Power metering - Polar

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Powertap - if you need coaching for sure. I am a qualified club level coach now in any case. hopefully soon to have my UCI level 1 rating.

 

What were your results before you got a power meter and coach?

 

Meaning' date=' how far behind the pro's were you? What percentage do you think the power meter and coach made you improve?

 

Thanx.

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For me going fulltime into cycling was always an economic question. Am I willing to give up work for a shot at my dream. So having the right person coaching me and a realstic idea of whether I had the talent or not physiologically was my biggest concern. The powertap for me was an analytical tool to prove yes or no as well as help me be coached on the level I needed. This being said, you can have the best test stats in the world and still be a bad cyclist or have "poor" stats and be a really good cyclist, cause cycling is not just about churning out massive watts, its about your body, your mind, how you use your tactics, taking the right opportunities and risks, your equipment, etc.

 

Where am I going with this? Whether you buy a power meter or not and whether you have good stats or not, being a good or great cyclist is more than just one component. It is about putting it all together and creating a broad platform from which to launch into winning.

 

Ok, I bought my powertap after only 1 month after having started with my coach. I was tested a few weeks later and my lactic threshold was 315W. It took me a year and I had upped that to 362W. I raced in Germany last year shortly after posting that figure in what one would call KT or continental team division. I was able to finish in the bunch in the road races, but crits and the cobbles I got roasted. I guess time would have helped if I had stayed for longer.

 

I think your question should be to have someone look at your current training the past season and then evaluate if having a coach and power meter would lead to a big improvement. Could just be that your current system has got you right up where you need to be or maybe coaching whether with power or not couuld be just the thing to give you a massive improvement. You are welcome to PM if you are interested in me taking a look at that and possible coaching.

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ok so help a fella out here - I can see the value in having a power meter for your bike couple of questions ...

does having a GPS function (other than linking alititude) make any difference to the type of training?

does a power meter make a difference to the way you train on a mtn bike ?

 

I don't see how having GPS is going to help improve your physiological capabilities. That is after all what training is aiming at doing. Of course baring the mental side.

 

While MTB training will be different to road training in certain aspects, using a power meter in training will be the same as you will work according to the calculated power intervals for each session. So no, I do not see any major differences to training with power on a mountain bike. My coach would know more about that as he works with that discipline more. I am more involved in the road, TT and Triathlon side of things.