How do I calibrate my power meter?

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How to Zero Your Power Meter

Calibration and Zero-Offset

The terms “calibrate” and “zero” are often interchanged, however, these are two very different procedures in the power meter world.

Just a quick primer.

Calibration is normally done at the manufacturer during the building of your power meter.  This is where the manufacturer sets the ‘slope’ of the power meter.  This will determine the correct wattage output fro your ride.

Zero-offset, or zeroing, is a procedure done by the rider every ride.  When you do a zero-offset, the power meter ‘zeros’ out any residual torque that has been built up in the power meter from previous rides, changes in temperature, or other adjustments.  What you are doing is wiping the power meter clean.  Think of when you are weighing your morning breakfast and your hit tare on the scale to make sure it reads zero before weighing the food.  This is what you are doing.  Imagine if the scale said 240 grams before you weighted your almonds, now you are down to just two almonds for your snake.  Same with the power meter, if the zeroing is not correct, you might upload a file saying that you just completed a sprint at 17,000 watts.

General Zero Procedures

While the steps taken to zero each power meter vary slightly, the general process is the same – and it’s quite simple.

  1. When you perform a zero, you should be off of the bike. The pedals should be completely unweighted
  2. On your bicycle computer, navigate to the calibration page and select Calibrate. (Again, you’re really zero-offsetting but most bicycle computers erroneously call it Calibrate)
  3. You should see a “Calibration Successful” message (on most systems anyway, again refer to your power meter below for exact steps)

Also, here are two helpful tips to keep in mind:

  1. It’s good practice to be sure you have the latest version of software installed on your head unit. This can help avoid issues during the calibration process
  2. If you have any ANT+ compatible devices paired with your head unit that aren’t currently in use (heart rate monitor that you are not currently wearing, speed/cadence sensor that is not currently on the bike, etc.), we recommend that you disable them on your head unit. Sometimes, the head unit will continue to search for these before proceeding to the calibration procedure

Garmin

When:

Before every ride.

Steps:

  1. Spin the cranks backwards a few times to wake up the power meter
  2. Position the cranks in a horizontal position (3 and 9 o’clock)
  3. On your bicycle computer, navigate to the calibration page and select Calibrate
  4. You should receive a message saying “Calibration Successful”

 

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