powermeter
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2011-12-14 8:34 AM |
Member 473 | Subject: powermeter recently ive been in thoughts of getting a power meter especially for IM LP training. do i really need one and what are some cheaper alternatives? |
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2011-12-14 9:16 AM in reply to: #3937942 |
Master 1793 Essex Jct, VT | Subject: RE: powermeter evb4mvp - 2011-12-14 9:34 AM recently ive been in thoughts of getting a power meter especially for IM LP training. do i really need one and what are some cheaper alternatives? No. You don't "need" one. They are a great training tool. There are other metrics that you can measure to track your training though. (as I am sure you are aware). As for power, PowerTap is among the cheaper alternatives if you only ride one set of wheels. Quarq is a crank based system and people love them and their customer service. Garmin is coming out with a pedal based system; Vector. Lots to choose from. What is your budget? You may get more specific answers. Good luck. Edited by rsmoylan 2011-12-14 9:17 AM |
2011-12-14 9:20 AM in reply to: #3937942 |
Extreme Veteran 5722 | Subject: RE: powermeter Cheaper alternative is to do it by heart rate. While I love my power meter, I know lots of guys, BryanCD for example, that go by HR and do just fine :-) Since I have my Powermeter I have learned to better correlate my power and HR and believe I could train and race by HR, but I believe a Powermeter is a great investment in your cycling training. If you can afford it. |
2011-12-14 10:01 AM in reply to: #3937942 |
Not a Coach 11473 Media, PA | Subject: RE: powermeter Great tool. Of course, you do not really need one. A cheaper alternative is RPE. Learn to push yourself. Learn to pace yourself. |
2011-12-14 10:15 AM in reply to: #3937942 |
Master 1770 Bedford, MA | Subject: RE: powermeter A powermeter is a great tool, but it's only a tool. It won't win you races, but it can help in terms of proper pacing, especially in an Ironman. That said, some top athletes, such as Chrissie Wellington, don't use a powermeter. In terms of cost, powertap is the cheapest, starting around $600 for their wired version, and going up all the way to SRM, which can top $3,000 with a nice crankset. I love my powertaps, and use one on nearly every ride. If you are willing to make the investment, it's a great tool to ride with. If you do get one, I'd also recommend one of the books on using a power meter - it makes the numbers more understandable. Edited by natethomas2000 2011-12-14 10:22 AM |
2011-12-14 11:43 AM in reply to: #3938096 |
Extreme Veteran 875 Issaquah | Subject: RE: powermeter natethomas2000 - 2011-12-14 8:15 AM If you are willing to make the investment, it's a great tool to ride with. If you do get one, I'd also recommend one of the books on using a power meter - it makes the numbers more understandable. +1. In fact, I'd recommend 2 books on using a power meter. The book by Andrew Coggan is great. Basically "the" reference on any sort of power training for the bike. The book by Philip Skiba is also very good and I'd consider a good supplement to the data in Coggans book. Both cover great detail, both add to you knowledge and use of a power meter for training. |
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2011-12-14 2:46 PM in reply to: #3937942 |
Member 473 | Subject: RE: powermeter i know that it looks like a great tool to use. doing some research it looks like the powertap is around 600-700 now which is a bit more in my price range. |
2011-12-15 2:07 AM in reply to: #3938622 |
Regular 694 Tucson, AZ | Subject: RE: powermeter There are a lot of closeouts on powertaps going on right now because of the new hubs. If you are trying to save some money go with the older elite or pro models. |
2011-12-15 2:22 AM in reply to: #3937942 |
Expert 697 Northern CA | Subject: RE: powermeter I am not really clear on what a power meter does and how one would use it. I read all these threads about them, but most of them end up as debates as to whether they are necessary and don't answer my questions. I know I don't *have* to have one, but I am curious as to what having one would do for me or not do as the case may be. |
2011-12-15 5:52 AM in reply to: #3937942 |
Pro 5892 , New Hampshire | Subject: RE: powermeter A power meter measures your power output. For cycling this is the most accurate way to measure how hard you are training, which in return, means that you an Beverly exact in training, i.e. go hard the days your supposed to and easy the days your supposed to. In racing, it's a great tool to keep a constant effort. Once you learn how to use the tool, it's great, but if you just use it as an advanced cycling computer, it's a vaste of money |
2011-12-15 6:19 AM in reply to: #3939186 |
Pro 4353 Wallingford, PA | Subject: RE: powermeter audiojan - 2011-12-15 6:52 AM A power meter measures your power output. For cycling this is the most accurate way to measure how hard you are training, which in return, means that you an Beverly exact in training, i.e. go hard the days your supposed to and easy the days your supposed to. In racing, it's a great tool to keep a constant effort. Once you learn how to use the tool, it's great, but if you just use it as an advanced cycling computer, it's a vaste of money ^^^ x2 but --- who's Beverly??? |
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2011-12-15 9:10 AM in reply to: #3938622 |
Extreme Veteran 415 Leander, Texas | Subject: RE: powermeter evb4mvp - 2011-12-14 2:46 PM i know that it looks like a great tool to use. doing some research it looks like the powertap is around 600-700 now which is a bit more in my price range. For what it's worth, most online retailers will sell you the PowerTap alone (some laced to a wheel, some not) for $600-$700 or more. You'll still need to get an ANT+ computer if you don't already have one. I'm offering a never used PT Elite+ built into a used DT Swiss RR 1.2 (light, but strong) rim, with the ANT+ Cervo computer (LYC), download cradle, mounting unit, batter cap removal tool, documentation, and software all for $600+ shipping (@ $40-45). It's over in the Classifieds section if you're interested. http://beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid... - |
2011-12-15 2:51 PM in reply to: #3939200 |
Pro 5892 , New Hampshire | Subject: RE: powermeter but --- who's Beverly??? Darn auto correct! ...supposed to be an exact measurement in training... don't even know a Beverly, but I guess that's the new name for my Quarq power meter. |
2011-12-15 10:43 PM in reply to: #3937942 |
Member 473 | Subject: RE: powermeter How does using HR compare to using power. ive only had limited experience with HR in a gym class but didnt utilize it. only remember i maxed my HR at 180. |
2011-12-15 10:47 PM in reply to: #3940701 |
Regular 694 Tucson, AZ | Subject: RE: powermeter evb4mvp - 2011-12-15 10:43 PM How does using HR compare to using power. ive only had limited experience with HR in a gym class but didnt utilize it. only remember i maxed my HR at 180.
