Originally Posted by
woodcraft
A power meter only measures output at the wheel or wherever, so '80s or today it doesn't measure biomechanical efficiency.
If the left leg is working against the right leg (to grossly oversimplify) it will take more work to go a given speed vs if all the parts work efficiently.
Like an engine with the timing belt off a degree or two.
I'm sure you've seen beginning cyclists thrashing in an attempt to go fast. Would you counsel them to stomp harder, or to develop a more efficient pedal stroke?
Not too familiar with powermeters? Only one powermeter measures at the wheel. The vast majority measure at the crankarms or pedals which can give you individual leg metrics if that's something someone wanted to bother with.
As for "more work", you can conceivably measure if your body is working harder in a specific situation by correlating heart rate and power.
What you can't measure, however, is whether or not you're going "faster with less work", which is the initial assertion. That's a technical performance issue.
And none of it has anything to do with riding or not riding on rollers.
For beginning cyclists, I'd counsel them to get a handle on their upper bodies and be cognizant of that movement. Pedaling, at the end of the day, is a pretty simplified and basic thing to do.