Originally Posted by
lazerzxr
I considered getting a power meter and am still considering it (and waiting for garmin). I read the book a few times and couldnt help thinking that it reads like it is written by someone who has found out they can measure power and decided to study how it could be used for training - rather than someone who was desperate to know power output during training because they knew it would be useful. In other words, the technology was developed not through need but through techno progression. While meters are getting better, the software and data are still immature and need more development.
So far i still havent got a power meter mainly because my knee is playing up and if the data told me to ride hard i couldnt.....
I think you read the old revision. The software now is actually really good. No one really uses Saris's software so i am really just talking about Training Peaks and Golden Cheetah.
Yes, I sell powermeters but that has always been secondary to my core business - wheels. I pursued Quarq because Quarq allows my customers to go back to using high end and light wheels.
Now....I don't know why people get so hung up on powermeters. I am starting to think it's because they aren't exactly inexpensive and it seems people get downright militant when they start to get the impression that someone else is claiming they can't get better unless they have the disposable income to buy something. I guess I see where they are coming from but in general it seems pretty silly.
Can you get better or train without a powermeter? Yes. I have a past Masters National Champion on my team who doesn't use a powermeter at all and trains a ton of high end racers...never using their power data. He still believes HR is a better training tool for the way he runs his programs. That said he was able to easily adapt some of his programs for my training center (power using computrainers).
I liken this to doing a TT without a disc wheel or aero helmet. Can you do a TT without those two pieces of equipment? Sure! Can you beat others who have that equipment even when you do not? Possibly/probably/most likely. Can you turn in a better TT time with less effort by using those two tools? Sure you can. Are they expensive? Many would say that yes they are.
For some the training with power discussion comes down to economics. If that wasn't a factor, or if powermeters were as inexpensive as HR monitors I don't think we'd ave threads like these. While for some - spending $500 on a power meter seems like a colossal waste of finances, to other the amount of time "wasted" turning in lower quality training time far exceeds the cost of a powermeter.
Personally I am lucky to get a few days a week to ride and/or train. I can't afford to put in a long 4 hour ride.....ever...anymore. People want their wheels. Can't blame them. As such when I do get a chance to get on the rig and train it HAS to be a quality effort. It has to be focused.
The downside - as jrobe mentions - focused training with power can make training more of a chore. It hurts to dig the way you need to and the powermeter won't let you lie or take a rest. That takes a mental toll over time. I too find that sometimes I just have to stop bringing my head unit and just ride my bike - acknowledging that I will give up the most effective training time that I could have gotten.