Took the pedals on a first ride today. Wattage seems accurate and smooth, and compared nicely to the G3 I was also running. The problem is that I noticed the pedals were really tight right out of the box. In other words, if you try to spin the pedal, it only rotates about a quarter turn. After a two hour ride it didn't seem any different. I spoke to Garmin and they sent me the manual which explained in detail how to take them apart. I dismantled each pedal and upon inspection of the spindle, it seemed like there is excessive friction against the internal bearing. I re-assembled them and torqued the left pedal to 6.5 instead of 7 pounds as recommended ...the right I had to estimate as it is reverse threaded. The whole process takes a little over 10 minutes a pedal. The end result is that they now rotate about a half a turn if I try to spin them. It is an improvement, but it really seems like they are too tight, and possibly a waste of watts. I have never ridden with a pedal that didn't spin like a top. ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1267681.png
The bearing seals in Vector 3 are waterproof as opposed to just dustproof, and as a result you may feel a bit more stiffness if moving the pedals by hand. Despite this increased “static friction”, once the pedals are rotating the drag is reduced so it does not compromise your pedaling effort. Over time this static friction will likely loosen while still maintaining a waterproof seal.
Please note, it is important to follow the torque specifications in the manual to ensure both rider safety and that the pedal function is not compromised in any way.
To ensure the spindles spin as freely as possible after re-assembly please ensure the inner most seal is positioned right against the bearing and that the bearing and both seals are greased. This video has the entire procedure:
I just re-torqued. Tell the engineers nice job on the battery cover cap. It has already stripped the pedal body. Had the caps on and off my Power Tap Pedals dozens of times over two years with no issues. Very, very bad design here. I guess those super tight water proof seals aren't going to do me any good now that I can't tighten the battery cover. By the way, they are a pain in the butt to clip into. They are so stiff, that they basically rest at any angle. Upside down, toe up, toe down...if this set isn't defective, I think Garmin is going to get a whole lot of them back. Lastly, I would like to see your study on "static friction". Not buying it.
We're sorry to hear you're still having issues. The battery cap and pedal bodies are designed to be easily serviceable and should be robust, but as with most threaded connections it is important to avoid cross-threading or over-torquing them. The battery caps only need to be hand tight.
We'll reach out to you via PM to arrange a replacement and get you back on the road as soon we can!
I really appreciate the level of service I just received from Garmin. This company has come a long way since my early days with my 705. Hopefully my set was a fluke, and after a decent break-in period the new set spins more freely. As a side note, I had the Assioma Duos and couldn't get a simple question answered for three weeks, and countless phone calls and emails. Once again...Chapeau to Garmin.
