Power meters - any suggestions?

Gabbo

After reading about power meters on these forums, I am now wondering whether one would be a worthy purchase.

Cycling is my main sport and I am trying my best to monitor my performance and progress, but it's somewhat difficult without a power meter.

Even cycling into headwinds I am sometimes unsure of what speed to achieve, whereas with a power meter this would surely tell me what power output is necessary (being I want to average an x amount of power during a ride).

I've seen some power meters such as SRM, but are well above budget. Anyone got any other suggestions to cheaper options?

Thanks

TakeTurns

I've recently borrowed a friends wheel which has a power tap. Linked it up to my Garmin 800. I also have an excel sheet which helps to workout my zones through wattage, so I included the data. I most certainly enjoyed looking at the watts I was putting out. However, I did not find it useful in terms of a training tool over a H/R monitor. I'm a person who rather goes on feel, I don't necessarily need a monitor to pace myself.

If you want to do zone specific training, a h/r monitor will be sufficient. Although the figures can sometimes be effected by various variables, it will not detriment your training once you've got the hang of things.

danowat

My powertap is the single best piece of kit I have brought

Gabbo

danowat wrote:

My powertap is the single best piece of kit I have brought

Mind expanding on that?

What version is it?

danowat

Power has totally transformed my training, no more guesswork, I know exactly where I am training and can see improvements or area's that need to be worked on easily.

Mine is an SL+

amaferanga

Are you training for anything in particular? If not then unless you've got a grand burning a hole in your pocket then there's probably not much point in getting a power meter. It'd be a lot of money to spend just so you can judge your effort when riding into a headwind

A Power2max will come in well under a grand and having owned a PowerTap and a P2M there's no contest really - the P2M every time. With a PowerTap having to use the same wheel all the time is a real pain. With the P2M (mine is the SRAM S900 version) I can swap between bikes in about 2mins anyway so it's almost as quick to swap as a wheel.

danowat

My SL+ kit (hub and Joule 2) was around £500, new, for a training bike its fine, I have a Quarq on my race bike, but it's proving very unreliable, and wouldn't consider another, it would be SRM for me.

Gabbo

amaferanga wrote:

Are you training for anything in particular? If not then unless you've got a grand burning a hole in your pocket then there's probably not much point in getting a power meter. It'd be a lot of money to spend just so you can judge your effort when riding into a headwind

A Power2max will come in well under a grand and having owned a PowerTap and a P2M there's no contest really - the P2M every time. With a PowerTap having to use the same wheel all the time is a real pain. With the P2M (mine is the SRAM S900 version) I can swap between bikes in about 2mins anyway so it's almost as quick to swap as a wheel.

So it attaches to crankset? Crankarm?

Hopefully the bottom bracket is completely irrelevant, because I'm looking to purchase a new frame next year.

moonshine

In my honest opinion, if you are riding recreationally, don't bother with a PM. Just get out @ enjoy your riding. A HRM is sufficient.
If you are racing (& training for racing) I could not recommend a PM enough. They have transformed my time trialling performances. I have 2 Ppwertap SL+. One on a HED jet 6 which I use with a RALtech disc cover and a fixed PT I use on the track & on my training bike.

Tom Butcher

Am I right in thinking not all powertaps will link up a garmin ? Been looking at a few used ones but I don't want to have to use the yellow head unit when I already have a garmin 705.

danowat

Tom Butcher wrote:

Am I right in thinking not all powertaps will link up a garmin ? Been looking at a few used ones but I don't want to have to use the yellow head unit when I already have a garmin 705.

I believe pre 2009 one's (2.4?) required an update to enable ANT+, just make sure you get one that it ANT+ compatible or enabled.

Herbsman

I think I've broken my power2max .... the actual power meter itself is fine but it's the FSA gossamer cranks that are the problem... the axle is such a tight fit in the bottom bracket it needs a really good battering with a rubber mallet to remove... now a small gap has appeared between the fat round bit of the pm and the spider....

I would recommend getting the Rotor ones instead if you can afford it...

Wrath Rob

First, buy this. Read it and make sure you understand why you need a power meter. As said above, if you just want to improve your general cycling speed/ability/endurance then training with a HRM and following a plan will get you where you want to be with minimal investment.
If you decide you want a power meter then rent a power meter first, possibly a PowerTap from somewhere like this. You'll get to understand the data it produces and be able to test yourself using the protocols described in the book above. Spend 4 weeks training with it and then re-test yourself.
At that point you're probably in a good position to judge whether you want to go and invest in one or not.

