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

Trust this forum to care about what it looks like before questioning its effectiveness. Don't change luffgass, don't change.

How about having a giggle at it's 1499 euro price tag instead ?

Power2Max with a 3D+ Crankset is 990 euro

Apart from "Training and Racing with a Power Meter" and "The Power Meter Handbook"... what other books do you have found interesting & recommend to learn about power, power meter usage and analysis of the results?

A coach

Although they are pretty tough to get from Amazon

That's better. Stupid price is stupid.

None. If it's not in those it's entering the vagaries of training principles rather than power meter usage and then you're into scientific studies, coaching books, hocus pocus and other voodoo..

A coach

I'll get one when I'm closer to my goals (1200km Madrid-Gijón-Madrid in 2017) but for now just want to learn by myself reading about the topic and collecting data from my rides. Not a pro.. just an engineer with a lust for data and improvement.

So, you can now measure your power. Work out what improves it. Simples. :)

This would explain why velotech gave me a 'deal' Last month.... #mug

I'll get one when I'm closer to my goals (1200km Madrid-Gijón-Madrid in 2017)

Are you going for a time then? (e.g. sub 60h?) Otherwise a coach, or even training with power, is a bit of overkill for an Audax.

For me its not an Audax/Brevet/Super Randonnee... its a personal challenge to go from where I live to where I was born, and back. But it helps if there is people waiting at controls to help you with the feeding. I don't think I'll have the time/resources to try to beat the actual record from Julian Sanz (50h and 14minutes supported and with years of experience). But I want to know what I'm capable of, so I'll be able to decide after if I should try greater challenges or stick to my usual adventures.

I'm thinking of getting a coach like Fran Vacas for the previous months (he arrived first the previous edition with 58h and was also self-taught and without support) but not only for the power based training, but to learn from his experience with everything else involved in this kind of challenges.

I know PM are still overkill for amateurs, I'm just a geek engineer that loves data that tells me more about myself than any (not expensive) coach can. I'm totally aware that PM it's not even necessary to beat the record at PBP (this year Björn Lenhard used only HR monitor), or win the TransAm or TCR. But we all know that PM helps you get "the best bang for your buck" if you don't have much time to train, and improve what you think you know about yourself as an athlete.

Pretty much every piece of bike tech we all use is overkill for amateurs*. Buy one if you want one.
They're useful if you like data. Also if you like to tease others on how little power you're exerting for a given speed.

Side note. I still havre a P2M for sale.

• this is one of the most poorly written things I've ever posted. You know what I mean. We like kit. We're cyclists. Shiny things are pretty. Pretending to be pro is great.
  

Pros just use what they're told. Don't think they all have some magical grasp on power training. They'd still kill us without any of the tech. Sure, some of them will be tech wizards and training gurus and for each of them there'll be someone who just goes and climbs hills until they're tired.

Also don't underestimate the detail that a lot of amateurs look to when chasing improvements. Times are changing but quite a lot of British TTers have done more aero testing than a lot of the pros, for example.

I'd definitely want Power for an audax I wanted to do well in. I pace a million times better With it.

I'm not so bothered for short stuff. Then its just. Smash yourself to make the Group at the start. Ride at their pace, finish according to how much you have left in the tank.

Audax is about eating not pacing. Aud in French means "food" and "ax" means "face". The reasoning being to succeed you need to stuff as much food into your face as possible. Everything else just happens. Pedal, eat, sleep in required. Repeat until Arrivee.

I'm good at eating.

If I can ride nearly 900 mountain kms in a week, and come home heavier. I must be doing something right (or wrong. Depending on goals I Guess).

The only downside is cycling around snowy Mountains, With no jacket. Because the carry 3x extra flapjacks vs 1x packable jacket, decision only ever ends one way.

Rookie.

You wear the jacket and then you can stuff EVEN MORE flapjacks into it.

Glad I could help.
Jacket Stuffer

Indeed.

Look at Strava at any pros who log all their rides and you can easily see what the base difference between amateurs and pros is - time spent on the bike (and i'd imagine quality time spent on the sofa recovering instead of holding down full time jobs).

Said flapjacks would be turned instantly to oaty sweat Soup to very second the road started to point upwards.

......maybe a waterproof With a Straw system installed?

Its time spent easy riding, and recovering vs Our time spent doing intervals, working, and driving the kids to footy practice.

Totally different training.

So you wear your jacket and nothing else?

Bro, do you even layer?

Bro, do you even cling film?

I'm single-handedly keeping 14 different British breweries and a kebab shop in business every year. How many Pros can make the same claim?

Bro, do you even flapjack in top tube bag?

Top tube bag in powermeter thread? Next you'll be telling me you keep things like spare tubes in a bag that dangles off your saddle...

banned