The X-Power Direct pedal was born from a conversation between two of the most relentlessly daring and innovative minds of contemporary cycling performance gear: Q36.5 founder Luigi Bergamo and Ulrich Schoberer, founder of SRM and inventor of the power meter.
Explaining a prototype of his new shoe, the Unique Pro, Bergamo explained the performance advantages he was discovering in testing associated with a reduction in pedal stack height, achieved by ultra-thin sole construction and intelligent engineering of cleat components. “Wouldn’t it be possible”, he asked Schoberer – who has long tweaked existing marketing pedal designs for his own needs – “to design a pedal that reduced stack height even further?” Other manufacturers – with the notable exception of Speedplay – were totally ignoring the possible performance gains that could be achieved in this area, Bergamo explained.
After few more late-night exchanges of messages and napkin sketches, Schoberer felt he had a strong idea of how to tackle the problem. Less than six months later he was able to provide Q36.5 – as well as two Grand Tour winners with a passion for innovation – with the first working prototype of the product. Since May Q36.5, its team and other professionals with a direct relationship with SRM have offered a continuous stream of feedback before arriving on the final design.