"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - the power meter is soul crushing

at least when you are doing intervals and feel like you are going all out and look down and your watts tell you otherwise.

Yup... makes me wonder how many intervals I was "really" doing before...

On the plus side you will be able to see the improvements you are making in real numbers.

Must....resist.....urge.....

On the plus side you will be able to see the improvements you are making in real numbers.

definitely.

Must....resist.....urge.....

Don't. Just give in.

You'll forget all about the initial purchase sticker shock after a month or two :D

Don't. Just give in.

You'll forget all about the initial purchase sticker shock after a month or two :D

I still have a season of stupid camping to pay for :(

I still have a season of stupid camping to pay for :(

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Camping is cheap unless you're going to the Yukon or something :lol:

Pre-jacked up knee days I was big into fastpacking, and my wallet wishes I still was.

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Camping is cheap unless you're going to the Yukon or something :lol:

Pre-jacked up knee days I was big into fastpacking, and my wallet wishes I still was.

$2,080 for a seasonal campsite each year.

Believe me, if it were my decision, I wouldn't be doing it. As it is, I agreed to only do it for a couple more years.

With ya there Guitar, I hate the camping thing. My bro in law on flipside treates it like a friggin sport - every weekend they're doing the camper, marshmallows, fishing, public showers - pass pass pass.

Every weekend in the summer is the same.....

Friday after work - drive 60 miles to campground, hang out with friends, sit on picnic bench and eat/talk/play cards/watch them drink, walk around, visit neighbors

Saturday - hang out, talk, sit on picnic bench, eat, drink, play cards, walk around, visit neighbors

Sunday - hang out, talk, sit on picnic bench, eat, drink, play cards, walk around, visit neighbors

I will bring the bike to the campground as it's in the Berkshires in MA, so there's LOTS of climbing in the area - that's the only upside to the whole thing. Other than that.....it's like high school all over again; a bunch of drunks sitting around, talking and doing basically not much.

Not my thing. And yes, these people are realllllly into it as well. Hell, even in the "off season", we all get together with our "camp neighbors" from time to time and do stuff. All I get from friends of ours (who got my gf into it) was "I can't wait for camping season to start, can you?" She never seems to like my answer :).

With ya there Guitar, I hate the camping thing. My bro in law on flipside treates it like a friggin sport - every weekend they're doing the camper, marshmallows, fishing, public showers - pass pass pass.

That's not a sport...

Fastpacking/speed hiking on the other hand.

That's not a sport...

Fastpacking/speed hiking on the other hand.

Ok, apparently you've never seen some of these people drink...that's a sport in and of itself....this is the NASCAR crowd, after all....

Ok, apparently you've never seen some of these people drink...that's a sport in and of itself....this is the NASCAR crowd, after all....

It's more of a volume of fluid than amount of alcohol thing I think. Putting away a case of Old Milwaukee Light doesn't get you any drunker than a few shots of good Scotch, but it sure hurts your guts...

I used to work with a guy that ENJOYED camping in Ohio winters, by himself, on weekends, in a tent snow or no snow. He said he'd read books and get peace and quiet. Talk about road less traveled.

These guys are professionals

I still have a season of stupid camping to pay for :(

Just move in with Cypress, his life is like camping anyway ;)

The topic of this thread is priceless... I had the same thing happen to me yesterday doing hill sprints... look down and go ... D@mn it! I'm not going hard enough! Though I felt like my heart was going to rip through my chest and end up in my drive train.

The topic of this thread is priceless... I had the same thing happen to me yesterday doing hill sprints... look down and go ... D@mn it! I'm not going hard enough!

Man, I know all about the soul crushing nature of the power meter... Today was my "A" race for the season so far. I have been planning for this even for an entire year. I completely exceeded my expectations as far as finishing time and finishing place go--and yet when I got home I was disappointed enough at my wattage numbers that it took some of the luster off of my sense of accomplishment. How stupid is that?!

