A Power Meter as a Health Diagnostic Tool
 

Years ago (when you are 67 it can be many years ago) I had a problem with (as best as I recall from a diagnosis made in 1971) a piece of cartilage in my knee that would move around to uncomfortable places. The treatment was (once) a cortisone shot to reduce swelling and allow the thing to move back. Other times it was take a few days off (was a runner at the time) and things were fine.

Well, it has been a good 15 years since I have had a problem with this and it is back. And days off are not cutting it this time. So I see a doctor on Tuesday.

But in the meantime cycling was very uncomfortable (and now non-existent). I have Garmin Vector Power Pedals (both pedals) so I can see my over-all power balance (and other stuff, none of which I have found to be particularly helpful). And on a (for example) 2 hour ride in rolling terrain, total power left/right will almost always be (over the length of the ride) 47/53% or maybe 48/52%. I looked at my last ride (which was relatively uncomfortable) and the ride power balance was 54/46%. And you guessed it - problem is the right knee. And it looks like the right knee has degraded about 12% :-).

What was quite interesting was pedaling out of the saddle (which I tend to do a bunch to just 'pop over' all the little rollers around here). My habit (had no idea that I had one) in getting up out of the saddle is that I hit 'standing up' at about 2:00 (power stroke) on my right pedal. I had to learn to do that 'left footed'. While it was not hard, it is something that I had to think hard about to execute.

FWIW (which ain't much),

dave