I have finally got a coach and he HIGHLY recommends training with power for the bike. So what is best; a CompuTrainer, SRM or a PowerTap? I know he will give me a opinion on what he thinks, but what to you guys think.
As a background I am training for a half IM in July and IMFL. Also, I have seen posts like this branch off, so to add I already have a coach, a road bike ('04 Felt F35), a race bike ('03 P3) and race wheels. I live in Chicago and have a indoor trainer.
Thanks for the input.
A lot will depend on what your coach recommends, and what you prefer.
If most of your workouts are going to be indoors, get a CT. If you can’t stand riding inside, or want to race with power, get a PT. The SRM would be great for either, but is the most expensive.
For me, training with power means working at a specific power output for a specific time, which is hard to achieve outside, which makes the CT a better choice.
I would highly recommend a setup that allows you to train AND race with power.
You can’t take a Computrainer on your outdoor training rides, nor in your races.
The SRM allows you to use differing wheels depending on what riding you are doing; it is more expensive.
A Power Tap wheel can be moved between bikes, providing that each bike has its own receiver harness. There have been quality issues with PT in the past, but their customer service is quite good at addressing problems.
I have a Power Tap, and covered the wheel to make it a disk; I use it for training and for racing. Works well for me.
Ken Lehner
For more info on the SRM and Power Tap, see http://www.bike.com/template.asp?date=3%2F5%2F2003&lsectionnumber=6
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I strongly recommend you get an Ergomo power meter. Here’s why:
A) anything you can do on a computrainer can be equaled with the power meter and an indoor trainer. You don’t get the nifty screen to look at, big deal, at least you don’t have to steal the laptop from your wife and kids to ride. You can’t program in the race course and follow it, but guess what, your goal is to keep your power even, so all that you are going to be doing is adjusting your gears to keep your power even as the computrainer sends you up a hill or into wind or whatever…may as well just keep you power even on an indoor trainer. Power meters will log your workout just as well as a CT. You can’t race your virtual self, I guess that is a drawback. No spin-scan, but the usefulness of this feature is often discounted by coaches. Disclaimer…I haven’t actually ridden a computrainer, this is just my logic and impressions. I have looked them over and researched them though.
B) You want to be able to compare what you are doing in your indoor workouts to what you are doing in your outdoor workouts, and what you are doing in a race. You will get a much better idea of what wattage you can hold over various times if you are always measuring it, logging it, and analyzing it. And you definitely want to be able to race with your wattage meter. I am amazed at the number of people who think they must have a disk to replace their 404 rear wheel, that don’t own a power meter…obviously I think a well paced race will be worth a lot more time savings. If you use the same meter for both indoors and out, you don’t have to worry about calibration differences.
A) The only part you have to use that is non-standard is the bottom bracket. You can use any wheels you want, any set of cranks you want (that are compatible), etc. No other trainer is this versital, with the possible exception of Polar, which is reputed to be much less durable and accurate.
B) Best bang for the buck. Price is around $1300.
My second choice would be to get an SRM off Ebay, they go for about the same $1300 used.
By the way, I am thinking about getting an new indoor trainer after letting my old one go for $50 when I moved. Since this one (1up trainer) is built in Platteville WI, 30 miles from where I grew up, I am very tempted to order it. Anyone seen one in action?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3668143660&category=7295
My first thought would have been the Ergomo. I have one on my new Tri bike and it great – I have very few complaints about it (and no more complaints that I suspect I would have with any other power meter).
The downside of the Ergomo for you might be that you can’t move it between your tri and road bikes (well, you can, but you probably don’t want to). That leaves SRM or PT. If you want to race with power (see, for example, http://www.cruciblefitness.com/etips/IMPower.htm) and since you already have race wheel, PT probably doesn’t work for you. That leaves SRM which would be easier to swap between bikes comprared to the Ergomo.
CT is a great tool also and I use mine regularly. But, it’s nice having a power meter on the road to remind you when your napping and slacking off.
Rob
I just bought the PT Pro, and although i cant comment how well it works, ill tell you my decision making process.
I dont like the idea of the Polar, the comparison tests show that it is highly accurate but with all the wires, the set up time, i guess im naive and think measuring chain vibration sounds like a bridge in florida. Anyway, i already have a very good polar watch and would thus need to buy another polar watch and then the power unit. no thanks
I couldnt afford the SRM, or i could but i cant rationalize it. yes sometimes, they come up on ebay, ive been looking over the last month and they have been selling for like $1500-$1900. thats more than my tt bike is worth—too much for my budget.
So that leaves the PowerTap----i really couldnt find the regular PT for much less than the PT pro and i heard bad stories about the Tune PT and that seemed like most of the PT’s that came up on Ebay lately. So i got the Pt Pro off of ebay for $849. Although, once i add on the Wheels Manufac. Cassette so i can ride it on my campy Eurus wheels and the tire it’ll be an additional $150 or so, then there’s the other harness that i’ll want to get so i can switch twix my road and tt bike and thats like another $60-$100 depending.
Ergomo isnt as switchable as i’d like it to be either (for various bikes)
so yeah, i dont know if that helps at all.
jeremyb
as a coach who focuses on power based training, I would recommend you start with a true, on-the-bike powermeter.
I totally recommend the SRM, since it moves easily (less than five minutes with auto-extractors) from bike to bike (I have a few ;), is VERY accurate, and let’s you use ANY wheels. If you are road racing, how would you like to loose data because you had a rear flat?
The computrainer is AWESOME. I love mine, and if you are time constrained or live somewhere where winter riding is not always an option, then the CT, not so much for the power measurement, but for the enforced variability is invaluable.
But the accuracy depends on the unit you get, unless you get a Lab CT.
But you get no data for races :-/
Let me put it this way, I started off with a SRM Am, thinking that was good enough. I ended up getting a SRM Pro, and this winter a CT Lab model.
NOTE: We do offer discounts to clients on purchasing powermeters (polar, powertap and ergomo and we can get SRM’s too)
Hope that helps,