Favero Assioma Power Meters: Battery Life, Charging, and Maintenance Guide

How Long Does Favero Assioma Battery Last?

Favero Assioma power meters are engineered to deliver approximately 50 hours of active ride time on a single full charge, providing robust data for extended training sessions and events, though actual duration can be influenced by various operational and environmental factors.

Understanding Favero Assioma Battery Technology

The Favero Assioma power meter pedals, including the UNO and DUO models, are powered by integrated, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. This design choice offers significant advantages over systems relying on disposable coin cells, primarily convenience, environmental benefits, and consistent power delivery.

• Internal Lithium-ion Batteries: These batteries are sealed within the pedal spindle, protecting them from the elements (water, dust, impact) and ensuring consistent performance. Lithium-ion technology is favored for its high energy density and relatively low self-discharge rate.
• Rechargeable Design: Unlike disposable batteries, Assioma's rechargeable nature means no recurring cost of battery replacement and less waste. The charging system is proprietary, utilizing magnetic connectors that attach to specific points on the pedal body, ensuring a secure and weather-resistant connection.
• Integrated System: The battery is an integral part of the pedal's sophisticated electronic system, which includes strain gauges, accelerometers, and ANT+/Bluetooth transmitters, all designed for optimal power efficiency.

Stated vs. Real-World Battery Life: The 50-Hour Benchmark

Favero officially states a battery life of approximately 50 hours of active use per full charge. This benchmark is a reliable guideline, but as with any electronic device, real-world performance can exhibit slight variations.

• Manufacturer's Claim: The 50-hour figure is based on controlled testing environments and represents the expected performance under typical conditions.
• Factors Influencing Actual Duration:
  • Temperature: Cold weather significantly impacts lithium-ion battery performance, reducing effective capacity. Riding in temperatures consistently below freezing may result in noticeably shorter battery life. Conversely, extreme heat can also affect battery longevity over time.
  • Usage Frequency & Duration: While the 50-hour figure is for active ride time, frequent short rides that involve the pedal waking up and going to sleep repeatedly might consume slightly more power proportionally than one continuous long ride.
  • Firmware Updates: Occasionally, firmware updates can optimize power management, potentially extending battery life, or in rare cases, introduce minor changes that affect consumption.
  • Charging Habits: While lithium-ion batteries generally benefit from being topped off, consistently deep discharging (running the battery to zero) can reduce the overall lifespan and effective capacity over many cycles.
  • Bluetooth/ANT+ Broadcasting: The pedals constantly broadcast data. While optimized, continuous broadcasting in busy signal environments might theoretically draw marginally more power.
  • Age of Battery: Like all rechargeable batteries, the Assioma's internal cells will experience a gradual reduction in maximum capacity over several years of use and hundreds of charge cycles.

Maximizing Your Assioma Battery Life: Best Practices

To ensure you consistently achieve or even exceed the stated 50-hour battery life and prolong the overall health of your Assioma pedals, consider these best practices:

• Regular, Full Charging Cycles: Aim to fully charge your pedals when the battery indicator suggests it's low. While partial charges are fine, a full charge ensures the battery management system can accurately calibrate. Avoid letting the battery fully deplete repeatedly.
• Optimal Storage Conditions: If storing your pedals for an extended period (e.g., off-season), charge them to approximately 50-80% capacity and store them in a cool, dry place. Avoid storing them fully charged or fully depleted for long durations, as this can accelerate battery degradation.
• Firmware Management: Regularly check for and install official firmware updates via the Favero Assioma app. These updates often include performance improvements and power efficiency optimizations.
• Post-Ride Disconnection: Ensure your head unit or smartphone is disconnected from the pedals after your ride. The pedals are designed to enter a low-power sleep mode when stationary, but continuous connection might prevent this.
• Temperature Awareness: Charge your pedals at room temperature whenever possible. While riding in cold weather is unavoidable, be aware that battery life will be shorter.
• Cleaning Charging Contacts: Periodically inspect and gently clean the magnetic charging contacts on both the pedals and the charging cable. Dirt or corrosion can impede efficient charging.

Recognizing Low Battery and Charging Procedures

The Favero Assioma system provides clear indications when the battery charge is low, ensuring you're not caught off guard during a critical training session.

• Low Battery Indicators:
  • LED Lights: The small LED lights on the pedal bodies will flash red when the battery is low.
  • Head Unit Notifications: Most compatible cycling computers (e.g., Garmin, Wahoo, Hammerhead) will display a low battery warning from the power meter.
  • Favero Assioma App: The official app provides a precise battery percentage for each pedal.
• Charging Process:
  • Magnetic Connectors: The Assioma pedals use a unique magnetic charging cable. Attach the connectors to the designated charging ports on the side of each pedal spindle.
  • Simultaneous Charging: The provided Y-splitter cable allows both pedals to be charged simultaneously from a single USB power source (e.g., wall adapter, computer USB port).
  • Charge Time: A full charge from empty typically takes approximately 6 hours.
  • Indicator Lights During Charging: The LEDs on the pedals will glow red while charging and turn green when fully charged.

Long-Term Battery Health and Longevity

While the 50-hour battery life is consistent, the overall lifespan of the internal lithium-ion batteries is finite, like all rechargeable cells.

• Cycle Life: Lithium-ion batteries are rated for a certain number of charge cycles (e.g., 300-500 cycles before significant degradation). A "cycle" typically refers to one full discharge and recharge.
• Degradation Over Time: Over several years of regular use, you might notice a gradual, slight reduction in the maximum charge capacity. This is normal and expected battery aging.
• Serviceability: The batteries in Favero Assioma pedals are not user-replaceable. If a battery significantly degrades or fails after the warranty period, the pedals would typically need to be sent to Favero for professional service or replacement. This is a trade-off for the sealed, robust, and water-resistant design.

Conclusion: Reliable Power for Your Training

The Favero Assioma power meters offer a highly reliable and practical battery life of approximately 50 hours, making them suitable for the vast majority of training rides, races, and multi-day cycling adventures without constant concern for recharging. By adhering to simple best practices for charging and storage, cyclists and coaches can maximize this impressive battery duration and ensure the long-term health and consistent performance of their power measurement system, providing unwavering data for precise training and performance analysis.