Training with a power meter: the ins and outs

[vert space]

This seems to be the cheapest (new) powermeter I could find that I'd actually consider:

 

http://www.praxiscycles.com/product/zayante-4iiii-power/

 

Not sure what local support is like though.

I ordered the 4iiii directly from 4iii website when they launched their PM which at that time was only available as LHS unit. The sensor can be fixed onto your own crank or you can buy the crank arm/crank from them. They send you a box for your crank with prepaid envelope. You drop it off at EPX (i think it was EPX). Got it back within 8 days. Customs cost R1100.00. Power unit R5600.00 a year ago.  1 year later and still no hassles. Etixx now rides with 4iiii ( just thought that i would add that as cyclist take long to accept new brands). 

[awesme]

Jus tot confirm, you referring here to LTHR and FTP/Power zones, 

Are you defining these according to Dr Andy Coggan's definition of the zones, see attached.

 

Would be interesting to know your views on TSS, TSB, CTL and IF.

What type of target numbers should be looked at per different zone ride and per week, 

 

Question, if you have TSS and IF for a ride, how do you calculate CTL, with the reading I've been doing a 5-8 ramp rate on CTL is proposed, how would the ramp rate translate into a TSS increase?

 

G

and definite YES on a talk.

 

What you have described above is the basis of the polarized training model, which is a method of distributing your training intensity.

 

80 % of your training should be easy (Zones 1 and 2) and 15 - 20 % should be high-intensity (above threshold).

 

Research supports this as the best practice for endurance training.

[awesme]

Speak to Dion from Pain.cave re the 

 

www.powerpodsa.co.za

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/.../03/powerpod-depth-review.html

 

Next up is probably a Stages PM, at R12k.

 

G

 

What are the cost for an entry level power meter model.....if there is such a thing!!?? :-)

 

[awesme]

DCRainmakers Power Meter buyer guide 2016

 

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/09/power-meters-buyers-guide2016-edition.html

 

G

[Frosty]

This seems to be the cheapest (new) powermeter I could find that I'd actually consider:

 

http://www.praxiscycles.com/product/zayante-4iiii-power/

 

Not sure what local support is like though.

nothing cheap about R22k...

$399 for the a left-side only (pre-mounted on a Shimano 105 crankarm).

$499 (Ultegra) and $599 (DA).

 

Plus if you order from Clever Training - which I did - you get 10% off (which effectively covers the transport cost), so the above price is including delivery. It's only VAT and handling that is extra.

 

For R22K, that's the dual sided version (DA) that Etixx-Quick Step are using.

 

For me, the 105 crankarm does the job - calibration is dead simple and can be done in seconds.

 

I have used it together with the Wahoo Kickr (pre-loaded workout) and the results are almost identical. The next time I use the Wahoo Kickr, I want to ride on free ride to see the direct comparison.

[Rider3000]

I read somewhere there's a start-up company that require some funds before they launch the worlds cheapest power meter... I think its was like $250 if im not to far off.

 

Anyone have real info into this?

[Butterbean]

I have a power meter, but I'm the first to admit I don't use it to its full potential. As a fat kid, I find it useful in helping me to avoid blowing up, especially when attempting to keep up with someone on a climb.

 

For this function, it's extremely useful and let's me quantify exactly how hard I'm going, and what's left in the tank. Feels like cheating just with riding on it. I can only imagine the benefits when using it on a structured schedule.

[Frosty]

There was a comment earlier about normal (non-elite) riders using a power meter, and is it worth it. I've been working through one of Hunter Allen's programs (8-week strength training) with 4 other club members that wanted to see the benefit of power-based training. It was freely available on the net, and a good way to get the guys through winter in the early mornings.

 

The training was done at the gym, as none of them owned a PM, and given the ability of each person, they would be riding on their own out on the road if they did. One guy's opening FTP was 339W while another was 216W, so you can imagine the difference in distance covered had they done the same efforts (% of FTP) on the road. Besides staying together on the gym bikes, it also allowed me to keep them honest, as I could see if they were in the correct zone for the entire interval(s) or not. 

