Limits Bia Power Meter: Universal Power in a great package
First, a simple quiz. Which is the most important metric in cycling?
A. Distance
B. Speed
C. Elevation
The answer is D. Power. And we're not trying to catch you out. It's simply an indicator of how few people are using power as their main measurement tool in cycling.
Well, that could be about to change. Limits are a UK-based company bringing power meter training to the masses with their Bia power meter. We had a go with it over a few months to see what the fuss is about...
Limits Bia power meter: buy here at https://limitspowermeters.com/product/bia/
What's a power meter?
Stripped of jargon, strength allows us to move a mass. Power is how fast we can move that mass. The equation is power = energy / time. Clearly then, moving a mass faster will result in greater power. But why do cyclists measure it in the first place?
Power meters are electronic gizmos that use strain gauges to measure the power going through your pedal stroke. Higher is better, and regularly training your power zones increases your FTP (functional threshold power). In layman's terms, your functional threshold is the point above which you tire quickly; think of it as a hybrid car switching from electric to petrol.
FTP is one of the most accurate predictors of cycling performance, so raising your FTP is good, and training with a power meter allows you to target these training zones to the best effect. This means putting a power meter on your bike should be a top priority. However, until recently, power meters have been either prohibitively expensive or, let's be honest, a bit confusing for the newer cyclists out there. Part of this is because power meters can be installed in different places.
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| Crank-based power meters work well, but you need to match them to your bike. |
Typically, power meters are positioned in one of three places on your bike; the wheel hub, the crank, or the pedal. Although these solutions usually work well enough, compatibility is an issue. For example, if you buy a crank-based power meter, you need to match it to your current cranks, and transferring it to another bike generally requires that bike to have the same crankset. Limits, however, are offering something different. Something awesome. UNIVERSAL compatibility.
Yep, the Bia power meter, they claim, can be fitted to ANY bike. It's a wonderfully compact unit placed in between the crank and the pedal. Essentially, it's an inch wide washer attached to the crank, after which you attach your pedal.
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| The Bia goes between crank and pedal |
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| To install it, tighten to 30nm. |
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| Limits say you only need a coin, some grease, and a hex key. |
The pack has some lovely little additions that show some great engineering naus. For example, the inclusion of two hex-shaped washers allows the user to install the Bia with SPD pedals which typically have a 6mm hex key requirement. Batteries are included, and the instructions are really straightforward. The pack also includes a spacer for your other pedal to ensure the installation is symmetrical. They say you only need a hex key, but we'd recommend using a torque wrench to get your installation bang on.
Everything you need
It offers both Bluetooth and Ant+ connectivity, allowing for (yep, you've guessed it) universal use. We paired our Bia to our old Garmin Fenix 3 Sapphire GPS watch; it took a while, but this was more the watch's fault really. This writer really needs a dedicated cycle computer.
One other point regarding installation. Installing the Bia moved both our pedals outboard by about 30mm. The net effect of this was that our feet were slightly wider when sitting on the pedals (the technical word for this measurement is Q-factor; information about how much it affects cycling performance is surprisingly scarce). Now, we noticed no difference in our cycling performance with this change, but if your position is a bit more laser-tuned or you're prone to hip issues when cycling, you might want to keep this in mind.
Once paired, we took our trusty BMC road bike out to check out our power stats. Limits recommend a calibration followed by a 10-minute warm-up before you hit 'Go'. Some cyclists may struggle with this amount of restraint, but it is the right way to fire things up. Anyway.
Our first ride with the Bia gave us average power for an 18-mile ride of 242 watts. We're pretty tall and not much of a power cyclist, so this felt about right.
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| 18 miles, 242 watts. Our next one was a 'proper' bike ride, namely the London to Brighton route comprising 55 miles of rolling terrain. |
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| 55 miles, 226 watts |
This data generally stood up to scrutiny, especially when we compared it to our turbo trainer data from 2021. Kudos to Limits for the accuracy of their power meter. But it's not just here where we were impressed.
The universal nature of the Limits Bia really shone when we needed to shift it from one bike to another. We transferred some components from our road bike to our new tri bike, and the Bia just unscrewed, screwed onto the cranks of the tri bike, pedals attached, repeat the calibration process, and voila. It really does feel like a piece of kit that is for everyone, no matter the cyclist, no matter the bike.
Pricing
Let's get down to brass tacks here; power meters aren't cheap. However, they're an investment in your own betterment, just like a turbo trainer, or a pair of race day wheels. The Limits Bia retails at £229. How does that compare with other options out there?
|
Product |
Attachment
method |
Price |
|
Limits Bia |
Single sided universal |
£229 |
|
4iii Ultegra |
Single sided crank |
£375 |
|
Garmin Vector
3 |
2-sided pedal |
£790 |
|
Stages
Ultegra |
2 sided crank |
£715 |
And this is where, we think, Limits have nailed it. It's aggressively low in price, to the point at which cyclists and triathletes should be asking why on earth they should be spending over half as much again on other options, especially when the Bia can follow you on your upgrade journey as you change bikes (yes, you'll get another bike, the law of N+1 says you will).
Not only is this among the most value-for-money power meters out there, but it also allows you to convert your dumb turbo trainer into a smart one. We reached out to Limits about using it with Zwift (other guided cycling workout apps are available), and they told us it's a simple as calibrating through Bluetooth, select it through the Zwift app, and off you go.
Verdict
Pound for pound the best power meter on the market, Limits' Bia has made us rethink our attitude to components. It's smart, it's a great training tool, and it's great value. But that's oversimplifying the reason we love it. It's not just the value for money that impressed us, or the data, or the ease of use.
It's the idea of popping it off one bike and attaching it to another with no headaches, no compatibility stresses, no drama. Bikes are increasingly space-age machines, with the sharp end of bicycle engineering getting sharper every year, it seems, but the Limits Bia is an island of simplicity in the ocean of bike upgrades. It's a classic case of a clean, simple idea executed perfectly.
Buy yourself a Limits Bia power meter. Simple, really.
We thank the nice people at Limits for sending us a Bia power meter to test. This did not affect the outcome of our review, which was written after completing around 100 miles of testing.
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