Something that has been missing in Campagnolo‘s product line when compared to other brands like Shimano and SRAM, is a power meter. You could have power meters from brands like Stages added to non-drive side crankarms or add spiders from SRM or Power2Max to non-grouppo carbon crankarms, but none were available directly from Vicenza. That changes today with the new HPPM Power Meter for Super Record Wireless.
HPPM stands for High Precision Power Measurement. Campy is known for making beautifully sculpted components with mechanical precision, and that same thought process is being executed with their power meters.
The spider based power meter features 16 strain gauges around the mount to the drive side crank arm to detect torque values throughout the entire pedal stroke and a built-in gyroscope provides angular velocity data. This data is collected every 5 milliseconds, or 200 hertz, (Campagnolo did not provide details on the frequency that the data is transmitted to your head unit). All of this helps the HPPM power meter generate multiple readings for the systems algorithm to crunch and ensure accuracy within +/-1%. Max power is set at 4,000 watts, something none of us will ever hit. Data is sent to your head unit through BLE and ANT+ protocols.
The crank itself uses Campy’s Ultra-Torque titanium axle with unidirectional carbon fiber arms. From there, they add the HPPM power meter spider with pairings of 45/29, 48/32, or 50/34 chainrings, to cover road, cyclocross, and gravel riding. The crank arms are available in 170, 172.5, and 175mm. Claimed weight for the 172.5mm with 45/29 chainring is 656g.
The HPPM power meter connects to the My Campy 3.0 app for calibration and updates. The app has a sleek, user-friendly interface to make living with the HPPM easy to live with. The unit charges with the same magnetic charging connector as Campy uses for their wireless groupsets. A full charge takes about three hours, and should easily last most users well over a month between charges.
The HPPM definitely fills a void when compared to other top end group sets from SRAM and Shimano. From initial info provided by Campagnolo, it looks like the HPPM sits at about the same level as SRAM’s Quarq spider based power meters. Both measure total power, but only Shimano’s dual sided power meters can independently measure power coming from each leg. For some, that might not matter, but those looking deep into the numbers may find benefits so Shimano’s options.
At $2,449, it is definitely a luxury piece that matches the Super Record group, a bit of an upcharge from Shimano’s underwhelming Dura-Ace and Ultegra offerings and SRAM’s Quarq options. Pricing is on par with the SRM option, while Power2Max is a bit of a savings. You you miss with both of those options is the integration into the My Campy app, along with the same charger you use with the Super Record wireless groupset.
HPPM power meters are now showing on Campagnolo’s website, and should start to become available through Campy dealers soon.
Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Scott joined Bike World News as the Cyclocross Editor in 2012 before taking over as Tech Editor in 2016. He has also worked as a photographer for various pro teams and shoot races along the east coast of the US, including the 2012 US MTB National Championships, 2013 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, and 2016 UCI Road World Championships. Scott has a passion for performance and technology, with 35 years of riding and mechanic experience. He also enjoys soccer, running, teaching group fitness classes, and is the founder of Lancaster Beard Company.
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