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Power Meter
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 2017-03-28 11:33 AM |
 87  Davenort, Iowa |  Subject: Power MeterIs it possible to get a good power meter without mortgaging my home? I'm wanting to begin training on the bike using power, but looking through the options it seems to be extremely expensive. Is it worth the return on investment? While dropping $600 may not seem like much to some, to me it is quite a bit as I am on a budget. Is there an inexpensive power meter option? |
| 2017-03-28 11:59 AM in reply to: Rooster519 |
239 | Subject: RE: Power Meter It depends on what you are looking for. There are 3 basic power meter options: Crank-Based, Hub-Based, Pedal-Based. From a price perspective, a single-leg Stages Power meter would be the cheapest. You can find them here, Slowtwitch, or eBay for $300 used. There are pros/cons to each. Here is a nice overview: http://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/guides/what-to-know-before-buyi... I personally ride a Quarq since I only have 1 bike, and 1 set of wheels. If you are just looking for basic power readings, coupled with cadence, Stages would probably work. Looks like there are 49 available on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=stages+power... Good luck. |
| 2017-03-28 12:20 PM in reply to: Rooster519 |
Champion 7136  Knoxville area | Subject: RE: Power Meter you can find used ANT+ powertaps in the $300 range pretty regularly. They are pretty bomb proof (especially when built into a solid training wheel) and easy(ish) to service, and for the most part they stay accurate. |
| 2017-03-28 12:42 PM in reply to: Rooster519 |
Veteran 1677  Houston, Texas | Subject: RE: Power Meter Another option is virtual power. It doesn't help you outside, but if you do a decent amount of trainer riding, it can be a good tool. It's an inexpensive investment (free with Golden Cheetah, something like $10/month with TrainerRoad) and you can test out if you even like training with power....some people do, some people don't. |
| 2017-03-28 1:23 PM in reply to: Jeff B |
| 87 Davenort, Iowa | Subject: RE: Power Meter Originally posted by Jeff B It depends on what you are looking for. There are 3 basic power meter options: Crank-Based, Hub-Based, Pedal-Based. From a price perspective, a single-leg Stages Power meter would be the cheapest. You can find them here, Slowtwitch, or eBay for $300 used. There are pros/cons to each. Here is a nice overview: http://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/guides/what-to-know-before-buyi... I personally ride a Quarq since I only have 1 bike, and 1 set of wheels. If you are just looking for basic power readings, coupled with cadence, Stages would probably work. Looks like there are 49 available on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=stages+power... Good luck. That's some great information. Lot to think about. Originally posted by ligersandtions Another option is virtual power. It doesn't help you outside, but if you do a decent amount of trainer riding, it can be a good tool. It's an inexpensive investment (free with Golden Cheetah, something like $10/month with TrainerRoad) and you can test out if you even like training with power....some people do, some people don't. I've been using Zwift for the last month and their virtual power. It's honestly what has got me thinking about training with power. Soon I'll be outside for the majority of my rides and want to have power with me as an option. Thanks everyone for the info!! |
| 2017-03-28 3:47 PM in reply to: #5216990 |
| 85 | Subject: RE: Power Meter I found an old Powertap unit in a training wheel. Also came with a disc cover for $400. You can find some good deals out there if you can narrow down what you want. |
| 2017-03-29 7:33 AM in reply to: Rooster519 |
| 1502 Katy, Texas | Subject: RE: Power Meter A note on Stage power meters; if you are using a non drive side crank based stages power meter, you have to make sure it is compatible with your crank. They are VERY specific, so make sure you don't just go buy one. Your crank may not fit any of the Stages PMs. If that is the case, you can buy an entirely new crank from either stages or P2Max for a little more money. However, if you go with this option, you still need to check compatibility to your bottom bracket. Most newer bikes are BB30, but that is certainly not a hard fast rule. Your best bet is to get on the phone with Stage and/or P2Max if you go that way and ask them. |
| 2017-03-29 12:40 PM in reply to: Rooster519 |
| Oakville | Subject: RE: Power Meter I started training with virtual power but found that the warm up period of my trainer gave wildly erratic power readings for the first 20 minutes or so of a ride. I then picked up a used Ant+ PowerTap at a tri swap meet (a G3 I believe) for about $150 which was a great deal and really helped pinpoint my FTP and training targets. I eventually moved up to a crank based power meter (Power2Max ) because my race wheels are not compatible with the PowerTap hub. I started to race longer distances and wanted to race based on power rather than HR and RPE. The Power2Max is great and I highly recommend it, but if you're looking for a cheap power meter then a used PowerTap is the way to go.
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| 2017-03-29 2:20 PM in reply to: 0 |
| 31 | Subject: RE: Power Meter 4iiii has a very good one-sided power meter that costs a little less then Stages and performs just as well: https://4iiii-innovations.myshopify.com/collections/power-meters It is also duel band (ANT+ and BLE) which was a major plus for me since I use Zwift with both a PC and iOS device. Edited by L0ST0NE 2017-03-29 2:32 PM |
| 2017-03-29 2:55 PM in reply to: #5216990 |
Member 622 Franklin, TN | Subject: RE: Power Meter +1 to Leegoocrap. If you're budget conscious, it's hard to beat a used powertap wheel. Powertap hubs have a pretty good track record for accuracy/reliability...can't say the same for some of the other cheap offerings. I have the powertap chainrings on my Tri bike. I'm probably going to go with a used powertap wheel on my road bike (it's an old 9 speed). |
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