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Powerpod users
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Velocomp powerpod users. Particularly those with current or recent models. How’s that power meter treating you?

I have a smart trainer (Kurt kinetic wheel on) and that power seems consistent and good enough for me. I’d like to add it to my bikes though without spending an entire rent check or switching out my pedals 5 times a week for multiple bikes.

1) Do you get good, consistent, and useable data?
2) How is switching bikes?
3) How is the device holding up after use and abuse?
4) How is it about connecting to watches and bike computers?

Thanks

I still lapped everyone on the couch!
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Re: Powerpod users [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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I have one of the first models. I had to send it back for a new battery, but otherwise it’s been fine. Seems consistent. Very fast and easy to change bikes.
It works for me.
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Re: Powerpod users [gaukler] [ In reply to ]
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Nice. That’s what the poor folks like me were hoping to hear. Also what do you use for cadence and speed sensors? Garmin/Wahoo level stuff or just whatever Amazon deal you can find?

I still lapped everyone on the couch!
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Re: Powerpod users [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Garmin.
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Re: Powerpod users [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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I have an Isaac that I have had for many years and it works OK but to be honest I went out when I could and got a dual sided driect force system.

1) Do you get good, consistent, and useable data?
well sort of. It depends on your tolerance for variability. The big thing to understand is the limitations. For instance when you calibrate and you then change something that is going to have significance like your clothing to either more or less aero, this will have an impact. So if you can accept this sort of thing or how the variation of road types could impact rolling resistance then that is fine.
2) How is switching bikes?
as long as each bike has its own cadence and speed sensor it uses the ID to align the calibration between bikes. I never used this aspect so can't comment on how well it works
3) How is the device holding up after use and abuse?
I have had mine for many years and Velocomp does do their best to stand behind the product.
4) How is it about connecting to watches and bike computers?
Not sure I do not have the power pod but my Isaac works fine with my Garmin.

If you have not already, read the article DCRainmaker did on the power pod.

It has certain limitations but if you are OK with those and at the price point it is hard to beat. I think it is relatively precise in that you will get fairly consistent results day to day on the same course, using the same equipment. It is not that far off the results when used side by side on my road bike with the direct force meter. So I think if you do not do too many strange things it will work fine. I think it works best on a road bike where you have fairly consistent road surface. I can not see how it can work on a fat bike in off road terrain and similarly with a mountain bike with really varying terrain and tire pressures to suit. Therefore I have only used it on my road bike. Which is why I never did much swapping.
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Re: Powerpod users [s5100e] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah I read the DCR but wanted to see how things were in the wild. Plus there’s been a couple years and at least one generation between the DCR review and what’s new.

I still lapped everyone on the couch!
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Re: Powerpod users [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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I have one and I find it to be quite inconsistent. I tried the quick calibrate and the out and back calibration but still no luck. I went and bought the pitot tube to see if it would help but it didn't improve things. I don't know if it is an issue with my setup or perhaps I'm just terrible at holding a relatively consistent pace. Either way I'd rather use heart rate and RPE to pace a race and at the moment only consider the PowerPod a gimmick.
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Re: Powerpod users [TIT] [ In reply to ]
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TIT wrote:
I have one and I find it to be quite inconsistent. I tried the quick calibrate and the out and back calibration but still no luck. I went and bought the pitot tube to see if it would help but it didn't improve things. I don't know if it is an issue with my setup or perhaps I'm just terrible at holding a relatively consistent pace. Either way I'd rather use heart rate and RPE to pace a race and at the moment only consider the PowerPod a gimmick.

If I were you I would get in touch with Velocomp they are quite responsive and can often diagnose the issues with your calibration. I know it is not a replacement for a direct force meter but I also know via comparison against one that it is not that far off. So though I no longer use it for measuring power I still get info when I do use it from wind measurement. The direct force power meter is my training metric. How are you so certain it is inconsistent? Have you performed repeats on a single piece of road/ course and a consistent pace and found wildly different outputs? I would expect about 5% variation to be within the realm of normal for the device. Even a good power DF meter is likely to have an error of 1 to 3% so I suspect it is something to look at on same day, similar environmental conditions repeats and find out what the difference is.
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Re: Powerpod users [s5100e] [ In reply to ]
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s5100e wrote:
TIT wrote:
I have one and I find it to be quite inconsistent. I tried the quick calibrate and the out and back calibration but still no luck. I went and bought the pitot tube to see if it would help but it didn't improve things. I don't know if it is an issue with my setup or perhaps I'm just terrible at holding a relatively consistent pace. Either way I'd rather use heart rate and RPE to pace a race and at the moment only consider the PowerPod a gimmick.

If I were you I would get in touch with Velocomp they are quite responsive and can often diagnose the issues with your calibration. I know it is not a replacement for a direct force meter but I also know via comparison against one that it is not that far off. So though I no longer use it for measuring power I still get info when I do use it from wind measurement. The direct force power meter is my training metric. How are you so certain it is inconsistent? Have you performed repeats on a single piece of road/ course and a consistent pace and found wildly different outputs? I would expect about 5% variation to be within the realm of normal for the device. Even a good power DF meter is likely to have an error of 1 to 3% so I suspect it is something to look at on same day, similar environmental conditions repeats and find out what the difference is.

After your post I redid the out and back calibration and then ran the calibration check through the packaged software.

On Monday I did a ride with two out and back loops of a 12.5kms segment. Both loops I rode very consistently and data shows less than 1% difference in HR, power and speed between the two laps. So it seems to be quite consistent in readings.

I think the calibration needs a little more work though as there were bigger differences between the out and back of each loop. Part of it could have been me but I'll have to have a closer look at the data because I suspect the calibration could be tweaked a bit for better results.
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Re: Powerpod users [TIT] [ In reply to ]
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TIT wrote:
I think the calibration needs a little more work though as there were bigger differences between the out and back of each loop. Part of it could have been me but I'll have to have a closer look at the data because I suspect the calibration could be tweaked a bit for better results.

There are also ways to tweak calibration post ride and use that calibration moving forward.
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Re: Powerpod users [marcag] [ In reply to ]
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marcag wrote:
TIT wrote:

I think the calibration needs a little more work though as there were bigger differences between the out and back of each loop. Part of it could have been me but I'll have to have a closer look at the data because I suspect the calibration could be tweaked a bit for better results.


There are also ways to tweak calibration post ride and use that calibration moving forward.
and if you have questions John is rather responsive on the Velocomp forum to look at a file and tweak your calibration a needed.

What is different between the out and back and what makes you think they are not good? When you look at the ride in the software you can see the icicle plot that indicates wind (often blue up or down tick lines) that indicate wind direction it sensed. If out point one direction and back the other (which is what it should) then the power numbers out and back will be different due to the head wind or tail wind... There are some other options in the software to analyze your calibration as well.

As I say it is not a bad device as a power meter under the right conditions but it has its limitations and as long as you can accept these limitations then you should be happy but you need to at minimum know its limitations.
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