Power meters for bikes are now a mature market. There are countless single or dual-sided options spanning a broad range of prices. You can get them in crankset spiders, bonded onto crankarms, inside the crank spindle, in pedals; the list goes on.
However, it’s a different story regarding power measurement when riding off-road. More variables in crank widths and drivetrain compatibility means that while crank-based versions do exist, there are only a handful of dual-sided options with well-respected accuracy. Meanwhile, the ease of moving power-based pedals from one bike to another, plus the measurement consistency in using a single power meter, makes even more sense on the assumption that many off-road riders regularly switch between gravel, mountain, or cyclocross bikes.
A few months ago we got wind that Italian power meter pedal specialist Favero was finally getting into the off-road power meter game with a fresh design. It’s early days, but we’ve been testing the new Assioma Pro MX SPD pedal alongside the Garmin Rally and a handful of other non-power-equipped SPD pedals., and so far, these are looking a winner. Plus, the tech here offers a strong tease of what lies ahead for Favero in the road space, too.
Good stuff: Favero's easy setup and reliable power data, good battery life, feels like a good SPD pedal underfoot, has a competitive body size to a regular SPD pedal, is user-serviceable with fair-priced spares, impressive pricing compared to others, Shimano cleats provided.
Bad stuff: Minor play between pedal body and spindle, proprietary charger and non-replaceable battery.
Price: Approx €750 / US$759 (for dual-sided measuring Pro MX-2), approx €450 / US$500 (for left-measuring Pro MX-1 ).
Powering through the details
Favero is best known for its Assioma Duo power meter road pedals. The standard model is based around a Look Keo-compatible pedal body with all the power measurement tech constrained within a pod that sits external of the axle. These pedals have a stellar reputation for reliable power figures and equally reliable spinning as an actual pedal without any odd quirks.
More recently, Favero released a Shimano version of the Assioma, an axle upgrade that re-purposes authentic Shimano SPD-SL road pedal bodies and gives them a power-enabled axle. It’s a cool design, but a large increase in Q-factor (stance width) hinders it (not an issue with the original Assioma Duo).
While not encouraged by the company, both of these pre-existing Assioma options can be bolted into certain SPD pedal bodies for off-road use. However, in the original Assioma design the plastic-encased power pod sits proud of the crank arm, and all it takes is a direct pedal strike in rock or root-infested terrain to risk your investment.
And that gets us to the big story of the new Pro MX. Not unlike SRM’s X-Power pedals in concept, Favero has now condensed and hidden all the electronics within the steel pedal spindle. From the outside, and except for the flashing LEDs, you wouldn’t know these are a power-enabled pedal.
Like Favero’s other pedal options, there are two options for the Pro MX pedals. As tested, the MX-2 (approx €750 / US$759) is the dual-sided version, offering independent power measurement for both left and right pedals.
The MX-1 (approx €450 / US$500) is a more budget-friendly option with power measurement in the left pedal only while the right pedal offers a regular axle (measured power is then doubled to provide wattage). Favero also offers the power-enabled right-side axle as an upgrade option for those wanting to turn the MX-1 into a MX-2.
The pedals are rated to feature both ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity. Favero claims +/- 1% accuracy. The usual measurements of power (up to 3,000 W), cadence (up to 250 rpm), and independent left/right measurement (MX-2 only) are of course present, but Favero now also offer more advanced analytics such as Torque Efficiency, Pedal Smoothness, and Power Phase.
Both the rechargeable battery and sensors are permanently housed within the axle, meaning the battery isn’t replaceable, but the system is rated to IP67 weatherproofing. The pedals are rated for category 3 use (standard ASTM F2043), which includes cross-country mountain biking. They have a 120 kg user weight limit, are covered by a two-year warranty, and are assembled in Italy.
Favero claims a minimum of 60 hours ride time off a single charge, with the internal batteries then replenished via magnetic connecting pins on the exposed part of the spindle. A split 2-in-1 proprietary charge cable is supplied, allowing charging of both pedals from a single USB port. Alternatively, you can use any Micro USB cable with Favero’s magnetic charging interface.
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