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Spotted: Is Lotto-Soudal training on prototype Campagnolo Super Record power meter?

Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal, copyright Ridley Bikes
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Just last week, we discussed Campy powermeter patents we had uncovered. And now, we may have already spotted the result… Could this be the upcoming carbon Campagnolo Super Record power meter crankset? If so, it is so stealthy that it would be easy to miss. So stealthy in fact, that the Lotto-Soudal team didn’t really even try to hide it.

Campagnolo’s prototype Super Record power meter crankset?

Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal, copyright Ridley Bikes
c. Ridley Bikes

Let’s start this discussion off with a question. What pro today does NOT train with a power meter? The answer is no one.

Yet, when we took a look at the new disc brake-only 2020 Lotto-Soudal Ridley Helium SLX & Noah Fast bikes of John Degenkolb, Caleb Ewan, Philippe Gilbert, Matthew Homes, Tosh van der Sande & Tim Wellens that Ridley sent us…

Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal, copyright Ridley Bikes
Tim Wellens’ Ridley Helium SLX Disc, c. Ridley Bikes
Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal, copyright Ridley Bikes
John Degenkolb’s Ridley Noah Fast Disc, c. Ridley Bikes

…there was something missing.

Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal, copyright Ridley Bikes
Philippe Gilbert’s Ridley Helium SLX Disc, c. Ridley Bikes

Only Gilbert’s bike was sporting an obvious power meter, in his case a rechargeable battery SRM spider mated to a carbon set of Campy arms.

Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal, copyright Ridley Bikes
c. Ridley Bikes

The other three all have what looks like a standard Campy Super Record carbon crankset fitted to their bikes (along with the SR12 EPS groupset), but with a K-Edge Pro Braze-on Chain Catcher including its optional Universal Cadence Magnet that K-Edge calls “compatible with Shimano, SRM, Quark [sic] and most power meter systems requiring magnet”. But we don’t see any of those power meters on any of these bikes.

Now there are a couple of possibilities here. The least interesting & probably least likely is that Lotto-Soudal mechanics may have swapped in Campy cranks for this photoshoot to please the Italian drivetrain sponsor. But SRM does still appear to be a team sponsor after all, and the fact that there is still the SRM power meter on Gilbert’s bike would make that a strange move. Another could be that a new SRM power meter is coming soon, and those prototypes were swapped out to take these photos? The team does note using PC12 power meters & head units, which is not a current product name – perhaps mixing PC8 together with Campy 12?

Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal, copyright Ridley Bikes
c. Ridley Bikes

Or, this might just be the new Campy power meter…

When we looked into the Campagnolo patent filing last week, it did appear that Campy intended to hide all of the electronics, including strain gauges & power source within the hollow arms of their carbon cranks (even wireless charging). So perhaps all those guts are tucked inside these cranks.

Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal, copyright Ridley Bikes
c. Ridley Bikes

If that is the case, this would be the most cleanly integrated crankset power meter I have seen. I have ridden thousands of kilometer on the standard Super Record crankset on my own personal road bike. And if this one has a power meter inside, I can’t tell the difference.

Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal, copyright Ridley Bikes
c. Ridley Bikes

Of course all of the photos provided by Ridley were careful not to reveal the backside of the left crank arm, or even the back of the driveside crank & spider. But this screengrab from a video of Degenkolb’s Noah Fast still doesn’t show any obvious differences.

Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal team training camp
c. Lotto-Soudal

When the team was at an early December training camp in, at least the guys in the front of the group were still riding the noticeably blocky SRM power meter.

Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal team training camp
c. Lotto-Soudal

But a few weeks later when the entire team came together for their first rides in their new 2020 team kit, it was less clear. Degenkolb on his new bike for example, has a smoother looking crankset, while still sporting the SRM PC8 head unit. It’s less clear under Ewan, next to him.

Campagnolo prototype Super Record power meter crankset, stealthy hidden internal carbon powermeter crank proto, Lotto Soudal, copyright Ridley Bikes
Gilbert vs. Wellens, c. Ridley Bikes

In any case, something is going on with the Lotto-Soudal team bike photos. And Campagnolo does have a bunch of new power meter patents floating around. So are these the next gen power meter, or just some team mechanics’ sleight of hand…

Campagnolo.com & Ridley-bikes.com

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11 Comments
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Rider
4 years ago

Now that’s what I’ve been missing on BikeRumor – actual rumors! Well done!

Adam Hansen
Adam Hansen
4 years ago

Complete rumor, we don’t have enough new SRMs yet. Our spare bikes have normal cranks on them.

Exodux
4 years ago
Reply to  Adam Hansen

Yeah….okay Adam….wink, wink..

Roddy
Roddy
4 years ago
Reply to  Exodux

That’s… actually him.

Exodux
4 years ago
Reply to  Roddy

Not doubting it was him, just commenting on his(Adam’s) comment

Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert
4 years ago
Reply to  Roddy

Don’t listen to Adam, he makes his own shoes..

(I’m not really Philippe)

Android
Android
4 years ago

Oh Adam you thread crapper!……..good luck in 2020

Tomi
Tomi
4 years ago

So based on an assumption that no pro-bike train without PM bikerumor decided that perfectly normal looking cranks had to be power meter cranks?

That is dubious at best

mudrock
mudrock
4 years ago
Reply to  Tomi

A perfectly reasonable assumption. It would be easy to hide strain gauges inside a crank arm.

m68k
m68k
4 years ago

I agree with Rider, there could be more rumors here, as this site is named bikerumor.com.
And it would be a nice cooperation between Campy and SRM, like between Magura and Campy. And it could give the crankdesign a sense.
Wouldn‘t it be nice if the SR Cranks had a built-in powermeter as default?

Velo Kitty
Velo Kitty
4 years ago
Reply to  m68k

The Italians working with the Germans? When did I see that before?

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