Velocomp AeroPod+ V5 Aerodynamic CdA Sensor and Cycling Power Meter Compatible with Any Bike

I ride my road bike for exercise, not competitively, but not casually either. Since I’m riding for exercise, I want to track my power with my Garmin device… because I want to measure my biking VO2 max. But I didn’t want to replace my pedals with a pedal-based power meter. So this option works perfectly as an alternative to pedal versions.

I have been using their PowerPod for about four years. It was somewhat useful if you are sticking to one bike, and are able to recognise when the thing is not reading correctly. It helped me cut my teeth on power. However, after being frustrated with the so-so data from that product, I decided to try this one as it has an actual Petot tube in the front. My first impression is that they may have finally got it right this time. Setup went smooth (I thoroughly read the instructions this time, and that is incredibly important with this type of product). The wind data actually follows the wheel speed on a calm day. This is something the PowerPod never was able to do well. Also, comparing the power calculation with my DFPM shows that it tracks really well. This makes CdA data believable. Velocomp's products can be fiddly, so if you are not that technical, you would be advised to steer clear. However, that said -- you probably wouldn't be buying this product as you would not care about your CdA and tweaking it to make it better. I will most definitely be following up with more thoughts.. Customer support has been good as well on their PowerPod product. I would appreciate a little more transparency with an advanced user. If tech support was a little more straightforward with the limitations of the PowerPod, I would have not been so frustrated with it. This product seems to address my main concerns, so I look forward to updating this review.