 

At the end of the 4th week, there was a ~5% increase for two of us, while the other 3 had 11-20% increase - yes, I suffered with them through the 8 weeks. By the end of the 4th week, the guy with 216W was at 240W, while 339W had moved up to 371W. I don't recall the W/Kg, but either way there was a positive improvement from all 4 guys. I had only increased by 4.9% in the same period, although i was coming off a fairly solid summer training plan.

 

Do they need a PM on the bike?
I'd say yes, as they seem to ride above Z1 on a recovery ride (without it), and definitely not as hard as they need to (when the interval requires it). Also, it's not always possible to spend every training session in the gym, as there is a fight for 4 bikes, so someone is always going to miss out.

[shaper]

I have started doing structured training with a power meter and have increased by 15% in 7 weeks.  I also use it more out on the road and in the last Wilro race (which was a wind and rain sufferfest), I kept and eye the numbers a lot to stay within thresholds and finished the race feeling strong even though it was a slog.... so is working for me as it gives a lot more structure to both my workouts and riding.

[HdB]

I read somewhere there's a start-up company that require some funds before they launch the worlds cheapest power meter... I think its was like $250 if im not to far off.

 

Anyone have real info into this?

 

Wasn't it Team Zwatt or something like that? Where there is a low once-off fee, and then a subscription amount?

[Veebee]

I am still thinking about this, and still can't wrap my head around the benefits of it on the road.

 

I use the powerbeam for intervals indoors, which should be fine.

 

I am busy signing up with a coach, a bit late for the season but will see how it goes and if needed then will just bite the bullet.

[Frosty]

I am still thinking about this, and still can't wrap my head around the benefits of it on the road.

 

I use the powerbeam for intervals indoors, which should be fine.

 

I am busy signing up with a coach, a bit late for the season but will see how it goes and if needed then will just bite the bullet.

essentially it's the software (TrainingPeaks, WKO4, Golden Cheetah, etc.) that enables you to analyze every ride, race and training ride. And also build a history that can show an improvement/decline in performance over time.

 

But as Shaper has said, you can pace yourself throughout a race, to finish as strong as you can.

 

It can also help with body position on the bike that a trainer can't - aerodynamics. Which position gives you optimal power output, as well as temperature.

['Dale]

As a professional that prioritizes family time, my biggest gain has been to really train smartly and effectively with solid competitive goals as a roadie.

#saganfan

 

A power meter is not useful for any one that doesn't follow a relatively structured approach to their time in the saddle.

Edited September 29, 2016 by 'Dale

[rudi-h]

Anybody seen a proper marked improvement going from HR to Power training that is not a pro athlete? It makes indoor training sessions easier to execute, but I am not 100% sold on the bike. 

 

I normally just hang on up the climbs and recover till the next one, repeat. Will a power meter make a difference?

 

Can't really say whether it makes a difference or not, because I don't have one on the bike.  I do train with a kickr, so have a good record of my efforts during training, but I'm not sure if there's a imaginary ceiling that are driven by numbers and perceived effort while riding in your living room...

 

So the reason why I'm thinking of getting a PM on my road bike is to see how my racing efforts compare to training.  I am inclined to think that in a race situation you might surprise yourself and increase your watt output with 10-%20%... hoping that if this is the case that it motivates you to hit the same targets in training?

[slickandtyred]

Anybody seen a proper marked improvement going from HR to Power training that is not a pro athlete? It makes indoor training sessions easier to execute, but I am not 100% sold on the bike.

 

I normally just hang on up the climbs and recover till the next one, repeat. Will a power meter make a difference?

What he said. Particularly with the hills

[rudi-h]

So this is quite long... excuse me

 

I'm quite an analytic person and an engineer by profession, so my first priority in life is understanding stuff.  My personality, interests and skill set also tends to make me sceptical of gimmicks or anything else that salespeople throw at me until such time that I can justify on a solid technical argument that there really is some tangible benefit.

