Zeppelin

Hi guys,

I've recently invested in a Stages Power Meter. It seems to be working fine with my Garmin Edge 500.

I bought the PM to improve the quality of my interval workouts and to pace climbs.

I have been training (and to some degree pacing) for years on Heart Rate. Heart Rate doesn't jump around much but so far (admitedly only one easy spin of an hour or so) 3 sec average power DOES jump around a huge amount.

I understand about calculating FTP and defining the zones.

What I'm not sure about is staying within those zones. On a relatively easy spin home my power reading went from say 170w to 220w to 130w to 150w etc without much effort from me, a slight incline, a gust of wind, a change of position.

Do I need to learn to ride with more consistant power output? Is it something you get used to as you see the power number on the screen? Is it just a case of make sure most of your interval is within the zone and don't sweat a few peaks and troughs?

I've only had one short ride with the PM. All input welcome. Thanks in advance.

gregf83 

The numbers on a powermeter do tend to bounce around quite a bit some meters more than others. You should learn to pedal smoothly with a steady power output particularly if you plan to race or ride with groups. If you haven't used a powermeter it takes a while to maintain consistent power with changes in load. Use your gears on hills and overpasses and don't ease up when you go downhill. Gives you something to focus on when you're in the middle of an interval.

Divtos

Set you Garmin to show the 3 second average. Your power will still jump but without that its pretty impossible to maintain as you've seen. Also see my other thread for the free training plan. In the notes of the plan it has lots of beginner information like this.

SkepticalOne

^Agree with 3 second averaging

You should buy the book, Training and Racing with a Power Meter. It is essential reading for anyone who is investing in power meter-based training. They have a few routines in the book beyond FTP to characterize your performance in all zones from Recovery, Tempo, Sweet Spot, Threshold, VO2max, etc.

I initially endeavoured to develop my own training programs, but now use Trainerroad instead.

RChung

Here's my advice for new power users: don't do anything different for a while. You don't know enough to be changing things yet. Just ride your normal rides, at your normal effort levels. Sprint, if you want (everyone does). Try to find your max power, if you want (everyone does).

Learn to use the buttons so you don't have to fumble. Download the data after every ride to your preferred application, but don't waste too much time yet trying to figure out what it all means (everyone wastes some time trying to figure out what it all means -- just don't waste too much time). Importantly, if you already have a logbook, continue to use it. If you don't, then start making notes in your software app about your RPE and anything unusual (how well you slept the previous night or what you ate, if they were unusual; if it was windy or rainy or hot or cold). That will come in handy when you look back.

After you have more outdoor rides under your belt you can start to alter what you're doing. You don't yet know enough to do that, so you'd just be doing things randomly.

andr0id

Don't display instantaneous power on your Garmin. I think I use the 3 or 5 second window.

Yes, wind, grade and even road surface changes are going to constantly bump you around. Shoot for the middle to top of your range.

If that doesn't work for you, just set the dial to 400w.

Heathpack 

FWIW, I display instantaneous power on my Garmin. You get used to reading what you display and yes the numbers jump around. But that's the nature of power data and it's not like you're looking at the power readings continuously,

My coach was the one who suggested instant power, because you really don't want to know what you were doing 3 seconds ago, you want to know what's happening right now. And you want to learn to be smooth.

I'm not saying any one is right or wrong- there's different ways to display the data because people have different schools of thought. Just providing a counterpoint to the "3 second" comments- because not everyone actually does that and at least some of us who don't have a sound rationale behind their decision.

Seattle Forrest

What Garmins are you to using?

I have an 800, it has a power field and a 3 second power field, they both give me the same thing. Both update every 3 seconds. I called them a year ago when I got the power meter and they told me that's how all their head units behave. A few days ago I had the power field displaying on my watch and it seems to update every second or so, I wasn't counting. So maybe the support guy I talked to was wrong and newer Garmins can do instantaneous power. From the way you're talking it sounds like newer Edges can too?

asgelle

You really need to find a new coach. (and think about what "right now means and how power is reported even without averaging.)

Heathpack 

OMG no idea who you are but you are delusional if you'd think I'd look for a different coach based on your comment.

My coach is a hugely knowledgable guy, an excellent and attentive coach, a very successful racer in multiple cycling disciplines, holds multiple national titles AND someone I have a Vulcan mind-meld relationship with, not to mention a close personal friendship. He's someone who has brought me from a newby cyclist to a time trialist with a 50% win percentage in her first 9 months of racing and a realistic chance at making the podium at our state championship.

Lol, yes, I think I'll go find a new coach. Mine has zero idea what he's doing.

Heathpack 

I have an Edge 1000. To tell you the truth, I just set it up to display the same data fields that I had displayed on my old Edge 510s. They for sure displayed a difference between 3 second and instant power. But I've never tried to display both at the same time on the 1000.

I will tell you though that the chances of a Garmin support person telling you something completely wrong is actually pretty high.

Seattle Forrest

Thanks Heathpack.

jsk

IMHO nobody can be so smooth as to have the instantaneous power perfectly steady when riding outdoors, that's just not the way power meters work. I find 3s Power more useful, although I also have 10s and 30s on display when doing interval training.

asgelle

Nor the human body. Since biomechanics limit the force applied to the pedal at certain crank positions, the only way to have perfectly smooth power is by reducing the force applied at other positions. Smoothness is obtained at the expense of power.