Stages Power Meter (Single/Gen III) - Install, Ride, Data Review

Hands on with the latest generation of the Stages Power cycling power meter. Install, ride, and data review from a number of rides performed indoors and out on the Shimano 105 Stages Left ANT+/Bluetooth Power Meter. I also test out the claimed improvement of their data transmission range with an epic out-front head unit mount.
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[@Bydey]

Omfg when he takes the extension pole outside I nearly died laughing 😂. Shane you are a legend.

[@Bluesman2509]

Rofl

[@lsid4747]

I want Cycling Jousting as a sport.

[@Veep_The_Goblin_Hermit]

convinced me. Left only is good enough for me.

[@frankvdbroek]

25°C in Australia: "Winter is coming😱" 25°C in Holland: "I'm really overheating💦"

[@Fidasaind]

That's about the temp in Phoenix today and tomorrow. But ugh... summer is coming 103 projected high for Sunday aka 39C. And it won't be long before we start seeing 110-115 most days aka 43-46 C. It's only May and I already miss winter.

[@K1989L]

Summer coming to Finland. Hope it get's to 25 someday..

[@dickybirdcch]

Lol it's high 30s in Malaysia. It's always summer here.

[@literoadie3502]

@ΝΟΜΛ More like 25 C in the UK: ''50 people died of head exhaustion in an ASDA car park as they attempted to get their cars out''

[@tarkain]

Awesome as always Shane! Thanks so much for all you bring to us cycling fiends!

[@richfi9576]

that was an outrageously brilliant test

[@harrylook7810]

Best bike tech reviews on the Internet, and this one was particularly good.

[@petergrealy9695]

Fully committed review as usual!

[@samlewis4283]

Fantastic review as always! I was tossing up between 4iiii and Stages earlier this year and went with 4iiii in the end. Have done over 3000 km and haven't had an issue. The latest Stages looks like a big improvement over previous models. The good thing about Stages is they are often on sale and you can often pick them up cheaper than the RRP.

[@texrgb]

Great review as always Shane

[@antoinechalons]

haha love your last test ride! great thorough review!

[@Cyclingchoice]

Mother of all mounts! Fantastic review!

[@paulz3002]

Another good review Shane. As you've stated, the discrepancy in readings between power meters relates to leg imbalances. This is only an issue if you are comparing data between power meters. It is not a big issue if people recognise the limitations of their equipment. So long as a rider adopts a consistent protocol to measuring power output over time then the data will remain meaningful.

[@davidtodd8922]

I was wondering which generation I have. Thank you for answering my question!

[@JakeM1025]

That out the front mount was epic. Props for actually riding outside with that contraption. I'd be too embarrassed haha

[@thedropcycling]

Great review, Thanks Shane

[@kennyxsd]

Great comprehensive review thank you!

[@batesady]

Loved that review Sir Llamalot!

[@ltonetto]

Deserves a like for that last test!

[@rhyswilliams695]

Thanks Shane, very helpful.

[@jared7586]

What a great out front mount!!!

[@maartenmeynen8760]

Very usefull review. Thanks!

[@kiverrussell8369]

Good job you saved the out out front for suburbia and not the climb - the wallabies will be thankful! Would love to see a similar rigourous test of a single sided 105 4iiii.

[@elidouek5438]

And it shall be recorded in history that 12:50 was the time that Sir Shane of Ballarat departed, riding his trusty carbon steed on his noble quest for wireless range. Ave!

[@DesN4IN]

very happy with my gen 2 stages single side PM

[@darinsteele7091]

my friend has had one for 5 years and it still works!

[@manonamachine]

Good job. I just purchased one. Thanks for the video

[@BobbyVempati]

Hahaha Nice review Shane as always...this ride must have been a sight for your neighbors :D I've experienced drop in signal (couple of times) from Ultegra L Only Gen 2 & Edge 520 combo and only once with Ultegra L only Gen 2 & Bolt Combo (that is because the battery was close to dead on the crank arm)... Stages Gen 2 L only has worked like a charm for the last year or so no issues whatsoever compatibility, pairing and signal strength are all good (I've p1 pedals for comparison). The comparison of a single side only power meter to a dual sided power meter can be unfair if you have a lot of unevenness or imbalance in strength in one's legs (like myself recovering or lack of proper recovery from ligaments tear)... Currently running Gen 3 LR power meter and it is extremely good, I just love it. Have not experienced a lot of water resistance issues but we do not get that much precipitation here in NorCal....

