Computrainer to SRM dicrepency

Triathlon Forum
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I know this is a much talked about (in the past) topic, but i’m curious to know what other peoples’ feelings / experiences are with this.

the simple version - how accurate are SRM’s compared to a Computrainer (i.e. how similar are the power readings on each) WHEN BOTH are configured correctly and zero’d etc? could i use power targets generated on a Computrainer, when racing using SRM’s?

The longer version - i normally train and race with SRM’s but recently sent mine back to be serviced after they started giving strange readings. i’m racing this weekend and havent been able to “re-test” (Coggans CP20 test protocol) in my SRM’s in order to get my target wattage for my race. i DID however do the Steelhead course on a comutrainer (set to 2.99lbs… so as good as i could get it to acurate) last weekend and know what i averaged on this course. it was my normal goal race power for 90k, but felt easier than normal… i.e. i think i’ve got stronger since my last test, if the wattage is to be trusted, but can i (maybe) increase my wattage goal by say 10watts, during my race using my SRM’s?

thanks for any help offered.

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sorry… just found this thread… guess it explains it… looks like good news too if the SRM’s read slightly higher than the computrainer does.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1305756;search_string=srm%20computrainer;#1305756

guess i’ll find out when i start to run on Saturday.

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how accurate are SRM’s compared to a Computrainer (i.e. how similar are the power readings on each) WHEN BOTH are configured correctly and zero’d etc? could i use power targets generated on a Computrainer, when racing using SRM’s?

I wouldn’t really trust any SRM that I hadn’t calibrated myself, and I wouldn’t trust any CompuTrainer that I hadn’t validated against another properly-calibrated powermeter (i.e., SRM or PowerTap).

Even if I owned a CompuTrainer as well as an SRM and was happy with how they matched up, I’d still be hesitant to use power data from the former as a target when racing with the latter, unless I knew how well the numbers “translated” for me.