Should I get a power meter?

[hmai18]

I've been debating this for a few months and am kicking myself now for not picking up that PT/HED wheelset in the classifieds recently. Given that Power2Max is currently running a sale, I'm thinking about picking up a Type-S spider for my Hollowgrams. The biggest factor is cost, considering I just blew a bunch of money getting my CX bike earlier this fall and I want to replace the boat anchor wheels on that at some point before next season.

This was my first season of racing and of regular structured training. I was doing between 6-8 hours a week using the Carmichael Time-Crunched Cyclist's guide using HR and RPE and it seemed to work alright, though I understand its limitations as a measure of effort. I'll be racing road and crits in the summer with the goal of trying some of the stage races in the NW and cross again for 2015. Will probably stick with the C (Cat 4/5) group for road/crits until I get some top-10s or other notable results consistently and Bs (3/4) for cross.

My hangup is whether power is going to make a meaningful difference to my training. There are plenty of fast guys on my team racing Masters in cross and A or 1/2 on road who don't use power and it's not holding them back at all. I enjoyed racing because it got me out of my slump and forced me to be committed to regular training and trying something new, but I'm always going to be a weekend warrior type. I don't have any ambitions about trying to get signed for any of the top regional teams and would probably be satisfied topping out in the top half of the Bs.

Any advice from those who made the plunge? How did it change your riding/training?

[dashDustin]

It's the most efficient way to train. There is no such thing as wasted time if you do it correctly.

[Matthew Strongin]

I just got my first powermeter. I really like having it so far and I'm appreciating the added structure in my training. That said, I waited until I felt confident enough in my racing where fitness would make more of a difference than working on improving my racing smarts. Down here the key to the 4/5 road races (crits included) isn't fitness, it's awareness and the ability to read a race. Now that I've moved to the A races, anything I can do to eek out a little bit of speed to stay with the monsters who don't have day jobs is worth the investment.

Dustin nailed it though with regards to changes to your training and fitness.

[Carbon_Cowboy]

To me it sounds like you'd be better off using the $$ to travel to more races and get some experience. Do you do a lot of solo training?

If you do buy one, get a coach if your knowledge isn't up to par on power based training. I see so many Cat 4/5's get a powermeter and they just use it as some sort of physiological speedometer. They just end up comparing efforts across the season instead of using it as a training tool. That being said if you want to pick up a Hollowgram SRM on the cheap PM me.

[hmai18]

One of my friends made the same suggestion; I'm looking forward to trying some of the 2-3 day stage races in Washington or other races where I don't have to book a significant amount of time off work. I know that tactics are still a huge part of my game that needs work, but I found it difficult to be strategic when the C group just sits in for the entire race and just leaves it all for the final sprint to the line. I can pick out the regulars who are willing to work, so I'm hoping to form some informal alliances this season to try and make moves during the race.

Most of my training this past year has been solo. The group of friends I'd been riding with had different goals for their kind of riding and I didn't feel like I was fast or fit enough to hang with the guys on my team yet. I'm at the point where I can hang on comfortably now and team rides have taken on a much more team-focused approach in an effort to get us to race as a team next season and not just a bunch of individuals wearing the same kit. I anticipate that I'll probably split my time evenly between solo/group workouts.

Also, PM'd.

[JoB]

the low hanging fruit in training is consistency from one season to the next ... and the next ... and the next. If you are able to commit to a good offseason of riding/endurance training, a power meter can be a variable tool. Start by buying Coggan's power training book.

if you can't see yourself cranking out the miles/hours over the winter months, a power training is kind of a waste of time and money, IMO.

[spopepro]

Would you like a sram/quarq for cheap?

I have one on my gaulzetti, and put one on my commuter/rain bike because I was riding it more than my race bike. It's nice, it's accurate and it will tell you things, used in conjunction with your HR, that you might not know until later (for me, it was fatigue where I though I was being a wimp, but was just too worn out to train effectively). Since then I have re-calibrated, and don't feel like the power numbers need to be flashed in front of me all of the time. I'm also getting a new commuter that needs a different crank (I'm going di2 alfine with hydro discs... it will be sweeeet. I think...) so the second PM needs to go and I'm totally ok with that.

tl;dr: it's handy, but not at all necessary. Can make your training more effective, but won't fix many of the issues that actually hold working adults back in training.

[hmai18]

Thanks for the input all. It looks like unless I come across a screaming deal, I'll probably hold off on power for another season and continue to work on racing fundamentals.

