"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Newbie Power Meter Questions

I am training with power in an ecyle class (computertainers with extensive Vo2 Max and VT1 and VT2 testing), and want to make the transition to a power meter on my road bike. I have searched all over the net and threads here (and on slowtwitch) comparing SRM (no way, too much money for me), PT and Ergomo. I have Fulcrum Racing 1s which I really like and would be sad to let go, but I would. I am not sold on what I have read about the Ergomo (I have a reconstructed left knee and measuring power only on my left side probably doesn't work, and I have other concerns). The new quarq thing sounds too expensive and I'd have to wait some more.

I am kind of landing on the wired PT. The question is what wheels do I lace them to. I ride an occassional triathlon and want to do a half IM next year, don't have the money for two sets of wheels. Seems pretty much the choices are Zipp 404s, Mavic Open Pros, DT Swiss. I read here and there people saying it's stupid to train on 404s. So, if you want a PT laced into wheels you will ride every day, which?

Thanks.

I personally use a PT pro laced to a DT Swiss 1.1 for all of my races. If you plan on doing the occasional time trial or triathlon consider getting a disk cover from Wheelbuilder.com (http://www.wheelbuilder.com/closeup.asp?cid=25&pid=185&offset=0). I know the owner personally and he does excellent work. Obviously its not as good as an actual disk, but it does the job well enough.

I am training with power in an ecyle class (computertainers with extensive Vo2 Max and VT1 and VT2 testing), and want to make the transition to a power meter on my road bike. I have searched all over the net and threads here (and on slowtwitch) comparing SRM (no way, too much money for me), PT and Ergomo. I have Fulcrum Racing 1s which I really like and would be sad to let go, but I would. I am not sold on what I have read about the Ergomo (I have a reconstructed left knee and measuring power only on my left side probably doesn't work, and I have other concerns). The new quarq thing sounds too expensive and I'd have to wait some more.

I am kind of landing on the wired PT. The question is what hubs do I lace them to. I ride an occassional triathlon and want to do a half IM next year, don't have the money for two sets of wheels. Seems pretty much the choices are Zipp 404s, Mavic Open Pros, DT Swiss. I read here and there people saying it's stupid to train on 404s. So, if you want a PT laced into wheels you will ride every day, which?

Thanks.

I'll be building mine into a Velocity Deep-V. 32h -- super durable. Right now I race and TT on a 36h Deep-V.

The new quarq thing sounds too expensive and I'd have to wait some more.


I think you should wait at least until Interbike (what is that, two weeks away?), when Quarq has promised to reveal pricing, before dismissing their products as too expensive.

I think you should wait at least until Interbike (what is that, two weeks away?), when Quarq has promised to reveal pricing, before dismissing their products as too expensive.

Still, there's a $200-$300 (?) new crank purchase in order, unless you're lucky enough to have one of the 5 or so cranks they're compatible with. That's 1/3 of the way to a PT wheel right there...

Get yourself a pair of Zipp or similar rimmed clinchers, if you want these to be aero race and training wheels. Relace to the PT, or buy it that way.

There are a good amount of rebadged, and markedly cheaper, Zipp clincher rimmed wheelsets out there. Flashpoint, their subsidiary, for starters.

I'll be building mine into a Velocity Deep-V. 32h -- super durable. Right now I race and TT on a 36h Deep-V.


What he said.

I had a PT on a DTswiss 1.1, but after just a year it develiped cracks around every drive side spoke hole. I've since learned that it's not that durable of a rim. It's since been relaced to a velocity deep v 32h.

The Deep V weighs more, but that shouldn't matter if you're doing Tri's and you're already willing to race on a PT. It's also much stronger and more aero than the 1.1 or open pro.

If you get carbon and ride it around your city, you're likely going to crack it.

You can get a wired PT/Open Pro on Ebay for $450-475, and I bet if you wait a month or 2 they will be even cheaper.

Still, there's a $200-$300 (?) new crank purchase in order, unless you're lucky enough to have one of the 5 or so cranks they're compatible with. That's 1/3 of the way to a PT wheel right there...


Well... you could get a Truvativ Rolleur Carbon from Ebay, new, for $175: http://cgi.ebay.com/Bike-Crank-TruVativ-Rouleur-Carbon-SRAM-Road-Bicycle_W0QQitemZ280069161415QQcmdZViewItem

but that's still substantial $$$.


It would be nice if Truvativ or some other company would bring out a cheap (aluminum) compatible crank.


What YOU could also do is get a CAAD6 or 7 frameset off ebay with the Cannondale Hollowgram Si crankset. The extra stiffness over your Ritchey would probably save you an extra tenth of a second on your next TT. ;)

Well... you could get a Truvativ Rolleur Carbon from Ebay, new, for $175: http://cgi.ebay.com/Bike-Crank-TruVativ-Rouleur-Carbon-SRAM-Road-Bicycle_W0QQitemZ280069161415QQcmdZViewItem

but that's still substantial $$$.


It would be nice if Truvativ or some other company would bring out a cheap (aluminum) compatible crank.


What YOU could also do is get a CAAD6 or 7 frameset off ebay with the Cannondale Hollowgram Si crankset. The extra stiffness over your Ritchey would probably save you an extra tenth of a second on your next TT. ;)

Good point. :)

Actually, the poor aerodynamics of the big fat round downtube on a Cannondale might hurt your times.

Actually, the poor aerodynamics of the big fat round downtube on a Cannondale might hurt your times.

I think the lost placebo effect of being off my Ritchey would hurt more than anything. I'm too used to it.

I have a PT laced to a 32 spoke open pro, and a PT laced to a velocity aerohead OC, 28 sapim cxray spokes.

Both are nice, I don't race the open pro anymore.

I have a PT laced up to a Reynolds a Solitude wheel set. They are reasonably light. I have about 3200 miles on them this year between training, racing and time trials and have had no problems.