For the record, I bought mine at the start of 2012, didn't use it properly when training for that season but having realised my mistakes I've then made full use of it once I started training back in October. Being able to understand your strengths and weaknesses, train for them and then measure the improvement is incredibly motivating.

jibberjim

So unlike others I see no requirement to be actually racing to own a power meter, indeed I see many people who become so misguided with their use of data that they endlessly chase a few watts when their problems racing are all technical not fitness related.

I don't have a plan, I don't do formal testing or training, but I've collected data for many years, it means I know what works best for me in making me fitter and in ensuring I can perform on a particular day - a plan will not do that for yor since there is no single plan and you have to get the data first. That means getting a PM as early as possible even if you aren't going to do anything else than work out how hard to ride into a headwind with it right now, but think you might in the future.

Gabbo

Wrath Rob wrote:

First, buy this. Read it and make sure you understand why you need a power meter. As said above, if you just want to improve your general cycling speed/ability/endurance then training with a HRM and following a plan will get you where you want to be with minimal investment.
If you decide you want a power meter then rent a power meter first, possibly a PowerTap from somewhere like this. You'll get to understand the data it produces and be able to test yourself using the protocols described in the book above. Spend 4 weeks training with it and then re-test yourself.
At that point you're probably in a good position to judge whether you want to go and invest in one or not.

For the record, I bought mine at the start of 2012, didn't use it properly when training for that season but having realised my mistakes I've then made full use of it once I started training back in October. Being able to understand your strengths and weaknesses, train for them and then measure the improvement is incredibly motivating.

I'm possibly going to take your advice and rent one out. Knowing how hard to cycle into a headwind would be beneficial for me. And also, knowing that I've done one segment slower but produced a higher average of power throughout would keep me from getting demoralised.

rabk

Wrath Rob wrote:

First, buy this. Read it and make sure you understand why you need a power meter. As said above, if you just want to improve your general cycling speed/ability/endurance then training with a HRM and following a plan will get you where you want to be with minimal investment.
If you decide you want a power meter then rent a power meter first, possibly a PowerTap from somewhere like this. You'll get to understand the data it produces and be able to test yourself using the protocols described in the book above. Spend 4 weeks training with it and then re-test yourself.
At that point you're probably in a good position to judge whether you want to go and invest in one or not.

For the record, I bought mine at the start of 2012, didn't use it properly when training for that season but having realised my mistakes I've then made full use of it once I started training back in October. Being able to understand your strengths and weaknesses, train for them and then measure the improvement is incredibly motivating.

This is one of the best posts I have seen here in a long time - very good advice

Like wrath rob, I bought a powermeter at the start of 2012 and struggled to utilize it.

I have also realised my mistakes and now making much better use of it. In hindsight I would have done a lot more research on how to train with it before buying a powermeter.

Incidentally, it is undoubtedly the best bit of kit I have bought.

Gabbo

Rabk wrote:

Wrath Rob wrote:

First, buy this. Read it and make sure you understand why you need a power meter. As said above, if you just want to improve your general cycling speed/ability/endurance then training with a HRM and following a plan will get you where you want to be with minimal investment.
If you decide you want a power meter then rent a power meter first, possibly a PowerTap from somewhere like this. You'll get to understand the data it produces and be able to test yourself using the protocols described in the book above. Spend 4 weeks training with it and then re-test yourself.
At that point you're probably in a good position to judge whether you want to go and invest in one or not.

For the record, I bought mine at the start of 2012, didn't use it properly when training for that season but having realised my mistakes I've then made full use of it once I started training back in October. Being able to understand your strengths and weaknesses, train for them and then measure the improvement is incredibly motivating.

This is one of the best posts I have seen here in a long time - very good advice

Like wrath rob, I bought a powermeter at the start of 2012 and struggled to utilize it.

I have also realised my mistakes and now making much better use of it. In hindsight I would have done a lot more research on how to train with it before buying a powermeter.

Incidentally, it is undoubtedly the best bit of kit I have bought.

Which one do you have?

I've noticed that the cycleops power meters are hubs and can only be fitted to a wheel with say an X amount of spokes. SRM is way over budget for me, and quartz I suspect is also very expensive.

