Training Tech combo guidance.

andydr2wheels
andydr2wheels Posts: 24
edited January 2017 in Training, fitness and health
Last winter I got a basic magnetic turbo and used it through the winter alongside a bit of roadwork. I don't have a HRM or powermeter, and when I'm out on the road just use strava on my iphone - so I've been doing GCN training sessions working out cadence via the watch, and effort levels by feel. It has made a real difference but now I'm keen to take things further and be a bit more precise - working out my FTP and being able to do more specific training, and maybe trying out the virtual training progs. So I'm looking for some advice on the best combo of kit I'd need to do all this without breaking the bank (HRM, Powermeter and possibly computer, or ANT for Iphone?). I'm a bit of a skinflint but it seems like time to bite the meterbullet!
Thanks in advance for any advice

Comments

  • frisbee
    frisbee Posts: 691
    Taxc flow T2240 is the cheapest smart trainer (£200-ish) and a £10 ANT+ dongle and PC or an iphone/ipad to use Zwift (£8/month subscription).

    Or some sort of power meter + head unit to use on the road or on your existing turbo. Which if you don't go for a single crank based solution is going to be of the order of £700+. You definitely want to see your power live.

    Personally, I started off with a Kickr (£800) and then decided I really wanted to correlate what I was doing inside with outside so went for a Quarq and Elemnt (£950). Its an expensive slope to start down! I need a better computer or a bigger screen connected to my phone as well...

    I've had great fun using Zwift, training program and a couple of races in the last few days - which are very intense.
  • stueys
    stueys Posts: 1,332
    The most cost effective way to do this is to get a power meter fitted to your bike (which you can use inside and out) and then use that bike on a mag or fluid trainer. That will give you solid power metrics and let you use trainer road and zwift, riding to power both inside and out. I used to use Zwift running a set of garmin vectors and a cheap magnetic tacx turbo.

    If you want to go further then a smart trainer (I've got a tacx Neo) is the next stage. The difference between this set up is you get a trainer that automatically adjusts to either the training requirements (trainer road in ERG mode) or what something like zwift is telling it to do (i.e increase resistance when you hit a hill). This makes training more exact and zwift a lot more immersive but doesnt' give you any more training benefit than just having a power meter and basic turbo. Something like the Tacx Flux is a good buy.

    Always better to get a power meter first so you have power on all your riding, then get the smart trainer if that's what you want to do.

    All of the training apps run on IOS now, I've got an ant+ key I use in my ipad/iPhone but the newer power meters run dual ant+/Bluetooth now which takes away that requirement.
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    If you don't have the money for a powermeter then tacx flow is surely a good option? £190 vs £400 for q powermeter! Of course that limits power based training to indoors but it might suit some quite well.
  • AK_jnr
    AK_jnr Posts: 717
    Cheapest option for me in 2015 was to get a new powertap g3. It has never missed a beat. Basic wheel but strong, reliable and easily serviced.
  • stueys
    stueys Posts: 1,332
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    If you don't have the money for a powermeter then tacx flow is surely a good option? £190 vs £400 for q powermeter! Of course that limits power based training to indoors but it might suit some quite well.

    But limiting power based training to indoors (and hence missing rides) means that you aren't using power for anything other than hitting turbo intervals. Which is all well and good but misses a large chunk of what power can give you.
  • andydr2wheels
    andydr2wheels Posts: 24
    Thanks for all these recommendations. Really helpful. It makes sense to me to begin with powermeter rather than upgrading my turbo at this point - I'd really like to be able to understand and analyse my road performance so that I can tailor my turboing. One question though, is an HRM an irrelevance? I apprecaite powermeters give more techically specific info, but I could also use an HRM to work out FPT right? Interested to know if they have other benefits, or have pretty much been superseded by powermeters.
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    Stueys wrote:
    Tangled Metal wrote:
    If you don't have the money for a powermeter then tacx flow is surely a good option? £190 vs £400 for q powermeter! Of course that limits power based training to indoors but it might suit some quite well.

    But limiting power based training to indoors (and hence missing rides) means that you aren't using power for anything other than hitting turbo intervals. Which is all well and good but misses a large chunk of what power can give you.
    Depends on your aims. It's just a winter training or limited free time training tool for me. Only training to enjoy the better months more as in basic fitness not targeted to an event or serious goal. On the roads I've no real need to train to power. This could always change once I've tried the smart turbo, but I'm not sure it will. Think I'll get the Tacx flow to find out
  • niblue
    niblue Posts: 1,387
    The 4iiii Precision power meter can be had for £350 (for a left side 105 arm) so I decided to get one of those (to use with the Garmin 810 I already had) and a dumb trainer (a £90 Minoura that Evans have on offer) rather than go with a smart trainer so that I'd have power inside and out.

    It's early days but having the power readout when riding outdoors does seem useful in pacing myself properly on climbs.

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