SRM
SRM has measured cyclists' power since 1986. With the X-Power Direct, the German brand turns to position: a pedal that brings the foot closer to the axle, on a shoe drilled for it.
The inventor of the power meter
SRM stands for Schoberer Rad Messtechnik. Ulrich Schoberer, a medical engineer by training, founded the brand in 1986 with an idea the sport was missing: measuring a cyclist's power in watts, on the road and during real effort, instead of inferring it from a lab session on an ergometer. That year he filed the patent for the first power meter housed in the crankset spider, granted in 1987, and the first head unit able to record the data followed in 1988.
Validated by the peloton
The German national team trained with SRM from 1991, Greg LeMond was one of the first professionals to see the point, and Bjarne Riis won the 1997 Amstel Gold Race after preparing the course with one. Cipollini, Zabel, Greipel, Sagan, Cavendish and Pogačar have since ridden with SRM power meters.
Hand-assembled, calibrated one by one
Engineering stays at the headquarters in Jülich, Germany, and the power meters are assembled by hand in Jülich, Lucca and Colorado Springs. Each strain gauge is placed and aligned by hand, then every power meter goes through a calibration at -10 °C and a mechanical calibration against a known mass.
Why MAAKE sells the X-Power Direct
Because a brand that has measured power since 1986 knows what it is talking about when it changes stack height. The X-Power Direct Road, born from an exchange between Ulrich Schoberer and Luigi Bergamo, founder of Q36.5, brings the foot 6 mm closer to the axle. It only fits a shoe drilled for its cleat, like the Unique Pro 4.0. Those 6 mm are taken back at the saddle, which Q36.5 recommends lowering by the same amount: otherwise, the leg overextends at the bottom of the stroke. The other pedals are in our pedals collection.
Frequently asked questions
Where does SRM design its products?
At its headquarters in Jülich, Germany, where its engineers work. Its power meters are assembled by hand in Jülich, Lucca and Colorado Springs.
What warranty comes with the SRM X-Power Direct?
SRM gives it a 2-year warranty. The 2-year legal guarantee also applies, and MAAKE follows up the claim with the brand.
Which shoes work with the SRM X-Power Direct?
A shoe drilled for its cleat, with two holes aligned along the sole's axis, 47 mm apart. SRM lists the Q36.5 Unique Pro 4.0, the Giant Surge Pro and the Liv Macha Pro in their 2026 versions; a standard three-hole sole won't work.