Will I see better bike results from using power than heart rate?
I have rode with pace, cadence and heart rate the entire time I have been on a bike, since the early 80's and after seeing you all post numbers from power I am looking to get your thoughts on the price of the power meter is worth the gains. I am a new member and from reading all the post I know you all have great info and thoughts. Enjoying OS program workouts at this point I just want to see how much I can improve.
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I have never used the TrainerRoad "virtual power, perhaps others who have will chime in. If you have a good internet connection, that might be a good place to start and see the differences.
For an individual workout
- Reacts more quickly than HR to changes in effort
- Not affected by fatigue, hydration, heat, the way HR is
- Gives you a carrot to chase, it is an objective number that shows improvement week to week
- Gives you a TSS score for your workout which is an objective measure of the work done that day
For your season- Lets you discover your FTP to establish your training and race zones
- In combination with Training Peaks you can see how your build up to a race is progressing by following the key CTL, ATL, and Form metrics that are in part driven by power
- Track TSS (Total Stress Score) over time
For your race- Gives you the tool to put in the exact effort needed to be as fast as possible on the bike and still have a good run. That effort is learned based on the testing and training done. A lot of data on a lot of different racers have been collected that shows what sort of bike TSS scores lead to good runs.
I think the power meter is an indispensable tool. It is a lot cheaper to get one these days than it used to be and there are tons of options.Lots of people here have the Quark which is in the crank. I hear good things about it. It is probably harder to swap between bikes than the peddles or the PowerTap G3, but you can use whatever wheels you want.
I know some people also have the Stages. It only records one side, but I don't know that people do much with the L/R balance data anyway. I think its a good budget option. The downside again that it is hard to switch between bikes. And if your bikes have different crank arms, then no option to switch.
As far as pedals go, I think that the consensus is to go with the P1 pedals over Garmin Vector. For both companies, there is the option to only buy one instead of the pair. The Garmin Vectors need a torque wrench to install. The downside of the pedals is that it might not be your typical clip type, Look vs Speedplay.
If I were to buy a new Power Meter for myself today, I would probably go P1.
Prices have been coming down over the years, but they are still an investment. I've had various Powertap hub based power meters for years. They are bullet proof and just work. You can swap out wheels on bikes pretty quickly. Like Peter, I also use a rear disc cover from Wheel Builder on my tri bike.
I recently bought a pair of P1 pedals from Powertap and like them a lot. The idea of just swapping out pedals is fabulous. I currently use them on my road bike.
Check out DC Rainmaker for the best advice around. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/09/power-meters-buyers-guide2016-edition.html