[jdp211]

As has been previously said, the most important part of a powermeter is being able to interpret the data it gives you. If you don't know what the numbers mean (and its fairly easy to get a basic understanding), then its meaningless. Having a coach to read the numbers is probably your best bet. Before you plunk down the cash for a PM, I highly suggest reading Racing and Training with a Powermeter as it will give you a really solid base of knowledge with which to go forward, whether you end up with a PM or not. Having a PM and being able to interpret the numbers or a coach will take your training to a different level and will make you a faster rider. That said, its a significant time and monetary commitment.

[Tom_Bishop]

I had one and sold it after few years. It wasn't changing my training or race behavior but rather just spewed trivia. My take agrees with other replies here in that you need a coach and a training plan to justify having one.

[woodworker]

I've had one now for a year and a half. It's a powertap, so not very expensive. It's hands-down the best expenditure I've made to improve my fitness. I don't think that you need a coach but do need to read up on how to interpret the data, and to analyze it you will need to go on Garminconnect at a minimum.

The most important point is to establish your FTP, then tailor your workouts to that. I do hill intervals in the 8-10 minute and 20 minute ranges trying to keep my power in a zone around FTP. Like most things, you can get 80% of the results from power from some pretty simple analysis, but the remaining 20% requires a much deeper analysis and training regimen, and probably a coach.

Put simply, there isn't a purer measure of the work that you're doing than what is provided by a power meter. And it also means that you get maximum benefit for the time that you put into your workouts. I think that it's essential for the time-crunched cyclist. Perhaps less so for those who have more time.

Sorry for the long response. Hope it helps.

[Ignignokt]

I was doing intervals using just HR until I got a power2max. I would do them hard, HR averaging up in the 180s and 190s but my legs never felt sore after. After getting the meter, my legs feel wrecked after intervals which tells me a lot. It's been super helpful with not overtraining as well which is something I have issues with. I think there are some lower cost ones coming to market this year btw.

[hmai18]

I'm sort of waiting for reviews of production 4iii units, but the final version looks a lot uglier than the prototypes. I know it's also a silly concern, but I have a set of silver and a set of black Hollowgrams and can't stand the thought of having to run mis-matched crankarms. I've accepted the fact that as much as I'd love a cool new toy, I'm probably not going to purchase this year.

All of the feedback here, however, suggests than when I do bite the bullet, it's going to make a huge difference in my training.

[Wisco]

Woodworker nails it: Any reasonable commercial power meter is going to give you the ability to test your FTP. By knowing your FTP, you can do workouts that raise it over time. FTP is also the numerator in the power/weight ratio so important to predict racing success.

One way to determine FTP is ride a 20 min TT ramping up to all out effort in the last 4-5 minutes. Take your average power and then take 95% of that for the top of your threshold zone. Test every 6 - 8 weeks and adjust.

Now you know the pace for those short intervals (3 min @ 110% FTP), threshold intervals (100% FTP for 10 minutes) or sub-threshold tempo workouts (30-60 minutes at 55-75% FTP). These are just example workouts, with warm-up and cool down, but allow for focused work on energy systems that you bring all together on race day or group ride day. HR becomes the governor on your effort, but Power defines your zones.

Get a book or two, check out Training Peaks and other on-line sites for info and enjoy the ride.

I've had one now for a year and a half. It's a powertap, so not very expensive. It's hands-down the best expenditure I've made to improve my fitness. I don't think that you need a coach but do need to read up on how to interpret the data, and to analyze it you will need to go on Garminconnect at a minimum.

The most important point is to establish your FTP, then tailor your workouts to that. I do hill intervals in the 8-10 minute and 20 minute ranges trying to keep my power in a zone around FTP. Like most things, you can get 80% of the results from power from some pretty simple analysis, but the remaining 20% requires a much deeper analysis and training regimen, and probably a coach.

Put simply, there isn't a purer measure of the work that you're doing than what is provided by a power meter. And it also means that you get maximum benefit for the time that you put into your workouts. I think that it's essential for the time-crunched cyclist. Perhaps less so for those who have more time.

Sorry for the long response. Hope it helps.

[DOOFUS]

sure -- if you have a structured program to use it with, and someone who can teach you how to interpret the data

I've been PM free for two years, but I'm going to put a powertap/open pro wheelset on my "I'm done with racing" bike later this year -- my weight fluctuated too much post-PM, with my eyes always being bigger than my calorie estimates. The 500 bucks is worth it to me so I can keep better track of energy expenditure.

[earlfoss]

I think that you should get one. They're inexpensive enough that if you end up not being into it, you can sell it.