Power Meters / Powermeters (SRM, Powertap, Quarq, Ergomo, Vector, Stages, power2max, P2M, 4iii, InPower, Cinch)

Cheers, I had a fun time playing with it this evening.

I'm still not sure I understand what I can learn from it in terms of improving my training/racing but it was interesting to compare the QA plots from time trials and the tri I've done this season.

My TTs show a much tighter clumping than the Tri does, but that is probably because (a) the tri was hillier, and (b) the course was busy leading to more changes in pace.

Unfortunately my power meter broke the night before my 50m TT otherwise it would have been fun to compare that to the HIM I did a few weeks before.

My power data interest curve is reducing - can't seem to summon up the energy do more than use it to train to zone and occasionally check progress.

End of season FTP test tomorrow great can't wait

That cured me of wanting to race XC this weekend. All the pain and 2.5% down. I hate FTP tests.

Fatigue?

Just had a notification from TP. I've set a new FTHR. 139bpm.

As I held 168 for 93mins earlier in the season. I shall enjoy training to my new zones.......

Unlikely unless it's end of season fatique as I've had a weeks recovery from my 12hr (8.5hr actualy) race. Limiting factor wasn't legs but chest - may have had asthma judging by the pain of breathing.

If you're doing enduro stuff, your curve might not favour a 20 min test. If that's what you did. Or maybe you should have done few shirt sharp intervals a day or so before to fire the CV system up.

Either way a single test isn't conclusive at all.

21minutes. Been doing them every 3months. Built, maintained, now tailing off. Reckon it's correct - felt pretty shit during and lack a bit of motivation as no more racing this season. About to sack training until November.

So what's the opinion on Stages these days? I heard they had a lot of issues with batteries and dropping out a while back.

My Powertap needs a new rim and given how cheap Stages are getting I'm thinking it might just be more cost effective to sell the Powertap and buy a Stages instead.

It's not as accurate as powertap or power2max etc. I've had stages for about a year and a half, I had a powertap before that. Most recently I've been training on power2max on the road and powertap on the track.

There is a definite difference - stages has a noticeable lag and i find it harder to measure a consistent effort (you need to set it to a 5s or 10s average instead of 3s or none). It's noticeably less accurate the shorter and harder the effort is.When I first got my track powertap I did a side by side test using stages with omnium cranks - differences ranged from 0.5% at threshold, to 10% at peak power (it was a pretty straight curve % wise from one to the other).

So, if you're training for tt's or triathlon it's good, but not so much for crits, cross or sprinting.

That said, i've had stages for a year and a half and it has been a useful training tool. They're also a lot more robust than powertaps - which IME are pretty crappy hubs and quite fragile for something so pricey. You're also not stuck with the same, heavy wheel for everything.

If you've got power meter money to spend, it would probably be best to spend it on a power2max - they've come down in price and are much more accurate.

Re: battery issue and casing issues - I believe these have been resolved now. My stages has now goes 6 months on the same battery with daily use (my first one was replaced on warranty after the battery case split).

This statement from the p2m website:

Do I need to recalibrate my power2max if I change the crank or chain
rings? Changing cranks or chain rings does not affect calibration. You
can also use oval chain rings (e.g., Rotor Q-Rings, Osymetric, etc).

My experience tells me this might not be totally true. Anyone else able to comment?

Mind works fine with Q rings.

Surely recalibration only takes 10s with aa Garmin though? Or are you talking about a weighted calibration like you do for powertaps?

Tell us what your experience is, so we can comment.

I've done extensive testing with chainrings and P2M (and Rotor power meters, the double sided ones), there's a small inflation with mad rings like Osymetrics but nothing like an SRM, and all round rings are fine.

OK, must be the mad gainz I've made.

Here's my experience:

Owned a p2m a couple of years ago, used with q-rings, tested and tracked FTP.
P2m stolen, over a year passes.
Bought Amey's p2m, used with no-q, tested FTP: much lower than previous.
Fitted q-rings, done a few rides / workouts (no test yet): same workouts I did with no-qs now feel much easier.

Possible that a difference in chainring bolt torque might be responsible?

Or just that Q rings have a real benefit for you.

Powertap Track users
Please excuse this post, but I figured it was probably the best place to post it.

I'm selling my Raltec disc covers. They were originally bought for a Mavic Ellipse, but modification means they fit well to a Powertap Track laced to a wide (23mm) rim, e.g. Archetype. If you wanted to mod them further they could probably fit a narrow rim, but I couldn't guarantee it. Wouldn't be after a huge sum for them, and it's a cheap way of getting a disc wheel. Anyone interested?

lol at tyre choice.

Humph... why can't you be selling these in a few months time? If this were around November time then I'd almost certainly be interested. Don't have a bike or funds for them now but will start the new build when the new job starts.

Happy to hang on to them, I can't really foresee there being huge demand.

Would have them, but covers aint track legal so a bit pointless given that it's super unlikely I will ever do a FG TT

Don't wait about for me, there is no guarantee I'll manage to source a PT hub either (presumably they wouldn't fit a normal hub?), but I'd like one since vectors won't work with fixed.

Vectors work fine on fixed gear.

Do they? There isn't a lot of concrete evidence to say that they don't but sertainly a few posts on TTF saying that they are unreliable on fixed...
http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=103595
http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=100054&hl=

Longshot, but anyone after a wired Cannondale SRM? 130bcd.

How much?