Lance Power Training

[Guest colonel]

Yes, Qatar at Aspire.

[bruce]

Yes' date=' Qatar at Aspire.[/quote']

 

 

 

Please send him my regards when you next correspond!

 

 

 

Tell him you got a new powermeter for Christmas

[Guest colonel]

Haha, I will do with pleasure.

[THE BODY CENTRE]

colonel - you are not going to rent the PM from me, i'll be giving it to you to use for 2 -3 weeks. See you next week @ Killarney (?yes) and we can finalise then.

[BigGuy]

At the end of the day if I got no power on the day Im not getting up the hill and I dont need R8-15K to tell me that!!

 

Colonel, I agree with you on that one. Tuesday I had a nice ride, this morning I had to use one gear lighter on all the hills. I did not feel tired, I just could not push the same gear at the same cadence. Obviously I produced less power today, but one cannot simply lose power in two days. So maybe it was something else, like diet, or the wind, or the heat, or the tire pressure, or the saddle, or the vitamins, who knows what.

 

Where I think it could be of benefit is obviously for someone at pro level, where detail analysis can help to achieve better results, or for someone to track his progress via a standard fitness test, let's say once a month on a stationary trainer, when you can witness the trend of heart rate vs watts over time.

[SwissVan]

 

I agree with you that a lot of people don't get their money's worth' date=' but I still think it can have a lot of benefits for an 'average' rider (read: funrider or non-pro).  If you just get it for extra numbers or if you don't invest the time to understand it properly it is a huge waste of money.  If you only have a few hours a week to train though, the power based training helps to keep you honest and extract maximum from each session.

 

If you have a coach it is invaluable in analysing your response to training and progression.  Also great for motivation (well in my case anyway), unless of course your figures dip where it can be very deflating to stare the facts in the face. It doesn't lie.  

 

For me a power meter is like having a spedometer for your body.  Using a heart rate monitor is like using your rev counter to deduct your speed.  Yes, it works, but it's just not the real thing. 

 

It also appeals to the analytical geek (not so deep) inside me.

[/quote']

 

Has the cold affected you that bad?

 

You can check your speed on any old bike computer for a lot less than what a PT costs...

 

Ja ja I know..

 

Colonel, so soon and we agree on something - thats a good start to 2009.

 

 

[bruce]

Listen, a power meter does not change your genetics. Some people have the genetics to go fast on the bike, whether it is fitted with a power meter or not.

 

 

 

If you are the type of person that uses information to improve the way you do things, then a power meter is great. If you aren't inclined to spend the time figuring all of this out, then a PM is a waste of money, unless you want to hire a coach to do that for you.

 

 

 

Athletes at all levels can benefit from training better, I'm willing to bet most of the guys here who poo-poo powermeters have dropped more than twice that on the bike they ride.

[THE BODY CENTRE]

"everybody" is happy to use a speed(o)meter, or a barometer, or a goniometer. It tells you stuff. But it doesn't really change anything - it doesn't make you drive faster, or effect the weather, or the amount of degrees your knee can bend. It just tells you 'something' - and then you decide what you want to do with the info. Or not.

 

But the moment the someone mentions a powermeter, people are triggered into all kind of responses.

 

Why's that?

[Willehond]

 

I agree with you that a lot of people don't get their money's worth' date=' but I still think it can have a lot of benefits for an 'average' rider (read: funrider or non-pro).  If you just get it for extra numbers or if you don't invest the time to understand it properly it is a huge waste of money.  If you only have a few hours a week to train though, the power based training helps to keep you honest and extract maximum from each session.

 

If you have a coach it is invaluable in analysing your response to training and progression.  Also great for motivation (well in my case anyway), unless of course your figures dip where it can be very deflating to stare the facts in the face. It doesn't lie.  

 

For me a power meter is like having a spedometer for your body.  Using a heart rate monitor is like using your rev counter to deduct your speed.  Yes, it works, but it's just not the real thing. 