[@BobMaulucci]

This is why when my brother-in-law says his FTP went up 5 watts (he's a Gen 1 Stages user), I just shake my head. That's within the normal plus-minus. For me, P1s are working great. I have a Stages (Gen 2) on my CX bike, and if the Garmin isn't stem mounted it is nowhere to be found. Great review Shane.

[@stuartdryer1352]

A great power meter for the money and the best customer service I have had in years. Super powerful signal on the third gen. I had a problem with my second gen unit draining batteries. They put a third gen unit in my crank. No charge and it took them only three days. Signal is very powerful. Stages is a great company.

[@Nomgoose]

OMG that last bit with the super out front mount had me rolling! Not at all what I expected! What did the neighbors think?

[@IGotsBadFeeling]

I'm glad to see they fixed the data dropout stuff. That makes Stages worth buying again. I'm totally happy with my Powertap P1s right now though. Maybe next time, Stages.

[@swites]

Thx for the review. Have a Gen 2 for nearly a yr and has been flawless. No drop outs or issues whatsoever. But would like a left /right pm at some stage just to test my left /right balance etc and get a more accurate reading for actual overall power produced. My left leg is my weak leg too which doesn't help! Well I think it is...but without a left/right pm I don't really know.

[@bernardjukema508]

Great review! Been following your vids for some time now and they are really informative and useful! Btw: awesome front-out mount!

[@stewartsayer7555]

Using a Gen 3 Ultegra on my new Giant since early January. Replaced the battery Mid March after about 100hrs in the saddle and 3500km. Pretty happy with it overall.

[@therazor8541]

Your out front Garmin mount just solved my KOM goals! 🙌🏆😂😅

[@gplama]

🤣🤣

[@chrisd5986]

Very well done sir, ty! 🙏

[@TheCyclingMan]

Great review - thanks Shane. I've had 1st, 2nd and now 3rd gen Stages. Used on both my mountain bike and more recently road bike. I've compared against my Powertap G3 hub, and now a Wahoo Snap. But very interesting to see you compare against some pedals. I would love to go that route, but currently stuck on Speedplays! The issue I've had with Stages is their complete inability to cope with storage in damp conditions here in the UK, and consequent battery drainage. Something that's unlikely to be an issue for you! I'm really hoping the Gen 3's are better - but it's unlikely since they've not changed the physical design. One question - what smoothing do you use with DCR's tool? I use his tool too - but rarely get such a close match as you. I also haven't quite figured out how his tool matches different start times on different units. Thanks - am loving your channel!

[@TheMischiefmadness]

Imagine being Shane's neighbour.."well, there he goes again, what's he up to this time i wonder.., should i ask him? Nvm, i'll just wait for his next upload.."

[@danrobinson5883]

Nice review Shane. Have they added the ability to change the scale factor to account for leg imbalance like on the 4iiii?

[@dantepryor5276]

Out front mount test 👌

[@Pokkel2305]

Hi Shane, thanks for this great video. I got myself a stages ultegra gen 3 left crank last week. Was wondering if you've notice the Bluetooth signal is much weaker than the Ant+ signal? Or is it just me?

[@tomgonzalez110]

Good stuff

[@salsalawyer]

You can do an incredible bike throw with that out front mount!

[@gplama]

You can win races that haven't even started! ;)

[@3DKiwi]

Looks like the perfect power meter for Zwifting with the power being slightly high!! BTW, I assume the crank was the same length as your RH crank?

[@Hickin]

The image of people seeing that mount and wondering WTF got me, haha good effort!

[@gplama]

My first effort was with a 3m pole.... and I hit a parked car with it. (Just on the wheel, no scratches).... I couldn't include that in the video ;)

[@Hickin]

Shane Miller - GPLama haha quality, all in the name of consumer product testing! We all a appreciate it 👍🍻

[@frankdelatank8454]

Thanks again for the great content! Have you ever tested/compared the fulcrum (for lack of better term) between power meters? For example, standing vs. sitting... standing further back vs. further forward... sliding back on the saddle vs. on the rivet, etc. Could be interesting to compare crank vs. pedals vs. NEO in all of those scenarios.

[@gplama]

There’s only so many hours in the day to test and retest. Sure it’d be nice to double down on all the details... but I find my Lama Lab tests and outdoor rides do a pretty good job at what works and what doesn’t.

[@anischli]

Nice video! : )

[@raphaelmbarek3645]

Great content. Crossing fingers for your Zwift Sticker initiative as well ;-) Greets from Munich!

[@modarm]

Great review,, given the 6x more ANT+ power it would be interesting to know if it has impacted on the overall battery life and how that compares to the two earlier versions and how long a battery lasts from new (hours of use). I would still prefer a rechargable type unit but that is just me.

