Second generation Stages enclose with carbon options for Campagnolo, FSA and SRAM drivetrains
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The new Stages Cycling carbon crankarm is compatible with BB386EVO and BB30 (road and MTB)(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The new enclosure is 3mm shallower than the first generation model(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The kinked crankarm means there's plenty of clearance here(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
This is the FSA SL-K Light version(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
And it's second-gen Stages enclosure(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
Here's the more-entry-level Chorus (€899)(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
And the underside of the Record meter(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The Stages Campagnolo Record meter(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
With the Stages unit being so small, style conscious Campag users can get power data without compromising the look of their drivetrains(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
Campagnolo's top-end Super Record groupset users now have the option to add Stages(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
This longest version is for SRAM's 168mm mtb BB30 drivetrains(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The mid-length is for other SRAM BB30 setups(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
This shorter spindle is for SRAM Red cranks(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
All the new carbon crankarms feature the new second-generation housing(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
This is Chris Froome's Stages as used in the the Tour – there's less structure around the battery compartment compared with the final version(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
Stages Cycling has revealed carbon crankarm versions of its single-sided power meter at Eurobike, along with a new smaller housing, which will be phased in across the whole range.
Stages introduces carbon crankarm power meters
With its cracking of the carbon conundrum, Stages has added compatibility for Campagnolo Super Record, Record and Chorus as well as FSA SL-K Light and SRAM – the latter via Stages' first own-brand crankarm.
Up until now, Stages' power meter technology has been exclusively available to riders running alloy crankarms. Stages says the company has been working on a carbon version for years, but has had to overcome several hurdles before bringing the finished meter to market. Issues stymieing the quick production of a carbon Stages meter included difficulty in bonding to a composite material, temperature compensation and different fatigue characteristics.
Sam Morrison, Stages Cycling engineer and carbon product manager, said: "We could have made a carbon power meter a long time ago, but it would have had the functionality of a meter from the pre-Stages era.
"The problem isn't measuring deflection in carbon, it's dealing with changes of the material when the operating temperature changes. We could have easily released a meter that would require constant and vigilant zero resets; rather, we took our time and built a new system to specifically deal with the challenges carbon faces when temperatures change.
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"What we're delivering is a fully functional Stages power meter for carbon cranks, and we're proud of that. We made no concessions."
The carbon Stages units use an entirely new strain gauge developed to measure deflection of carbon cranks to the same level of accuracy as the Tour de France-winning alloy models, while also maintaining automatic temperature compensation.
Stages Cycling carbon crankarm
With SRAM owning Quarq, it's no surprise that there are no SRAM-branded carbon Stages crankarms available (the alloy Rival and X9 models are also being phased out). In an attempt to corner this market, Stages has developed its first own-brand crankarm in partnership with FSA.
Stages says compatibility with Campagnolo has long been sought by users of the Italian groupsets who don't wish to compromise on the sleek looks of the stock cranks. It's understandable given the less-than-stellar visuals of Power2Max equipped Campag spiders such as those used by Nairo Quintana.
FSA's SL-K Light BB30 carbon crankarm is also available with Stages on board. Available in 165-175mm lengths, it's due in January for €799.
We spotted a prototype version of a new Stages power meter on Chris Froome's bike at the Tour de France. The American company was also showing the finished article at Eurobike, which will feature on all carbon versions and is due to be phased in across alloy crankarms too.
