Power Meter Suggestions

n733lk
n733lk Posts: 44
edited December 2017 in Road general
I’ve only been riding about a year, but all my “friends” are telling me I need to purchase a power meter.

Suggestions for a good intro meter? I’m riding a 2017 Specialized Roubaix w/discs.

Thanks!

Comments

  • -Dash
    -Dash Posts: 179
    What will you use it for?
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    n733lk wrote:
    I’ve only been riding about a year, but all my “friends” are telling me I need to purchase a power meter.

    What did they say when you asked them 'why'..??
  • trivial_poursuivant
    trivial_poursuivant Posts: 1,136
    If you just like to ride a few times a week on the local club run and such then you do not need a power meter. If you intend racing or just want to improve yourself and have a training plan in mind then yes. A power meter will not make you faster or climb better unless you know how to use it. It is nothing more than a tool for fine tuning your training goals. Or for pacing yourself when you know what you can sustain.
  • super_davo
    super_davo Posts: 1,228
    Whats the crankset? There are some really good deals on 4iii precisions if you've got a Shimano crankset (as many Roubaix models seem to). About £285 for a 105 left crank from some places.

    Single sided, so will offend the purists, but very reliable and consistent. And if you like training with power and wish you've got something fancier then you can sell on without losing too much money.
  • MiddleRinger
    MiddleRinger Posts: 678
    Nobody "needs" a power meter, but if you have the money to burn....




    (buy more coffee and cake instead)
    ~ ~ How fast is fast enough? ~ ~ ~ ~ Tempo Cyclist - Tasmania ~ ~
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    Unless you're going to use the data properly then a pm is just an expensive toy.

    If you do decide to buy one definitely look at the 4iiii as it's a great price at the moment.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Power meter is only useful if you know what you're doing with it and are prepared to train with it. Otherwise it's a distraction and a waste of money.

    What are your goals ?

    What's your riding look like now ?
  • EBEB
    EBEB Posts: 98
    It doesn’t sound like you really need a direct power meter. It does sound like you could borrow one of a mate though.

    For less £ you could get a powerpod that estimates power and you could refine it and reassure yourself as to its accuracy by borrowing a friends PM for a couple of out and back rides. It would be adequate for you & also be far less faff to move between bikes than most power meters.

    Pity you’ve just missed Black Friday deals, but as you aren’t in a hurry I’d keep an eye out for deals on whatever you decide.
  • trivial_poursuivant
    trivial_poursuivant Posts: 1,136
    EBEB wrote:
    It doesn’t sound like you really need a direct power meter. It does sound like you could borrow one of a mate though.

    For less £ you could get a powerpod that estimates power and you could refine it and reassure yourself as to its accuracy by borrowing a friends PM for a couple of out and back rides. It would be adequate for you & also be far less faff to move between bikes than most power meters.

    Pity you’ve just missed Black Friday deals, but as you aren’t in a hurry I’d keep an eye out for deals on whatever you decide.

    Can’t use it on a turbo which in the winter kind of messes things up.
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    EBEB wrote:

    For less £ you could get a powerpod that estimates power and you could refine it and reassure yourself as to its accuracy by borrowing a friends PM for a couple of out and back rides. It would be adequate for you & also be far less faff to move between bikes than most power meters.

    The 4iiii 105 is currently only a few quid more than the powerpod and is actually a proper power meter though (albeit left side only). If he wants to measure power accurately and start training with power a powerpod is not the way to go.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    If you're going to train through the winter thent get a turbo that can do power or virtual power through Trainerroad or Zwift. Cheaper and more effective. If you just ride with your mates then the PM isn't that useful.
  • burnthesheep
    burnthesheep Posts: 675
    MiddleRinger wrote:
    Nobody "needs" a power meter, but if you have the money to burn....