[@shaneveivers3807]

Hi Shane Absolutely love all of your videos and content and love all your videos regarding power meters ! So interesting I am looking at purchasing the stages ultegra power meter generation 3 like the one in this video however I was wondering what is the difference between the 105 and the ultegra version ? Will the 105 will it fit my bike or do I need the ultegra version Thanks Shane

[@gplama]

Thanks for your kind words. Regarding Stages - At this point in time I’d recommend seeking alternative options. I have a suspicion Stages as a company are in a volatile position. I don’t have any sold references other than seeing a LOT of their cycle tech staff leave in recent months and the ongoing reports online about their support being almost nonexistent.

[@nigelwood6242]

Which is your stronger leg Shane or did you say you compared it with a left only pedal? Has the battery cover Improved? Great vid, bike jousting 😆

[@stuartdryer4089]

My Gen 3 works fine, no dropouts with Edge 520. To be fair I didn't have dropouts with Gen 2 either using the same head unit. I still fear water ingress, which destroyed two Gen 2s I had. Stages replaced the units but still not good. Their customer service is outstanding.

[@michito2645]

Thank for you help

[@K1989L]

I just ordered a stages 105 2 gen crank. Now I know why it was on sale.. Did not know about the 3 gen coming until this. Well if it just works I'm happy.

[@texrgb]

Buy a Wahoo, then it will

[@nickrogers6441]

Looks to be good value. I don't think that new mount will catch on though...

[@MrWesman43]

I have only good things to say about Stages customer service. I had the Gen 1 unit and it started to eat batteries, contacted support and they replaced it for a gen 2 unit, no issues since then and I use it year-round in Irish (wetter than an otters pocket) weather.

[@JaapW]

Shane, that mount was amazing. The movie part well chosen. I had a good laugh 😂 Running a Gen2 here. Question: did they improve the battery door closing system? On Gen2 the CR2032 battery is loose and after a battery change it takes a lot of fiddling to have a proper connection again. I also had lots of signal dropouts, but only with Garmin head units (705 & 820). Elemnt, not a single dropout.

[@gplama]

It looks the same to me.... I was just super careful to remove the cover and install it dead flat when i pulled the battery tab out. My Gen I had little tabs break off inside itself. I'd like to see them give up a few grams in weight for a more robust battery door.

[@peterlaskiewicz8252]

Stages really needs to add a slope and offset adjustment in their app. This would allow us to match the stages to other PMs.

[@regandra1]

Hi Shane, which one would you recommend after all? stages left side or Favero assioma duo? Thanks man!

[@JBSpine007]

I have the new Stages LR power meter and I love it. Very easy to set up and very consistent. I had the Vector 3 just prior to the Stages and they were a mess.

[@gplama]

Stay tuned on the Vector 3 update... Mine have been put aside while Garmin sort the battery issue out.

[@JBSpine007]

I had to send mine back because the battery issue made them unusable. I went through two pairs and separate battery compartment. One major flaw in design is to rely on a small piece of electrical tape to prevent the battery circuit from shorting out.

[@reubensoares3467]

Jerry Sobel i was considering vectors until I saw this comment. What exactly is the battery issue you mention?

[@JBSpine007]

The battery compartment in my opinion was thought out very poorly. You stack two LR44 batteries and you have to put a small amount of mineral oil on the contact point. On the inside part of the compartment there are these 2 small metal contact points but they have to be covered up so the batteries do not short out the circuit. So Garmin has taken two very small pieces of tape to cover these metal parts. The thing is that the tape can move and if does then the right pedal will not be seen. Also, the threads for the compartment are metal and for the pedal they are plastic. So you can easily strip the threads.

[@troxeh.]

Shane Miller - GPLama my v3 drop off now and then during a ride, was starting to think it was due to range.

[@sambrown1779]

Hilarious. Thanks. Loved the jousting test 😂😂😂👍 you're a legend

[@sergio895]

Shane Tepes, The Impaler.

[@raptor7547]

Does left sided option have any possibility to account for L/R imbalance through adjustment the way Assioma's Uno do? I'm using Assioma's on my road bike and I'm very consistent 48/52 on readings. I'm looking at Stages for my gravel bike with GRX crankset. Does Stages have anything to compensate for it or do you have another recommendation for that setup? Thank you!

[@Methodical2]

FYI with regards to battery life. I received my warranty replacement Gen 3 unit (SRAM GXP) around April 10, 2018 and I just had to replace the battery on 1.8.19, so the battery lasted 9 months. I had bad power and rpm readings while riding, which should be an indicator to owners to test battery before going off the deep end or contacting Stages.

