At the Giro last spring we spotted some dummy Favero BePro pedals on Bardiana-CSF’s team bikes, likely because a new model was in the works. Now a year later, we see Favero’s latest road pedal-based power meter – the new Assioma – promising improved performance, easier usability, and get this… lower prices.
Favero Assioma: lightweight, trouble-free power meter pedals
The newest true left/right power meter pedal setup from Favero promises segment leading tech & performance, all at a price that looks pretty easy to justify.
Even though you’ve likely never heard of them and their company is relatively new to cycling, Favero Electronics has been making electronic sports equipment for more than thirty years. So starting their power meter project with the original BePro almost a decade ago wasn’t a big stretch. As something of an outside, they set about designing a more robust pedal power meter that offers some features we’re not used to seeing.
What makes the Assioma power meter pedals unique?
Like most premium pedal-based power meter, the new Assioma offer simple setup, Bluetooth & ANT+ communication, reliable/consistent data output and temperature compensation.
But beyond that the Assioma claims to be the only true pedal power meter that uses a pedal body entirely free of electronics. Favero tucks all of their electronics into the housing around the pedal axle where it is protected from impacts, so you end up with a pedal that is easy and affordable to maintain. (Crash replacement pedal bodies also only cost 60€.)
Favero also fills the entire inside of the Assioma’s protected electronics housing with resin making them absolutely waterproof (IP67 certified) & shock proof. The body gets no openings to the outside – no replaceable battery, but also no charging slots even, instead using magnetic charging tabs. So there’s literally so room for moisture to get inside, so ride through as deep of water as your bottom bracket bearings (and your poor mechanic) will allow!
They even say that by using a proper built-in, rechargeable lithium-ion battery (uncommon in power meter pedals), the Assioma reports much more accurate remaining charge data to your paired device, to make sure you don’t run out of juice on a big ride. The pedals claim 50+ hours of ride time, with easy battery monitor with the Favero Assioma app, and a 8 hour energy remaining warning on your paired GPS.
Favero also calls the Assioma the “lightest pedal-based power meter ever made” at 150g per pedal (or 128g for a dummy pedal), also with the lowest pedal power meter stack height at just 10.5mm.
Tech details
The Assioma claims class-leading ±1% power accuracy thanks to instantaneous angular velocity (IAV) measurement with Assioma’s on-board gyroscope. While many power meters calculate power based on the average angular velocity of the crank arm through each rotation, the IAV solution detects much more detailed power data, and is especially more accurate when using elliptical/oval chainrings where crank arm speed varies widely through each rotation.
This new version of Favero’s power meter housing is also lower profile than before, knocking 3.5mm off to 33.5mm diameter to eliminate the rare cases where some wide, flat shoes could rub the housing.
In addition to regular wireless connectivity, the Assioma will connect & transmit to two devices as once (one Bluetooth, one ANT+) to let you take advantage of virtual training apps like Zwift, while separately logging your ride data.
Power & pedal data metrics
With strain gauges measuring directly at the pedal axles, the Assioma power meters claim exceptionally accuracy data of the real power you are laying down. Metrics include true left+right power output, real left/right balance, pedaling cadence, torque effectiveness, pedaling smoothness, as well as pretty much any proprietary data extrapolated from true two-sided power measurement.
Easy to install, easy to swap bike-to-bike
A big update over the previous BePro generation, the new Assioma is design for a Plug&Play lifestyle. No special tools are needed, nor is any dynamic calibration once installed. So you can simply pop them off with an 8mm allen key like you would with any standard pedal, and swap them from one bike to the next in seconds. Once on hit the calibration option on your cycling computer for a manual re-zeroing in, then it takes “a few tens” of pedal rotations (say pedaling down the block) until the Assioma pedals perform an internal self-calibration, and are reporting at full accuracy again. The entire process should take just a couple minutes.
As easy to swap, the Assiomas use a double micro-USB cable to efficiently charge both sides at once. Just snap the special magnetic charging dongles over the electronics housing on either pedal, plus the micro-USBs in, and they’ll be juiced up again from complete discharge in six hours.
Pricing & availability
The Assioma power meter pedals were designed, and now are made entirely in Italy – available in two configurations. For 695€ you get the Assioma Duo two power metering pedals for real left/right data. But if you want to save a few bucks, for 445€ the Assioma Uno gives you a power metering left pedal with a matching dummy right pedal. Each includes 6° float cleats, but is also compatible with original Look Kèo cleats as well. Both versions are available now direct from Favero, with even some special color-logo-ed editions running with the Giro too.
