Dave Lloyd on power meters...

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Comments

  • teticio
    teticio Posts: 107
    the best article i have seen on this subject can be read here

    http://www.trifuel.com/training/triathl ... e-training

    i think it addresses the more interesting aspects of power vs heart rate vs "feel" vs speed. in fact, its conclusion is that each method has its pros and cons and that, ideally, you should use a bit of all four of them. again, as many of you have said, all these things are useless if you don't know how to interpret them.
    http://www.justgiving.co.uk/ironmanbrazil
  • Alex_Simmons/RST
    Alex_Simmons/RST Posts: 4,161
    Pross wrote:
    Forgive my ignorance on this issue but does the actual accuracy have a huge impact in a PM's use for training? Obviously it is good to know definitive results but if there is an error does it matter much as long as it is consistent?
    Your point about precision being more useful is valid but still has its flaws.

    That's the problem - without any way to validate a meter's calibration, then you simply cannot know if it is accurate or consistent (precise).

    When you start out and fitness is low(ish) then the gains are relatively large, so you can get away with close enough is good enough.

    However once you start to get fit, the rate of improvement slows and the gains are more incremental. You may then be interested in extracting further performance gains and really nailing the training dose and response.

    Precision as you note is important, more than accuracy. Until of course you eventually change power meters, realise your previous meter was inaccurate and render all historical data invalid for comparison of progress.

    As a good rule of thumb with such instruments, accuracy and precision, while different things, do tend to go hand in hand.
    RST Sport : Coaching - Training Plans - Powermeters -- My blog -- AeroCoach Australia
  • magliaceleste
    magliaceleste Posts: 748
    Alex is exactly right. The unknown variability is the problem.

    Much as I like some of the iBikes features I can't really recommend one. Niggles aside, yes they are OK for starting out, but longer term you *will* wish you had bought a Powertap or other DFPM.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,464
    If I can get a Powertap at £500 then I would definately think about it as I could do with a spare wheel anyway. Being wired wouldn't bother me too much as I only use one bike at the moment. Worst case would be chaning it twice a year from winter bike to summer bike and back. I don't fancy renting at £40 per month though and spending close on the value of my bike for a Power Meter is frightening!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I had a wired PT, swapping it between bikes was a doddle, I just had 2 mounting kits...
  • a_n_t
    a_n_t Posts: 2,011
    Pross wrote:
    If I can get a Powertap at £500 then I would definitely think about it

    Elite+ on a mavic open pro was only £650 last week.
    Manchester wheelers

    PB's
    10m 20:21 2014
    25m 53:18 20:13
    50m 1:57:12 2013
    100m Yeah right.
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    NapoleonD wrote:
    I had a wired PT, swapping it between bikes was a doddle, I just had 2 mounting kits...

    +1 :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • LJAR
    LJAR Posts: 128
    I got a wired powertap, two mounting kits, a spare 10 speed cassette, two training tyres and a tube from American ebay.

    It cost me less than £300 all in. Given that a middle range Garmin costs almost that much it was too good an opportunity to resist.

    I fully agree with Dave about not being able to read the power when out of the saddle though, it is a right arse.
  • liversedge
    liversedge Posts: 1,003
    NapoleonD wrote:
    I had a wired PT, swapping it between bikes was a doddle, I just had 2 mounting kits...

    But putting it on a turbo means changing the tyre. Which is a major pfaff. I guess its just horses for courses.
    --
    Obsessed is just a word elephants use to describe the dedicated. http://markliversedge.blogspot.com
  • chrisw12
    chrisw12 Posts: 1,246
    Get two powertap wheels (elite + will do) . Keep one for training and then the other as a race wheel in summer and turbo wheel in winter.

    You've also always got one wheel when the other's being sent back for servicing so you're never without power data.
  • liversedge
    liversedge Posts: 1,003
    well, that's one solution :-)

    or wait for the metrigears, or get a crank based pm like an SRM or Quarq and a cheapie spare wheel.
    --
    Obsessed is just a word elephants use to describe the dedicated. http://markliversedge.blogspot.com
  • Percy Vera
    Percy Vera Posts: 1,103
    chrisw12 wrote:
    Get two powertap wheels (elite + will do) . Keep one for training and then the other as a race wheel in summer and turbo wheel in winter.

    You've also always got one wheel when the other's being sent back for servicing so you're never without power data.

    What happens if your race wheel is a tub and/or you use the turbo all year round?
  • chrisw12
    chrisw12 Posts: 1,246
    That's easy, what poor people would be silly enough to use a turbo in the barmy weather we have at the moment :shock: and why race on tubs, latex innertube and decent tyres and you're good to go 8)

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