I would really like to take advantage of training with power. However, I can’t seem to get past the price of the Powertap system. It just is striking me as an insane amount of money to spend on my “hobby.”
Can anyone help by informing me of other, less expensive power systems out there?? Or at least offer me some rationalizations to offer my pocketbook (and hubby)???
Thanks!
Polar 625 and a power meter.
girlee c’mon now.
you mean to tell me that hubby doesn’t have 8-9 hundie ( at least) in worthess hobby related junk laying around there someplace? big bertha driver/trick putter combo ? downhill skiis he uses 4 or five days a year ?? fishing boat ??? motorcycle ???
if hubby is a normal male and you play yer cards right you will walk outta this deal with a pro SRM monted to the dream bike of your choice and hubby will STILL owe you.
i thought you females had this sorta thing inside you as an instinct.
The only power systems worth getting at this point use strain gauges and the Powertap is the least expensive of the lot. If you can’t justify the cost, you can’t justify the cost. If possible you may be able to find a coach who will rent one to you for a while to do some testing.
I believe they hold value fairly well. Maybe check ebay. So can always resell and not get hit too hard. Not that you would, but maybe that would sway your man.
You can hold on to the PT as you change/upgrade/add bikes. Call it a one time investment or something.
It is also a HR monitor.
Compare it to the SRM so it does not look as expensive.
I’ll bet there are more, and better, rationales, like some based on his toys, as TTN suggested.
good luck
I can’t believe it! Whenever my wife wants something she has ways of making me give it. For example, right now our pool needs to be re-done and the more I say no we can’t spend the money the more “attention” I get. I made up my mind on which contractor to hire last week but I don’t think I will tell her for a few more weeks. I’m sure that you can convince him that you need a Power Tap.
The only power systems worth getting at this point use strain gauges and the Powertap is the least expensive of the lot.
Please keep spreading this misinformation…it helps to make used Polar power modules cheaper for myself and my friends.
If wanting to buy brand new, I agree with Hook’em, the Polar 625x with a power module would be the cheapest entry into power. I believe I saw them bundled last christmas for ~$500.
If you can handle used…ebay is good for putting system (S710/S720 watch, power module) together for probaby $350-$400 (or even cheaper).
The only caveat is that it’s “installation/setup sensitive”. But, it’s actually quite simple (it ain’t rocket surgery). If you decide to go that route just ask and I’ll point you to plenty of info on doing the installation correct and tip/tricks.
Hey, you can spread the Polar gospel everywhere you want from the topica wattage list to here. 
I’ve owned the Polar system before and gave it a shot. The Polar works great as long as you only care about long steady state efforts (and believe that you can keep your power constant for the five seconds it takes to record data) and calibrate it regularly with a real power meter. This poster shouldn’t waste her money on it. I’ve done the Rosetta test personally with the Polar, SRM and PowerTap and the Polar wasn’t up to snuff except it was the cheapest of the lot.
Question…is going with a Power Tap and training Watts really more helpful and/or will bring better results than feel and heart rate monito?
I’ve done the Rosetta test personally with the Polar, SRM and PowerTap and the Polar wasn’t up to snuff except it was the cheapest of the lot.
As a coworker of mine used to say “I’ll believe you when you show me the data”
I’d love to see the files. Besides, please define “up to snuff”. Perhaps the performance is adequate for the OP’s needs?
Also, I don’t understand why you think you need to hold power steady for 5 secs. That’s just the sampling rate for recording into the head. The power is calculated at ~2 sec intervals using a weighted average of the complete crank rotations during that time period. That’s then displayed at ~2 sec intervals on the head unit. This method seems (IMHO) to work adequately for most effort levels/durations (in all the data I’ve seen so far) with the exception of short sprints. No big deal to me.
To be fully fair, if the OP is planning on using it on a trainer for any significant use…you’ll want to pass on the Polar. It’s “hit or miss” on whether or not you’ll get weird numbers on trainers (most likely due to vibration/resonance issues).
I’m not spreading “gospel”…just trying to give the OP a legitimate answer to her question. I’m actually half serious about my initial statement…
Ebay (but you must be patient). Found my setup for $450 (hub built into rear wheel and all accessories - some even unopened).