The rental seems quite expensive, mind you

Alex_Simmons/RST

There are many layers to using a power meter and the data it provides. Many learn the basics, do very nicely and are happy with that, while others delve deeper and find rich veins of ore waiting to be mined. It's a learning process, and the nice thing is, you can choose how much you want to get into it, but the basic fundamentals can still provide healthy benefits.

Still, PMs are not for everyone, and I think if you are not sure, the try before you buy route is a great option, or go 2nd hand maybe to reduce the initial outlay. And remember the Pithy Power Proverb:
The power meter is a tool, not a bolt on motor

rabk

Gabbo wrote:

Rabk wrote:

Wrath Rob wrote:

First, buy this. Read it and make sure you understand why you need a power meter. As said above, if you just want to improve your general cycling speed/ability/endurance then training with a HRM and following a plan will get you where you want to be with minimal investment.
If you decide you want a power meter then rent a power meter first, possibly a PowerTap from somewhere like this. You'll get to understand the data it produces and be able to test yourself using the protocols described in the book above. Spend 4 weeks training with it and then re-test yourself.
At that point you're probably in a good position to judge whether you want to go and invest in one or not.

For the record, I bought mine at the start of 2012, didn't use it properly when training for that season but having realised my mistakes I've then made full use of it once I started training back in October. Being able to understand your strengths and weaknesses, train for them and then measure the improvement is incredibly motivating.

This is one of the best posts I have seen here in a long time - very good advice

Like wrath rob, I bought a powermeter at the start of 2012 and struggled to utilize it.

I have also realised my mistakes and now making much better use of it. In hindsight I would have done a lot more research on how to train with it before buying a powermeter.

Incidentally, it is undoubtedly the best bit of kit I have bought.

Which one do you have?

Hi Gabbo

I bought a Powertap pro+. Subsequently I also acquired a Power2max

I am very happy with both units

Wrath Rob

I got a PowerTap Pro built into 50mm carbon clincher wheels from Wheelsmith. Cost was just over a grand. If I was going it again I'd probably do something very similar, though probably with different rims and use Ugo.Satalalalalala (off of here, can't remember his username) as he's more flexible in allowing you to source the PT yourself, therefore opening up the posibility of a 2nd hand one.

If/when Brim Bros. finally sort themselves out I'll probably switch to use their system, as cleat based PMs will make it very, very easy to switch from bike to bike. Yes you can switch wheels over, but in my case that also means changing brake blocks. Or if you're using it on the turbo in winter, you've got to change tyres before taking it on the road. Crank based systems solve those problems but instead you've got to swap cranks between bikes. None of which are massive tasks but become a PITA if doing it regularly.

Herbsman

swapping cranks is a huge pain in the arse if you have FSA gossamers

Gabbo

Herbsman wrote:

swapping cranks is a huge pain in the ars* if you have FSA gossamers

BB30 bottom bracket. If I change frames but intend to keep same bottom bracket type, I'd have to purchase a Cannondale, preferably supersix evo

They seem like a right pain in the arse to install

amaferanga

Herbsman wrote:

swapping cranks is a huge pain in the ars* if you have FSA gossamers

GXP is a 2min job. The only tricky thing if you go that route with a P2M is actually finding an older model SRAM S900 (or Truvativ Rouleur Carbon).

psmiddy8

Powercal from cycleops.

Heart rate strap / power meter.

Obviously not as accurate as a powertap or srm but having tried it and compared it with a powertap the figures are very close for longer figures, ie avg for anything over 2-3 min efforts.

It does spike a little bit when on short efforts so i dont rely on that too much but for £85 or £120 (i think, with cadence sensor) its a good entry into the power meter market plus its also a heart rate monitor. Im sure there is a review on dc rainmaker somewhere.

Also its ant + so hooks up to my garmin edge 500 easy or a joule etc.

ShutUpLegs

Gabbo wrote:

Cannondale, preferably supersix evo

You'll embarrass yourself on that. Nice ride though.

Herbsman

amaferanga wrote:

Herbsman wrote:

swapping cranks is a huge pain in the ars* if you have FSA gossamers

GXP is a 2min job. The only tricky thing if you go that route with a P2M is actually finding an older model SRAM S900 (or Truvativ Rouleur Carbon).

The Gossamers should be a 2 min job as well, like other Hollowtech cranks. I've read that some people use a round file to file out the (plastic) inner race of their Hollowtech bearings so the axle goes in and out more easily. Think I'm gonna have to do that to avoid further damage