Originally Posted by
Seattle Forrest
Of course anyone can ride a bike well without a power meter. That's not even a little bit controversial. But power meters are incredibly useful tools for cyclists, especially competitive ones. That's not even a little bit controversial, either.
Here are examples.
Rider is known to be able to hold 300W.
Training ride starts and...
A Rider feels weak and is not holding 300W.
Should they push harder to make that 300W?
B Rider is feeling good and can push 320W.
Should they back off and do 300W?
Race starts and...
Rider will need to go over 300W to not get dropped.
Does rider watch the PM or does rider watch the wheel in front.
I think PMs are good reporting tools, but what to do with that information is still, debatable. So far in hiring the best coaches I can find the recommendations are listen to your body. I bought 5 (five) PMs this year. I think they are valuable, but more as a recording device, not so much a training one.