Originally Posted by
staehpj1
I'd think that many still don't. I know that I don't. I mostly ride mountain bike so maybe that might make me a little less likely to have one. Or maybe I am cheap, or just old fashioned?
I am 72 and no longer a racer. I might race again at some point for the fun of it, but I am certainly not serious about it. Power data would be interesting, but I am not inclined to plunk down the $$$. These days while I ride every day I really don't worry about maintaining a competetive edge. Watching the minutes in the various zones is probably enough data for me.
To be fair, what would you do with the information on VO2Max if you had it? Especially if the estimate of VO2Max were as rule-of-thumby as Friel's?
I've had a power meter for years, and I rarely bother to check my VO2Max -- I don't consider it either a particularly actionable piece of information, nor an especially good predictor of performance. Although I have power data, basically I use a wristwatch as my indicator of performance, combined with how I feel during and after a ride.