Thanks very much for adding some needed perspective. I don’t have any experience using power meters so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But I have to say the actual setup process was quite easy and that was reassuring.
My first endurance event will be the 2023 TransPyrenees Race in June, and I’m working with a coach on preparation. He was adamant about me getting a power meter precisely for the first scenario you mentioned - i.e., to resist the temptation to go out too fast. I’m under no illusions about my competitiveness but I would like to finish within the 5 days. And the decision to go with MTB pedals is my way of acknowledging that I’ll be doing some walking on some of the cols on the route.
Last thing: I’m quite pleased with the ES-600 pedals. They’re not as light as “pure” MTB pedals but their road shape looks nice on my Cannondale Synapse and probably contributes a bit to the clearance between my shoes and the power pod.
Thanks again! I’ll report back after my rides this weekend.
UPDATE: After figuring out that I had to actually register the power meters with Favero to activate them, using the mobile app, I have been able to put them to the test. I can happily report that they work brilliantly and I am thoroughly enjoying being fully em-power-metered. It is taking me a bit of time to get used to the one-sided ES-600 pedals, because I’m used to 2-sided MTB pedals and the motion for clipping in to my one-sided road pedals is different, but pretty sure it will become easier with time. So, to reiterate, there is no “hack” required to install the Assioma Duo-Shi spindles in the Shimano ES-600 pedals. They just screw right in without a fuss.