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Road bike/power meter

David SacomanDavid Sacoman
in General Training Discussions

I will be purchasing a my first road bike in the very near future. I am buying it primarily for two reasons. My wife and I share a car and it will be mostly for getting around town when she has the car. I also intend to finally give some group rides a try. I have always been a tri bike rider and never have been brave enough to join the peloton with the tri bike. I am in week 18 of the OS and feel my bike fitness has improved significantly. I have a wired power meter on the tri bike and am wonderring if it is worth the cost and effort to wire the road bike and go through the hassle of switching wheels to get power readings on the road bike for the group rides. Will I want or need the data for the one or two group rides per month or can I get away with the standard speed/cadence/ HR? I am doing only short course for the next three years if that makes any difference. Since the road bike will be a significant purchase for me Ikeeping costs low will be a priority. Thanks for any and all advice.

Comments

  • mgraffeomgraffeo
    David, I use a wired powertap on a road bike and tri bike. since both are 10 speed, it takes me all of about 30 seconds to swap the wheel back and forth. I definitely don't like riding without my power meter, even if I'm not using it to pace a ride, since I'd like to download what I do afterwards in order to look at power distribution and impact on mean max charts, etc. Since the harnesses are pretty cheap, I'd definitely suggest going that route.
  • kurshingkurshing
    Ditto to what Mike said - you don't NEED it, but it will be one of those things you will probably want to see.

    Also, I bet you will enjoy the group stuff - and I predict
    Your becoming more involved in the group scene more often. It is just so fun!

    A road bike is a great 'reward' for a great OS! Way to go!
  • David SacomanDavid Sacoman
    Thanks so much for the help. I am looking forward to buying the bike. Bike shopping is one of the hidden delights of life.
  • chris malonechris malone
    If you end up enjoying the group rides and they are "competitive", then you'll love seeing your numbers. In my experience, the numbers I load after my Wednesday night slugfest are always .92 or better for close to 90 minutes, with regroups. Trying to hang with faster people or trying to drop others is very inspiring. No way I do that alone, but everyone's different.
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