 

It also appeals to the analytical geek (not so deep) inside me.

[/quote']

 

Has the cold affected you that bad?

 

You can check your speed on any old bike computer for a lot less than what a PT costs...

 

Ja ja I know..

 

Colonel, so soon and we agree on something - thats a good start to 2009.

 

...says the man with the Cyclops IDT.... Sounds like you one of those okes colonel is talking about?

 

I would like to rephrase the statement, but I just can't be bothered.  Well, ok, maybe a little bit: 

Using a heart rate monitor to measure your effort is like using your car's rev counter to deduct your car's speed. 

 

Ag, I give up with you lot!

 

[bruce]

 

But the moment the someone mentions a powermeter' date=' people are triggered into all kind of responses.

 

?

 

Why's that?

[/quote']

 

 

 

It's called PM Envy

[Willehond]

"everybody" is happy to use a speed(o)meter' date=' or a barometer, or a goniometer. It tells you stuff. But it doesn't really change anything - it doesn't make you drive faster, or effect the weather, or the amount of degrees your knee can bend. It just tells you 'something' - and then you decide what you want to do with the info. Or not.

 

But the moment the someone mentions a powermeter, people are triggered into all kind of responses.

 

Why's that?

[/quote']

 

Ronelle, I think it's the idea that the amount of money spent on a power meter can be better spent on something else (like making your bike lighter).  That and the fact that people perceive wrongly, that a power meter is just a glorified heart rate monitor (which they can get for much cheaper).

 

Personally I'd rather spend the money on a PT and wheels that are 500g heavier than spend it on other super-light wheels I will get less benefit from.  Seeing that I am not a pro I believe it's money much better spent.

[shadowchaser-d]

I have a PM and because my time is very limited i only manage 1 hour rides (max) at the moment.....i do this 5 times a week.  I ride hard each day, either L4's, sweetspot and more recently pyramids and i am really suprised at the gains considering the time spent on the bike.  Went for a group ride for the first time in months and i felt as strong as ever.....

 

For me having very limited time this is definately worth my while, as there is not guesing what it is i need to be doing in my hour.  But each to his own......there are great riders that don't use power and likewise..

[SwissVan]

 

Listen! We all know that a PM is PROBABLY  https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=40199     the most accurate training / coaching tool and has some advantages over more traditional / older methods of measuring performance and effort, no doubting that at all.

 

But there's lots that a power meter cannot due that a HRM can do, especialy if you train in more than 1 dimension.

 

Also don?t forget.... It's a bit like the Lance Lunatics effect.....

Which states that some PM owners are extremely susceptible to PM criticism and wont keep it zipped.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest colonel]

 

I think it's the idea that the amount of money spent on a power meter can be better spent on something else (like making your bike lighter).  That and the fact that people perceive wrongly' date=' that a power meter is just a glorified heart rate monitor (which they can get for much cheaper).

 

Personally I'd rather spend the money on a PT and wheels that are 500g heavier than spend it on other super-light wheels I will get less benefit from.  Seeing that I am not a pro I believe it's money much better spent.

[/quote']

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to rephrase the statement' date=' but I just can't be bothered.  Well, ok, maybe a little bit: 

Using a heart rate monitor to measure your effort is like using your car's rev counter to deduct your car's speed. 

 

Ag, I give up with you lot!

 

[/quote']

 

No offence here so please dont see this as an attack but how much cycling and training are you doing right now and how much of it is correct with your PM cause you speak like you know so much about training and training with a PM and say I am getting lost or YOU are losing me with your previous posts about power meters and Power training then you go and make a statement that everything you have done is incorrect after reading the Carmichael article?

 

Now why should I as a total novice to training, (yet I train people for a living and am very succesfull at it althou its for motorcycle based sports but they all cycle and do gym work and all their training is structured and periodised according to their year and races) according to you listen to anything you preach about how good a PM is when you cant even get it right for yourself yet you want to tell me how it will benefit me?

 

As I said no attack but see where I am coming from.

