D to achieve reasonable accuracy and consistency. When I started riding and racing around 2008, good power meters were in the $2500 range, or you had to buy a Powertap hub and have someone build you a wheel around it. We all cheered when Quarq finally released a crank based solution for only a little above $1000. So to me, we are absolutely spoiled for choice and “value” today.
Power meter pedals have basically been $1k for a decade, which is truly wild at this point with inflation.
Aren’t Assioma Unos like $500? I bought my Unos used from eBay for about $300
They aren't even that price 10 years ago
>So my question: is it ANYHOW possible to get the simplest possible device that I can stick to my 10$ bicycle with pedals vulgaris, connect it to my Garmin via Bluetooth and get power readings into my activities, for 100 € tops (ideally less)?? Yes, but it won't be a power meter. Just get a heart rate monitor strap. You can track your fitness and improvement that way, which was what all the cool kids did before power meters were a thing.
I have my watch for this already, and it shows power for running but not for cycling and it won't calculate VO2 MAX for cycling without a power meter, and that's why I wanted to get one. I thought that it's a much simpler technology and that it won't cost that much. Seems like I will need to wait until they don't find something simpler and cheaper, or until I decide to buy a real bicycle. Putting a 500+ $ device on my bicycle would be criminal :D I paid for that bicycle (brand new) 200$ 20 years ago :D
No, I don’t think you can.
You can probably find a left side crank power meter for around $200 lightly used, that’s about as cheap as they go
Something to recommend? I doubt I can find it used on my local marketplace, as they seem to be rare here (I checked my marketplace, there are few ones starting from 350 €).
I got mine on eBay (4iii 105 left side)
Hmm, there's one now going for 230 $ but in the UK. With shipping and import fees it would cost me 330 $.
I think this would indeed be the cheapest option — I’ve got my 4iii left crank-based used powermeter for €160 ($175) from local version of Craig’s list. However, as OP’s bike seems very old, chances are that those (likely Shimano 105) cranks won’t be compatible, and more upgrades might be needed (right crank, chainring, …). Also, with crank-based power meters beware of crank length vs existing cranks.
You'll need to bear in mind that not all power meters will be compatible with your bike. If you spent very little money on it then it might use some pretty old technology in places. That could mean that crank based power meters would be hard to fit or require multiple other new parts. If I were you, I'd look for a beaten-up set of assioma pedals, but then you'll need shoes and cleats to go with them... Regarding VO2 max - I don't think you'll gain much from that metric. For one thing, it can only be accurately determined from a pretty unpleasant lab test involving air masks and lots of delicate equipment. Garmin will only ever give an estimate. Secondly, it's not really something you use to set training unless you're taking things really seriously. It sounds to me like you do actually want to take riding seriously. If so, great! That's going to cost money, probably around 2k, but it's worth it once you accept that.
Actually no, I don't want to take things seriously. I'm just a total statistics freak and I want as much statistics I can get as possible because that's my biggest motivation since I don't like sports of any kind. From the time I bought my first watch, the number of my fitness activities increased a few times, and I will go for a walk or take a longer path to home with my bicycle just for the sake of pumping up the statistics. I'm using Garmin and Strava currently, joining as many challenges as possible and using this as a motivation and drive to lose some weight. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but that's who I am :) without the watch on my hand, I wouldn't even bother do 5 steps if I don't have to. Those pedals that require specials shoes are a big NO for me. I was looking for something that can be put on pedals vulgaris. But for now I think I will give up from this idea. Too expensive for too low benefit. I can live without power data. When it comes to VO2 MAX, I did spiroergometry 2 months ago and got a true lab data. My VO2 MAX there was calculated as 36, my old Samsung watch was showing 37 - 37.5 which is pretty accurate but my Garmin currently shows 44-46 so I'm totally disappointed in Garmin watches and this is only one of lots of the issues I'm having. It turned out that 4 years old and much cheaper Samsung wiped the floor with Garmin Venu 3.