Garmin Rally RS200 vs RK200

Garmin's Rally naming trips up more buyers than it should, and the confusion costs people money. The two letters describe the pedal body, and the number describes the sensing: 200 means dual-sensing, 100 means single-sensing. So RS200 and RK200 are the same dual-sensing power meter with different cleat interfaces, and RS100 and RK100 are the same single-sensing meter with different cleat interfaces. Nothing in the letters implies better or worse.

SPD-SL vs Keo, honestly

These are the two dominant three-bolt road cleat systems, and they are far more alike than partisans admit. Both bolt to the same three-hole road shoe pattern. Both come in float options marked by cleat color. Both engage and release the same way.

The genuine differences are small. SPD-SL cleats are physically larger, which spreads load slightly more and makes them a little more stable to stand on, but also makes them more awkward to walk in. Keocleats are slimmer and lighter, easier to walk on, and — in most riders' experience — wear out faster, especially the softer high-float versions. Availability favors SPD-SL slightly in most bike shops.

Neither is faster. Neither is more efficient. If somebody tells you otherwise, they are selling something. Pick the one your shoes already have cleats for and spend the mental energy on your training instead.

The case for buying the RK200 if you are undecided

If you are starting fresh — new shoes, no cleats, no loyalty — there is a mild argument for the Keo-bodied RK200. Look Keo is the cleat system Favero Assioma pedals use, which is the other power meter most riders cross-shop. Buying into Keo means that if you ever sell the Rally and move to an Assioma, or vice versa, your shoes stay exactly as they are.

That is worth a small amount, not a large one. It is a tiebreaker, not a reason to re-cleat shoes you already own. Our Assioma vs Rally comparison covers the wider brand decision.

You can change your mind later

This is the part that defuses the whole question. Because Rally's electronics live in the spindle, Garmin sells body conversion kits: an RS can become an RK, and either can become an XC (two-bolt SPD) for gravel and mountain use. You are not locked in.

The practical implication is that this decision does not deserve agonizing. Buy the body that matches your current shoes, ride it, and if your riding changes in two years, buy a kit rather than a new power meter. That optionality is the single strongest reason to choose the Rally platform over its rivals in the first place.

Should you buy the 100 instead of the 200?

Worth asking, because it saves real money. The RS100 and RK100 are single-sensing: they measure the left pedal and double it. For the majority of riders, that tracks training change just as reliably, because left/right imbalance is usually small and stable.

Take the dual-sensing 200 if you are rehabilitating a single-leg injury, if you know you have a significant imbalance, or if a coach genuinely uses the balance data. Otherwise the 100 is the smarter purchase, and the difference funds a good heart rate monitor and then some. The same logic applies across brands, and we lay it out in best budget power meters.

The verdict

There is no better or worse model here — only a better or worse match to your shoes. Buy the RS200 if you ride Shimano SPD-SL. Buy the RK200 if you ride Look Keo, or if you are starting from scratch and want cleat compatibility with the wider pedal-meter market. Then stop thinking about it: the meter inside is the same either way, and a conversion kit exists if your riding changes.