 

[Willehond]

 

No offence here so please dont see this as an attack but how much cycling and training are you doing right now and how much of it is correct with your PM cause you speak like you know so much about training and training with a PM and say I am getting lost or YOU are losing me with your previous posts about power meters and Power training then you go and make a statement that everything you have done is incorrect after reading the Carmichael article?

 

Now why should I as a total novice to training' date=' (yet I train people for a living and am very succesfull at it althou its for motorcycle based sports but they all cycle and do gym work and all their training is structured and periodised according to their year and races) according to you listen to anything you preach about how good a PM is when you cant even get it right for yourself yet you want to tell me how it will benefit me?

 

As I said no attack but see where I am coming from. 

[/quote']

Good question colonel.  Let me try to explain where I am coming from (even though my comment was a bit toungh in cheeck and self-mocking):

I am slowly coming out of the dead of winter and am going into a build phase and had a whole week over christmas to ride as much as I wanted.  I therefore felt that riding every day would be too much to start with and that if I ride at L3 for two to three hours I need a day's rest in between to recover for the next day and get maximum benefit of the effort I put in, rather than do three consecutive days. My aim was to get max training stress before the season starts.

 

Carmichael just shows that Lance has a different schedule which he does three days of hard effort, before taking a two day break to get maximum compensation.  Obviously I am way below Lance in time and effort, but the principle is roughly the same.  Like I said though, he is training for a multi day event and I am just trying to train up for crits and one day races, so my training mmight actually be right.

 

Again, this is where a coach would have been able to guide me better.  I am still not sure I am doing it right, so i might ask my guru to set up a nice plan for me. 

 

Not preaching that I have the answers for a perfect plan at all (I am not qualified), I am just preaching that a PM is a great tool for measuring and feedback and improving your performance.  I will NEVER try to sell you a training program.  Speak to Bruce and BikeMax about that.

 

Willehond2009-01-08 08:30:18

[SwissVan]

 

No offence here so please dont see this as an attack but how much cycling and training are you doing right now and how much of it is correct with your PM cause you speak like you know so much about training and training with a PM and say I am getting lost or YOU are losing me with your previous posts about power meters and Power training then you go and make a statement that everything you have done is incorrect after reading the Carmichael article?

 

Now why should I as a total novice to training' date=' (yet I train people for a living and am very succesfull at it althou its for motorcycle based sports but they all cycle and do gym work and all their training is structured and periodised according to their year and races) according to you listen to anything you preach about how good a PM is when you cant even get it right for yourself yet you want to tell me how it will benefit me?

 

As I said no attack but see where I am coming from. 

[/quote']

Good question colonel.  Let me try to explain where I am coming from (even though my comment was a bit toungh in cheeck and self-mocking):

I am slowly coming out of the dead of winter and am going into a build phase and had a whole week over christmas to ride as much as I wanted.  I therefore felt that riding every day would be too much to start with and that if I ride at L3 for two to three hours I need a day's rest in between to recover for the next day and get maximum benefit of the effort I put in, rather than do three consecutive days. My aim was to get max training stress before the season starts.

 

Carmichael just shows that Lance has a different schedule which he does three days of hard effort, before taking a two day break to get maximum compensation.  Obviously I am way below Lance in time and effort, but the principle is roughly the same.  Like I said though, he is training for a multi day event and I am just trying to train up for crits and one day races, so my training mmight actually be right.

 

Again, this is where a coach would have been able to guide me better.  I am still not sure I am doing it right, so i might ask my guru to set up a nice plan for me. 

 

Not preaching that I have the answers for a perfect plan at all (I am not qualified), I am just preaching that a PM is a great tool for measuring and feedback and improving your performance.  I will NEVER try to sell you a training program.  Speak to Bruce and BikeMax about that.

 

 

 

Achte Kerel!!

 

And here I thought  i was doing well with my Winter IDT 50 minutes 3 x week sessions, hope i dont get ride against you in summer...