Subject title explains most of my concerns.
What is the point in these things?
Should I really get rid of my $30 cycle computer for one of this things? If so, how will it make me faster?
thanks.
pretty simple, its a tool you can use to micromanage your training or your pacing in a race.
a cycle computer only tells you have fast you are going.
20mph might take 150 watts or 800 watts depending on the wind, and grade of the road.
the power meter tells you how much work you are really doing, so you can train in a very exacting manner. no slacking off when the wind is at your back, no going to hard when its in your face.
and so on
i dont use one but if I could string together 200+ miles of biking a week consistently and had money on the line to win i would =)
There is a pace at which you can bike your fastest and still maximize your run. A powermeter is the best tool to help you manage that fine line because it takes into account more than speed and HR.
A lot of people, when they’re out riding their bikes, actually - get this - enjoy themselves, when they should be training! can you believe it? how silly.
Power meters are a device to make sure that never ever happens.
-charles
Nothing will make you faster except for hard work.
A powermeter is a tool to help make your work “hard enough.”
And in long course racing, it can help make sure you don’t go “too hard.”
Speed alone is not a consistent measure of hardness, since it varies by terrain, wind, etc.
it is also very useful for objectively quantifying improvements in bike fitness.
That is probably one of the best explanations of a PM I have ever heard!
As to the OP-I had the same concerns. I bought one on “faith” and couldn’t be happier. It is not an over night change. It takes a ton of time and commitment to want to use it right and understand it. You have to have patience and support. I also think you need a plan. It definetly made me a faster biker. I am hooked. The downside is that it isn’t cheap and also you may never beable to “enjoy” a bike ride again.
chris
That is probably one of the best explanations of a PM I have ever heard!
As to the OP-I had the same concerns. I bought one on “faith” and couldn’t be happier. It is not an over night change. It takes a ton of time and commitment to want to use it right and understand it. You have to have patience and support. I also think you need a plan. It definetly made me a faster biker. I am hooked. The downside is that it isn’t cheap and also you may never beable to “enjoy” a bike ride again.
chris
I don’t know about not enjoying riding b/c you have a PM - there are days to just ride - leave the PM at home - at least once per week. If you don’t enjoy it, why do it? I am a big advocate of using a PM - attended the first PM Clinic put on by USA Cycling and all that - but still, you need to have a time when you just go out and ride. Forget HR/ Power / mph etc - hammer if you want, pedal like a slog - whatever - just have fun! I think the term is called ‘balance’ - you know - just like ‘balance’ in your life - you need balance in your training. 
I have a PM and still enjoy riding my bike plenty. The same mindset allows me to enjoy running notwithstanding wearing a watch.
Only reason why having power data would make a ride less enjoyable would be if you wanted to lie to yourself about how much work you did.
“A lot of people, when they’re out riding their bikes, actually - get this - enjoy themselves, when they should be training!”
Yeah, they’re called the MOP/BOPers…other people enjoy training and the suffering that is involved at times. A PM deepens the depth of that suffering. It doesn’t have to change the way you ride all the time.
Exactly.
When I go out to ride the local “challenge” rides that have a bunch of climbing in them, I still have the PM on the bike, but I don’t pay attention to it, because there’s not much I can do about the watts it takes me to climb 20% after I’ve already gone 100 miles! Still, it’s interesting to have the information after the fact, especially the elevation gain. I can now look across various rides and have a feel for how hard they will seem based on distance and elevation gain, and how difficult it might be to run after such a ride.
And as to enjoyment, heck I enjoy knowing I can hit a certain wattage, and it’s fun to go fast!
i believe it was greg lemond who said “it doesn’t get any easier, you just get faster.”
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For those of us who live where snow and ice prevent being outside riding for many months, it is a way to translate what we do on the trainer to the road. Velocity on the trainer is meaningless and does NOT translate. Power is power. I got sold on the concept as soon as my first winter in this sport hit. I wanted to be able to make some sense of my training.
I think it is a great tool - and as Mike Ricci says above you do not need to be a slave to it. I have plenty of rides that I just go have fun - with or without the PM on my bike. The advantage of having it on the bike is that I am lazy - this way I can just plug it in and upload my ride data.
Speed alone is not a consistent measure of hardness
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that…
I haven’t taken the plunge yet, but I just finished reading Allen and Coggins book.
http://www.amazon.com/Training-Racing-Power-Meter-Hunter/dp/1931382794
It’s a pretty quick and easy read.
Like JackMott, I could benefit from consistently riding alot more than I manage to. A PM would help me get the most out of the riding I do though.
A lot of people, when they’re out riding their bikes, actually - get this - enjoy themselves, when they should be training! can you believe it? how silly.
Power meters are a device to make sure that never ever happens.
Classic
While I see your point, I really have fun with mine.
I know how much power it takes to drop my friends on fast rides and I like to keep them on the edge
I also get enjoyment seeing that I can progressively put out more power throughout the season. I may be weird though.
jaretj
If you used it in training and racing it becomes what Gordo called a ‘stupidometre’, in particular for long distance triathlons.
Jackmott nailed it- it is device that alows you to more precisely measure your training. It measures actual work rather than response to work.
However, if you do not already know how to train properly by heartrate- I doubt a powermeter will do you any good. It could just become an expensive cycle computer.
Mike, I am not real good at balance. That may explain a few things.
chris