$6 power meter? Tech firm claim they can make a power meter for just $6

A Danish tech firm who manufacture strain gauges could be about to start a new power meter price war, saying they've now got the cost of their crank-based power technology down to just $6. Sensitivus say they're on a mission to make power affordable for all, and the price cuts are down to falling electronics costs and maturing technology. 

Team Zwatt's €499 Zpider power meter

Sensitivus (which means 'sensitive' in Latin) made a decision to work with pre-existing manufacturers rather than build their own brand when launching as a crowdfunding project back in 2015, and they can now provide their 'Gauge ApS' technology to any brand for the price of six US dollars to make a power meter crankset. They say strain gauges can now be bought for under $1, and the total cost on top can be less than $10 for other types of power meter too. The $6 figure refers to the cost of the parts and not the cost to manufacturers, as Sensitivus have now made clear in their updated article on the subject. 

Founder Rolf Ostergaard said: “We started our quest to democratise power meters and make it affordable for all through two successful crowdfunding campaigns. Now we are taking the next step and make this mature technology available to manufacturers that want to help put affordable power meters on all bikes” 

Sensitivus say the 'constant falling curve' of electronics prices plus the gradual maturing of technology have made the lower prices possible. They claim to have pioneered a rechargeable battery with a magnetic charging connector, that has a vibration-sensitive cadence algorithm that is "among the most robust in the industry", and this was taken up by numerous mountain bike brands soon after it went into production. They also provide complete software set-ups including support for phone apps and back-end tools to enable brands to get the technology incorporated into a crankset in as little as two to three months. Companies that include Sensitivus tech on their products include Team Zwatt, Raceface and Easton.  

You can find out more on the Sensitivus website here.