Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

The Gift of Vector

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

The Gift of Vector

Old 10-08-13 | 09:56 PM
  #1  
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
The Gift of Vector

My GF just gifted me a Garmin Vector * and now I'm disappointed - not with the Vector but with me. I've discovered a) I don't put out the wattage I thought and b) my form sucks - L/R balance is 57/43 ish.

Anyone have any suggestions/links for training plans to build strength in one leg?

* I swear I will never whine about cat sitting for her ever again!
Nbob is offline  
Reply
Old 10-08-13 | 10:23 PM
  #2  
coppercook62's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 729
Likes: 0
From: Northern CA

Bikes: Crumpton SL Crumpton Type 5 Berk on order

Nice GF!
coppercook62 is offline  
Reply
Old 10-08-13 | 10:56 PM
  #3  
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by coppercook62
Nice GF!
She sure is !!
She's a runner - sometimes trains with a tri club. We were at their end of year dinner/fundraiser and it was one of the door prizes. We saw it on the table and she didn't know what it was. I jokingly told her if I won it I would win the TdF. Later, when they drew her ticket, she was called to the stage. MC sez " what bkie do you ride?" She sez " I ride a townie for errands" ( everyone laughs) "but now my BF is going to win the TdF ! "
Nbob is offline  
Reply
Old 10-08-13 | 11:11 PM
  #4  
Perceptual Dullard
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,916
Likes: 1,754
Make sure to torque the pedals to spec. Use a torque wrench with a crow's foot attachment. Torquing under spec will screw with the readings. You may be more powerful (or more balanced) than you think. Or maybe not.
RChung is offline  
Reply
Old 10-08-13 | 11:29 PM
  #5  
Element GT's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
From: Oregon

Bikes: '15 Prolite '04 Specialized Allez

Originally Posted by Nbob
My Fiance just gifted me a Garmin Vector * and now I'm disappointed - not with the Vector but with me. I've discovered a) I don't put out the wattage I thought and b) my form sucks - L/R balance is 57/43 ish.

Anyone have any suggestions/links for training plans to build strength in one leg?

* I swear I will never whine about cat sitting for her ever again!
~Fixed
Element GT is offline  
Reply
Old 10-08-13 | 11:33 PM
  #6  
Drew Eckhardt's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 6,341
Likes: 326
From: Mountain View, CA USA and Golden, CO USA

Bikes: 97 Litespeed, 50-39-30x13-26 10 cogs, Campagnolo Ultrashift, retroreflective rims on SON28/PowerTap hubs

Originally Posted by Element GT
~Fixed
Right. A power meter is cooler than a diamond ring. Pedals which work with any wheel and crankset better than a big one.
Drew Eckhardt is offline  
Reply
Old 10-08-13 | 11:42 PM
  #7  
Perceptual Dullard
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,916
Likes: 1,754
Vector won't work with every crankset. Some cranksets don't allow enough clearance.
RChung is offline  
Reply
Old 10-09-13 | 12:06 AM
  #8  
furiousferret's Avatar
Senior Member
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,329
Likes: 504
From: Redlands, CA
Originally Posted by Nbob
My GF just gifted me a Garmin Vector * and now I'm disappointed - not with the Vector but with me. I've discovered a) I don't put out the wattage I thought and b) my form sucks - L/R balance is 57/43 ish.

Anyone have any suggestions/links for training plans to build strength in one leg?

* I swear I will never whine about cat sitting for her ever again!
Honestly, at that ratio it sounds like one of the pedals was put on incorrectly. Did you use a torque wrench when installing?
furiousferret is offline  
Reply
Old 10-09-13 | 07:06 AM
  #9  
merlinextraligh's Avatar
pan y agua
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 31,809
Likes: 1,232
From: Jacksonville

Bikes: Willier Zero 7; Merlin Extralight; Calfee Dragonfly tandem, Calfee Adventure tandem; Cervelo P2; Motebecane Ti Fly 29er; Motebecanne Phantom Cross; Schwinn Paramount Track bike

Originally Posted by furiousferret
Honestly, at that ratio it sounds like one of the pedals was put on incorrectly. Did you use a torque wrench when installing?
That was my thought as well. My first ride with Vector, the power balance was significantly off. (about 10% difference from my Quarq, which extrapolates two sided power).

Recalibrated, and tightened the pedal that was reading low, and got much closer to 50-50.
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
merlinextraligh is offline  
Reply
Old 10-09-13 | 10:38 AM
  #10  
cxwrench's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 3,767
Likes: 2,940
From: Nor-Cal

Bikes: lots

Don't worry too much about being 50/50. Make sure the pedals are torqued properly but if you're still not even, it's not a big deal. Very few riders are, and there are a lot of coaches that will tell you to not even try to make it even if it's within 5% or so.
cxwrench is offline  
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Bike Jedi
Bicycle Mechanics
17
08-01-19 11:01 PM
taz777
Bicycle Mechanics
12
09-01-18 11:48 AM
Seattle Forrest
Road Cycling
1
08-23-16 08:04 AM
lopek77
Bicycle Mechanics
30
02-25-15 05:54 PM
FormerRower
Road Cycling
0
02-13-11 08:55 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.