Are You Getting the Best From Your Power Meter?

You may have been riding in a group lately and noticed someone with a weird rear hub or rather colourful cranks and chain rings bandying around terms like watts. In fact, you may be one of them! Power meters are now relatively common and enable you to ride, train and race using wattage, instead of using heart rate or speed. This tells you exactly how hard you are working.

Three of the main benefits of using power to train are:
1. Using power is the most accurate way to train. It eliminates the guesswork which makes every minute you pedal potentially more beneficial. Why? Because power meters measure the actual intensity at which you are riding as opposed to heart rate which is a response to the intensity at which you are riding. It doesn’t differ with age, fitness or what you had to drink the night before.
2. Not only does power lend itself to a structured training program, but one which is specific to the individual. Precise training zones are established and then rides or workouts can be specifically measured against goals specific to that individual. A detailed diary is automatically created.
3. Power is the best way to pace a time trial, or cycle section of an Ironman, or triathlon.

However, while many cyclists and triathletes have power meters, few have specific power training goals and or know how to interpret the data. We've been working with athletes with power for 5-6 years and there is a lot to learn, in fact we are still learning.

What lessons have we learnt?
• Power is the most accurate way to train. In fact, it is so good that you can actually end up training less, because every second of accurate training counts for more. Elite athletes have always used power to develop their ultimate performance; however, recreational riders with busy lives balancing work and family use power to obtain the best results from the time available. No junk miles here.
• The best tool for power analysis is a desktop application called training peaks WKO+. This software enables you to collate files over seasons, and pick apart a race file.
• There are a number of power meters available, Power Tap and SRM are the most common. SRM are definitely the best, although the most expensive.
• Power produced in a time trial position is often less than what can be produced on a road bike. This can vary and will be a trade off, between power and aerodynamics. It’s a matter of finding out the most effective aerodynamic position for the maximum amount of wattage a rider can produce.

If you have a power meter and are training for triathlon or for cycling, make sure you are using it to the utmost of its effectiveness. While it seems like it complicates things a lot, it in fact makes training a lot simpler and more effective because of its accuracy. They are incredible tools that can transform your performance if you use them properly. If you are keen to get a power device make sure you are either prepared to thoroughly understand the nuances and application of power training, or get a coach that has a thorough understanding of it.