Favero’s newest pedal is in many ways not new at all. And, that’s probably a good thing. Today’s launch of their Favero Assioma Pro RS power meter pedals, takes last year’s revamped off-road pedal (the Favero Assioma Pro MX), and sticks it in a new SPD-SL pedal body. The spindle, as Favero themselves will note, is precisely the same. Only the pedal body differs.
And again, that’s a good thing – because there’s no reason to mess with such a successful product.
Since it was launched about 16 months ago, that power meter pedal has been pounded on by countless cyclists, with strong results. That includes myself going out and buying more sets of them to use as both everyday power meter accuracy testing reference pedals, but also just for regular riding.
This new Pro RS model literally just moves the internal spindle into a revamped Shimano SPD-SL pedal body, with weight savings, and q-factor shifts compared to the previous Favero Assioma Duo-Shi power meter pedals. And that previous project required a bit of an arts and crafts assembly, whereas this one you simply attach to your bike crank arms and off you go.
While I’ve been riding with a media loaner set for the past while, I’ve actually already gone out and purchased my own set. That’s because despite the embargo being today, Favero decided to open up their webshop with the new Favero Assioma Pro RS yesterday to the internet. Given I have access to said internet, might as well get the credit card out. This loaner set will go back to Favero as usual. If you find independent reviews like this useful, consider becoming a DCR Supporter.
With that, let’s get into it!
What’s New:
While these new Pro RS pedals are simply the Pro MX spindles in a new pedal body, there are differences though to the current/previous Favero SPD-SL pedals (called the Duo-Shi), that are based on the older architecture with pods. The newer architecture does not have pods, and instead gains a totally new spindle design.
So, let’s compare things to the Favero Assioma Duo-Shi (SPD-SL variant), instead:
– Got rid of battery/communications/charging pod entirely. Everything is inside the spindle now
– Got rid of longer q-factor on the DUO-SHI (now at 155mm)
– Changed battery life to 60 hours (Favero Assioma Duo is claimed at 50 hours)
– Added Platform Center Offset (PCO) within the cycling dynamics suite of metrics (previously they couldn’t get that specific item, while already having other cycling dynamics metrics).
– Swappable to the SPD (e.g. MTB/Gravel) pedal bodies, of the Favero Pro MX
And, low and behold, there is actually one itty bitty little thing that’s different/new compared to the Favero Pro MX:
– Switched to USB-C charging for the connector
Of course, when Favero announced the Pro MX pedals last year, they talked a lot about the spindle redesign. The spindle is the core of the power meter itself, and is what’s inside the pedal bodies. The pedal bodies, are basically just an outer shell with no electronics in it. They’re designed to be replaceable (in case of breakage/impacts), and in the case of Favero, Garmin, and Look, designed to be swapped between different pedal body types (e.g. SPD to SPD-SL, and with Garmin, also to Look pedal bodies).
However, when it comes to the actual spindle itself, Favero emphases how they shifted the battery and connectivity pieces deeper into the spindle to protect it. They talked then about how by using a rechargeable battery, they can reduce the primary cause of dropouts in coin-cell battery units, which are bad contacts with batteries. Obviously, we saw Garmin suffer through that during the Vector 3 phase with batteries that didn’t comply to size standards. But we also saw Garmin address that with new battery caps (now 7 years ago in 2018). Said differently: Favero is right that their solution sidesteps the problem, but equally, it’s just not a real-world problem on Garmin Vector 3 or Garmin Rally pedals.
Likewise, as with every pro, there’s a con. In this case, it means that Favero’s battery duration is roughly half the of Garmin’s. Does it matter to most people that it’s 50-60 hours instead of 100-120 hours? Probably not. But, for some it might.
Now, let’s look at the actual Favero Pro RS specs:
– Claimed accuracy: +/- 1% (0-3,000w)
– Temperature Compensation: Yes – active temperature compensation
– Auto-Zero Capability: Yes
– Manual Zero-Offset Capability: Yes
– Connectivity: ANT+ (unlimited concurrent connections), and Bluetooth Smart (three concurrent connections)
– Cadence Transmitted: Yes (10-250rpm)
– Left/right Balance Transmitted: Yes
– Cycling Dynamics (or similar): Yes, full suite
– Oval/Q Chainring Compatible: Yes
– Weight per pedal: 123.5g (per pedal)
– Battery type: Rechargeable
– Battery life: Claimed 60 hours
– Water Resistance: IP67
– Operating Temp Range: -10°C to +55°C
– Max Cyclist Weight: 120kg
– Q-Factor: +53mm
– Stack Height: 10.5mm
Finally, we get to pricing. For the first time on launch, Favero is actually pricing these in multiple currencies. That’s notable because historically speaking Favero has only ever priced in Euros, and then made global retailers/distributors ‘deal with it’, causing angst among those retailers since pricing literally changed every day. However now, they’ve got actual pricing in all the most popular markets (US, Europe, UK, Australia, Japan, Canada).
