Help Building Pain Cave
- Thread starter Tin Pot
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- turbo trainer
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OP
OP
Tin Pot
Guru
Power meter question is still rolling - is a speed/cadence sensor like the Wahoo Blue SC an option or is power training that much better?
I ask because I was hoping to try Trainer Road yesterday with my HRM but they've advised a speed sensor is needed for virtual power, and suggested Wahoo.
Ultimately I wanted the PM to pace my IM bike, if a speed/cadence can do that I suppose it's just as good.
I ask because I was hoping to try Trainer Road yesterday with my HRM but they've advised a speed sensor is needed for virtual power, and suggested Wahoo.
Ultimately I wanted the PM to pace my IM bike, if a speed/cadence can do that I suppose it's just as good.
moo
Senior Member
- Location
- North London
All you need is a speed/cadence sensor and either an iPad/iPhone or PC (bluetooth or Ant+ and a dongle).
The only caveat is consistency can be a concern. You'll want to keep the rear tyre at the same pressure and held in place with the same force each time. Temperature of the resistance unit in your turbo can also affect readings slightly.
Overall virtual power is good enough for interval training. The number itself will remain pretty stable during an interval, which is all you really need.
The only caveat is consistency can be a concern. You'll want to keep the rear tyre at the same pressure and held in place with the same force each time. Temperature of the resistance unit in your turbo can also affect readings slightly.
Overall virtual power is good enough for interval training. The number itself will remain pretty stable during an interval, which is all you really need.
Citius
Guest
Turbo work is beset by all kinds of potential inaccuracies, as is road work. The best you can ever hope for is to be able to train to within a percentage of your target. You are never going to hit an exact number, or be able to maintain it, because you will never know what the exact number actually is....
moo
Senior Member
- Location
- North London
I'm probably not alone but once I've settled in to the target power during an interval my attention is entirely on cadence. The power output shown even with my Powertap fluctuates too much. You could use smoothing but then you have a delayed output. Keeping your cadence within target is a much easier real time adjustment. For this reason virtual power works quite well.
