I am going to purchase a PowerTap in the next few weeks, and am looking for recommendations on the head unit to use. I was considering just getting the PowerTap wheel (ANT+) from wheelbuilder.com and using a Garmin 310xt for the computer, and not purchasing the cyclops or other head unit. This way I can use the garmin 310xt for all my bike and run training. Does anyone use this setup and have any recommendations on whether or not this is a good way to go? Any downside? Like can the garmin provide as much information as the other computers out there?
PowerTap SL+ wheel with no computer will come to $875. Garmin 310xt is around $350. So, a total of $1,225. Seems like a pretty good way to go. Any opinions on this setup?
It is what I run and I have no complaints…(well, occasionally I get really high HR readins on runs because of static electricity with shirts, but that is it).
Thats the way to go and I think you’ll find a few people around here with the same setup. There’s nothing that that the LYC can display that the garmin can’t.
More info here
This is my set up and with the new software upgrades for the 310 it is the way to go in my opinion.
Google “dcrainmaker”. He does great product reviews and you can educate yourself on the 310 and other products.
I use the same setup and it is practically flawless. The Garmin is more user friendly than the LYC too. Also coming soon to the Garmin is the ability to add courses and workouts.
That’s the setup I use and am very happy with just the 310. That being said, as I learned on a key race rehearsal when I left the Garmin home charging, I hate not having that power data when pacing w/power is crucial. (ie key workouts & long course racing) Having a second computer mounted on the bike is a good insurance policy. I would be screwed if the Garmin ever crapped out on me in an IM since I don’t have a secondary device.
Right on. Exactly the same for me. Nothing to keep me from recommending the setup though. I only recently got my PT and am going on a ride for it in just a bit actually! So far I love it. I also bought the book Training and Racing With A Power Meter FWIW. You might consider it also.
It is what I run and I have no complaints…(well, occasionally I get really high HR readins on runs because of static electricity with shirts, but that is it).
Personally, I use this approach and recommend it as well. I got my PT with the LYC set-up originally, and will sometimes ride with the LYC head unit in my jersey pocket just to get the data set for a particular ride.
With the 310, the only limiter you might notice (and this is if you are truly doing a lot of data analysis with your PT) is that the LYC or Joule loading power files into WKO+ or Training Peaks can give you a lot more analytical data: 5 sec power, 30 sec power, 1 min power, 5 min power, Ride Avg Power, Normalized Power, IF, etc. It also makes better charts/graphs.
If you want to just get average or riding along power info, you can easily do that with the Garmin and its data tools - but it is not as data rich or precise as the data from the other PCs.
Whatever system you use, I’d say take the time to learn how to use it, do the work to establish your power ranges or zones and then train (and esp for LC) race with that info. Else your investment will be less useful in terms of ROI.
I use the same setup and it is practically flawless. The Garmin is more user friendly than the LYC too. Also coming soon to the Garmin is the ability to add courses and workouts.
+1
[quote TallTim
With the 310, the only limiter you might notice (and this is if you are truly doing a lot of data analysis with your PT) is that the LYC or Joule loading power files into WKO+ or Training Peaks can give you a lot more analytical data: 5 sec power, 30 sec power, 1 min power, 5 min power, Ride Avg Power, Normalized Power, IF, etc. It also makes better charts/graphs.
I upload all the stuff from my garmin into their program, export it from there and then import it into trainingpeaks, it works fine.
With the 310, the only limiter you might notice (and this is if you are truly doing a lot of data analysis with your PT) is that the LYC or Joule loading power files into WKO+ or Training Peaks can give you a lot more analytical data: 5 sec power, 30 sec power, 1 min power, 5 min power, Ride Avg Power, Normalized Power, IF, etc. It also makes better charts/graphs.
If you want to just get average or riding along power info, you can easily do that with the Garmin and its data tools - but it is not as data rich or precise as the data from the other PCs.
It was my understanding that Training Peaks imports the raw power samples and that it didn’t matter what the capabilities of the computer that collected the data are. Is that not true? I thought the richness of analysis, charts, graphs, etc. was device independent.
I currently have a PT wheel & Garmin 310Xt, I download my data to Garmin Connect. is there anyway to get the PT data from the Garmin into the Power Agent software?
Thats the way to go and I think you’ll find a few people around here with the same setup. There’s nothing that that the LYC can display that the garmin can’t.
More info here
https://sites.google.com/site/garminpower/
Not true. You can not get the actual torque offset value with the 310XT. And if your hub starts having issues, that’s the first thing Cyclops is going to want to know.
I currently have a PT wheel & Garmin 310Xt, I download my data to Garmin Connect. is there anyway to get the PT data from the Garmin into the Power Agent software?
Have a look at the open source Golden Cheetah software, you can upload .tcx files to it and it far superior to Power Agent: http://www.goldencheetah.org
I’d give more thought into the wheel choice than the head unit for the Power Tap. I’d go with a high-end all-around training wheel that you can put a cover onto and use on your other bikes or a 404 or 808 for some training use but more for racing road and tris with a disc cover for the latter.
Garmin products are the way to go for the head unit unless you are really into data analysis, then I would have both head units.
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It’s not a bad setup… but I opted to get a separate garmin 500 eventually.
I’ll still race with the 310, but while cycling I don’t look at my watch. Yes you can do the quick mount/mount the watch. But if you don’t it’s a pain. In races, I don’t really want to deal with that.
It’s doable, but in the long run I prefer the 310/500 combo.
Yes, there is. I don’t remember off hand what the file type is but you can take the power file from wherever your Garmin Ant+ agent saves it and import it into the Power Agent Software. That being said, I think for a while the software updates to the Garmin may have messed it up a bit so that the Power Agent Software couldn’t read the file the Garmin was producing.