Shortly after the 5/2024 issue of TOUR went to press, a message arrived in the post that should make discerning Campagnolo fans breathe a sigh of relief: A power meter crank will be available for the Super Record electronic shifting system. In our long-term test, this was still one of our main points of criticism - with the competition from Shimano and SRAM, options for power measurement are a matter of course. Because the twelve-speed drivetrain works with its own gear ratio concept, it is almost impossible to fit other brands. The crank makes the already expensive drivetrain even more exclusive. The crank alone costs around 2000 euros. In return, the interior should offer particularly sophisticated and reliable technology.
Campagnolo powermeter: Many measurements for high accuracy
The measurement is carried out by 16 strain gauges in a finely blasted aluminium spider, which may be somewhat heavier than the carbon counterpart without measurement technology, but whose deformation can be recorded much more accurately. With the titanium axle, Campagnolo claims a weight of 656 grams, which would only be 70 grams more than the "pure" version without power measurement. The accuracy is said to be plus/minus one per cent, whereas two per cent is typical on the market. The position of the crank arm and the cadence are recorded by an in-built gyroscope - there is no need for a magnet or cadence sensor.
App update and cable trick
The device can be integrated into the groupset and the app via Bluetooth, and signals are sent to all standard bike computers via ANT+. The manufacturer specifies a battery life of at least five weeks or 500 kilometres under favourable temperature conditions. A specified operating range of minus 20 to plus 60 degrees Celsius and IP67 waterproofness is rather theoretical. The charging time is said to be less than four hours and the magnetic cable of the circuit fits.
Work in Progress
A functional update of the Campy 3.0 app is accompanied by the power meter, which allows the most important data to be read out and the energy level to be checked. A dedicated tour app or a kilometre counter for the individual components, as offered by the predecessor app, are still not (yet) on board the smartphone programme. A Campagnolo spokesperson assures us that they are working on this and that the functions should also be available again in the more modern myCampy 3.0 app in the short to medium term.
Jens Klötzer
Editor
