Who has a power meter?

[huwsparky]

Hi,

Looking for some feedback on power metres and wondering how many people on here trained with one?

I've been looking primarily at the stages unit, would seem to be a good way for me to go as I have an Ultegra bike and my next bike (hopefully being ordered soon) will also be Ultegra. Would also consider the Garmin pedal based system but from the digging I have done the stages system seems more accurate.

What do you use to Analise your data? Been looking into the training peaks and seems to be highly regarded in terms of training to power?

My goals are to compete next year, maybe a few crits and cat4 road races to see how I enjoy them.

Basically looking for any advice/guidance on how to go about things. Willing to put in some hard work over the impending winter and want to get myself in as good of a shape as possible ready for next year.

Thanks.

 

[Citius]

Garmin seems to be very inconsistent in terms of readings, and are very sensitive to the correct torque on the crank arm. Stages is a bargain, but it only takes power from one leg and then doubles it for an estimated power number. So long as the readings are consistent though, it is still a useful guide. Training peaks is also well regarded.

In truth though, it is possible to be competitive at amateur level without a PM. Join a good club and get out with their fast road men on a regular basis. That will bring on your fitness and give you some useful bunch skills - which could be as valuable, if not more so, than a power meter.

I'm not saying 'don't buy one' - just from where you are now, I wouldn't buy one yet. Do a season first and see how you get on with it. You might decide it's not needed.

 

[midlife]

Did someone type "bunch" and not "peloton"

I was chatting to a colleague today who rides by his power meter and was moaning that he didn't have to look at his meter to note that he was tired!

Shaun

 

[huwsparky]

Garmin seems to be very inconsistent in terms of readings, and are very sensitive to the correct torque on the crank arm. Stages is a bargain, but it only takes power from one leg and then doubles it for an estimated power number. So long as the readings are consistent though, it is still a useful guide. Training peaks is also well regarded.

In truth though, it is possible to be competitive at amateur level without a PM. Join a good club and get out with their fast road men on a regular basis. That will bring on your fitness and give you some useful bunch skills - which could be as valuable, if not more so, than a power meter.

I'm not saying 'don't buy one' - just from where you are now, I wouldn't buy one yet. Do a season first and see how you get on with it. You might decide it's not needed.

Thanks,

I am a member of a club, but rarely go anymore due to primarily the slow speed and the amount of stop starting.

Aberystwyth cycle club do a chain gang once a week that I know of but it's 35 miles away and probably impossible for me to make it in time due to work. Nothing else more local to me unfortunately. Need to find out about their club rides on Sunday's though...

I do ride with a few triathletes every other week or so usually on a weekend and that's a decent workout. I wouldn't call myself fast by any stretch but the people I do know that I could ride with regularly won't bring me on at all unfortunately.

Maybe I should just ride as I am over the winter as I'm still seeing improvment and see how I get on next year and take it from there like you suggested.

The fascination I have with getting one is probably just down to loving gadgets mostly! I very much could do with learning bunch skills though, just difficult to find the right environment living in the back of beyond.

 

[MrPie]

Garmin Vector pedalywotsits owner here, mainly coz Stages don't do Campag. They are consistently accurate as long as you set them up correctly and calibrate frequently, which is easy peasy. I really like em: does wot it says on the tin. I use Golden Cheatah for data analysis. It's free and has more functionality that you can possibly ever need. You can also hook up your turbo trainer and go 'Sufferfest' (or whatever your pain cave video of choice is) with power on the hoof......which is particularly useful for targeted training.

 

[huwsparky]

Garmin Vector pedalywotsits owner here, mainly coz Stages don't do Campag. They are consistently accurate as long as you set them up correctly and calibrate frequently, which is easy peasy. I really like em: does wot it says on the tin. I use Golden Cheatah for data analysis. It's free and has more functionality that you can possibly ever need. You can also hook up your turbo trainer and go 'Sufferfest' (or whatever your pain cave video of choice is) with power on the hoof......which is particularly useful for targeted training.

Thanks, not heard of Golden chetah, will look into it though. I really quite like the idea of a power Meter but have been spending the weekend attempting to talk myself out of one!!!

