Phatman

If you were gonna spend the same amount of money on either...what would you get? I'm at a crossroads, and I've been offered a very good deal on a powertap. Right now, I have a set of open pro/dura ace wheels that I'm using.

pearcem

no matter how you use the race wheels, they can't really help you become a better rider. Power training is another story

MacMan

Powertap.

The powertap pro costs over $900 I think. A great set of race wheels can be had for $500 if custom built. No brainer IMO.

R600DuraAce

You can't win a race with a nice set of wheels. If you can get closer to winning if you train the right way. PowerTap. Better yet, get a Powertap SL built with some aero alu rim.

Phatman

you're missing the point...There are nice race wheels that go for 900 bucks. and...I'm not going to be paying 900 bucks either way...

I'd be spending the same amount of $$ either way, powertap or not.

The_Convert

yes, powertap

Phatman

my other thing is that this is my first year actually racing...I just started using a HRM, also. does Power training work pretty much the same way as HRM training, ie as a % of max?

joejack951

I'd like to eventually get a power meter of sorts and the Powertap is certainly a nice one (although I may end up with the Polar system only b/c I have a HRM that can capture the data). The advantage of a power meter is that you get instantaneous feedback of how hard you are working, unlike with a HRM where it takes some time for your heart rate to level out going from cruising to sprinting. Power training would work along the same principles as heart rate training only it does it better.

R600DuraAce

When comes to power training, there are several school of thoughts such as how to profile your power level. Some correlates your power output with your HR and some approach just left the HR out of the equation. I use https://www.cyclingpeakssoftware.com/ because it is cheaper than hiring a coach and HR monitoring isn't really used at all. Once you know your power profile, they are broken down to watts. For recovery ride, you have to generate certain watts. For TT interval, you have to generate certain watts in some minutes. Is all about watts.

pearcem

it's just a more consitant and more aaccurate way to train and measure performance. greg lemond once said that he trained one day with his power monitor and his watts were down 10%, so he knew he was getting sick, but his heart rate was the same as it always was.

MacMan

No. I'm not. The point is you are getting a deal on an item that costs $900+. Unless you are getting the same deal on a $900 set of racing wheels, then it's pretty obvious where the money should go. If you're spending x on a product that costs x then you're not saving. If you're spending x on a product that really costs y, then you're saving. Obvious to me.

Guest

If you really need a new set of wheels, I would say go for the wheels. But if you can squeeze it out on the current wheels you've got, and you're getting a deal for the Powertaps pro, I would say go for the powertaps. BUT... keep in mind, the Powertaps Pro is retailing for $900. If you're geting a "deal" on them, I would hope they're going to give you at least 20% off. That's a deal. I think the Powertaps SL is becoming the new golden boy of Powertaps, and if you can push for the SL, please do. I get the feeling in a few years, the Pro won't be around as much, or it'll be so cheap because people will be killing themselves to snatch up a SL.

Koffee

nitropowered

get powertap built into a set of Zipp's. There's a compromise (though a lot more expensive)

my58vw

Power training is awsome. I just did a performance test on a computrainer and it is very nice to actually see ray power change as you get stronger. HR changes but it is slow to respond and sucks for sprints. Power is the way to go. I am also considering a power meter. The thing that really does bother me about the power meter is that is is not interchangable between wheelsets, like using it during a race vs a trainer. Of course I am not careing so much about watts in the middle of a race...

53-11_alltheway

Those powertaps would be awesome.

They'd be good for dialing in your bike on the trainer too.

Darth Vader

I've been searching all over the galaxy for one of these. Now the rebels don't stand a chance.

pinky

I can pick up a Powertap Pro for 450, but I got an interesting response from a guy at weightweenies that made me think about it:

Racing Aardvark: If you're prepared to change your training program over to really use it, then it's a very valuable tool for a regimented program.

On the other hand, you really have to change your training, not just use it as a cool toy.

You're probably better off spending the money with a coach than on the Powertap(given your level, for now). A good coach would have benefitted me a lot more when I was a Cat4 then a power tap would've.

53-11_alltheway

Training aside.

It would be interesting to compare different theories on how to make a bike fit.

Do you use a small crank arm and use more set-back to get a larger rider to fit or do you just leave the STA the same and compensate with longer cranks.

The only way to tell what works is a power meter.

There are some tests of cranklengths out there, but they didn't even adjust seat height or fore-aft in those experiments. What did that test prove? Nothing.

F1_Fan

You already have an excellent pair of wheels. Get the Powertap... power is the #1 indicator of performance.

Phatman

snap, I didn't realize there was more then one powertap hub. I'm not sure which one I'm being offered. Its already built onto a DT swiss rim. And its way more then 20%, and its new.

whats the dif between the pro and SL? is there a "non-pro"version too? are the pro and SL just lighter or do they have more features

53-11_alltheway

I'm interested in these hubs also. I found this https://www.fact-canada.com/Powertap/...att-meter.html

Another good place to read about these type of things is roadbikereview.com

R600DuraAce

Standard PowerTap and Pro use the same hub and bearing. Read this page:
https://www.midweekclub.ca/powerFAQ.htm#Q1 They don't use seal cartidge bearing and they require frequent maintance. Riding in the rain is a sure way to ruin the hub. The SL is lighter and uses seal cartidge bearing so that water isn't an issue. All electronics are inside the hub's axel, comparing to the other twos which have them outside (nondrive side) of the hub. The SL offers better protection general usage. The computer also has double the memory capacity of the Pro version. 1 second recording intervals you can record up to 15 hours of race/training information. The SL uses the battery more efficient. Less battery replacement issue.