They are just different metrics - both are fine to train by. It all kind of depends on your own training philosophy and those of a coach if you have one. |
2011-12-15 10:52 PM in reply to: #3940701 |
Master 2563 University Park, MD | Subject: RE: powermeter evb4mvp - 2011-12-15 11:43 PM How does using HR compare to using power. ive only had limited experience with HR in a gym class but didnt utilize it. only remember i maxed my HR at 180. There are a few differences: -- power can be used to track your progress in training; as you get fitter, your power goes up; HR won't tell you much about performance gains, as you'll simply be getting more from the same number of heartbeats per minute -- HR can give an approximate guide to how hard you are working in training or racing, but it can vary for a number of reasons: anxiety, heat/hydration, fatigue. Effective use of HR requires doing much more than hitting a specific target number. You need to know your body really well, so that you can gauge how your HR responds in diverse situations. -- in a race setting, power can give a very precise measure of, well, power. It is tempting to use this to simply hit a specific power target, and this is probably more reliable than using HR. But you also need to be able to listen to your body, in order to make on the fly adjustments. -- power changes can be measured immediately. HR changes after a delay of a few seconds. This is probably not such a big deal for triathletes, who are less interested in very short term power changes. |
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2011-12-16 4:26 AM in reply to: #3937942 |
Elite 3658 Roswell, GA | Subject: RE: powermeter evb4mvp - 2011-12-14 9:34 AM recently ive been in thoughts of getting a power meter especially for IM LP training. do i really need one and what are some cheaper alternatives? What do you want to get from the power meter? Interval training? Accurate training load? IM pacing? Figuring out why you need it will help the smart people on here figure out a cheap way around it. |
2011-12-16 7:07 AM in reply to: #3937942 |
Pro 5892 , New Hampshire | Subject: RE: powermeter HR is the second best option for biking, but it does have a few issues. First, your general state of mind will greatly influence your heart rate. In training, this means that you might back off a bit to get your HR down, a power meter will measure your energy output, which won't be influenced to the same degree, if you set out to do 4x15min at 90% of FTP, then that's exactly what you will do. Second, pacing in a longer race is much easier with a power meter. With HR, you might be excited about the race, which is causing your HR to go up a bit, hence you will go less hard than you should, something that a power meter won't cause you to do. When you're overtrained, your will find it difficult to get your HR up, which many times means that we push harder, making the situation even worse. By having a power meter (and HR), you can see the correlation between power output and HR. If you HR is very low, but your power is normal, then you are probably getting overtrained and need a day or two of recovery. Also, a power meter allows you to get an indication of your efficiency of your bike fit. If you have a reference loop that you do often, you can make small changes to your bike fit, get up to a given speed and then see the power required to hold that speed for the loop. You need to do this multiple times over multiple days to reduce the external/internal factors (wind, weather, how you feel that day, etc.) |
2011-12-16 8:46 AM in reply to: #3938234 |
Pro 5755 | Subject: RE: powermeter cnsegura - 2011-12-14 12:43 PM natethomas2000 - 2011-12-14 8:15 AM If you are willing to make the investment, it's a great tool to ride with. If you do get one, I'd also recommend one of the books on using a power meter - it makes the numbers more understandable. +1. In fact, I'd recommend 2 books on using a power meter. The book by Andrew Coggan is great. Basically "the" reference on any sort of power training for the bike. The book by Philip Skiba is also very good and I'd consider a good supplement to the data in Coggans book. Both cover great detail, both add to you knowledge and use of a power meter for training. x2. I bought my power meter about a month ago and this book is a permanent fixture on my coffee table. So much information it's hard to digest all at once, but I'm constantly going back to it as a reference. Edited by BrianRunsPhilly 2011-12-16 8:47 AM |