Favero ASSIOMA PRO RL-2 Review: 160 Hours, No Pods — The Pedal Power Meter Gets Serious

Five years ago, I wrote a review of the ASSIOMA DUO power pedals. Since then, Favero has rolled out the all-new PRO series — the SPD-SL-compatible ‘PRO RS’ in 2024, the SPD-compatible ‘PRO MX’ in 2025, and now in 2026, the LOOK KEO-compatible ‘PRO RL‘.

When the DUO/UNO first launched, the LOOK KEO version led the way. With the PRO series, Favero flipped that order based on user demographics, releasing the Shimano-compatible models first and the LOOK version later. But considering that the very first ASSIOMA was LOOK KEO-only, the ‘PRO RL‘ reviewed here is the true heir to that original lineage — the legitimate next-generation flagship.

This time, we take a close look at the dual-sided ‘PRO RL-2‘.

Reviewer

Ryuji (@ryuji_ride) Company executive. 17 years on sport bikes. POC ambassador. A former competitive racer with podium finishes to his name. His background as a cycling magazine editor and as a staffer at a cycle apparel brand gives him deep insight into the industry. Current rides: Cannondale SuperX and S-Works Tarmac SL8.

text & photo / Ryuji (＠ryuji_ride)
edit / Tats (＠tats_lovecyclist)

ASSIOMA PRO RL

The ‘PRO RL‘ is the LOOK KEO-compatible entry in Favero’s PRO series, which launched in 2024.
The series’ defining feature: every electronic component is now housed inside the spindle itself. The “pod” that used to protrude from the axle base on the original ASSIOMA generation has finally vanished.
This spindle is fully shared across all three models — ‘PRO RL‘ (LOOK), ‘PRO RS‘ (SPD-SL), and ‘PRO MX‘ (SPD). The shaft stays the same; only the pedal body swaps out depending on your riding purpose.

ASSIOMA DUO vs. PRO RL-2

Let’s track the evolution by comparing the ‘DUO’ I reviewed five years ago with the latest ‘PRO RL-2‘. Since both models will be sold side by side, it’s best to think of the ‘DUO’ as the entry-level option and the ‘PRO RL-2’ as the high-end flagship.

*Prices from Favero’s direct-sale site (as of May 2026). Alongside the dual-sided PRO RL-2, the lineup includes the single-sided ‘PRO RL-1‘ (¥77,181) and the ‘PRO RL-UP‘ (¥72,636) upgrade kit that converts an RL-1 into an RL-2.

What’s evolved from the DUO/UNO

As a five-year DUO user, three changes stand out.

1. The pod is gone. The cylindrical pod at the base of the spindle has vanished entirely, leaving a silhouette indistinguishable from an ordinary pedal.

2. Battery life more than tripled. From 50 hours to 160 hours. The charging port has also moved from Micro USB to USB-C (though the AC adapter side is still USB-A).

3. Modular construction. Keep the same spindle, and swap only the pedal body between road (PRO RL/RS) and MTB (PRO MX). All you need is a 6mm Allen key and a 15mm spanner. On top of that, PCO (Platform Center Offset) has been added, and the package now includes Favero’s new LOOK-compatible cleats — offering 30% more grip than LOOK’s own KEO GRIP.

The 10.5mm stack height carries over from the DUO

Stack height has stayed at 10.5mm since the original ‘ASSIOMA DUO/UNO’ — still the lowest figure among pedal-based power meters today. Favero nailed this dimension with the very first generation, and five years on, there was nothing to revise. A number that speaks to the consistency of their design philosophy.

The lowest stack height among pedal-based power meters

On the road

It just looks better

Predictably enough, the absence of the pod makes zero difference to the ride feel. But the look definitely changes. Sitting flush with the spindle, the ‘PRO RL’ is indistinguishable from a regular pedal at a glance. That alone elevates the time you spend just looking at your bike — and that, to me, counts as real progress.

←ASSIOMA DUO | ASSIOMA PRO RL→
The presence or absence of the pod completely changes the visual impression

A wider contact surface

At 755mm², the contact area is generously sized — even larger than the latest LOOK KEO Blade’s 705mm² — and you feel the pedal absorb your power with real solidity when you stomp on it.

That said, the sensation of clipping in and the feel underfoot lean slightly more toward Shimano SPD-SL than LOOK. There’s a stronger “pressing through the surface” feel than with the LOOK KEO Blade Carbon. It’s not something that bothers you once you get used to it, but if you’re expecting pure LOOK feel, keep this in the back of your mind.

The 10.5mm stack height doesn’t deliver a dramatic pedaling advantage on its own, but for fitting purposes it can be a real plus — the pedal surface sits in a natural position relative to your crank length and saddle height.

A feel that sits closer to SPD-SL

Does 1mm of Q-factor really matter?

Q-factor has been trimmed from 54mm to 53mm. That single millimeter is something I — with my narrower pelvis — can clearly feel as a positive. 53mm matches the dimensions of LOOK’s own pedals, so switching over from LOOK proper feels seamless. The slight discomfort I had during the 54mm DUO era — the kind I tried to ignore but kept noticing — is completely gone.
That said, this is purely my own impression; how you feel it will depend on your build.

The Q-factor discomfort I mentioned in my DUO review is gone

Easier cleat engagement

The ‘PRO RL’ offers an adjustable release tension that the LOOK KEO Blade Carbon doesn’t. Even as someone who prefers a tighter setting, I found ample holding power without cranking it to maximum.

