Quarq DZero Power Meter Spider

Product Condition: The DZero Power Meter Spider is in Good condition. Was previously owned for approximately 3 weeks. Power meter spider has been installed. Shows little to no other signs of use. Sold as-is. All warranties void.

Size: Unisex Specialized

Color: Black

Retail Cost: $442.00

Quarq built the DZero Power Meter Spider for two very good reasons. The first is upgrade purposes, letting current Quarq owners take advantage of the DZero's updates by swapping out the spider but keeping the same crank arms and spindle. (After all, why dump perfectly good components?) The second reason is part of Quarq's new Quarq Prime initiative, where the brand is shipping SRAM-built cranksets on new bicycles that are already primed for power. Like with the upgrade process described above, you'll just have to pop the Prime crank's mundane spider off, replace it with the DZour power model, and get to cranking.

If you've got the Prime crank and want to up your training/competitive game, then the upgrade makes obvious sense. If you're already rocking a previous generation of Quarq's 8-bolt powermeter spider, then the reasons are, admittedly, less compelling, and are defined by the internal changes Quarq made to the meter. Of these, the most important is to the heart of the meter itself: the strain gauges and measurement circuitry.

The new design requires less correction in order to maintain accuracy in drastic temperature changes. Fewer corrections mean the DZero also better rations battery life than Quarq's previous power meter models, though when the battery does go out, you can still change it without tools or having to ship the whole thing to the manufacturer. It still incorporates five strain gauges strategically placed throughout the spider, and it's also still got the same claimed accuracy of +/- 1.5%, so its numbers are 0.5% more accurate than most meters.

DZero's accuracy is further boosted by the return of Quarq's 10k dynamic temperature compensation technology, which alleviates the need for constant, mid-race zeroings in variable conditions. Even if it's just coasting for a few seconds or toggling through your head unit to the proper option, it can still be the difference between winning and losing. It's also obnoxious as hell. The DZero is equipped with an auto-adjust schedule based on a constellation of around 10,000 data points that chart how the unit responds to temperatures ranging from zero to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. This lets the power meter figure out the atmospheric details for you with minimal drift, so you can focus on turning the crank, not babysitting it.

Power Balance and Omnical are two additional returning features that record total output and output for either leg individually (Power Balance) and let you swap rings without recalibrating or negatively impacting accuracy (Omnical). As with previous Quarq models, the Dzero communicates to your head unit via ANT+ wireless, but Quarq also adds Bluetooth to this generation. Up till now, we've always tempered the obligatory head unit-compatibility statement by writing that your current computer is likely already compatible with the power meter; now, we can just state outright that it is compatible.

We recognize that there is value in cycling components that can stand up to the elements we often encounter throughout the course of a year of training, but Quarq demonstrates its penchant for being overly thorough by ensuring that the unit's internals can handle comically extreme conditions. The system is waterproof for 30 minutes while submerged under one meter of water, a feature that will come in handy on days you take your bike on the swim leg, too.

As the above implies, the DZero is effectively a catch-all for almost every bit of tech Quarq has thrown at the power meter problem over the past decade. This includes the AxCad accelerometer, which provides cadence information without the need of an additional sensor or magnet. The DZero is also compatible with various training software such as Training Peaks WKO+, Training Peaks, Golden Cheetah, and Strava. Unlike previous Quarq power meters, the DZero's Bluetooth compatibility lets it sync with the Qalvin BLE app to easily tune, tweak, and set zero offsets. That alone might be reason enough to upgrade.

If you're a returning Quarq-ateer, the key to upgrading is ensuring compatibility. First, we can definitively confirm that all models with the Quarq Prime Power Meter sticker are DZERO-ready. If you're upgrading an older model, then you'll need to identify it on the chart included below, which lists which legacy eight-bolt power meter chassis the DZero is compatible with. This is a good time for us to belabor the fact that that the DZERO is only compatible with eight-bolt models—a trait identifiable by the eight tiny bolt holes occupying the spider's scalloped inner edge.

Once you've determined that you do, in fact, have an eight-bolt chassis, then the chainring bolt pattern is the next compatibility signpost. Quarq offers models for crank arms with non-hidden and hidden bolt chainring bolts. Different Quarq (and SRAM) crank arm chassis changed to hidden chainring bolts in different model years, but identifying them is simple; it's the cycling equivalent of biologically sexing your crankset. To identify your crank, just take a look at it from the drive side. If you can see all five bolts, it's non-hidden; if the fifth bolt is obscured by the crank arm, it's hidden. Once you've identified that element, you can match it up on the chart below.

Upgrade your spider's brain. (DWGC7J5)

TECH SPECS

• Arm Material: n/a
• Bolt Circle Diameter: 110 mm, 130 mm
• Bolts: [chainring] 5, [power meter] 8
• Rings: 2
• Compatible Components: see size chart
• Claimed Weight: [110BCD] 122 g, [130BCD] 142 g
• Recommended Use: cycling