Power Meter, heart rate monitor or both?
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Power Meter, heart rate monitor or both?
As I am getting more serious I am going to invest in these. My thinking is that a heart rate monitor would be best because I feel tracking my body to be more important. Are the power meters accurate? How do they account for headwind?
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I have no experience with power meters; some with heart rate monitors. I kind of viewed a HRM as a tachometer for the heart. Using one lets you know how hard you are working your body and maybe more importantly gives you permission to slow down on recovery days. I found it a useful tool. Now I am an old curmudgeon and ride for pleasure with no monitoring tools (HRM or computer or GPS or whatever).
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What exactly are you trying to track/accomplish?
A power meter is superior to the HRM for training purposes. Downhill, uphill, headwind, tailwind it will always tell you exactly how much power you're making. The PM doesn't account for headwind per se but when you're only doing 8 mph into a gail force wind it'll record the 400 watts you produced to keep moving forward.
The HRM tells you how fast your heart is beating and while that has it's merits and is the next best thing for someone who can't afford a PM your heart rate can fluctuate at a specific effort based on other factors such as diet, fatigue, illness, caffeine etc. If you use a computer without power all it knows is that you had x avg at y HR and therefore can't account for wind and so on.
A power meter is superior to the HRM for training purposes. Downhill, uphill, headwind, tailwind it will always tell you exactly how much power you're making. The PM doesn't account for headwind per se but when you're only doing 8 mph into a gail force wind it'll record the 400 watts you produced to keep moving forward.
The HRM tells you how fast your heart is beating and while that has it's merits and is the next best thing for someone who can't afford a PM your heart rate can fluctuate at a specific effort based on other factors such as diet, fatigue, illness, caffeine etc. If you use a computer without power all it knows is that you had x avg at y HR and therefore can't account for wind and so on.
#4
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Most of the "big name" power meters are reasonable accurate. PowerTap, Quarq, and SRM are all known to be accurate. I don't know about the Garmin Vector and Stages power meters. I believe that the iBike power meters aren't nearly as accurate as some of the others I've mentioned, though I haven't looked at their most recent products.
Power meters record the actual work that you do to pedal the bike, so they're not affected by headwinds or tailwinds.
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If you're building fitness a HRM should be fine. I've used one for several years. If you're training, actually training not just riding long and fast, I'd like to have both. With a head wind, speed is down but a HRM or a PM will tell you if you're putting in the effort or not.
I've got the Stages on my wish list. It's good enough for Team Sky, I think it will be good enough for me
I've got the Stages on my wish list. It's good enough for Team Sky, I think it will be good enough for me
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What exactly are you trying to track/accomplish?
A power meter is superior to the HRM for training purposes. Downhill, uphill, headwind, tailwind it will always tell you exactly how much power you're making. The PM doesn't account for headwind per se but when you're only doing 8 mph into a gail force wind it'll record the 400 watts you produced to keep moving forward.
The HRM tells you how fast your heart is beating and while that has it's merits and is the next best thing for someone who can't afford a PM your heart rate can fluctuate at a specific effort based on other factors such as diet, fatigue, illness, caffeine etc. If you use a computer without power all it knows is that you had x avg at y HR and therefore can't account for wind and so on.
A power meter is superior to the HRM for training purposes. Downhill, uphill, headwind, tailwind it will always tell you exactly how much power you're making. The PM doesn't account for headwind per se but when you're only doing 8 mph into a gail force wind it'll record the 400 watts you produced to keep moving forward.
The HRM tells you how fast your heart is beating and while that has it's merits and is the next best thing for someone who can't afford a PM your heart rate can fluctuate at a specific effort based on other factors such as diet, fatigue, illness, caffeine etc. If you use a computer without power all it knows is that you had x avg at y HR and therefore can't account for wind and so on.
#7
SuperGimp
HR monitoring is significantly cheaper - you can always start there. HR is affected by a variety of external factors though... condition, fatigue, temperature, caffeine. Power meters pretty much tell it straight up - how much effort are you putting into the pedals right now.
I use both, not as rigorously as I should.
I use both, not as rigorously as I should.
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What I am trying to do is get into fighting shape again after almost 20 years of sedintary lifestyle. 10 years ago I did a lot of touring but I want to start racing followed by some tri events and a couple ironman events per year. I would like to start racing next year or the year after and the ironman in about 3-4 years.
#9
SuperGimp
Iron man in 3 years is a helluva goal! Start with a HR monitor, figure out what your LTHR is and design yourself a training plan. If you haven't already put 500 miles in the saddle this year, do that first.
This fella writes a lot about power and HR training - Joe Friel
Chris Carmichael has a few good training books out there as well, including one I should buy called "The Time Crunched Cyclist"
Power meters are reputedly very beneficial for time trials (I don't do them, so this is second hand), particularly flatter time trials.
Once you have a power meter, if you're still super serious about it, find yourself a coach. trainingpeaks.com has a sort of remote coaching situation you can get yourself into, but most coaches won't coach you without power data.
This fella writes a lot about power and HR training - Joe Friel
Chris Carmichael has a few good training books out there as well, including one I should buy called "The Time Crunched Cyclist"
Power meters are reputedly very beneficial for time trials (I don't do them, so this is second hand), particularly flatter time trials.
Once you have a power meter, if you're still super serious about it, find yourself a coach. trainingpeaks.com has a sort of remote coaching situation you can get yourself into, but most coaches won't coach you without power data.
#10
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What I am trying to do is get into fighting shape again after almost 20 years of sedintary lifestyle. 10 years ago I did a lot of touring but I want to start racing followed by some tri events and a couple ironman events per year. I would like to start racing next year or the year after and the ironman in about 3-4 years.
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What I am trying to do is get into fighting shape again after almost 20 years of sedintary lifestyle. 10 years ago I did a lot of touring but I want to start racing followed by some tri events and a couple ironman events per year. I would like to start racing next year or the year after and the ironman in about 3-4 years.
2nd I would start racing as soon as possible, there is no better way to get into shape. Most if not all people just can't put forth the effort on their own that they find themselves doing in a race when people are watching and pride is on the line.
Start with criteriums or if there's a velodrome near you try it out. They're short in duration, cheap, fun, really high intensity and will teach you some tactics and handling skills that will serve you for the rest of your racing days.
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I never said I was going to be comptitive, I just was to complete. 3 years is short, My brother took 4 before competing from 240 lbs. He has been doing 2-3 per year for the last 4 years and he is pushing 55 years old.
I am doing between 80 -120 miles per week, 2 or 3 10 mile rides at over 20mph average (somewhat flat)
My bro just bought a PM this spring thought I am not sure what for. At his last Ironman in 2013 he came 25 overall with a time of 13:23:11. Not bad for a ex clyde himself, let alone a 54 year old.
My bro just bought a PM this spring thought I am not sure what for. At his last Ironman in 2013 he came 25 overall with a time of 13:23:11. Not bad for a ex clyde himself, let alone a 54 year old.
#13
SuperGimp
I think i could do the run portion in 13 hours, which would give me 23 minutes to ride a century to keep you with your bro. Hm.
And I think even completing an iron man would be a helluvan accomplishment. My knees hurt just thinking about it.
And I think even completing an iron man would be a helluvan accomplishment. My knees hurt just thinking about it.
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The other week I was pleased when we both did a 50 mile and I was only 2 mph average less than him, until I noticed he did about 2000 feet more of climbing on the same ride. LOL
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