[@edwarddillon]

crazy man, i laughed so much

[@rcarranzamanuel]

Firsr time buyer . Does this fits on any crankset? I have a shimano sora 9s 50/34

[@colomis24]

LLama - I'm a recreational cyclist but i'm also a data geek. I've been on the fence about getting a power meter as I don't necessarily 'train' - I just get out and ride my bike. Given this very brief background - would a left only power meter be the way to go if I decide to take the leap?

[@john4808]

Just ordered a 105 from stages website for $299 USD. My first power meter.

[@phxrsx]

Id like to see a dropout test with the joust out front mount with the Gen 2.

[@Migel0yahu]

ride on

[@mintymilkk]

just bought my Gen2 a few months ago, hopefully I'm not missing too much lol

[@Hong1626]

i use Gen2. BLE connectivity is good, but ant+ often gets reading dropouts. It 's due to signal jam.

[@the_1drummajor]

I wonder if there would be a long-term review on this now that it has been about 5+ years since the introduction of the Gen 3 power meter. Has the culmination of updates led us to improved accuracy?

[@yesthehandymancan]

So where do you buy these for 650 AUD in Australia?. I've seen $730

[@thomasmuller3089]

Thanks Shane. This was Gen 3 in 2018. - Is there meanwhile a new Gen 4 (or 5) available?

[@gplama]

I'm not aware of any newer generation Stages power meters.

[@laurentgiant1084]

Thank for your review please can you tell us if you are using an ant + or bluetooh connection ?

[@gplama]

I use ANT+ for data collection. This unit also supports BLE.

[@Ultrarunner1982]

Great review 👍. I recently got a Stages GRX 810. After uploading my ride on Strava (via Wahoo Roam) the average power is not the same as recorded by the Stages Powermeter (172 Stages vs 128 Strava). Is there a way to fix this?

[@gplama]

Likely just a difference in reporting average vs normalised power.

[@TheLazyGarden3r]

Loved the out front mount. Did you get many funny looks?

[@gplama]

None. See my Instagram where I rode home with a foam head the other day... and nobody took any notice. I guess nobody sees cyclists anyway hey? :)

[@billdemarais7254]

I just ordered a Trek Checkpoint with this left-side power meter. Unfortunately, I'm reading now that there is not enough clearance to use this meter.

[@drashkum]

Can you give us insights on how do i compare powermeter data between powermeters.? I mean the settings on power recording? If u use zwift for the comparison? What software do u use to compare and how do u align the data? And technical stuff please?

[@gplama]

DCR Analyzer Tool Overview & Manual: goo.gl/ShUDuZ

[@julieinaustin1658]

I came for the stickers, because stickers, but that was a most informative video. One question I didn't see answered was how long it actually took to swap the cranks around. And I also wanted to ask if you know your left/right balance, because I'm surprised the single-sided crank was so close to your Snap. My balance is 54/46-ish left-to-right and I often joke about riding my singled-sided Vectors whenever I race on Zwift ;) And don't forget -- stickers.

[@gplama]

More STICKRZ! :) My L/R changes based on the effort/terrain. So I don't have an exact figure there. Time to change cranks over.... hmm... 5 minutes or so. Ignore the SNAP data that pops up on screen, I was doing voodoo magic with that unit at the time, I'll loop back to what I was up to in the near future.

[@mefepristone]

Hi shane - thanks for your informative review on stagespower gen 3. I thought I'd share my experience of a gen 2 DA stagespower left crank arm paired to a stages dash head unit..... Interestingly enough I've had no problems with drop off of signal with these two - albeit the dash is not quite mounted as far forward as the garmin units tend to be, but it's not too far off. I'm wondering if the stages dash has some type of booster - as it will happily display data and connect from many metres away, if not another room at times, with out an apparent drop in signal In addition I'll also pair the stagespower to an atv4k with btle and both the atv running zwift and the iPhone running companion are hidden on a bookshelf about 5-6m from the tacx flux/bike set up. Thanks again Liam

[@andym7304]

Lol...that out front mount is awesome

[@gplama]

K-Edge Jouster.

[@elidouek5438]

Shane Miller - GPLama patent pending

[@avantxz]

Stick a go pro on it 😊

[@maxsungwd]

DC Rainmaker would have used a drone instead of that out front mount

[@stinkyfungus]

Reminds me of back when I was a kid... Trashcan lids (back when they were made of galvanized steel) as a shield, A length of 3/4" PVC pipe for a lance And a nerf football as a pad on the end. BMX jousting... It's a wonder no one got maimed.

