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Giant Power Pro Ultegra R8000 Power Meter

9
£799.99

VERDICT:

9
10
An excellent option if you want dual-sided power on your bike
Good quality
Accurate numbers
Easy to fit
IPX7 waterproof
Charging is a bit fiddly
Weight: 
712g
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This product has been selected to feature in road.cc recommends. That means it's not just scored well, but we think it stands out as special. Go to road.cc recommends

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Giant's Power Pro system adds dual-sided power sensing to Shimano's Ultegra crankset. I've found the power numbers to be repeatable and believable, and Ultegra cranks are hard to fault in operation. As a system, it's a good value option for dual-sided power.

What you're getting here is a Shimano Ultegra R8000 chainset in your choice of configuration – 165mm, 170mm, 172.5mm or 175mm cranks in either 50/34 or 52/36 – with Giant's own power-sensing technology fixed to both sides.

In that sense it's a very similar offering to the Stages LR power meter, which retails for about £85 less in the Ultegra spec (Mat tested an earlier Dura-Ace version back in 2015), and 4iiii's Precision Pro Ultegra power meter which is about £100 less.

> Buy now: Giant Power Pro Ultegra R8000 Power Meter from eBay for £590.00

The main difference is that the Giant system uses a rechargeable battery, whereas both the competitor systems use a simple 2032 coin cell on either side. The battery life is about the same at a claimed 100 hours per charge, but the internal battery means there are no battery covers or seals to worry about: the whole thing is sealed and rated at IPX7 for waterproofing. That's chuck-it-in-the-lake waterproof, so rain and road muck should have little effect.

The charging lead attaches magnetically to both sides for charging; it's a bit of a faff and of course you'll need the proprietary lead, so if it dies on a training camp or something, you can't just chuck another button cell in. But overall, it's a better solution than using replaceable batteries.

Many top-end Giant bikes already come with the Power Pro, and as a retrofit option it's as simple as taking off your current cranks and swapping them out. If you're replacing Shimano cranks all you'll need is a 5mm hex key and the little star washer tool. If it's another crank system then you might also need a new bottom bracket, depending on the spec of the axle.

2021 Giant Power Pro Ultegra R8000 Power Meter 3

We've reviewed the Ultegra R8000 groupset and there's not a lot to be said about it that hasn't already been said. If you're spending your own money on lightweight components for a road bike, it's hard to beat in terms of bangs per buck. The hollowtech construction of the crankset keeps things light and stiff, and shifting performance is among the best there is. So there aren't really any worries on that side of things.

2021 Giant Power Pro Ultegra R8000 Power Meter 2

To zero the cranks, Giant says you should use the Giant RideLink app on your smartphone. (There's a video here, showing you how to pair your Power Pro with the RideLink app.) You can also initiate over-the-air firmware updates from the app.

The app can record rides and show you graphical representations of your pedal stroke. That might be useful to you if, for example, you're riding indoors and working on making your pedalling smoother. But in the vast majority of cases you'll already be set up for recording your rides and you'll want the Power Pro to be easy to incorporate into your existing setup. Which I found it to be: I had no issues with linking to various GPS computers from the GPS computer drawer, and also no problems hooking up to my PC for indoor training. All good.

The cranks are dual Bluetooth/ANT+ compatible so they should work with pretty much any GPS head unit or indoor training system you could care to mention.

2021 Giant Power Pro Ultegra R8000 Power Meter 6

On to power, then. The numbers from the Power Pro appear to be repeatable, and accurate. Which is nice. Here's a section of an outdoor ride by way of an example comparing the cranks (blue) to Garmin's Rally RK200 pedals (purple):

Power Pro vs Garmin.png

As you can see, there's barely anything in it between the two. The average is within 1W, and at all times the two power meters track each other very closely. At some points the Garmin pedals read higher, at other points it's the cranks, but there's very little in it.

I'm very happy with both of these power traces. They're effectively measuring power at the same point, as there are minimal losses in the pedal bearings transferring power to the crank, so you'd expect them to read the same, and they do.

> The 10 best cycling power meters: which one is right for you?

Giant's claimed accuracy is +/- 2%, which is nominally less accurate than its direct competitors, but there were no issues with the power readings I got from the cranks. Left/right balance on both pedals and cranks was 51/49 left to right, which is what I'd expect. Like I said earlier, the RideLink app can be useful to look at your power balance and the power signature of your pedal stroke if you're having specific issues or want to address any weaknesses in your pedalling. But it's unlikely you'll switch to it as your primary means of gathering data.

Power Pro vs Garmin Cadence.png

Funnily enough the discrepancy in cadence between the two power meters was larger than the power gap was, which is odd seeing as it's such an easy thing to measure. The Power Pro uses an accelerometer for cadence sensing, so everything's handled internally. The difference is still only small here, and both of the units give solid readings with no drop-outs.