In any case, Favero is selling two versions: Dual-sided (RS-2), and a single-sided (RS-1), plus an upgrade option (from single to dual-sided). Here’s their nifty table:
Also of note to those who plan to somehow kill their pedals, is that Favero’s replacement pedal body (the not-smart pedal piece that surrounds the spindle housing the smarts) is a mere 49EUR per pedal, which is substantially cheaper than Garmin’s 129EUR.
In the Box:
Let’s take a Quick Look inside the box. In this case, the dual-sided package. Note that if you buy a single-sided unit, you do actually get two pedals, it’s just that only one of them has electronics in it.
Here’s the upper layer, before we dive into all the little bits:
And then here’s everything carefully taken out and made to look pretty. Yes, I even lined up every bit of that mounting hardware, just for you. You’re welcome:
In short, inside you’ve got:
1) The power meter pedals
2) Shimano branded SPD-SL cleats
3) The mounting hardware (to mount cleats to your shoes)
4) Dual USB-C charging cable
5) Two charging clips (USB-C)
6) Grease application tool
7) Some paper stuff you won’t read
Here’s a closer look at the pedals:
They share the same exact charging connector as the Favero Assioma Pro MX pedals from last year. In fact, anytime you ask yourself “Are they the same as the MX pedals?” The answer is always yes. The only time it’s not ‘Yes’ is for stack height and pedal weight. Otherwise, the spindle is literally the same exact spindle, allowing it to be swapped between pedal bodies.
Likewise, because those charging clips are the same, but now with USB-C connectors, that means if you had a pair of Favero Assioma Pro MX pedals, and wished they were USB-C instead of Micro-USB, you can swing over to the Favero store and buy the new charging clips and dual-USB-C cable.
Otherwise, it’s time to get the pedals installed.
Install & Setup:
As with all things about the Favero pedals, this section will be easy. After all, there’s little to do except attach the pedals to the bike using a pedal wrench, and then ensuring the pedals are activated via the Favero App (which has been revamped). The entire process can be done in at most 2-3 minutes.
First up, you will need to attach the charging cable to the pedals at some point to wake them up (with USB power applied). Once that’s done, you’ll crack open the Favero Assioma app, which lets you search for nearby Favero pedals using Bluetooth, and activates them. Favero does require activation/registration, in the event of a recall (such as last year’s safety recall for a batch of older pedals).
Once that’s done, you’ll want to ensure the crank length is set correctly. This will depend on your bike, and is found on the inside of the crank arm, right where you’re about to insert your pedals.
At this point, you can go ahead and install the pedals. Simply finger tighten them into the crank arms, and then from there use a pedal wrench to crank them down nice and tight.
As always with power meter pedals, you’ll want to ensure they are quite snug for accurate results. Further, the best way to ensure power meter pedals are ‘settled’ (aka bedded) is to simply do 3-4 hard sprints. They don’t need to be long, just 5 seconds or so is more than enough to get everything all happy.
Once that’s done, we’re ready to head over to your bike computer to finish things off.
Daily Ride Usage:
I’ve been putting these pedals through their paces on all assortment of road rides. Keeping in mind that again, it’s the same *exact* spindle as the Favero Pro MX that I reviewed nearly 18 months ago. Since then I’ve bought a few sets of those pedals and use them across my power meter/trainer/smartbike testing, and have simply beat the crap out of them. From treks across Morocco by gravel bike, to plenty of mountain biking, road riding, gravel riding, you name it.
In the case of the road-based Favero Pro RS, I’ve been putting these road pedal bodies through plenty of rides as well, including long hours in the saddle and big climbs. Also notably including big temperature shifts, either into the mountains, or mid-ride (e.g. starting in morning and ending mid-afternoon).
Still, at the end end of the day, most of the data you’ll see while riding will actually depend on which bike computer you have. While virtually all bike computers will display the basics (e.g. total power and cadence), not all bike computers will display the cycling dynamics information that Favero (and Garmin) output on their power meter pedals. Despite having many years to adopt the standard, Wahoo has not done so. Neither has Hammerhead. More on that in a second.
