Bicycling has previously tested and praised Favero’s road power meter pedals. In 2020, we hailed the original Favero Assioma Duo as the best dual-sided power meter for most cyclists. But until recently, Favero’s very accurate and relatively affordable power meter pedals were restricted to road riders. In February 2024, Favero released the Pro MX-2, a Shimano SPD-compatible power meter pedal for gravel and mountain bike use.
Inside the New Pro-MX2
All the electronics are sealed inside the spindle—likely how we will see all future pedal-based power meters.
The new off-road pedals join the existing Look Keo and Shimano SPD-SL compatible road pedals. All three systems share much of the same technology and features, including auto-calibration, claimed 1% accuracy, and ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity. The Pro MX-2 measures power up to 3,000 watts and cadence up to 250 rpm, with independent left/right measurements. Riders not interested in dual-sided metrics can purchase a single-sided version of these pedals called the Pro MX-1 for $500. The dual-sided version (reviewed here) is priced at $755.
A very respectable weight. For context, a set of Shimano XTR (non-power meter) pedals comes in at 308g.
The biggest visual and technological difference between the new off-road pedals and Favero’s previous road-going versions is the absence of the power pod. Favero now hides all the electronics inside a stainless steel pedal spindle, which should ensure excellent durability for these components. Aside from the occasionally flashing LEDs and the tiny charging attachment port, you would be hard-pressed to know these are power meter pedals.
Proprietary chargers and the blinky lights that tell you the pedals are hiding some fancy electronics.
They are permanently housed inside the spindles alongside the rechargeable batteries, meaning they are not replaceable. The system is rated to IP67 weatherproofing and has a 265-pound weight limit. If you manage to damage the power meter spindle, Favero offers replacements for $312. Replacement pedal bodies (a part more likely to be damaged) are sold for $53. A small parts repair kit for the pedals is $27.
Pro MX pedals are very easy to take apart for service and maintenance; just don’t use any old adjustable wrench. Favero recommends an open-ended 15mm wrench, but I prefer my trusty Knipex Plier Wrench.
Favero claims a single charge can provide at least 60 hours of ride time. The brand also includes a proprietary charger to replenish the system’s internal batteries and a long-length, dual-pronged micro-USB cable. The cable allows you to charge both pedals using a single USB port while the pedals are on the bike.
How Are They as Pedals?
Setting aside power measurement, the Pro MX-2 are great pedals. They use a common SPD-style two-bolt cleat and feature adjustable tension. Favero even packages the Pro MX-2s with genuine Shimano SH-51 cleats.
Favero reduced the Pro MX-2 to just 11.2mm of stack height. This profile is 2.7mm taller than a Shimano XTR M9100 pedal (considered by many to be the gold standard for off-road pedals). By comparison, Garmin Rally XC200 pedals use a stack height of 13.9mm.
Perhaps more important for many riders is the Q-factor (or how far from the crank is the center point of the pedal body). Moving the power internals inside the spindles greatly helped Favero reach an impressively narrow 54mm Q-factor for the Pro MX-2. By comparison, a Shimano XTR M9100 pedal (with a regular spindle length) has a Q-factor of 55mm. Garmin’s RallyXC200 pedals also feature the same 54mm Q-factor as the Favero pedals.
The Pro MX pedals have a relatively low stack height and slim body for good pedal clearance off-road.
If you made me close my eyes and clip into the Pro MX-2 and then a Shimano XTR pedal without telling me which pedal was which, I would have difficulty figuring it out. This is high praise for the Favero offering. Many pedals use Shimano’s two-bolt SPD interface, and most fall short of the original. With the Assiomas, there was no change in clip-in or clip-out action, and stability or pedaling feel was unchanged.
How Are They as a Power Meter?
The main things I look for in a power meter are reliability, consistency, and a no-fuss interface. This is where Favero is proven—the brand has a great track record of delivering an excellent product. When testing the pedals against SRAM’s Quarq XX SL spider-based power meter, I saw some very minor spikes but no drifts in my data. The two meters consistently tracked each other closely, with a consistent 2% higher reading for the pedals in both average and maximum power.
The Quarq seemed to read higher on shorter bursts (sub-1-minute efforts), but both units consistently tracked power variation throughout my ride. The final result: average readings were consistently 2% higher for the pedals than the Quarq. However, it’s hard to tell which one of these numbers is closest to the truth. The measurements fall within the accuracy claim of both meters.
For context, if you’re pedaling at 200 watts, a 2% difference is 4 watts. Obviously, the harder you can pedal, the larger that raw watt difference will be. What is generally considered more important in a meter is that it is consistent day-to-day and I found that the Pro MX-2 delivered that consistency.
The large difference in Normalized Power is down to how different head units calculate that metric.
Importantly, I never had issues connecting to various head units or watches. Manual calibration was always quick and easy (and if you forget to do that, the pedals auto-calibrate periodically). In short, the pedals performed exactly how I wish all power meters would: consistently and issue-free.
Conclusion and Value Comparison
If you need a pedal-based power meter for mountain biking or gravel riding, Favero’s Pro MX-2 is your best option. This is particularly true for riders sharing that power meter between multiple bikes. These pedals are solidly accurate and built to last (and are rebuildable with affordable service parts from Favero).
Ultimately, the Pro MX-2s transmit the same data that the much pricier Garmin Rally XC200 and SRM’s X-Power do without the hefty price tag. I struggle to think of a compelling reason to spend more on the other options in this segment.
Test Editor Dan Chabanov got his start in cycling as a New York City bike messenger but quickly found his way into road and cyclocross racing, competing in professional cyclocross races from 2009 to 2019 and winning a Master’s National Championship title in 2018. Prior to joining Bicycling in 2021, Dan worked as part of the race organization for the Red Hook Crit, as a coach with EnduranceWERX, as well as a freelance writer and photographer.
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