Lars Boom (Blanco) at the start of Tirreno-Adriatico with his new Pioneer SGX-CA900 power meter computer head.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The new Pioneer power meter consists of two separate sensor units, one bonded on to the back of each crankarm. The plastic box zip-tied in between the chainring spider arms is the transmitter.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Pioneer is a name more often associated with stereo equipment but that's likely to change soon.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
While the features of Pioneer's new power meter are appealing, we're a bit disappointed in the transmitter's bulkiness.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
The replaceable battery is said to last for up to 200 hours.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
The additional hardware supposedly adds only 70g to a standard Shimano Dura-Ace crank.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
This screen shows not only the magnitude of a rider's power output but also the direction.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
The stout handlebar mount keeps the display centered relative to the stem.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Blanco riders have said that the color touchscreen is highly responsive and easy to use.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Pioneer has only announced power meters based on Shimano Dura-Ace 9000, 7900, and 7950 generations but other models may follow.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
The special bottom bracket supposedly adds about 1mm of width relative to a standard Shimano bottom bracket.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Blanco team bikes are outfitted with this extra lanyard on the computer head for security.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
The new Pioneer SGX-CA900 computer head features an Android-based operating system, a color touchscreen, and a wealth of display options.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Lars Boom (Blanco) tinkers with his new Pioneer SGX-CA900 computer head.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Blanco riders are using a separate wireless speed sensor up front despite the fact that the computer has on-board GPS.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Ready for another option in power meters? Pioneer promised at last year's Interbike show to release the SGY-PM900 Pedaling Monitor Sensor and SGX-CA900 Athlete Cyclocomputer around April or June, and it looks like the company is making good on that. We spotted Blanco riders Lars Boom and Lars Petter Nordhaug using it at Tirreno-Adriatico and expect other teammates to follow.
Pioneer's power meter is somewhat like the new Stages power meter in that it uses a strain gage sensor array that's bonded directly to an otherwise stock crankarm. The Blanco bikes have it on the Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 models, but there are also 7950 and 7900 options slated for consumer release. Unlike the left-arm-only Stages meter, the Pioneer meter has sensor arrays on both crankarms, allowing real-time left vs. right power measurements.
ANT+ wireless compatibility means that Pioneer's new power meter should work with third-party computer heads such as from Garmin, CycleOps, SRM and others. However, Blanco's decision to use Pioneer's Android-powered SGX-CA900 display earns its riders another benefit: a visual display of what direction they're applying that power, which can help users analyze and improve their pedaling stroke.
Integrated GPS could make it a viable competitor to Garmin's popular Edge range, too, and we've been told the touch screen is fast and responsive.
The Pioneer system requires its own bottom bracket, which team representatives told BikeRadar add about 1mm to the effective shell width – no big deal with Shimano's adjustable Hollowtech II system. The total target added weight relative to a standard Dura-Ace crankset is supposedly just 70g but Blanco team representatives also told BikeRadar they want their systems to be lighter so it's possible that Pioneer still has some work to do to hit that figure.
Blanco has been testing the new power meter since last year and already started using it in competition at last month's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad so we expect to hear more on this development in the near future.
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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.