When it comes to pairing up the pedals, you’ll search for them under the pairing screen on your bike computer or watch. I’ve tested it with numerous devices thus far this spring, including watches from Garmin, Apple, Polar, and Suunto. As well as bike computers from Garmin, Wahoo, COROS, and Hammerhead. None had issues in terms of basic data display.
The Favero pedals can pair over both ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart. For basic power data, it won’t matter to you. Your bike computer will know which is best, and pair appropriately. Generally speaking, you’ll use ANT+ for power meter data, because it’s got more data in it. The Bluetooth Smart power mete profile doesn’t have all the additional data ANT+ does, such as lacking pedal smoothness, torque effectiveness, and cycling dynamics (Platform Center Offset, Power Phase, and Seated/Standing Time. This means you won’t get that data when pairing over Bluetooth Smart on watches from Polar, Suunto, Apple, and others.
Once paired up, you can (and should) validate your crank length is correct. This should flow down from what you set in the Favero app, but you should always double-check. Mismatches in crank length between two recording devices (e.g. a watch and bike computer) will lead to all assortment of bad-bad.
You can also validate the various Cycling Dynamics settings are configured here as well, specifically paying attention to the ‘Torque Effectiveness and Pedal Smoothing’ setting, which for whatever bizarre reason, Garmin defaults to ‘Off’, rather than showing. One of these days I’ll remember to ask why they simply don’t set that to enabled to record, but, they don’t.
Again, you can configure whatever data fields you want, but in terms of the data the Favero Pro RS pedals will transmit, it’s the following:
– [ANT+/Bluetooth] Total power (combined left/right)
– [ANT+/Bluetooth] Power Balance (left/right split)
– [ANT+/Bluetooth] Cadence (RPM)
– [ANT+] Torque Effectiveness
– [ANT+] Pedal Smoothness
– [ANT+] Platform Center Offset (Cycling Dynamics)
– [ANT+] Seated/Standing Time (Cycling Dynamics)
– [ANT+] Power Phase (Cycling Dynamics)
Now technically speaking it’s transmitting torque and cadence, and your bike computer figures out power. But that’s just a minor technicality.
Ok, with that, we start pedaling and riding. Here’s how this looks on various data pages:
And the cycling dynamics page on a Garmin unit (again, this isn’t an option on other bike computers):
Plus of course power derived fields, like 3-second or 30-second smoothed power, which your bike computer will figure out on its own.
All of this data is of course recorded to your bike computers file. Note also the seated/standing time breakouts, in the post-ride summary too:
In the case of Garmin, you’d see all the extra pedaling metrics in Garmin Connect (Mobile and Desktop), such as below:
And also on the detailed Cycling Dynamics page too:
For other platforms, like Wahoo, you’re going to see the total power, cadence, and left/right balance, but not the other metrics. Here’s how that looks:
Ultimately, the world is your oyster when it comes to the data on you bike computer. But what matters here is that Favero is providing everything possible that companies like Garmin can record. Whether or not you find value in all those extra cycling dynamics metrics is just as much a question as it is with Garmin Rally pedals.
For me personally, I don’t tend to find much value there. About the only metric I look at is various smoothed power data fields (e.g. 3s/10s/30s power), plus of course cadence. For those coming back from an injury, you’re probably also looking at left/right balance. Beyond that though? Not for me in my daily riding. I simply haven’t seen any real-world value there, for training or racing.
Power Accuracy Testing:
In this section I’ll take a look at how the power meter compares to various other sources. This includes two different indoor trainer/smartbike setups, plus crankset based power meters. All of which help to provide a picture of whether the Favero Assioma Pro RS has any accuracy issues.
That’s said, since it’s the exact same spindle as the Favero Assioma Pro MX that I’ve been using for well over 18 months, and comparing against countless power meters, trainers, smart bikes, and more (as a reference device no less), there’s really very little surprises here. Instead, my focus was on validating nothing weird popped up (since, that does happen from time to time in other products that seemingly should be the same).
First up, let’s look at an indoor trainer ERG workout (structured workout), compared to the Elite Justo 2.
At a high level view, things look pretty darn close, within a few watts. We do see a bit more wobble on the Favero pedals than the Justo 2, but that’s due to the Elite Justo 2 doing a bit more smoothing (as many companies do in ERG mode). Said different, there’s nothing really wrong with the Favero pedals here, as it’s giving a more accurate view of things.
