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Is WKO+ mandatory to use in the OS program?

mcstrangelovemcstrangelove
in Community Forum 🏠

 I am looking into buying a power meter, but after reading the Quick Start Guide it looks like all the data must be run through WKO+ software.  Long story short: I have a Macintosh, WKO is Windows only, my OS doesn't have Boot Camp so I can't run WKO+ unless I buy a new computer (not gonna happen). 

Is WKO+ absolutely necessary or can I utilize the data with other Apple-compatible software?  If not, should I skip the PM and rely on heart rate?  I thought heart rate results weren't very accurate...

Thanks for your advice.

Comments

  • HayesSanbornHayesSanborn

     Mac,

    In short no. Power agent which comes with a power tap, Golden Cheetah, or Raceday Apollo would all work as well. You unlock the power of a power meter when you can analyze your data. I think it would be worthwhile to get some software but doesn't have to be WKO+. Just understand most of the terminology will be WKO+ specific. Power agent now calc's normalized power, TSS, and IF which it did not do in the past which really bridges the gap between WKO and PA. WKO+ is still the better software imo though. 

    The software becomes even more important during the "in" season reviewing long rides. 

     

     

  • Nemo BrauchNemo Brauch
    You unlock the power of a power meter when you can analyze your data.

    This is the key. Power Agent will get you started, but it will run into a functional dead end quickly. If the thought of buying and learning to use a $ software application to unlock the real value of a $$$ tool is making you queasy, then perhaps you need to really evaluate if you are the right person to own the $$$ tool. As Rich says all the time, don't buy a power meter if you are not the kinda person who wants to llearn how to use it and also wants to geek out about that kinda data. Otherwise you'll just end up with the equivalent of a $$$ Cateye.

  • Spokane_AlSpokane_Al
    Nothing, other than a desire to improve, is absolutely necessary in EN.
  • mgraffeomgraffeo
    I will argue that the answer is unequivocally no.

    1. There are other options for the Mac (see Hayes's post)

    2. In the OS, the power analysis requirements aren't that tough. Most of the workouts we do on a trainer are easy to figure out the TSS for even without software, and you could track that in excel. I, for one, don't believe that there's much value to tracking CTL, ATL, TSB in the out season. Tracking how well you're resting, recovering, and able to hit the workout targets is more important, and tracking Vdot and FTP are the most.

    Mike
  • mgraffeomgraffeo
    Sorry, unequivocally no when the question is 'mandatory'. It definitely doesn't hurt...
  • mcstrangelovemcstrangelove

     Thanks for the responses. I'd like to go the power meter route, but will probably start the 1st half of OS using heart rate.  In the meantime, I'll figure out how to get Windows on my Mac.

    Thx!

  • Coach PatrickCoach Patrick
    Mac, I use parallels on my mac...it just partitioned my hard drive. But then I had to buy windows to install, etc. It's a bit much, but I _had_ to do it for work.
  • William JenksWilliam Jenks
    I posted on this elsewhere with a longer answer, but the short answer is that Golden Cheetah will do you just fine for bike-only, and it's free. It uses very slightly different metrics with different names than WKO, but the metrics converge for longer intervals and more steady intervals (= EN-style). But if you want the whole TSB, etc, WKO is unfortunately not going to be Mac native and still your best choice unless you don't mind some work arounds.

    Some time in the near future, the paid Training Peaks may have the full WKO functionality, but it does not have it quite yet.
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