The arrival of Stages has caused a stir in the power meter market. First the price – from £599 to £799 – grabbed the headlines, then Colorado-based manufacturer announced a deal to replace SRM as Team Sky’s power meter supplier.

Stages is a crank-based system which uses a small (70mm x 28mm) unit mounted to the non-driveside crank arm to record power and cadence. It means that only left leg power is measured and essentially doubled to calculate the total power, which will miss any discrepancy between left and right leg power balance.

The unit adds a claimed 20g to a Shimano Dura-Ace crank and data is sent to any compatible head unit via ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart. The unit also has an in-built temperature sensor which samples the temperature every 20 seconds and automatically recalibrates the power meter. A useful function, according to Stages, if riding from an Alpine valley floor to summit or vice versa, and one of the unique selling points for Team Sky.

Pros: Price, transmits data via ANT+ and Bluetooth, light, available on Shimano Dura-Ace/Ultegra/105, SRAM Rival, Cannondale Si and FSA Energy cranks
Cons: Left leg power measurement only, not available on carbon cranks
Website: Stages Cycling