Strava Premium v Cycle Computer / Heart Rate Monitor?

[TerryTibbs]

Hello,

I am an amateur cyclist who is looking to improve my Richmond Park lap time and train 3-5 times a week. I have a current lap time of 18.51

I use strava every ride and cannot work out what would be best in terms of training as well as providing a live set of data whilst I am riding whether I am best off using Strava Premium or a / both Cycle Computer as well as a heart rate monitor - how I might use a combination of these in tandem with one another.

Would someone be kind enough to elaborate for me? I am not looking to get a power meter at this stage as i understand they cost upwards of £300.00

Thank you

 

[S-Express]

Technology may be useful, but it might only tell you what may already be apparent. What does your training consist of '3-5 times a week'..?? Faster lap times will equate to an improvement in your sustainable aerobic power, so what are you doing to improve that?

 

[TerryTibbs]

By training 3-5 times a week I am doing 2-3 laps of Richmond Park per session, over the last year I have gone from 22:00 to 18:50.

I merely go as quickly as I can.

 

[Jason]

a cycle computer with +ant sensors (heart rate and cadence) are all that you need. I don't have Strava premium, so others may be able to advise on what we are missing, but in reality I doubt very much.
Training 3-5 times a week, will see your cadence increase and lap times tumble

 

[TerryTibbs]

@Jasonbourne

Thank you. Strava is very good in that it logs your lap times and divides the lap into segments. I can only imagine that the speed it gives you is not as accurate as a computer.

Might you recommend a computer with said sensors?

 

[S-Express]

Training 3-5 times a week, will see your cadence increase

How do you know his cadence needs to increase? Cadence is all a bit irrelevant in this context, especially as the OP didn't even mention it..

 

[TerryTibbs]

@S-Express @Jasonbourne Chaps I am not entirely sure of the relevance of all this, I am merely looking to be come fitter and faster, I can only imagine that as I become fitter and stronger so too my cadence will increase.

 

[Jason]

i'm talking generally - not specifically

to advise him properly we would need watts, heart rate, V02 max etc

 

[S-Express]

I still don't see what cadence has to do with it. The only thing anyone needs to know at the moment is what kind of 'training' he is currently doing..

 

[S-Express]

Chaps I am not entirely sure of the relevance of all this, I am merely looking to be come fitter and faster, I can only imagine that as I become fitter and stronger so too my cadence will increase.

No idea why we are even talking about cadence. Do you want to get faster/fitter - or do you simply want your cadence to increase? Assuming you want to become fitter/faster - what do your '3-5 rides a week' look like at the moment? Do you have any plan or structure currently?

Assuming your original aim is unchanged - ie to ride faster around Richmond Park - then gadgets on their own are probably not the answer. But adding some more effort or structure to your existing rides, probably is the answer.

 

[BurningLegs]

I have Strava premium which I use on an iPhone 6. I pair it with a Wahoo Tickr HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) which supports both ANT+ and Bluetooth, so it has the flexibility to be paired with a cycle computer, phone, or laptop. I don't tend to use the HRM more when I'm on Zwift than out on the road with Strava, but I am familiar with Strava Premium and the heart rate based metrics it can provide.

At the end of the day, both a cycle computer (I'm thinking Garmin/Wahoo Elemnt) and Strava Premium will collect the same data (i.e the output from the sensors). In your case this would be a recorded heart rate, position/route, and speed. It's really what you do with that data that's important, and I think that is what S-Express is getting at.

Strava will give you a free one month trial of Premium, so I'd suggest getting a HRM (the Wahoo Tickr is about £40) then starting a trial to see if you find it useful.

One feature of Strava Premium when you use a HRM is fitness/freshness scores. As you train you will see your fitness score increase, and your freshness score decrease (because your body is getting tired). It is using the data from your sensors to give you some meaningful numbers that can show you in an easy to understand way how fit you are and how fresh you are. You'll feel these differences too, but "feel" can be deceptive!

If you want to take the training more seriously you will need a training plan - there are free plans available online which you could follow. Just going out and riding will improve your fitness and will almost certainly improve your lap times around the park, but if you use a training plan you will see bigger improvements. British Cycling have some training plans which you might find useful.

Here is a link about Strava's "Suffer Score" and fitness/freshness:
https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216917077-Suffer-Score-Premium-
https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216918477-Fitness-and-Freshness-Premium-

I use some of the training plans on Zwift to train on my turbo which is good fun, and I can see the results in my improved FTP (Watts) and ability to ride harder for longer on the road. In your case, you could use a British Cycling training plan (maybe a TT one) with your HRM and see the improvements in your lap time around the park.

 

[Jason]

I still don't see what cadence has to do with it. The only thing anyone needs to know at the moment is what kind of 'training' he is currently doing..

why are you being so pedantic?
I was only trying to help, you can disagree of course!
Cadence helps keep a smooth action which increases/maintains speed over a set course such as Richmond Park.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

why are you being so pedantic?
I was only trying to help, you can disagree of course!
Cadence helps keep a smooth action which increases/maintains speed over a set course such as Richmond Park.

The benefits of a cadence sensor are often overstated

 

[S-Express]

Cadence helps keep a smooth action which increases/maintains speed over a set course such as Richmond Park.

Cadence is simply the speed at which the cranks rotate - nothing more. You were the first one to mention cadence - nobody else. Let's not divert the thread any more.

 

[Jason]

Well I find it helps me keep a constant/higher cadence, and not grind the gears. It's helped me get faster whilst taking care of the knees