 

[Citius]

Ask yourself what you want to achieve, then work out if a power meter is needed to get you there and how you plan to make use of the info it gives you.

Before you do anything else, at least buy this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Training-Racing-Power-Meter-Hunter/dp/1934030554

 

[poynedexter]

i have a cheap one via a tacx flow turbo. is it accurate? dunno, is it repeatable yes and it cost £180. i use it for structured shorter training sessions and tracking progress. its useful to judge how tired i actually am too.

i wouldnt want a PM for group rides or racing. i wouldnt find it useful at all, like strava or av speed, nice to look at but means nothing in the real sense.

 

[lukasran]

i got a stages two years ago initially for pacing an ironman, maybe sell it afterwards. but i just love having power reading on the garmin and feel like im missing out when its not there. if you like gadgets you will get addicted to it. its great for trainer road and zwift too for indoor training, i could def put it to more use with more serious application to training with the data, i dont race but am intrestead in tt ing which i can see a great use for it. however i really enjoy seeing what im putting out as a number and how that affects times on strava compared to my heart rate, weight, position etc. just get one dude.

 

[JimboJames1972]

I was going to post my question in a separate thread, but I'm hoping it will slot in here nicely...

I've just upgraded to "Premium" on Strava and that allows me to track my power output. [NOTE: this premium upgrade was free for the first month, then a few pounds each month, far cheaper than any of the power meters I've seen so far].

So far I have only analysed my power usage after my ride, rather than looking at it live. To be honest I don't know if the Strava app on my phone will allow live power readings, but I am only starting out and rely on the pain/tiredness in my legs to tell me how hard I am working at any given time!

My main question is - how accurate is the Strava power calculations? Does anyone know how the data is worked out? Obviously it tracks my GPS position, knows my speed (and altitude) and I had to input my weight when I first signed up. For reference, my last few rides have been 20-25 miles, gentle Suffolk inclines and with average speeds 18-20mph. Strava shows me averaging 140-150W with peaks at about 450W. Does this sound in the right sort of ball-park?

James

 

[Hacienda71]

Strava power readings are not accurate. Not because the basic calcs are way out, although they are a bit low, but because they can't take into account the wind speed, road surface, temperature, proximity to vehicles and other riders etc etc.

 

[Citius]

Strava power was a pointless waste of a developer's time. There are too many external factors that it doesn't take into account (like wind) for it to be taken seriously. The only power reading worth taking any notice of is one that is taken from source - ie the bike you are riding. Anything else is just a guess.

Edit - as above. Hacienda beat me to it..

 

[JimboJames1972]

Thanks for the input. It's as I feared - I could not see any way of Strava taking into account wind etc. looks like I will have to shell out for a "real" Pm,

J

 

[huwsparky]

Strava once said I made 460w average for 2 miles! #nevergoingtohappen

 

[huwsparky]

i got a stages two years ago initially for pacing an ironman, maybe sell it afterwards. but i just love having power reading on the garmin and feel like im missing out when its not there. if you like gadgets you will get addicted to it. its great for trainer road and zwift too for indoor training, i could def put it to more use with more serious application to training with the data, i dont race but am intrestead in tt ing which i can see a great use for it. however i really enjoy seeing what im putting out as a number and how that affects times on strava compared to my heart rate, weight, position etc. just get one dude.

One of them things I guess, when it's gone you miss it. I kind of feel like that with my HRM. I find it particularly useful on longer rides to guage how much I've got left in the tank. I roughly know how quickly my HR drops after an effort, when it starts to slow coming back down I've got to pace myself If i have some distance to go.

Been looking a bit about the book @Citius alluded to earlier in the thread. From what I can make out it's going to be nigh on impossible for me to actually make sense of what I'm being fed from the power Meter and affectively use this to improve myself. Seems to be a lot of science involved and probably not really going to help me improve without spending a lot of time understanding what is telling me.

Still doesn't stop me thinking that it would be a pretty cool gadget to have though. Lot of money for a gadget to give me a figure on my Garmin though!