Rotor INspider power meter - first look

We take an early look at Rotor's universal, multi-discipline INspider power meter

What is a hands on review?
Rotor INspider power meter
(Image: © Aaron Borrill)

Early Verdict

The modular design of Rotor's INspider power meter makes it a sensible investment for the serious cyclist

Pros

  • +

    Can be swapped between multiple bikes

  • +

    Comparatively light at 148g

  • +

    Accurate to 1 - 1.5%

  • +

    Reliable data harvesting

  • +

    Impressive battery life

Cons

  • -

    A little on the costly side

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The once unattainable power meter has become widely affordable in recent years thanks to advances in strain-gauge technology, power meter design, and the increased demand for training tools of this nature. At present, the best power meters include everything from single- to dual-sided cranksets, pedals, rear-wheel hubs, spindle options and spider solutions like the system pictured here. With the exception of pedal-based systems, swapping power meters from bike-to-bike can sometimes be an impossible task but Rotor reckons it has found a solution.

Aaron Borrill

Aaron was the Tech Editor Cyclingnews between July 2019 and June 2022. He was born and raised in South Africa, where he completed his BA honours at the University of Cape Town before embarking on a career in journalism. Throughout this career, Aaron has spent almost two decades writing about bikes, cars, and anything else with wheels. Prior to joining the Cyclingnews team, his experience spanned a stint as Gear & Digital editor of Bicycling magazine, as well as a time at TopCar as Associate Editor. 

Now based in the UK's Surrey Hills, Aaron's life revolves around bikes. He's a competitive racer, Stravaholic, and Zwift enthusiast. He’s twice ridden the Cape Epic, completed the Haute Route Alps, and represented South Africa in the 2022 Zwift eSports World Championships.

Height: 175cm

Weight: 61.5kg

Rides: Cannondale SuperSlice Disc Di2 TT, Cannondale Supersix Evo Dura-Ace Rim, Cannondale Supersix Evo Ultegra Di2 Disc, Trek Procaliber 9.9 MTB 

What is a hands on review?

'Hands on reviews' are a journalist's first impressions of a piece of kit based on spending some time with it. It may be just a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is we have been able to play with it ourselves and can give you some sense of what it's like to use, even if it's only an embryonic view.