Product Review
Cycleops Powertap Elite+
Share on Facebook Share on TwitterBY: Tom Bell
Published: 16th August, 2011
As I'm always looking to squeeze every bit of performance out of myself, I decided the best thing I could do was to take the plunge and start training with Power. At present it seems most power meters are simply beyond affordability for your average consumer, though I have found the Powertap Elite+ system by Cycleops to be a great example of a fully featured device in a much more modest price range of upwards of £600.
Despite sitting towards the lower end of the Powertap range, Cycleops have kept the same core features running from the Elite+ right the way up to their flagship SLC+ model. This means the Elite+ still features average, max and current Power, HR (if you purchase the chest strap separately - £45) as well as your typical cycle computer stats like Distance, Odometer, Speed etc. The distinctive yellow head unit is competent and displays three lines of useful info; Power up top, HR or Speed on the second line and Time, Cadence etc across the bottom.
Navigation through the various menus is pretty simple via the two buttons with a variety of different clicking/holding techniques. The display clarity is good both in and out of the saddle, although the payoff is a very power-hungry device and I have not been entirely impressed with the amount of replacement batteries I've had to stock up on. If it can be squeezed into the budget, a Garmin (from £150) or Cycleops' Joule computer (from £300) with rechargeable batteries would possibly be a better bet.
The Elite+ hub itself can accurately be described as 'no-frills' and is missing the carbon fibre shell of the higher end hub models which sheds 200g. Nevertheless, it operates flawlessly and is not as heavy as it may look. Though at 624g is still noticeably and unsurprisingly heavier than a standard road hub. If you are using the Elite+ exclusively for training and low-key racing, I don't think there is really any need to worry about the weight too much since it is not rotational mass out on the rim affecting acceleration.
So far, there have been no issues with the bearings, nor any data anomalies/dropping out, and I can't say I notice a difference from a standard hub when riding. In contrast to the CPU, the battery life of the hub has been excellent and I am still running on the original batteries with several months of heavy use.
The software which comes with the Elite+ is the latest incarnation of PowerAgent and I have found this to be excellent in presenting both an overview of a training session, as well as having almost all the features one needs to really process their data effectively. The graphs on the summary page for Heart rate and Power zones are especially useful and the interface has a much cleaner look than rival applications.
Powertap claim +/-1.5% accuracy on their power readings which gives me confidence the readings are correct and compares favourably to the major competitor at this price point, the Polar CS600 which offers +/-10% at any given reading. There are some features missing, such as the ability to compare multiple sessions on one graph to track progress over time, but the fact that it is included with the device more than makes up for this.
Another common criticism of power devices is that a coach is necessary to analyse and make sense of the masses of data you'll inevitably collect. Personally, I believe this to be false and you can build a sound knowledge of power data analysis from relevant websites like TrainingPeaks.com or the many training manuals. It must be noted though that such a system really favours the analytical cyclist and those who likely to pick apart their data and I wouldn't necessarily encourage people who aren't into the minute details of performance to train with power. Cycleops target their devices at everyone from professionals to those just trying to keep fit or shift some weight, but for the latter it is definitely overkill in my opinion.
It remains to be seen whether the hub and CPU will stand the test of time (especially through our ever-deteriorating winters) but so far I have been satisfied with the system and software's performance. If I were racing with Power it may be that I would choose a crank-based system, which would allow for the swapping of wheels without the loss of power measurement, albeit at a much greater cost.
Therefore as a training tool, the Elite+ may be the answer to those who think they simply can't afford a power meter.
Score: On the podium
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Tom Bell
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