Your initial question is “Is knowing your power output worth $2000”. Let’s pretend you know if for free. Would you use it? For what? To move up from 82nd in your AG to 74th? To brag to your friends about your power numbers? Why do you want to know? Seriously.
Second, and most telling, “I’m a bit on the techy side fascinated with both the training method and the gear”. I’m the same way. I’d love to have one and use it (and show it off), but I can probably gain the same thing from using up $2000 worth of days off work and just riding.
I am still doing heartrate based training until my options / price
requirements get a little more favorable. Another year or two and I
think that it will be there. Until then, a good HRM does a decent job
on the open road, and a good trainer with consistent power curves
(Kurt, Cycleops) does a decent job indoors estimating power.
That’s the key right there - even w/o a kurt kinetic power display, if you’re in the same gear, and turning over at the same rate, then you’re putting out the same power. So the guy that did the 4 x 15 spinervals could’ve accomplished the same thing w/o a powermeter.
If somebody broke in and stole all my stuff, and I only had $2000 to start over with, I think I’d buy a HR monitor, a Felt S32, and some swimming lessons.
I got a new Powertap 2 SL (wireless) built with a decent wheel and tire (the right kind of spoke count that will allow me to put the PT on my Zed4s if I want) for $1500. Shop around and get a deal.
If I can get a setup, that allows me to interface this with the MyAthlete.biz GPS unit in the future, so all of my
training and racing power, HR, etc., course, location, time, etc. is all put in real time to a website,
then I might do it for the nerd factor. I know when I am watching IMH and reading ST, we are always hearing
why can we cannot find out who is where in real time. ST also asks what kind of power, etc. they are putting out.
Well, to be able to get all of this in real time for the future is just going to be plain nerdy.
I get what you’re sayin, and you’re right. I trained that way pre-powermeter. What I have learned post powermeter is that tire pressure and roller tensioning have to be the same as well to get accurate and reapeatable “measurements”. I think that’s why they changed the tensioner on the newer cycleops units to be able to apply the same pressure every time you mount and dismount your bike from the trainer, as opposed to old screw it on til it’s tight method.
One of my teammates trained by HR and PE. He poo-pooed powermeters. He was talked into one, simply because he got a nice bonus and what the heck. He saw the value immediately. He realized late in his tempo rides his power was dipping and that it hurt like heck to keep it where it should be. In other words, PE and HR were false indicators of the actual effort. He now sounds like the poster child for having a PM. And he’s only been hooked up for a few months. For myself, who has been using power for about 5 years now, I utilize it for a number of things - scheduling workouts, construction of the workout (i.e., not just isopower), reduction of race/workout data, TSS, weight/diet, and mathematical modeling (predicting 40k times with various gear).
Very simply put, a power meter is the only “pure” measure of work output.
ok, fine. but races aren’t determined by work output. they’re determined by finishing time.
to the OP: what are you doing when you’re on your bike? are you riding or training?
if you’re training, they might be ‘worth it’ relative to other equiptment purchases.
if you’re riding, then no.
Very simply put, a power meter is the only “pure” measure of work output.
ok, fine. but races aren’t determined by work output. they’re determined by finishing time.
to the OP: what are you doing when you’re on your bike? are you riding or training?
if you’re training, they might be ‘worth it’ relative to other equiptment purchases.
if you’re riding, then no.
I believe, if you look at my entire post, I specifically state that I do not use it that much for racing, but, that it has become an essential part of my training, so, not sure what point you are trying to make.