jumpy power numbers?
Hey EN! I'm new to riding with POWER OUTSIDE and have some questions. Here is a link to a Strava File: http://www.strava.com/activities/122489782
Training in the OS on Trainer Road, I found myself getting good at holding WATTs for long durations. IE: hold 185watts for 15min, and I'd come in +/- a few watts.
Outside however, I look down and the watts seem to be jumping all over the place. It will jump up/down 5-20 watts when I feel like I'm still riding at the same pace. Here's what's funny, the total weighted watts for the ride was 216, right in line with what I think I should be at based on Trainer Road?!??!?!?!?!
Is it normal for power to jump like that while riding? Obviously there is no wind, road changes, etc... on a trainer, so do those factors have implications on your legs and power output?
SORRY if this question has been asked. I browsed the forum and couldn't find anything easily. Feel free to steer me in that direction. THANK YOU FOR THE HELP!!!!
JTM
O, and feel free to add me on STRAVA! 
Comments
@Jonathan, it is absolutely normal for the power to be all over the place. On the trainer, everything is smooth. There are no roads like that. Also, what do you have your power display set at? When I ride, my display shows my normalized power for the lap, and my 3 second average power. This tells me where I am for the entire lap and where I am at that specific moment. Less than 3 seconds is far too jumpy.
The computer can be an aid or a distraction. If your NP is set for the lap, you just need to know what 85% is and aim to get the NP to that. You will never have the control over your power outside that you do on the trainer. There are too many variables. You can have consistent power when you are on a long steady climb of a few miles. Other than those every dip in the road, strong breeze or sharp turn can effect your power reading.
Jonathan....as has been said already, completely normal/expected. I think most of us use 3s NP to guide our efforts. There is an option for 10s NP, but that is too "slow" in changing for my preference.
x2 on setting one of your fields to lap NP or IF (interval of your choosing....5 miles, 15mins, 20 mins, 30mins, etc). I used to try to hold my watts in a certain range while racing and doing RR rides, but found that I was not able to do quite as good a job at hitting my goal IF as when I picked my target number (a single number) and tried to just sit on it all day. While it's not possible, the narrower your target, the less straying from that target for me. This was the advice Coach Rich gave to me after I seemed to be missing my IF by 2-3%. Seems to help. It first, you can do things like increasing/decreasing force/cadence if you see a number 10W higher or lower than your target. As you ride with power outside, you will become more and more able to feel through the pedals how much force you are applying to the pedals....almost as if you can tell from your feet/legs what the 3sNP is going to be at any point in time. Problem is, as you get tired, this starts to become inaccurate....and when you get out of T1, it can be really misleading....thus one of the many values of a PM!
I absolutely remember the same questions when I first started riding outside with power. Keep paying attention to it, practicing riding steady and it will come.....just don't watch it so closely that you ride into a tree or into a ditch!
Thanks Everyone for the insight. Here's my ride from yesterday. Definitely made a difference moving the avg. appreciate the help!
http://www.strava.com/activities/124759322