2018 Specialized Diverge and Roubaix. Want power meter. Only thing available is pedals? Advice

I currently own a 2018 Specialized Roubaix elite with a rs510 crankset and am looking at buying a 2018 Specialized Diverge comp with a praxis alba 2D crankset.

I would like to get a power meter for both bikes. I can get a 4IIII’s for the Roubaix but nothing at all exists for a praxis Alba 2D in the market place that I can find.

So today I started thinking about the favero assioma pedals. Until now Ive only every used Shimano spd pedals or flats. Should I buy some look keo easy clipless pedals for $40.00 to try them out. Are they hard to use. Any downside in switching from spd to look pedals. Any reason to not run them on a gravel bike. I have no experience at all with any road pedal ever. Just nervous about the change.

thanks much.

I’d see if the shop would be willing to swap out the crank for a model that has a removable spider or one that fits the 4iii

Thx. The problem is that there is the sub compact of the crankset. The rings on the diverge are 48-32. Shimano does not make a 48-32 compatible crankset. I could go 50 34 I guess.

For a gravel bike, road pedals will technically work, but if you have to walk at all it is going to be a bad experience. On MTB pedals, the cleat is recessed so that you can walk around like normal shoes. On road shoes, the sole is completely smooth and the cleat sticks 4-5 mm off of the sole of the shoe, so you’re basically tip-toeing around on the cleat.
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For road, it is not a big deal since you are walking very little and on smooth surfaces, but on gravel, where you may need to walk a rocky or muddy section, they are not the best choice.

I think @stevemz has the right adea with seeing if you can swap out the crankset for something more power meter friendly :slight_smile:

If you can swap for the Praxis direct mount crank, you can run a spider based NGeco 110bcd and get the rings you need.

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Seems that the only thing to do is 2 different power meters. That’s what I was trying to avoid. I’d have trouble giving up my comfy mtb shoe’s. I really should have thought of that.

If you have a smart trainer (or a friend with one), I’d just take a morning and benchmark both power meters to see how close they are.

I did this since I run a Quarq on my road bike and a P2M on my mountain bike. They were only around 5w off from each other, so I just don’t sweat the difference. I do all of my testing and structured training on the Quarq and all of my racing on the P2M.

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One option I have looked at include using a shimano crank set like a 105 or Ultegra, with a left only crank from 4iiii or stages. On the diverge, you could try replacement absolute black chainrings to get back to a sub compact if needed.

I use 1 PM on 2 bikes – both have ultegra 50/34 and I use a stages. Takes <4 minutes to swap, including pedals.

There may be other options out there - I think Easton (super expensive) has a direct mount with smaller rings. And Praxis, as mentioned above. I think FSA too…The key is to have the same crank type/brand on both bikes - it may still have some $ over 2 PMs.

I would not run road shoes on a gravel bike.

Yup. Thats the ticket. I can swap out to a ultegra 6800 crankset (105 wont work) and then get the absolute black oval ringset ( I think they only come in oval) and then I can get a 4iiii’s left side power meter and move it back and forth.

I was thinking the pedals as then I would have both side power, but then I’m 50 and I’m just doing this for fun mainly although with Nate’s example and inspiration I am going to try crit racing this year!

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cool cool. Interested why 105 won’t work — technically or just for you?

Just went through this with a crux. I ended up finding a used quarq, swapping BB and the front end of the drive train.

Pedals won’t work great with walking but other than that will be fine.

Ever consider a powertap hub or powertap chainring

Easton has their Cinch bottom bracket based power meter that works with their EC90 cranks. The EC90 has a 47/32 gravel chain ring combo available. I’ve seen it on a bike but haven’t ridden it.

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Actually 105 will work. I just need the fc-5800 series of 105. The company told me only 6800 worked and that’s ultegra. In a follow up email he mentioned the proper 105 model.

As @Bryce said they’re fine for gravel, unless you have to walk a lot in mud. I’m running the Assioma on both my road and gravel bike and it works like a charm. I don’t ride my gravel bike in deep mud or things like that, it’s mostly, well, gravel and road with a bit of none technical singletrack once in a while (grass or gravel trail) - so road cleats aren’t a problem then.

All in all, I’d go with the easier, and imo better option of pedals, it’s just so much more practical if you want to train on both bikes etc.

I wonder why they said only those versions would work. I just bought a 5800 105 stages left side PM and fitted it to my 13 year old 6600 Ultegra crankset without any issues.

The reason is to add absolute black chainrings to the crankset. I think that’s the only way to run 48/32 rings on the bike. That way I can have shimano cranksets on both and get one power meter arm and move it back and forth on the bike. Thinking about it If I just find a 50/34 and crankset ill run it like that and see if I actually need a 48/32 setup. Last year I did a race on a 46/36 with a 11-28 on the rear through the mountains and I definitely did not have the gearing for the mountains. With this setup 50/34 and a 11-32 I might be ok.

Does anybody know how the 4iiii meter handles non-round chainrings?

I think GPlama’s last review on 4iiii’s might of said you can configure it in the 4iiii’s app.

I actually phoned 4iiii’s. They have an offset setting that you can configure through the 4iiii’s app. Unfortunately they do not have profiles or anything to save it but it would be a simple setting change in the app each time I moved it from the roubaix to the diverge IF I went with oval 48-32 rings instead of just running the shimano 50/34. The more I’m thinking I will run the 50-34 and see how the gearing does for me this year in the race.

The 50-34 11-32 will be better than the 46-36 11-28 I ran last year in the mountains so I should be fine!

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For what it’s worth, I have the Favero Assiomas and swap them out between my road and gravel bikes. I see the point about limiting walking, but this has not been an issue for me, and I bike in Michigan where the dirt roads can be very muddy. If anything, it gives me good practice for my handling!

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I’m looking forward to the release of the IQ2 power meters, and seeing how they perform in the field as a potentially swapable PM.