[@timdixo]

Grew tired of Garmin dropouts with my 3 stages PM’s,switched to the Bolt...happy days!! One does need to be vigilant with the Stages battery connection points: that tiny 3 prong piece of metal has needed manipulation on more than a few occasions. Hard to beat a Stages for value tho.

[@michwoz]

It's been beaten for value long time ago. Stages is popular because it's well advertised, easily available and compatible with already owned popular crank sets. From value standpoint it's highly over priced in my opinion. There are full blown power meters available at one sided Stages price point.

[@smokanci]

Duuuuuuude, what fans (ventilator) do you use for inhouse training? I know you mentioned in one video, but I'm too wasted right now to search. Thanks!!!

[@gplama]

Look for anything "high velocity turbo" in stock

[@smokanci]

Shane Miller - GPLama thanks man

[@babybelkin977]

The things with power meters is your still going to pedal the bike at how your feeling , some days you fly other days you crawl, it’s a fun data tech for 90 % of people riding bikes. Yes pros and other athletes dive into data , I have the stages gen 2 and it’s great

[@Herb3d]

House in you neighbor hood look like Central Texas. Ride On and keep the rubber side down. I just picked up this PM.

[@Raptors0524]

Hey Shane, Thanks for your review. I have some question for you. I am in the market for a power meter. Would you buy gen 3 stages Ultegra 8000 or 4iiii Percision Ultegra. I noticed that Stages has a longer battery life and active temperature control. However, 4iiii clams to be lighter and more accurate. What would you buy for a weekend warrior? My mind tells me Stages gen 3 is newer and would be the better choice but I don’t know. Also, which one can be upgraded to have duel power? Am I just splitting hairs here? Thank you!

[@gplama]

They're all much of a muchness for the Left only. They can all be matched with a corresponding right crank later on, if you want to step into that puddle of mud with the issues right side Shimano cranks face at the moment with power.

[@Raptors0524]

Shane Miller - GPLama So it sounds like you view all left side cranks the same. They will all have muchness. Then it just comes down to which one has the better deal then, right? Thanks for responding. I always check your reviews before buying 😂

[@gplama]

@@Raptors0524 Correct.

[@zwergstein2152]

Any chance you can get your hands on the power2max Ng eco? They seem like the best budget solution that captures total power!

[@gplama]

Trying.... Dr SLane has them, so I may outsource the Lama Lab test to him and put a pair of trusted pedals on his bike for some data collection. Stay tuned!

[@zwergstein2152]

Shane Miller - GPLama Cheers!

[@jakob6455]

Does anyone know what the normal response time should be? Time between pushing down on the pedals and seeing instant power on garmin. Im worried close to 3sec is too much? Or is it normal

[@edelgadolozano]

Hola es compatible con freno trasero ultegra direct mount ultegra r8000?????

[@daviddaniels6335]

ALL - Could someone help? Would someone know the width of the new Stages Gen3? A friend has purchased a 4iiii and its rubbing on the brake (underneath the stays) The 4iiii Ive been able to find at 10.5mm. Anyone know or wouldn't mind measuring one for me?! Thanks

[@ryandowney5798]

@37s you totally psyched me out by not installing it while outside. The only thing more epic is if you snapped your fingers and the background was just the green screen. *dropped mic*

[@etienneberbers6491]

actually there is an older version... before the gen1. i had a prototype one... completely blue... unfortunately the batt cap broke off and stages sent a complete new one... (gen 2)...

[@shoerhino]

Interesting

[@StanislavGrabchev]

just a little bit

[@pauloviegas2326]

Can you give a review about the Velocomp Powerpod ANT/BLE Power Meter! Thanks

[@gplama]

Not something on my list to look into sorry. It's an estimator based on wind.... so not all that useful indoors.

[@pauloviegas2326]

It’s exactly what I’m looking for a cheap powermeter for outdoors

[@powerwindpro]

where can i buy used pm??

[@zaroc_1450]

Would you recommend the Stages 105 for 300€/Dollars for just pacing the training rides? Atm I train with HR and speed so it should be better then nothing or am I wrong? Or do you really need a true L/R for pacing?

[@gplama]

That’s a good option for an entry into power training.

[@Methodical2]

With the newest update, I notice the Stages PM has a "Gyroscope" Have you enabled this and if so what are the advantages of using the Gyroscope for cadence? Thanks

[@gplama]

No idea sorry. I haven't had time to look into this.

[@Methodical2]

@@gplama No problem. Thought I'd ask. Thanks for the response.

[@muddy250]

I know my L/R imbalance is 48/52, so can you software compensate for L/R imbalances or do you just suck it up and live with the simple doubling of L power?

[@gplama]

I'm not sure Stages config has a scale option.