If we look at the mean-max for this particular ride, we’ll see it’s very very close, though some slight variance due to the wobble being over/under the smoothed line. Again, normal for a smoothed data source. We’ll see how that changes in the next set, when compared to a much more responsive data source.
But first, the cadence, which looks good.
Next, let’s look at this set in simulation mode (e.g. gradient mode), where I’m controlling the power, instead of the trainer. In this case, this is compared to the Muov bike, and it’s astonishing how close these two are.
If we zoom in, we can see the high rate of responsiveness, with both companies claiming exceptionally high update rates (30 times a second in the case of Muov, though distilled down to once per second with today’s FIT files).
Looking at a surge/sprint like this, we’re seeing a mind-boggling 2-watt difference between the two power source. That’s incredible hard to get that close. Super impressive stuff from both companies.
Same goes for this portion too, at literally half a watt difference on nearly 700w!
So, let’s head outside instead.
First up, is a 90KM ride I did of very steady-state pedaling. Some rollers, but pretty much just cooking along.
At a high level, it looks really darn good, and it is. We see some sprints/surges, like this below, and it’s very close to the SRAM FORCE AXS power meter that was on this particular bike:
And the Mean-max chart is also really really good too:
However, during the ride, after stopping at a stopsign, something caught my eye as I started pedaling: The SRAM FORCE AXS power meter was reading exceptionally low. Crazy low. Far too low at a few dozen watts, compared to my actual ~200-300w effort. In fact, you can see these two gaps here:
Zooming in, we see this occurs twice, both tops after brief stop-sign moments, where I was resting my foot on one pedal, but not both pedals. This is a bug with SRAM’s Magic Zero offset algorithm. It’s frustrating, because this issue is hardly new. I brought it up on a previous review when it randomly happened, and over the last year or so, I see it happen perhaps once a month. It’ll correct itself relatively quickly if you stop pedaling, but if you don’t, it might take a few minutes before it auto-corrects.
You can turn off the setting, but that then kinda defeats the ‘magic’. Likewise, most people would never notice, unless they had a comparative data set, or were always looking at it. This isn’t a Favero issue, obviously, but a SRAM issue, and one I want to poke the bear harder on. There’s really no excuse for this to still be happening, especially since I see it across all of my SRAM units from time to time (gravel & road, on RED & FORCE). Sigh…a problem for another day.
Speaking of another day, here’s today’s ride. This was up into the mountains, on a rather steamy warm day, which only got warmer as my ride went into early afternoon.
Still,, both these units were scary perfect together. No magic-failures from SRAM this time, just happiness. Here’s a random snippet/section:
And then the mean-max graph:
And finally, the cadence to round things out.
Point is, all of this data looks perfect for the Favero Assioma Pro RS. Proving once again why you buy a power meter from a reputable power meter company. Heck, you don’t even have to spend a lot of money with Favero either.
It just works. I don’t need to type any more words than that simply to fill space. The graphs and data clearly support that.
Wrap-Up:
The thing I appreciate about Favero reviews, is that they rarely have surprises. Or, more notably, rarely have failures. By time Favero is ready to release a product, they’ve done all their homework, all their testing, and the thing ‘just works’ out of the box. Not just for consumers, but reviewers too. I don’t need to spend a bunch of time playing e-mail volleyball on why something isn’t working as expected, or isn’t working at all. Because in Favero’s case, it just works. Every time.
And given it just works, the whole recommendation is made even easier in that it’s substantially cheaper than the most likely alternative: Garmin Rally pedals. Certainly, there are a few technical reasons one might choose Garmin Rally over Favero Assioma Pro RS. Mainly that Rally has double the battery life, and supports Look KEO pedal/cleat types (whereas Favero isn’t releasing a Look KEO pedal body at this time). Or perhaps you just prefer coin cell batteries over rechargeable. To each their own. From an accuracy standpoint, I see both products as equals.
However, from a purchasing standpoint, it’s hard to justify the added expense for Garmin’s Rally pedals ($1,099USD) compared to either the Favero Pro RS ($789USD), or Pro MX. And simply put, over the last year I’ve bought multiple sets of Favero Pro MX pedals for gravel and mountain bikes, and will do the same for other road-bike applications with the Favero Assioma Pro RS. I just can’t see any reason to justify an extra $300 for Garmin Rally. That buys a lot of ice cream…and I like ice cream.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a road cycling pedal based power meter, there’s little reason to look any further than Favero’s Assioma Pro RS.
With that, thanks for reading!
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