The power meter market isn't slowing down. A new player, Canadian brand 4iiii, is perhaps best known for its US$399 left-side power meter. Now sitting on the Specialized bikes of Etixx Quick-Step, the latest from 4iiii is looking rather polished.
As used by the team, the 4iiii Precision Pro power meter is a new left-and-right measuring device that offers ANT and Bluetooth connectivity. Although there’s no word on availability, this model could be the lightest option yet, claiming just a 25g addition to the crankset.
While 4iiii may be relatively new, company president and CEO Kip Fyfe, is no stranger to bike tech. Fyfe co-founded Dynastream Innovations, which produced the ANT protocol, and was sold to Garmin in 2006.
The left-side power meter is already available
The brand is already selling left-only versions of the Precision power meter. Weighing just 9 grams, the left crank-arm based device is an extremely similar concept to that introduced by Stages Cycling.
To get such a power meter, customers send off their alloy left crank to the company, which then installs the meter for $399.
Left and right version of the power meter is in the works
Where the left-only version takes the left leg’s power and doubles it, the new ‘Pro’ version adds a right-based meter to distinguish and collect left and right power data.
Installation of this prototype right-based meter is also to be done by 4iii, with a permanent bond to the crankset of choice. It's a similar execution to that of Pioneer's power meter, albeit smaller and lighter.
A mechanic from the Etixx Quick-Step team told us that it's a real simple power meter to fit, and battery replacement is equally as easy.
Using standard 2032 coin cell batteries, battery life is claimed at over 100 hours.
It’s still early days for the new power player, with even the Ettix Quick-Step team admitting they’ve only had the new ones on bikes for two weeks. With this, pricing and expected availability for the dual-leg version is still unknown.
The finding of 4iiii in the WorldTour comes in the same week as DimensionData were spotted racing prototypes of a new dual-leg Rotor ‘2INpower’ power meter.