hey chip. there you go - back to the original question for our poster. :) check it out, i am not bagging on you - it is funny how things are seen. my PC bike could hardly be less "gizmo-like". all steel, 7 spd freewheel, bar end friction shifting, cantilevers, old parts from the parts bin, etc. classic retro-grouch. by contrst, i can hardly imagine anything more "gizmo-like" than a CT ! i mean, you are turning on a computer to ride a trainer, my friend. we are funny.

anyway, since our poster is gonna get them both i still think he should get the PC's first - adapt this winter, ride 'em all summer, and go "gizmo" next year. :)

Its amazing how the word Powercranks invoke the most responses. Get the PCs first. I have owned my for a year and they have made me more economical (better technique).

some do great on high intensity low volume
some do great on high volume low intensity

Ian Thorpe has a long slow stroke
Brooke Bennett has a short fast stroke

Spencer Smith is a big dude, as jason shortis, garrett mac fayden, Welchy is a hobbit.

Conclusion is: we are all different. You want to improve. You have lots of things to do that out there
(the key ones remaining: work ethic, desire, and fun)
PC is the only one that has a 2 months satisified or send it back policy. So if you think it may help, try them. if it does good on you. else, send them back.

isn't that very simple??

I just got off an hour of riding on PC's. It occured to me that one difference in this tool and other tools, is that PC's DEMAND that you do a certain motion in order to ride. If I'm just on regular cranks and don't feel like really paying attention, I do my rides, maybe a little slower than normal, and chalk it up to an "off day". On PC's, you MUST pick the recovery leg up each and every stroke. Not only must you pick it up, you've got to shove it forward some before you can begin your downstroke. It never gets tired, it never takes excuses, it never accepts anything less than lifting that recovery leg each and every revolution. It doesn't care if you are tired, or sore, or cold, etc., it just demands you do it. At first, it's a real pain. After a while, you appreciate being reminded when you get a little sloppy. They make you better, IF you ride them. I wish I had something this effective at teaching me to have a better swim stroke, then again, such a device would probably result in a drowning.

---

Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)