> 12 reasons why you should buy, and use, a power meter

Overall, the Power Pro cranks are a really good option if you want to measure your power directly. Eight hundred quid isn't small change, but they're a comparable price to other similar power meters and the weather-sealed, internal battery design is better. Giant's app gives you a bit more in terms of options for studying your pedal stroke, too. Shimano's Ultegra cranks are hard to beat, and overall this is a very well-considered package for adding power sensing to your bike.

Verdict

An excellent option if you want dual-sided power on your bike

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Giant Power Pro Ultegra R8000 Power Meter

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Giant says, "Tracking your power output and training data has never been easier or more accessible. Giant's all-new Power Pro system delivers accurate power metrics through an integrated system that's precise, reliable and simple to set up. The pros know that the most effective training is smart training, so get in the know and start training with power."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Giant lists:

+/- 2 % accuracy at 150w/80rpm (each side)

Giant-exclusive algorithm ensures accurate and stable data output with no environmental distractions

Accelerometer allows magnet-free measurement

LED indicator displays battery level and alerts recharge when power gets below 20%

Integrated magnetic rechargeable design protects device from water and dust ingress

IPX7 waterproof

Bluetooth® Smart/ANT+ compatible for broad compatibility, easy calibration and firmware updates.

High-capacity lithium battery delivers up to 100 hours of riding on a single charge

2 year warranty world-wide

Various crank lengths available on either 50/34 or 52/36

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Accurate power, well-sealed electrics, excellent cranks.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Charging is a bit fiddly.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

A little higher than comparable Stages and 4iiii Ultegra-based cranks, but you're getting chuck-it-in-the-lake waterproofing and Giant's app.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

It's an excellent option if you want dual-sided power. Not cheap, but on the money in terms of value.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 49  Height: 189cm  Weight: 92kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Merida Scultura, Dward Design fixed

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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12 comments

Avatar
wtjs | 1 year ago
0 likes

Apart from the snap-easy cranks issue- as shown by HP- even if the crank remains intact, we have the 'rechargeable battery dies after the warranty period is up' problem. We're not told if the unit is junk when the battery goes, but I suspect it is. The question then is, how much does it cost to have new sensors attached to the cranks?

Avatar
dysonlu replied to wtjs | 1 year ago
0 likes

Documentation states 400 charges.  Based on own experience, you charge after around 1000km.  Let's say you only get 300 charges due to battery degradation.  Is 300,000km long enough longevity for you?

Avatar
RickySpanish | 1 year ago
1 like

That this power meter comes with the TCR advanced pro one represents an incredible value for money bike.

Avatar
d_c_h_w | 1 year ago
7 likes

Now you can find out exactly what power you were putting down when your hollowtech crank arm snaps off  1

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to d_c_h_w | 1 year ago
1 like
d_c_h_w wrote:

Now you can find out exactly what power you were putting down when your hollowtech crank arm snaps off  1

Will Giant refit the power meter to your replacement crank?

Avatar
dave atkinson replied to hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
2 likes

would presumably just be a warranty issue from giant if it did happen, you're buying a giant product and it's warrantied by them

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to dave atkinson | 1 year ago
3 likes
dave atkinson wrote:

would presumably just be a warranty issue from giant if it did happen, you're buying a giant product and it's warrantied by them

Thanks - I wasn't expecting a proper answer to my snark.

Avatar
check12 replied to dave atkinson | 1 year ago
1 like

I wouldn't be spending this amount of money on something that breaks after the warranty period is up ( 2 year warranty world-wide - from the giant website, worse case £400 per year this will cost you) with so many failure examples on the internet.

Avatar
philhubbard replied to check12 | 1 year ago
1 like
check12 wrote:

I wouldn't be spending this amount of money on something that breaks after the warranty period is up ( 2 year warranty world-wide - from the giant website, worse case £400 per year this will cost you) with so many failure examples on the internet.

If you are talking about the crank (not the powermeter) then just go and look at your local bike shop and see how many Ultegra and Dura Ace cranks their are compared to Sram and Campag. 

I wouldn't want it to happen to anyone and we know it is a manufacturing issue but I would imagine with Ultegra being 4 years old now their must be several million of them in circulation, I imagine the failure rate is still in the 1-2% region or less

 

Avatar
check12 replied to philhubbard | 1 year ago
4 likes

And what would happen if the failure rate on the head tube of a bike or brakes on a car was 1-2%? No one would touch it with a 10 foot barge Pole and the company would be forced to rectify the problem, poor form by shimano. Even if it's less there is a common failure mode and "nothing to see here" is a poor reaction from shimano, would expect more from a established Japanese company. 

Avatar
dysonlu replied to check12 | 1 year ago
0 likes

Ah yes, Internet user reports are clearly reliable indicator of failure rate.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to dysonlu | 1 year ago
0 likes
dysonlu wrote:

Ah yes, Internet user reports are clearly reliable indicator of failure rate.

Well, it's an indication of a specific problem with the Ultegra and Dura-Ace bonded cranks which doesn't affect e.g. 105 series which uses a different method of manufacture. Whatever the failure rate actually is (and you can't really trust Shimano when they don't even acknowledge the problem), it's clear that there's an issue with them.

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