--Steve

This ws the thread that got me to buy my Power Meter. It is the most humbling device a Type"A" personality can own. I get done with a "hard" ride or session and the power meter says..."YOU SUCK"! But I will humble it before it humbles me.:D








I think I said the same thing about my golf game...:rolleyes:

Uh, OK. My Power Meter doesn't crush my soul -- it makes me feel stronger when the numbers go up!

I used to work with a guy that ENJOYED camping in Ohio winters, by himself, on weekends, in a tent snow or no snow. He said he'd read books and get peace and quiet. Talk about road less traveled.

sounds like me, although sometimes in winter there's no tent needed.....no bugs, summer in southern ohio if there's been lots of spring rain means skeeters will try to pick you up and carry you away

there's something to be said for peace and quiet after being in the city, campfire, solitude, just the woods, I like it
*******

so how much sticker shock is there for a powertap? $2k or thereabouts?

this thread just had to get topped now when i cant use mine right?

so how much sticker shock is there for a powertap? $2k or thereabouts?

~$1k for powertap sl laced in a new rear wheel + tire etc

its so true, I've noticed that I'll hit my target for an interval then look down a few second later and i'll already be down way below it, it really keeps you honest.

Man, I know all about the soul crushing nature of the power meter... Today was my "A" race for the season so far. I have been planning for this even for an entire year. I completely exceeded my expectations as far as finishing time and finishing place go--and yet when I got home I was disappointed enough at my wattage numbers that it took some of the luster off of my sense of accomplishment. How stupid is that?!

--Steve

Pretty stupid. A big reason why I'm a cave man and still govern my training using an HRM, PE, critical distance, and speed ...

it really keeps you honest.

That's why you get one. You're not doing intervals until you're doing intervals with power.

Pretty stupid. A big reason why I'm a cave man and still govern my training using an HRM, PE, critical distance, and speed ...

Allow me to clarify. Because I had power numbers and an elevation profile I was able to use a calculator to determine how much faster I would have finished the 2 hours of sustained climbing if I had (a) been able to hold 20 more watts during that last miserable hour and (b) had weighed 10 pounds less than I do now. Eleven minutes faster, to be exact.

As well as I did, the accomplishment was bittersweet if only because I can QUANTIFY how much better I would have done with those two improvements. HR, PE, and speed provide absolutely NO quantifiable data upon which to set goals for future improvement.

--Steve

There is no technology that works better at getting you max effort than seeing the back of the peloton pulling away from you. Ride with people. Meters are just part of the system.

Every weekend in the summer is the same.....

Friday after work - drive 60 miles to campground, hang out with friends, sit on picnic bench and eat/talk/play cards/watch them drink, walk around, visit neighbors

Saturday - hang out, talk, sit on picnic bench, eat, drink, play cards, walk around, visit neighbors

Sunday - hang out, talk, sit on picnic bench, eat, drink, play cards, walk around, visit neighbors



Throw a couple bike rides in there and that sounds like a great weekend. Not every weekend, but once in a while I'd dig that.

Throw a couple bike rides in there and that sounds like a great weekend. Not every weekend, but once in a while I'd dig that.

If you like hills, then it's a REALLY great area. I did a 21 mile ride the other weekend, with around 2,100 feet of climbing. The bulk of the climbing (around 1,400 feet of it) came in the last 6-7 miles or so. Some of it is quite steep as well, with sustained grades.

There is no technology that works better at getting you max effort than seeing the back of the peloton pulling away from you. Ride with people. Meters are just part of the system.

If there were races 5-6 days a week this would hold true.. but most people have to train outside of races, powermeters greatly help this.

There is no technology that works better at getting you max effort than seeing the back of the peloton pulling away from you. Ride with people. Meters are just part of the system.

Best post of thread.

There is no technology that works better at getting you max effort than seeing the back of the peloton pulling away from you. Ride with people. Meters are just part of the system.

+1 Best visual in the thread. But for this data weeny I need to quantify WHY I fell off the pack. With the power meter I don't over train, under train or question the effect of the workout.

It's an OCP thing most people just don't understand.:D