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Powertap question

EmwentzEmwentz
in General Training Discussions
Help. I just bought a wired powertap pro 2.4 it's on my bike and seems to work fine. My problem is it jumps around a lot. I'm wondering if this is just me getting used to riding with power or do I need to calibrate something. I've been riding at a studio that puts my bike on a power trainer and all I have to do is ride at a constant cadence and it varies the resistance. So it was easy to be steady on the trainer. Will I be better off ie stronger by sticking with the trainer or by getting used to the powertap. I'm doing IMCDL in June. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • Joe MatchetteJoe Matchette
    @Eugene - no, it is not just you. Riding with a Powermeter is both an art and a science.....it will take a lot of practice to ride steady. To answer your specific question: You will be INFINITELY better off by getting used to riding while referencing your Powertap.

    I will search for a post from John Withrow that is an excellent primer to riding with Power.....until then, I suggest you read a lot of the threads on this specific forum.

    Question for you: have you bought the Power Webinar? If so, please make sure you watch it. If not, it will be very much worth your time and money.

    Welcome to the world of Power. Get ready for a whole new riding and racing experience!
  • Joe MatchetteJoe Matchette
    My search-fu is strong tonight:

    http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/10477/Default.aspx
  • Steve WestSteve West
    Eugene, welcome to the power party. Most peeps use 3 sec or 10 sec average. It still is jumpy but you get used to seeing the range and know you are at the right power. Having IF showing is good too. It gives you a metric to gauge how well you manage the jumpy watts. I hit the lap button every 15 to keep my IF bucket reflecting current conditions as well as a reminder to take nutrition.
  • rmillerrmiller
    Eugene - as others have noted, it's normal to jump around. I just did my first outdoor ride yesterday, after a winter on the trainer, and I thought my VI was going to be astronomical due to it bouncing around so much. Every little terrain variance, wind speed or direction change, etc - all had a major effect on the displayed wattage. As Joe said, it's a bit of an art to get used to riding steady outdoors. When I got home and looked at my power data, I found the NP and AP were actually reasonably close, despite what looked like very jumpy power numbers.

    Definitely stick with the powertap - unlike a trainer, you can actually use it during a race image

    (NP = normalized power; AP = average power; VI = variability index which is a measure of how much AP and NP differ from one another)
  • EmwentzEmwentz
    You guys rock. Thanks it's going to be a big learning curve. 11 weeks to the race.Time to get the video. Any other advice will
    be greatly appreciated. My last FTP in the studio was 236 hopefully I can get it up a little.
  • Scott AlexanderScott Alexander
    @Eugene, where are you in TX?
  • Gordon CherwoniakGordon Cherwoniak

    Eugene,

    I can't add much.  The better you get at riding steady the less matches you will burn on the bike.  Look at your gearing and make sure you have enough gears.  Then just get used to shifting and using the down side of the hill to hit the next roller or carry the speed out. 

    As you move in to the IM plan the speed work is mostly done you may or may not see some increase in FTP.  Concentrate on riding smooth and staying in the aero bars for your rides. The focus now is on extending the speed you have to IM distance. 

    Check the link from the wiki below on the IMCDA race guide:

    http://members.endurancenation.us/R...Race+Guide

    Gordon

     

  • EmwentzEmwentz
    Scott I'm on the north Side of Houston. How about you? I'm going to need to find some hills to train on.

    Thanks everyone for the help.
  • Bob IrwinBob Irwin
    As Steve said, what data fields you're using can help understand what's going on. I like to use a 30s average (as well as 3s) because normalized power is based on a rolling 30s average. If I'm shooting for something in particular, averge lap power can be useful - if you can keep the average above your target, then you keep track of progress. Good luck with your learning. The only problems you have now is you'll never want to ride without power, and it's really hard to just go out for an easy ride - or at least it is for me.
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