 

I'm also not into gadgets.  Early in my sporting life (2005) I tried to understand a bit more about training.  At the time I thought it essential to train with HR, so I bought and religiously trained with a HR monitor, did blood lactate and VO2 max tests and tried to understand the basics of nutrition, physiology and almost every other aspect of training.  I got to a point where I thought I understood enough of all of that stuff that for the last ~5 years (after I lost my HR monitor while moving) I haven't bothered to even get as much as a speed sensor on my bike.  I trained for and competed in almost all events imaginable from ironman races, 70.3's, xterra's, road races, MTB marathons, MTB & road stage races, enduro's and cycling the col's in the alps without even tracking my time or distance in any of these events, nevermind the nice-to-knows such as cadence, power, HR and all that other stuff.  My reasoning was that after many years of learning my body and knowing my limits, I believed that I had learned the art of pacing myself in training and racing based on how I feel rather than what the numbers say.  This belief that "I know it all" was further bolstered every time that I didn't do too bad in races compared to friends that often did way more training hours.

 

and then...

 

Two years ago I moved away from all my riding mates, so I bought a Wahoo Kickr;  The reason wasn't primarily with power training in mind, but rather to "spice up" my indoor workouts, riding online against mates etc.  I never got the connection to Zwift or Virtual Training working (my laptop doesn't support the correct type of bluetooth and I never bothered to buy an ANT+ or Bluetooth dongle), and Kinomap was quite a let-down, so I ended up just riding self-made intervals while listening to music on the odd occasion that I used the indoor trainer.  End of last year, I really wondered how I was doing compared to past years as I prepped for 94.7.  I built up quite a number of mini "tests" over the years to see how I go, i.e. ride a timed run of the Suikerbosrand loop a few weeks prior to the race which would give me an idea of my form etc., but now living somewhere distant I didn't have any reference anymore.  That got me curious...  What are my power numbers, what intervals do I need to push to simulate the hard efforts along the M1, Jan Smuts, Witkoppen or Cedar road?

 

In my mind there was only one solution to this problem.  Get a PM and ride / race for a while without looking at the numbers, just download the files and use it for reference later.  I would then at least be able to measure my performance year-on-year so that I can compare the efforts I need to simulate during my Kickr workouts.  However, I could not justify to myself spending the ~R20k on a power meter and a gamin without the need to do some homework, hence I bought the bought the book that many folks have suggested in this thread: "training and racing with a power meter", and for someone who claimed to know something about structured and scientific training, I was quite surprised about what you can learn when looking at your power numbers and how to make those numbers work for you.

 

Essentially training has now become one big game of experiments and challenges rather than just the 4 - 8 mostly pleasurable hours that I routinely spent on my bike or in running shoes almost every week for the last 10 years.  Solo training rides are no longer just boring hours in the saddle and I can hardly wait to get home to check the numbers.  I'm no longer disappointed if I have a poor average speed on a windy day and the last 20km of my ride I'm already getting curious about my TSS scores, chronic training load and all those other nerdy stats that wait for me when I get home.

 

On the practical side, I used to hate riding into the wind, however now the treacherous drag back home against a head-wind became a game against the numbers and I'm almost excited to hit this stretch of road fighting to keep the power higher than last time.  Knowing my TSS scores for the week makes me feel good about going into a well-deserved rest day, where previously I used to feel guilty for slacking off...

 

Anyway, decide for yourself whether it is worthwhile because a PM is a lot of money no matter how you look at it or which model you buy, but at least try and read the book (even if you don't intend to buy a PM).  For someone that enjoys the nerdy side of life, the PM really makes a difference in my world and I have a revived excitement about the sport in general.

 

I'll check in at the end of the year to give an idea of how much the PM has improved my cycling.  My best pre-powermeter 94.7 was 2h47 from D, so let's see how 2017 goes!