Oh yeah, don’t get it and then be upset by what it tells you. It tells me I’m weak. Buy the ticket, take the ride.
The suggestion for a used Powertap is a good one. You can save loads there. Another option is a used Ergomo. I’ve got a Powertap and a couple of Ergomos. There can be an issue with accuracy but the thing is consistent. You can adjust the calibration, and I had to do that to get within striking distance of my Powertap. The benefit of the Ergomo is that you can use any wheels. The downside is it’s harder to move across bikes. Another benefit is that it comes with the Cyclingpeaks software, though some ebay one seem to leave this out. Ebay has had Ergomos as low as $500.
I would really like to take advantage of training with power. However, I can’t seem to get past the price of the Powertap system. It just is striking me as an insane amount of money to spend on my “hobby.”
If you are considering a power meter this stopped being a “hobby” a long time ago.
For the original poster-
http://www.midweekclub.com/powerFAQ.htm
http://lists.topica.com/lists/wattage/read/message.html?mid=903999779
The internal magic of the Polar recording interval is so top secret that not even the inventor can reveal it. I think it uses a weighted average as described in the FAQ.
I had to hurry to a bike race before writing a better explanation so I said Rosetta Stone when I should I have said I have used the Polar for a year, PowerTap for three years and SRM for three months, and the Polar was not very useful for me and presented several practical problems in use that I did not wish to deal with, some of which are covered in the FAQ.
There is also the trouble with having a dirty chain throw off the reading, having a disk wheel make obnoxious noises rubbing against the sensor when the sensor was in the correct position and pedaling extremely hard, and having to move the speed sensor when changing fixed gear wheels.
Polar 625 and a power meter.
Forget the polar - if you really want to use power to optimise training, it is just not accurate or consistent enough. You get significantly different power in different gears (with same actual power), can’t use then in trainers (inaccuracy is even worse). If you go polar - just stick with the HR!
I use a power tap now, but have used cateye windtrainers previously. Now the actual power readings are totally inaccurate, but they are VERY consistent (with the same load). It is a cheaper option…
Use a heart rate monitor and a cadence sensor.
Keep your cadence and heart rate the same and your power is going to be the same.
Use a heart rate monitor and a cadence sensor.
Keep your cadence and heart rate the same and your power is going to be the same.
**************** No, it’s not going to be the same. It may be the same for a given ride. But what about next week? Or a month from now? That’s the whole point of a power meter. You can see improvement over time, regardless of conditions.
A friend of mine let me borrow his PT for a while. it is a pretty cool system that does a lot. Seeing your power numbers broken down for your entire ride on the computer is impressive. But, I’m not in any hurry to buy a power tap (or any other power meter) now that I’ve used one…especially given the cost.
Dont get me wrong, I can see how it would be useful, but I can also see how you can become a slave to it. Out on the road, I barely looked at it. All I really need to know in a race is if I’m in first place or not. If I’m not, then I need to go faster. Unfortunately, this usually means I need to go faster…much faster in some races.
The main reason I borrowed it was to see if the axiom computer on my fluid trainer was anywhere near accurate. Comparing the average watts between the PT and the axiom were always pretty close, which is good enough for me. And the axiom has proven to be pretty consistent, so that’s good enough to see if I’m improving or not.
I really only care about my power numbers while doing interval work on the trainer. Outside, I’ve given up just about everything and just go by feel…no HR monitor, no cadence…just a computer to tell me how far I’ve gone and how fast. I like being a minimalist (which is in stark contrast to what I used to be like).
It’s easy, it’s free, and it allows comparison of different types of training. From Peak Performance #210:
Foster *et al *developed a method of evaluating training using a variation of the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, which is designed to measure subjective perception of effort. To calculate the TRIMP , the time of the session (in minutes) is multiplied by the RPE scored. For example, for 60 minutes of weight training, rated as very hard (RPE = 7), TRIMP = 60 x 7 = 420.
Of course, this isn’t as sexy as expensive hardware…
It won’t actually - unless you’re just into 30 scond sprints.