Trainer/output/progress question

[SteveAZ]

:D

Okay, first of all I already asked this question on the main forum and didn't get any first hand responses, I'm hoping a few of you have tried one.

So, does anyone have any experience with the "Nashbar 2006 Watt Master Mag Trainer" or similar?

I'm looking to purchase a trainer and was considering the Cyclops Fluid 2 due to great reviews, however this one caught my attention because of the power meter. While I don't expect it is as good as say a Power Tap that is 5 times it's cost I can't help but wonder whether or not it would be an effective training tool. While the actual numbers it produces may be somewhat questionable due the differences between an indoor low dollar trainer and a real world application (Power Tap) or hi dollar gym equipment, as long as the data ouptput is repeatable (not to be confused with accurate) wouldn't it be a good tool to gauge progress, fatigue, methods of training? Anybody have any experience with this or similar?

My other question, for those of you that don't have a power meter, how are you gauging your progress, current physical state, or where you are in your training goals?

Thanks,
Steve

[Raketmensch]

No experience with the trainer you mention... I've got a Kurt Kinetic.

To answer you're second question, when I work out on my trainer I compute watts using the trainer manufacturer's published power curve. If you go to the Kurt Kinetic web site and then look under "Tips and Tech Info" and "Power Curve", you'll find an equation that describes the relationship between power and speed for each of their trainers. (Note that this relationship is independent of any assumptions about rider weight, aerodynamics, etc.) It's a simple cubic function. Speed is an even simpler linear function of gear ratio and pedal cadence, so using the published power curve it's straightforward to compute power from gear ratio and pedal cadence. I use a simple spreadsheet to work it all out, and it's effective. A PowerTap or equivalent would be much nicer, of course, but I find that this works fine for my purposes. I've read another thread elsewhere (sorry, don't remember where, so I can't provide a link) in which someone with a Power-Tap-equipped bike checked the published power curve and found it to be good to about 3%.

[DrWJODonnell]

I own the kurt kinetic trainer and love that for race warm ups, but if you want reliable power readings that are consistant on a trainer, go for Tacx products. I believe the "Flow" model desplays power. I own an I -magic which does power and a WHOLE lot more, but look into the Tacx line for sure. yOU wont be dissapointed.

[GuitarWizard]

Here.....scroll down a bit...

http://www.branfordbike.com/trainer/train1.html

That'll give you a ballpark idea of where the wattage is on the Fluid 2.