What I noticed on the road is that the pedal body has a properly weighted rear. Just place the shoe on it and the cleat naturally drops into the right spot — no need to kick the pedal around when restarting from a red light. It’s the kind of quietly stress-reducing detail that doesn’t show up on a spec sheet.

Cleat engagement is noticeably easier

Spin and durability

ASSIOMA bearings really do spin beautifully. That hasn’t changed with the ‘PRO RL’ — the pedaling feel is smooth as ever.

I can’t make a definitive call on durability without long-term use yet. But back in my DUO days five years ago, I once slammed the side of a pedal into the ground during a crash, and it kept turning as if nothing had happened. If that same design philosophy lives on in the ‘PRO RL’, long-term peace of mind should be on the table.

A smooth pedaling feel

PCO reveals your pedaling habits

The newly added PCO (Platform Center Offset) is a metric that visualizes how far from the pedal’s center you’re actually pressing.
One caveat: it can’t be displayed on the standard screens of typical head units (Garmin, Wahoo). You view it through the dedicated Favero ASSIOMA app, which means mounting your smartphone to the bars while riding.
Check it on a real ride and any input offset shows up as a number, useful for fine-tuning cleat position or your bike fit. On a fixed trainer, however, your behavior differs from real riding, so PCO data is less reliable as a reference.

The Assioma app handles pedaling analysis, PCO included

Triple the battery

The 160-hour battery life genuinely doesn’t drain on the road. The flip side is that you start forgetting when to charge it, leaving you reliant on your head unit’s low-battery alert. Worrying about forgetting because it never runs down might be the most luxurious complaint a power meter user can have.

The charging port is updated to USB-C — one fewer microUSB device in our lives

Which one should you buy?

The buying call on the ‘PRO RL’ shifts depending on where you stand. We’ll look at it from three angles: its position in the wider market, current DUO/UNO users, and riders coming in fresh.

Where it stands against the competition

On price, weight, and battery life, the PRO RL-2 clearly sits a head above the rest. Factor in the convenience of USB-C charging and a price gap of roughly ¥30,000–50,000, and the PRO RL’s advantage is unshakeable. LOOK’s own KEO Blade Power has the edge in pedal refinement, but its battery runtime is shorter and the price higher. On overall capability, the PRO RL comes out ahead.

Should DUO/UNO owners upgrade?

If your DUO/UNO is still going strong, there’s no urgent need to switch. That said, it’s worth considering if any of these apply:

・The pod sticking out at the axle base has always bothered you
・You want to unify your charging ports to USB-C, or extend your charge cycle
・You want to use PCO to optimize cleat position
・You’re planning to extend power measurement beyond the road (gravel, MTB)
The DUO/UNO was the power meter we called “the definitive version” in our 2021 review. Even after 500 full charges, battery degradation is only around 20% (per Favero’s own figures), giving it the potential to serve for a decade or more.

That said, if there’s even a flicker of “I want to take pedal-based power beyond the road” in your mind, the PRO series — including the PRO RL — is what we’d push you toward. The ability to simply add a PRO MX body later and carry it onto gravel and MTB is something the DUO/UNO could never offer.

First-time power meter buyers: DUO/UNO or PRO RL?

The DUO/UNO will continue to sell alongside the PRO RL series. If cost is your top priority, the DUO/UNO is still a thoroughly rational choice. ±1% accuracy, IAV technology, IP67 waterproofing — none of these will feel dated in 2026.

But if you’re planning to use it across a 5- to 10-year horizon, the answer is the PRO RL without hesitation. The pod, the micro-USB port, the shorter battery life — these are all things likely to grate after five years, and you also get new metrics like PCO on top.

What matters most is the shift in mindset: “you’re buying a shaft.” Invest in the shaft once, and just adding pedal bodies lets you span road (both LOOK and Shimano compatible), gravel, and MTB. Over the long run, it’s more economical than buying separate power meters for each standard.

A few things worth flagging

We included a section like this in our DUO review five years ago, so we’re noting the niggles again this time.

●A pedal wrench is now required: The original DUO could be installed with an 8mm Allen key, but the PRO RL requires a 15mm pedal wrench. For those who travel light with a single Allen key, that’s one more tool to carry.

●The price: The DUO is ¥77,181 (incl. tax), while the PRO RL is ¥118,090. The two are sold side by side, with the DUO as the entry model and the PRO RL as the high-end model. So while the PRO RL is the pricier of the two, against the competition it remains the most accessible dual-sided power meter on the market.

From product to platform

What I felt out on the road was this: “the compromises we used to shoulder for the sake of running a power meter are finally gone.”
With Q-factor down to 53mm, the old sense of something being slightly off has vanished. At 260g per pair the pedals are lighter, and that pod whose presence used to deflate me every time I glanced down at my bike is no longer there. Each was a small snag on its own, but together they added up to “something we were quietly compromising on, just to use a power meter.” The PRO RL resolves all of it to the point where you simply forget about it.

And the evolution doesn’t stop there. This is now an extensible platform built around a shared shaft, spanning road (LOOK KEO/SPD-SL) all the way to off-road (SPD). The purchase isn’t the finish line — as your cycling life expands, you just add another body.

Five years ago we wrote that Favero was “accelerating the movement,” and the movement has indeed grown. Over the next five years, Favero will assert itself as the platform for power pedals. And the starting point is this — the PRO RL.

Buy the Favero Assioma Pro (Official Site)

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text & photo / Ryuji（＠ryuji_ride）
edit / Tats（＠tats_lovecyclist）