Chinese brand Magene has launched its first power meter pedals, the P715 K and P715 S.
Priced at only £399 / $499 / €499 per set, the P715s are the cheapest dual-sided power meter pedals available, undercutting options from the likes of Favero, Garmin and Wahoo.
From the outside, the design looks to be inspired by Favero’s highly rated Assioma Duo pedals, with pods on the spindles of each pedal housing electronics and a rechargeable battery.
With a claimed accuracy of +/- 1 per cent and options for both Look Keo and Shimano SPD-SL cleats, could these be set to steal some market share from the established brands? Let’s take a closer look.
All of the basics and more
While Magene doesn’t go into too many details on exactly how its pedals are constructed (this contrasts with Favero, which goes to great lengths to show the inner workings of its latest pedals, the Assioma Pro MX and RS), the P715 power meter pedals nevertheless get practically all of the features you’d expect.
Accuracy sits at a claimed +/- 1 per cent from 0-2,500 watts, across a cadence range of 0-240rpm, which is consistent with the best power meters currently available.
This, Magene says, is achieved by measuring power “closer to where you output the watts”, which reduces losses and “errors during transmission”.
The pedals also feature a gyroscope, which measures “real-time angular velocity” and helps the pedals to “accurately calculate the instantaneous power at each angle”.
At face value, this sounds extremely similar to Favero’s IAV (Instant Angular Velocity) Power System, which the Italian brand claims helps improve the accuracy of power measurement – because it does away with the assumption that a rider’s pedal stroke is perfectly smooth and consistent throughout each crank rotation.
Magene says the pedals also feature automatic calibration, and a temperature compensation algorithm to account for changes in ambient temperature during rides – which can affect how the strain gauges measure torque (and therefore can have a knock-on effect on power accuracy).
As well as the total power produced by both legs, Magene says the P715 pedals can measure advanced metrics including:
- Power phase – where in the pedal stroke you’re applying force
- Riding position – whether you’re pedalling seated or standing
- Left/right balance – what percentage of your total power is being produced by each leg
- Torque effectiveness and pedal smoothness – how much of your power is contributing to pushing the pedals forward and how evenly that force is delivered throughout the pedal stroke
The only thing missing is platform centre offset, which measures where you’re pushing on the pedals in relation to the centre of the spindle.
Competitive weight and a class-leading battery life
In terms of weight, the Magene P715s are competitive, if not quite class-leading.
According to our scales, the Keo-compatible P715 Ks weigh 311g per set, while the SPD-SL-compatible pedals weigh 314g per set.
In comparison, Favero’s latest Assioma PRO RS pedals weigh 250g, while Look’s Keo Blade Power pedals come in at 260g.
Garmin’s Rally RS200 pedals, however, are slightly heavier at 320g per set, while Favero’s original Assioma Duo pedals weighed 305g per set.
The Magene pedals pull ahead of the pack with battery life, though, which sits at a claimed 120 hours.
This is double what Favero’s pedals offer, and – on paper, at least – matches what Garmin’s Rally pedals eke out of their user-replaceable coin cells.
Of course, as with data accuracy, we’ll have to wait and see how this claim stands up to real-world use because Magene says this figure is based on testing in the “Magene lab”.
In any case, the P715 pedals are recharged via magnetic connectors, and Magene says a full charge takes only three hours from flat.
Magene P715 K and P715 S installation and specification
As with all of the best power meter pedals nowadays, there’s no complicated installation process for the Magene P715 pedals – all that’s required is an 8mm hex wrench.
Unusually, there’s no manual in the box with our samples, indicating a specific torque value, so we’d assume they simply need to be snug (most power meter pedals have a recommended installation torque of around 35-40Nm).
There weren't any cleats included either, so you'll need to supply your own, it seems.
Both models of the P715 pedals feature a 55mm Q-Factor, which is fairly standard (Shimano’s own SPD-SL pedals typically feature a 53mm Q-Factor), while stack height is 11mm for the P715 Ks and 13mm for the P715 S pedals.
The pedals can communicate with bike computers and smart devices using ANT+ or Bluetooth, and Magene says its Magene Utility app can be used for updating settings and/or firmware as needed.
- Pedal body options: Shimano SPD-SL / Look Keo
- Weight: 314g (Shimano SPD-SL) / 311g (Look Keo)
- Claimed accuracy: +/- 1 per cent
- Claimed battery life: 120 hours
- Connectivity: ANT+ / BLE
- Q-Factor: 55mm
- Stack height: 13mm (Shimano SPD-SL) / 11mm (Look Keo)
- Waterproof rating: IPX7
- Rider weight limit: Unknown
