Garmin Rally XC200 Power Meter Clipless Pedal Review

Tech features:

The Rally XC200 is a clipless pedal with dual-sensing power meter capabilities designed for off-road use. When connected to a Garmin head unit and the Garmin Connect app, the pedals can measure total power, cadence, left/right balance, seated versus standing watts, platform center offset and power phases in your pedaling strokes. The internal electronics use LR44 batteries in each pedal that are said to last up to 120 hours with IPX7 water resistance.

The mechanical portion of the pedal uses a tension-adjustable mechanism with an SPD-compatible cleat and a sealed bearing for durability. The pedals have a compact profile with a 13.7mm stack height and adjustable 53–55mm Q-factor with the included pedal washers. Max rider weight with these pedals is 105 kilograms, or 230 pounds. Garmin also offers the single-sided Rally XC100 pedals with similar specs, but with the power sensor in only one of the pedals. They sell for $700, respectively.

Field test results:

The Rally 200XC bolts up to your bike like any other SPD-style pedal. They have a full-aluminum body that feels both well-constructed and built to handle some abuse. The pedals are weightier than those we replaced, but we’re glad Garmin chose to encase those expensive electronics in a design that can handle some abuse. The Rally 200XC profile feels slightly taller than most clipless pedals, making them ever so slightly more susceptible to snags on roots and rocks in the trail.

Once installed, the Rally pedals can be connected to your head unit and the Garmin Connect app on your smartphone, triggering a short calibration where you should have no load on the pedals. The pedals will work with other bike computers and apps from competitors like Wahoo or Zwift. However, you’ll only get the full scope of features with a Garmin Edge computer.

In addition to power and cadence measurements, the XC200 model gets information about the imbalance between the left and right leg, the platform center offset indicating where you apply force on the pedal relative to the center of the pedal body, and information about power phases during crank rotation—a friendly reminder that you should pedal round strokes and not leave your feet lazily on the pedals.

Your Garmin Edge, the Garmin Connect app or the Garmin online portal can also display the time spent standing and time spent in the saddle, with all data displayed graphically. However, Cycling Dynamics data is only available for the dual-sided 200 Rally models.

The most impressive attribute of the Rally XC200 pedals was that we often forgot we were using them, as the feel and reliability during the test felt spot-on with our tried and true SPD setup. There’s not a noticeable penalty for weight, or any added complexity to a ride, other than the initial calibration of the system. There is a bit of anxiety about putting such an expensive sensor only a crank turn away from hard impact on any number of trail obstacles, but Garmin has done its part to construct these to hold up to our level of abuse.

Garmin’s Rally XC200 pedals are not inexpensive – they cost as much or more than many crank based options. However, if you are looking to train or race with a power meter and do so on multiple bikes or just don’t want to make changes to your drivetrain, these pedals are a great option.

HITS:

• Easy to connect and use, even on multiple bikes.
• No charging wires
• Top-notch construction with tried-and-true SPD feel
• Garmin Connect app is relatively easy to understand and use
• Dual-sided metering shows full pedaling symmetry and efficiency

MISSES:

• Not the lightest for XC or any style pedal
• Disposable batteries

STAR RATING: ★★★★1/2

Price: $1199
Weight: 442 grams (pair)
Contact: www.garmin.com