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

Cheers Skinny - can I enter planned workouts into TP and then get a view of where my CTL etc is projected to be, if I perform the workouts as scheduled?

With premium yeah. It's a great feature. But don't plan workouts around a specific CTL. Plan CTL around workouts. Just use it to make sure the quality work your doing is pushing CTL up, as overload causes improvement. But just causing training overload via quantity will not create the best improvement possible. If that makes sense. You don't need a big CTL to be at your best for that event. A quality built 100ctl will be fine.

Otherwise you can put the formulas into an excel and do it as a graph, if you're cheap.

Where would it show that? Or do I need to put a load of workouts in for future dates and it'll display?

Ignore me, if you put the workouts in for future days then the PMC plots them based on your entries.

Here we go, quite straightforward:

I havent ridden properly for over a month. I do the occasional 75% FTP spin on the turbo for an hour. But basically my kids are getting older. So popping out after they've gone to bed is getting to be too late in the evening. My CTL doesnt bare looking at. I've also moved up to 83 kg from 76kg a few months ago, which isnt going to help.

I dont think I'll be miles behind you for the ride, Dammit.

But the extra weight, and lack of conditioning, are going to mean I yet again, fail to make the run.

Another 2x20 today. I'm rubbish at them.

I used the Trainer Road 2x20 minute FTP test, first ten minutes aimed to hold a target HR of 150, then for minutes 10-15 went up to 160, then final 5 minutes just tried to keep it under 175.

This meant that I completed the 20 minutes, but only the final 5 minutes were actually at threshold HR.

Second 20 mins I aimed to hold 160-165, mentally a bit tougher but once I'd got past 10 minutes it became pretty easy, just a case of hanging on.

I'm tired at the moment, so it's hard to judge these things, but I don't feel that (even if rested) I'd be able to hold 170-175 at the moment.

^Lots of aimless waffle, soz.

http://tpks.ws/NRJt

Why, with all your power meter options, are you using HR? HR thread >>>

Simply because this is the second test I've done in 12 months, and I can pace on HR.

Powermeter or gtfo.

If it's a new test you should be self selecting the effort on feel first. You don't do a 'test' using an existing metric, especially not a poor one.

I got to an HR that I felt I could hold, then held it.

It wasn't something I set out to do, it just helped get through the test.

If anyone sees a 110bcd rotor 3d+ srm for sale anywhere let me know. I could be tempted to part with cash.

And HR isn't that bad.
But You'll always be higer HR and lower watts indoors. Unless you ride the trainer a lot.

Just go with what you get. All that matters is you did something and it wasn't easy!

The goal of the session was to set FTP for Jan, hr was useful as a tool to get through the test. It was a poor test though I think, as if I had held ~175 for each 20 minute period that would have been an average power significantly greater than the one I got.

For testing I find it's better to put the computer somewhere you can't see it.

Right, be gentle as I'm new to all this power stuff.

I'm keen to start training with power and have been reading everything I can (my brain hurts) and am very close to pulling the trigger on a P2max. Price is the major deciding factor, so I'm looking at the cheapest entry point which seems to be the classic version on FSA Gossamer cranks with praxis rings. This comes to £625.

My plan is to upgrade the cranks when I can and one question I have is will I be very limited when I do decide to upgrade? Does the newer type S give me so much more freedom of choice in terms of chainset that it's worth the extra cost? If it makes a difference, my bike has a 68mm BSA bottom bracket and I want to run a semi compact set up.

Thanks

If I understand it correctly, if you buy the Gossamer P2m you will only be able to use it with Gossamer, or possibly other, FSA cranks. So if you wanted to switch to DA / 3D+ etc, then you'd need to buy the entire bundle, again.

Likewise, if you buy a Gossamer S-Type, it will only fit Gossamer / FSA cranks. So the S-Type doesn't get you round that issue.

One of the cheapest and flexible ways in I've found is to look for used SRM/SRAM cranks - because folks are reluctant to mix and match groupsets and probably don't understand the compatibility of SRAM GXP/BB30ish cranks they don't command much of a premium. I scored a barely used wireless SRM/S975 crank for £500.

The P2M you buy will only fit the cranks you specify, as it basically replaces the existing spider, so if you buy the FSA one, it'll only fit other FSA cranks (and even then it may only fit the Gossamers).

It's probably best to choose the cranks you want, then either buy the unit only from P2M, or save a bit more and get the cranks with the powermeter.

I've got the new type S and have had no end of trouble trying to fit it to another pair of Rotor cranks (basically I can't) so I can switch it between bikes. To be fair, this is a Rotor issue rather than a P2M one, which has worked faultlessly since I got it (once I got the Garmin to recognise it - that was a Garmin issue though, as I needed a firmware update).

Why do the Garmin need a firmware update to work with P2M? Which unit and which version? I don't want to update my 800 as it might mess up a working Powertap config.

I have a 500, which was running a version of the firmware which was at least 2 years old. It wouldn't recognise the P2M to begin with, but once updated was fine.

In your situation I'd go Rotor 3D (not plus and not F) with P2M classic which is same as any 24mm axle cranks in terms of installation; you can use your existing BB and swap between bikes. The swap usually takes 3 to 5 mins. Rotor because then you dont have to 'upgrade' in future as with Gossamer P2M you are stuck with FSA; not that I have any issues with them. If you want to save money go for classic instead of type S.

Might be interesting to create a record of the interface between spider and crank arm, I'll take some photographs next time I have any of mine apart.

It's my understanding that there is some cross-compatibility, let me see if I can find the P2M article which talks about it.

TTM - the Rotor 3D would be the most straightforward choice if you are always going to use the cranks on a BSA frame, if you might move to a frame with a different BB standard (and want to not run an adapter) then the 3D+ is more flexible, as it can run in a BSA shell (with external cups) or a BB30/PF30.

Ok, that possbly doesn't apply to me. It all depends on if I actually start training again this year and what I decide to upgrade to. Thanks @andyp.

My plan is to upgrade the cranks when I can

Why? I'm not sure that FSA Gossamer would be anybody's first choice crank*, but that doesn't mean you'll get a measurable (in terms of cycling performance) benefit from anything else.

*At RRP. Obviously, TH Industries' marketing model makes it the first choice for lots of OEMs, including apparently P2M, due to the abnormally large difference between retail and OEM pricing.

Or you can get 4iiii and stick it to your existing cranks.

$749, so $935 landed (assuming free shipping), or £610, plus whatever cranks you are going to use.

The Power2max classic 3D spider is £462, you'd need to get cranks arms of course.