Brim Brothers (finally) launch Zone D.P.M.X cleat-based power meter

After many years of waiting, Ireland’s Brim Brothers have finally unveiled their Zone D.P.M.X  power meter at the annual Interbike show in Las Vegas last week with a retail price of $999 £640 and availability expected in October November.

The Zone power meter is unlike any other power meter currently available, in that the entire system is fitted to the shoe. A sensor plate is sandwiched between a Speedplay cleat and the sole of the shoe, and a pod mounted to the top of the shoe receives the data from the sensor and relays it, via ANT+, to any compatible device like a Garmin Edge computer.

The Zone power meter works by a combination of the cleat sensor measuring the force applied to the pedals and the motion sensor in the pod atop each shoe measuring the position and motion of the cranks and pedals. Using this data the system can calculate the cadence and power. The sensor takes over 100 readings a second, and they claim +/- 2% accuracy.

Battery life for the USB rechargeable shoe pods is claimed to be 15 hours. Brim Brothers say the battery duration is short due to the high number of measurements the system has to do and the subsequent drain this requirement has on the internal battery. The pods however are easily charged with a USB charging dock, and they claim they take jsut two hours to recharge from empty. 

The pods are completely sealed and have a IPX67 weatherproof rating, so riding them through a typical British winter shouldn’t be a problem.

Perhaps the most appealing attribute of the Zone design is that it will be a doddle to swap between bikes, just a simple task of swapping the pedals over. If you have more than one set of pedals you won’t even need to get the toolbox out.

Zone is (currently) only available for Speedplay pedals, and only three-bolt shoes, not the newer four-bolt type, but it must surely only be a matter of time before other pedal systems are offered. You also need a shoe with at least one Velcro strap to anchor the pod, so that instantly rules out some shoes such as those using BOA dials.

“Switching bikes is ridiculously simple,” says Zone inventor Barry Redmond, “you get off one bike, get on another, and ride. That’s it. From best bike to winter bike to turbo, unclip, move your head unit, clip back in and go – and your power meter goes with you.

“We know that many serious cyclists own more than one bike. We know that riders who own multiple bikes want power measurement on all their bikes. And we know that until now, that ambition has been time-consuming, expensive, confusing or just impossible."

It is a very light system, a claimed 35g per shoe. Having a sensor on both shoes means the system can measure left and right power independently, so you can get total power, power balance and left and right power on compatible devices. Cadence is also recorded, meaning one less sensor to attach to your bike.

The company reckons the power meter is easy to install and can be done at home following step-by-step instructions. The piezoceramic sensor plate, key to the Zone’s power measuring, replaces the standard Speedplay base plate and is glued in place (with a sticker first applied to the sole for easy removal at a later date).

Brim Brothers also confirmed the price of $999 £640 and they’ll only be selling direct through their website, with availability expected from October November. Use can pre-order at the moment on the Brim Brothers website www.brimbrothers.com/preorder/

The power meter market has exploded with choice in the last couple of years and there is a real appetite for more affordable power meters. Brim Brothers reckon the Zone power meter is a competitive price compared to the many other offerings from SRM, Quarq, Rotor, Garmin, PowerTap and Stages, to name a few.

“ZONE D.P.M.X solves the problem. And at a very competitive price,” says Barry Redmond. “It really is power for the people.”

We can’t wait to get a go on the Zone to see how it compares to the competition, the idea of being able to swap between bikes is certainly very appealing to those that have more than one bike they ride on a regular basis. More at www.brimbrothers.com

This announcement follows hot on the heels of the  Spanish shoemaker Luck's power meter shoes that we told you about last week.