For those who practice and race to energy on the street, and wish to do the identical on gravel, the Assioma Professional-MX 2 pedals may match the invoice – they usually’ll do it for a fraction of the price of their rivals.
Italian firm Favero has been within the energy meter market since 2015 and added these SPD-style PRO MX pedals to their vary in February 2024.
Squint arduous and the Favero Assioma MX-2 pedal is analogous in look to a Shimano M520.
(Picture credit score: Future/Simon Fellows)
Whereas the ‘PRO’ within the nomenclature identifies the construction of the facility spindle and internals, the ‘MX’ signifies the disciplines Favero anticipate them for use for, MTB, CX and, in fact gravel, the place our evaluation pair spent their time. Not like Garmin’s Rally line, you can not convert these to be used on the street, they’re purely SPD pedals.
There are three iterations within the PRO MX line. Right here we’ve examined the MX-2, which reads your energy and different knowledge metrics on each pedals The MX-1 is a less expensive, single-sided possibility which you’ll be able to improve to double-sided with the MX-UP. Good and easy.
The development
On first examination, they appear to be a barely chunky model of Shimano’s stalwart off-road SPD pedals. Nevertheless, they’re barely wider, which gives a broader platform for the foot. There are a few flat, knurled sections at both finish of the physique, however in any other case the aluminium mechanism seems virtually similar to the Shimano unique, together with launch rigidity adjustment screws.
In line with Favero, the Assioma PR MX-2 is the primary pedal the place all of the electronics, together with the rechargeable battery, are housed within the spindle, defending them from knocks, water and dirt ingress. Because the battery and different electrical are housed collectively the possibility of energy dropouts is sort of zero.
Stack peak is low, solely a few millimetre larger than an everyday SPD pedal.
(Picture credit score: Future/Simon Fellows)
The design separates {the electrical} elements from the 2 needle curler bearings making upkeep and servicing pretty simple. You possibly can even exchange the pedal physique, although not with a street physique, keep in mind.
One other good thing about the sealed spindle design is stack peak. It’s solely negligibly higher than normal Shimano SPD pedals, that means solely probably the most delicate might want to regulate their saddle peak to compensate.
The internals take a barely totally different method to energy measurement from different producers. Similar to different energy pedals in the marketplace, they measure the torque being utilized by the rider lots of of instances a second, however the distinction comes in the case of angular velocity. Favero claims their rivals’ merchandise estimate this issue, which fails to account for the variability within the pedal stroke.
A Favero Assioma MX-2 pedal being charged by way of a yoke that matches round its spindle, near the crank. Battery life is roughly 60 hours.
(Picture credit score: Future/Simon Fellows)
Favero’s Angular Velocity-based Energy Calculation – IAV for brief – measures the angular velocity all through the pedal stroke, thus offering a extra correct real-world measurement, even with oval chainrings.
Favero has executed a exceptional job preserving weight down. My Shimano PD-M540 SPD pedals weigh 352g per pair, whereas the Assiomas weigh in at solely 384g. Which means the battery and all the opposite inner gubbins add simply 16g per pedal.
Connectivity is by way of Bluetooth and ANT+, and charging is easy too. Included within the field are two charging sleeves that you just slide onto the connectors on the pedal spindle, plug in and hey presto! My first 20 hours of use used a few third of the battery life, which corresponds with the claimed 60-hour battery life.
The journey
Becoming and establishing the Assiomas is as simple because it will get. You will want a 15mm spanner, and if you need correct energy readings you’ll want a torque wrench to tighten them to the required 35nm, which is tighter than I have a tendency to suit pedals.
As soon as they’re on, merely obtain and open the Favero Assioma app and comply with the directions. One of many producer’s huge boasts is that you just solely must calibrate them when first put in or moved to a different bike. Nevertheless, my Garmin prompts me to do it each time and, because it takes seconds, I do.
The Favero app exhibits a plethora of detailed energy metrics.
(Picture credit score: Future/Simon Fellows)
Like most energy meters you wake them by spinning the cranks, and also you’ll see a crimson gentle winking the place the spindle pokes out of the within of the crank. For me connection to each the Favero app and my Garmin Edge 530 is immediate.
Favero claims an influence accuracy of +/- 1%, however that’s accuracy to itself, to not different models. Utilizing this technique is just not particular, all producers use it for his or her accuracy claims. I examined the Assiomas in opposition to a wheel-off indoor coach, and whereas the finite energy confirmed discrepancies between the 2 units, which elevated with larger outputs, these discrepancies had been constant.
In line with Favero my FTP is just not what Zwift suggests, so I’d advocate an FTP take a look at with every energy machine so you recognize the place you stand. Whereas this isn’t a direct comparability, the Assiomas’ energy readings are similar to these recorded on a SRAM Purple Quarq energy meter used on a take a look at bike over the winter.
The Assiomas and the SRAM additionally confirmed an similar, and slightly alarming, imbalance in my left-right energy output. However that’s not the one further metric you get, with Energy Centre Offset (PCO) you may see how removed from the centre of the pedal your energy is exerted, informing cleat positioning. Energy section exhibits the place within the pedal stroke you might be placing energy by way of the pedals, and you can even see the period of time spent out and in of the saddle.
I couldn’t really feel the additional millimetre stack peak in comparison with my normal SPDs, however the pedals felt nice to make use of, offering a wonderful platform to pedal on. The Q-Issue is 53mm, so that you clip in and go.
Worth
For those who want energy pedals in your off-road bike, the Favero Assioma Professional MX-2 pedals are the very best worth you could find.
On the time of writing, Favero will promote them straight for underneath £490. That’s for the double-sided mannequin we examined right here, which isn’t way more than Garmin’s Rally single-sided SPD-compatible pedals, and significantly lower than SRM’s single-sided X-Energy pedals.
Apart from Garmin’s 120-hour replaceable battery life, options are comparable or in lots of circumstances higher than their rivals.
Store round for the very best worth although, as a result of on the identical time Favero are providing them for £489, a well known UK-based retailer has them for £648.
