Race wheels: with or without PT

cinco_the_dog

I don't have a Power Tap but do nearly all training on a Computrainer so I have a pretty good feel for power. For IM TX I was going to rent some better wheels than my training set (Wheelbuilder covers will not work on my wheels).

If I'm renting wheels, should I get a PT hub or just go with a regular hub? I'm asking because I want to be focused on the race and not some new gadget to monitor power. If I rent, I won't have but one or two short rides to calibrate/understand the PT.

Suggestions?

Gordon Cherwoniak

Tim,

Typically when people get a new power meter the recommendation is just to ride for a couple weeks and get the feel for it. Riding outside and keeping the power even (low VI) is a skill that is worked on different from riding on the trainer and I assume the computrainer.  It would be great to be able to do the race with power, but you don't want to be distracted by numbers that have no meaning.  You will not have an outdoor FTP nor will you want to do a test in the days coming in to the test. 

I'd say just save the money and put that towards the PT purchase next near. I might even go further and say forgo the wheel rental all together, but I do understand the need to have race wheels. 

Gordon

Nemo Brauch

My 2 cents. Train how you will race, race how you trained. You won't have the rented wheels for your race rehearsals and I doubt you are gonna do those workouts on the Computrainer. So you've gotta have another plan (HR) for executing those workouts. Perhaps other folks with Computrainers can offer some alternative advice (I don't have one), but I know that riding with the PT on a trainer is no substitute for learning how to "ride steady" and pace properly with the PT during a Race Rehearsal outside.

Coach Rich

Tim,

• HIGHLY recommend you do your race rehearsals outside. In fact, you should be doing your long rides outside as soon as you are able to (weather, temps).
• You might think you know power due to the CT but riding outside with power isn't the same, very different. Very, very easy to ride steady on the CT. Not so much when outside.
• Have you considered selling the CT to finance a new/used PT? If you're willing to rent race wheels, that tells me you're likely willing to write a $200-300 check (?). Selling the CT to purchase a PT for training and racing would be a good investment. You could then pick up an affordable trainer if you plan to continue doing most of your training indoors.

Al Truscott

From someone with several years of experience training indoors on a CT and trying to then train/race on another power meter. While there is often a correlation betwen the numbers (e.g., right now my indoors FTP on the CT is 190 and on my PT it is 200), that not only varies over time, but the FTP will also vary indoors to outdoors, often being higher outdoors. (E.g., for me 208/229/260 CT indoors, PM indoors, PM out last year's bests.)

Gordon and Nemo (where've ya been??!!) both make excellent points. Getting used to watching the numbers outdoors takes some time, and then adjusting riding style to that information takes even more time. Best to either spend $$ on a training wheel with PT and wheel cover NOW, or just go with HR and rented wheel race day.

cinco_the_dog

Thanks everyone, you all reinforced some suspicions. Hard to pay to rent some wheels when that $$ could be used for a PT. I do long rides outside most of the time and especially the last 10-15 weeks before an IM, so it looks like PT time.