    Among other expensive toys people buy who just fart around on a bike.......like wheels or carbon stems.......but if you're going to burn it maybe the ridicule you get from your woeful power numbers on Strava will motivate the person to use the meter. You can "hide" your power under a heavy body weight in the Strava calculation, no way to do that with a real meter.
    redvision wrote:
    Unless you're going to use the data properly then a pm is just an expensive toy.

    If you do decide to buy one definitely look at the 4iiii as it's a great price at the moment.

    Yes. Agreed. But......like I said above, the embarrassment would be enough to improve for most people who would buy it just as a toy........"oh......only 140w last ride.......ohhhh boy".
  • Hanners
    Hanners Posts: 260
    cougie wrote:
    Power meter is only useful if you know what you're doing with it and are prepared to train with it. Otherwise it's a distraction and a waste of money.


    /quote]
    This
  • ryan_w-2
    ryan_w-2 Posts: 1,162
    Power is lyfe...
    Specialized Allez Sprint Disc --- Specialized S-Works SL7

    IG: RhinosWorkshop
  • step83
    step83 Posts: 4,170
    Power meters have there use but if your only riding a few times a week an have no plans for competitive riding its a bit excessive. Plus its another thing to think about when riding.
    Its more a want than need. Your mates are telling you that you need one, but do you think you do? Why do they think you do? Its not a silver bullet that immediately makes you 10kmph faster overnight.


    I bought a PM, guess what, it doesn't make me any better. What has made me better is riding more outside an on the turbo.
    My advise, don't get a PM, get a turbo if you don't have one an do some structured training, theres free videos on youtube you can dollow or you can use online trainers such as Zwift, trainer road etc. You will see far more benefit an wont get annoyed when your average power is 160W like me.
    Titanium Px Spitfire
    Easty commuter
    Tripster AT
  • trivial_poursuivant
    trivial_poursuivant Posts: 1,136
    Step83 wrote:
    Power meters have there use but if your only riding a few times a week an have no plans for competitive riding its a bit excessive. Plus its another thing to think about when riding.
    Its more a want than need. Your mates are telling you that you need one, but do you think you do? Why do they think you do? Its not a silver bullet that immediately makes you 10kmph faster overnight.


    I bought a PM, guess what, it doesn't make me any better. What has made me better is riding more outside an on the turbo.
    My advise, don't get a PM, get a turbo if you don't have one an do some structured training, theres free videos on youtube you can dollow or you can use online trainers such as Zwift, trainer road etc. You will see far more benefit an wont get annoyed when your average power is 160W like me.

    If that’s the case, what is it and how much you want for it?
  • ZMC888
    ZMC888 Posts: 292
    I'm desperately against power meters. Absolutely nobody needs one unless they are some uber professional. For anyone else they are useless. Obviously I've never owned one or konw how to use one so my opinion is totally invalid. I'll go online and fight against not only power meters, but carbon fibre, aero and high end groupsets blah blah blah and because if I can't afford it, then it must be pointless for everyone and I'm feeling desperately insecure about it. :lol:

    Seriously they are very useful especially for mountain or hill climbing, if you are going to do that. You simply work out how many watts you can sustain for a certain amount of time and use it as tool to pace efforts, and over time you can get an idea if you are improving or not. Doing training rides to improve your fitness without a PM is like dieting without using digital scales. You can do it, but you won't be as effective.
  • Bumo_b
    Bumo_b Posts: 211
    In fairness to the Powerpod, I was surprised by just how accurate they were. I was loaned one whilst I was saving for a 4iii and thought it cannot be that accurate. I duly got my 4iii Precision (from Hargroves,somewhere around £300 I believe a year and a half ago) and expected to see more consistency in the readings etc but they only ever differed by 5-10 watts on my flat out efforts. Bemused I borrowed my wife's Garmin to compare and briefly saw that they were within a consistent 5% of each other before going down a bank accidentally so gave up trying to read two screens at once whilst riding. That being said, the 4iii is now within 50 quid at sometimes with the Powerpod so I would go with that unless you get an Ebay bargain.

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