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Riding With Power
The latest fad in training for cycling is power
measuring devices. You may have heard Chris Carmichael talking about Lance
Armstrong emailing him his downloaded workouts so he could analyze his power
output. With the data they have reduced Lance's watts per revolution and
increased his watts per kilogram and claim this is why he has been unbeatable in
the tour 5 times running.
meINNOVATIONS
can help you find your lactate threshold power and heart rate and use these in
tandem to realize your full potential.
How do you do it? Well, the first step is choosing a device to measure power. Several stationary bikes
measure power output in watts, but they
do not precisely reflect what you can do in real outdoor conditions on
your own bike with your own shoes and pedals and with good competition.
There are four good options for measuring your power output with your equipment.
These systems are extremely useful for coaching evaluating progress.
Ask about
significant meINNOVATIONS
client discounts.
- CompuTrainer.
Perhaps the best choice for the rainy season right around the corner is the
CompuTrainer personal trainer. This is a stationary trainer on which you hook
up your bike and, if desired, personal computer. It measures power, speed, HR,
and cadence. It has a plethora of customizable courses and a feature called SpinScan, which helps you see differences between left and right feet
and the "roundness" of your pedal stroke. If you tell me that you purchased one
any time I can save clients up to an additional $250. The Pro
3D is the full featured model I recommend.
- Power-Tap. Tune Corporation made
the original power measuring hub which you build with your wheel of choice.
The hub was a bit heavy, but had the advantage of measuring where the rubber
meets the road, or almost anyway.
Graber
has purchased the system, fixed the problems with the seals and
flanges in the hub, created more accurate cadence and more display, lap, and
recording options and reintroduced it at as the Pro at a MSRP of $769. It's reasonably
easy to install, extremely accurate, creates a standard .csv file format, and
is priced reasonably so it shows a lot of promise with its output of avg and
max watts, torque, speed, HR, and cadence as well as total energy (KJ)
expended. Contact me for a demo of the device and the software.
- SRM. This is a device that replaces the cranks on your bike. It's very
accurate and water resistant, but expensive at $2100 and somewhat
inflexible. You have to buy a crank of each size and type (road, MTB, track)
you want to use for $140 each or an adjustable (heavy) one for $420. It comes
with nifty download software that graphs power, HR, RPM, speed,
and more. This is a very good system if you have enough money to throw
at it.
- Polar S720i. This
is the newest device you can use on your bike enjoying your favorite scenery.
It operates on chain tension and Polar's very successful and popular
wireless technology. Just as an electric guitar string generates a
sound frequency, so does a bike chain. This is read by a sensor mounted to the
chainstay and transmitted to the computer along with chain speed measured at
the derailleur pulley and road speed measured at a wheel. With this data it
calculates power output and normal cycling computer functions.
More Resources
Cycling Peaks
Power
Profiling
Charles Howe's
Road Cyclist's Guide to Training
by Power
Joe Friel’s
Training with With
Power
Training with
Power FAQ
Andrew Coggan's
Power-Based Training Program
Topica's Wattage Forum
Product Comparison
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