Looking for a Power Meter - Any suggestions?

Jorge Duque

Hi Team,

Despite being an avid cyclist, I have never felt the need for a powermeter. I have a good idea of my rpm's and ride with an EDGE 500 that provides the basic data. 

I am new to structured training (coaches, schedules, data analysis, etc); I have been doing it on my own for years and kept basic track of my training. As I have gone through the forums and the EN website, it seems that a powermeter is a key component to achieve better results and better communication with the coaches.

Any ideas on what's the best option out there?

Thanks 

Gordon Cherwoniak

Jorge,

The powermeter (PM) in my opinion it is one of the best investments you can make providing you spend a little time with the data. 

As for the type of power meter we need more information about what you do, particularly as an experienced cyclist.  Do you have multiple bikes that you will use this on? How many wheels set's do you have(race wheels, training)?  What type of pedals do you use as PM's such as the power tap p1 and Garmin Vector only have look pedals?

There are several types of PM that you can look at such as hub, crank, pedal.  Check out this article by DC Rainmaker to get a good overview.   http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/09/...ition.html   Provide a few more details and you can get better directed advice to the a PM system that will work for you.

I have one bike and one set of wheels and utilize a powertap hub based systems with a wheel cover from wheelbuilder. The wheel cover turns your my rear 30mm training wheel in to a disk for around $100. http://www.wheelbuilder.com/aero-disc-covers.html .  I bought this PM when I started with EN  and it's still going strong 9 years later with only one fix over that period.

Gordon 

Tom Glynn

I've had multiple power meters over the past 12 years or so. Lots to choose from, prices are dropping on a regular basis and there are a lot of good ones out there.

Technology wise most of them are powered by ANT+, but all the new ones are dual, ANT+ and Bluetooth, something to consider if your phone is the device you want to collect data with.

My race wheels have a Powertap based hub like Gordon. I also have a wheel cover I use at every race. I gave my regular PT wheels to my wife so I could buy the Powertap P1 pedals . In the future, I would ditch the PT hubs and stick with the pedals. Left/right power. ANT+ & Bluetooth, I can swap bikes in under 2 minutes. Appear to be consistent and accurate. I've measured both power meters against my Computrainer and results are close enough. I've measured the P1s against a Kickr, and they are off a bit, but are consistent, so I just ignore the difference.

As Gordon says above, a power meter is probably one of the best investments you can make. EN is a good place to hang around as many people here use them and are willing to spend time telling you how to use them effectively.

Peter Greagg

Like Gordon and Tom, I have used Powertap hub Powermeter for training and always race with a wheel cover.
This system is absolutely bullet proof.
The only reason I bought a second unit was that I wanted to move from a 23 cm wheel to a 25 cm (which btw, I really love).
I use the 23 wheel on my roadie which is set up on my Computrainer all the time. I use the 25 wheel on my new Shiv for all in season training and racing (except for VO2 max sessions, where I do these on the Computrainer). I do all the Outseason on the Computrainer.
As Tom points out, if you have more than one bike, pedal based Powermeters make it very easy to move the Powermeters between bikes.
Some peeps even take their pedal based Powermeters on the road for use in gyms and the like to make sure they hit their bike wkos even when traveling away from home.

Douglas Sutherland

P1 pedals are an EN favorite - easy to remove so can use on all your bikes.

Jorge Duque

Thanks for all the advise.



I ride three different bikes on a consistent basis (commute / rain road bike, tri-bike, and road bike). That being said, each one has its own set of wheels and I also have some old racing wheels that I only use on race day. It seems the easier way to go is with the pedals.



To answer Gordon's question, I ride Shimano on the road & tri, and spd's on the commuter.



This opens to more questions:

- P1 vs Garmin? Or is there a third option?

- Does the P1 or the Garmin work with the EDGE 500? 

- Do I have to swap cleats too?



Thanks.

Tom Glynn

If you troll the Google Wattage Forum you'll see a lot of complaints on the Garmin Vectors for data quality issues. Data spikes, dropped data, cadence issues, etc. I don't have any personal data or feedback on them.

For cleats, you need them to match the pedals. DC Rainmaker stated that the pedals were best matched with the cleats that came with them, so I ordered a couple extra. They are supposed to work with standard Look pedals, though. I haven't tried.



Any ANT+ power meter will work with the Edge 500.

scott dinhofer

read up on the P1 vs the Vectors(Gordon nailed it with the DC rainmaker article, that's the place to learn). There is no comparison. The Vectors are finicky (from what I've heard) the P1s are idiot proof (I am living proof of that) I routinely use them my road bike, tri bike, gravel bike & have even used them on my MTB for light dirt road riding.

As a piece of added info, I previously owned 2 powertaps

Scott Giljum

P1's are awesome! I used the hub one as well before the pedals and it worked really well. Either would be a good deal.

Jorge Duque

Thanks guys,

P1's it is then. But which one? I was looking online and found two different versions: Single sided power reading multiplied x 2 or two pedals providing independent readings.

The price difference is quite considerable between the two options ($649 vs $1,199). Based on your experience what's the smart thing to do here?

Thanks again 

Tom Glynn

price is always important

If you can afford it, double-sided power meters are better than one sided that just double the power. You can see left/right balance and correct it if it's off. It's just more accurate. I think it's important to get the best technology you can afford - the one-sided stuff is already outdated.

Either way, you'll like the pedals!

Duane Dennis

Posted By Peter Greagg on 27 Dec 2016 03:47 PM




Some peeps even take their pedal based Powermeters on the road for use in gyms and the like to make sure they hit their bike wkos even when traveling away from home.

I already have a PowerTap Hub set up, but as a frequent traveler, this idea is brilliant.  This alone might justify a new set of P1's for me.  I'm going to have to eyeball a few hotel stationary bikes over the next several trips to see if that would work for me.  Thanks for posting that.

Jorge Duque

Thanks for all the input. P1's have been ordered and should be getting home soon.

Frederick Guesneau

I think you made a good decision. I have had PT hubs (normal training wheel, 80mm cyclops, and on a cyclops disk) for 4 years and as others have said, they are bullet proof. I've had absolutely no issues except once when I didn't screw the hub cap tight enough and water must have gone in (the symptom is battery dies every 1-3 rides!). I just bought the P1 pedals to give me the options to use other wheels. I heard that the battery life on the pedals are much shorter and the weight of the pedals are high (not necessary good being a moving part). Can anyone comment on that?

Shaughn Simmons

I've gone from the PT Hubs (bullet proof) as Frederick says to the P1 pedals with power on both sides.....no complaints.......probably the single best investment in terms of ROI you can get for your bike.  Enjoy those and,.....welcome to bike HELL.  

@Frederick Guesneau - the battery life on the pedals is a little shorter than the hubs but still quite good.  The pedals use a normal AAA size battery in each side if you have dual power and are very easy/quick to change.  The pedals might be a few ounces heavier than the hub but it can't be much and the ability to shift to other bikes more than outweighs that small change in my view.

SS