Training on the open road - Wahoo Power Zone Leds? Something else?

timothyw

When I've tried to train on my commute previously, the main obstacle has always been that watching my watts/zone takes too much of my attention when there are a lot of cars around - by the time I've looked down, read the number and looked back up I've potentially gone into the back of a car....

Anyone got any ideas/suggestions for ways to practice intervals etc out on the open road during rush hour, that keep my eyes on the road?

I've got a Garmin Edge 500 which up until this point has done everything I've needed so I've never really felt the need to replace it - I imagine I can set audio alerts but worry these might be a bit lost (or simply annoying) out on the road among traffic noise.

I remember seeing the Sportiiii product a few years ago which sort of looks ideal, but also quite expensive and probably not available anymore: https://4iiii-innovations.myshopify.com ... /sportiiii

Anyone using the LEDs on their Wahoo Elemnt/Bolt for this purpose? How do you find it?

Is there another device/idea out there? Should I set something up on my phone and wear a single (open backed) earbud perhaps?

Any ideas/suggestions much appreciated!

dinyull

Extending the commute onto quieter lanes?

I had a similar idea to you in: smashing myself on the commute. Traffic, lights etc always ended up getting in the way.

Have started getting up an hour earlier a couple of days a week and head into the quiet lanes.

pamplemoose

TimothyW wrote:

Anyone using the LEDs on their Wahoo Elemnt/Bolt for this purpose? How do you find it?

With sunglasses on or in bright daylight, they're all but invisible. If it's just watts/HR Zone you're after, can you not make a page on your Garmin with just that number that fills the whole screen? That would be just as quick as looking down at some LEDs.

gdf

Not sure on what head units you can do it with, but pretty sure you can set up audio alerts to power zones.

cycleclinic

If you are training on the road dont watt watch. train by feel.

timothyw

There are certainly stretches of my commute where I wouldn't think of watt watching, but there is plenty of road between Barnet and Hatfield where I can set my own pace - between Barnet and Muswell hill it's basically SCR or riding to feel.

StillGoing

Yeah I use the LEDs for zones and have no trouble seeing them with sunglasses on or in bright or dull light. The LEDs give you a range from blue to read with the extremes being either too low or too high. Its easier to glance down and see the correct colour as opposed to trying to read numbers.

Poppa Wheelie

TimothyW wrote:

Garmin Edge 500 - I imagine I can set audio alerts but worry these might be a bit lost (or simply annoying) out on the road among traffic noise.

Anyone using the LEDs on their Wahoo Elemnt/Bolt for this purpose? How do you find it?

Before I bought a power meter I tried aural alerts on my old Garmin Edge 800 to train at my MAF heart rate. On a flat road it was ok but in windy conditions or on a hilly road and the Garmin was constantly nagging me that I wasn't within my target heart rate. I could be one beat per minute under (or over) my target heart rate and it was nag, nag, nag. I very nearly chucked the bloody Garmin in the hedge. It's not like it's easy to turn the aural warnings on or off.

I've now got an Elemnt and I won't be going back to Garmin. As has been said above, the LED's work fine on the Elemnt. However, I prefer to have the screen zoomed into the data metric that I'm riding to so I can see how close to my target I'm actually riding. After all, if I'm a few watts off target it's usually good enough.

Besides, I totally agree with those who say ride by 'feel'. Once you know you are on target for the road gradient or wind conditions you can gauge very accurately if you are holding that power or not.