I have the Power!!!!! - First impressions (Page 2)

Awesome... glad you got it sorted out!

Not hijacking here, but...

I guess this will teach me to check here more often...can someone point me in the direction of the thread for the "Jorge Group Buy" so I can go home and cry over the deal that I missed.

Thanks,
Kevin

It was in his winter training program interest post---he just organized it as another fine service to the folks on this board---think it's the second year he's done this....as for the deal---it was an email thing so I won't post it but it was a deal---again Jorge is one of the HUGE contributors to this site in so many ways!!

Jorge PMd me with some information...he is a stand up guy!

Kevin

Did a quick ride this afternoon - 22.2mph and 242 watts - I think that's probably closer to 'normal.'

I did the exact same ride as three days ago - distance was 14.35 the other day and 15.1 today - that default setting in the wheel size on my Garmin 500 definitely was the culprit.

I'm doing my first FTP test tomorrow, as I have the day off for Veterans Day and the forecast looks good.

Garmin 500 works by GPS to determine speed not wheel circumstance.

One thing you will learn is how power doesn't always equal same speed due to conditions and terrain. I have done races with higher power but lower speed due to conditions.

You will want to get a program to analyze your power data.

See what your TSS, vi and after you set your FTP what your IF is during your rides.

Learning to ride with low vi will take some time to learn but will help you come race day once you learn that.

If the Garmin uses GPS for speed why was the exact same ride nearly .8 miles longer when I correctly adjusted the size of the wheel?

Assuming that recording was based on wheel pickup: If you rode exactly the same distance, but changed the wheel size from 1785 to 2097, you would end up with 15.86 miles if you originally recorded 13.5.  In reality, it's never that precise, because we never ride the same exact path twice.

Smaller variances in distance when riding the same course can be associated with a combination of standard measurement error in the GPS (in cases in which GPS is used for distance) and slight variations in your path along the riding route (whichever means of recorded distance is used).


Edited by dredwards 2010-11-11 9:00 AM

It can use GPS for (if it's set to Auto), but it doesn't use the GPS for speed if a wheel size is entered.  You already found it was set to 1785, so that was definitely causing the speed to be too low.

When I bought my Powertap from Wheelbuilder, they pre-loaded some of the settings and device pairings for my Joule 2.0.  Maybe your Garmin was set up before you got it?


Edit: actually I just read the manual for the Garmin and it looks like it uses GPS to calculate the wheel size.  So maybe when you did your first ride, you had a poor GPS signal and it thought you were riding a 650 wheel.  Just a guess.

Edited by spudone 2010-11-11 9:34 AM

damn i avg 14mph.. so slow lol

what would help? drills? more hills during training? better bike? practice? lol

If I remember correctly and you are using a wireless CycleOps speed/cadence sensor, it is not compatable with Garmin.