anyone have any thoughts on one vs other? accuarcy, bang for the buck, etc.
me: single bike (giant tcr1), single wheels (mavic elites) at moment (although looking for race wheels). Using Polar 625x for speed/cadence/hr . Thinking about a power meter since I’ve pretty much stalled out on my attempts to use power in my training snice it’s been nice out I refuse to get on the trainer… (I still see myself outside through Oct/Nov so many months left… )
There are many threads on this subject on this and other forums. I’ve got about 5000 miles on an Ergomo Pro and more than a little experience with other power meters except SRM. Here’s my take on the REAL differences:
Ergomo Pro: Excellent software, excellent menus and screens (interval mode is unbeatable), wired so there are no dropouts, use any rear wheel you want. Includes altitude and temperature logging as well as heartrate and cadence. Real time readout of IF, TSS, grade, altitude gain, loss and current altitude.
Ergomo Cons: Installation must be done right and is subject to all sorts of amateur errors. Wire to head unit can be damaged. Does not allow use of external bearing crankset (this may be a pro or a con). Until the unit is fully settled, frequent offset checks may be required to insure accuracy. Hard to swap bike to bike.
PT pros: Customer service is outstanding. Use any crankset you like. Simple, wireless setup and easy bike to bike swap in most expensive models. Used units are readily available. All your friends have one since it’s by far the most popular power meter.
PT cons: You’re stuck with one wheel. Wireless models suffer dropouts. Menus and software are no match for the Ergomo offerings. No altitude readout or recording (this can be important), no real time IF or TSS.
Issues that are really not issues:
Both PT and Ergomo measure power consistently, accurately and reliably.
Actual cost difference between an Ergomo and a top end PT wireless is inconsequential.
All this said, my wife uses a Polar CS600, which she got for about $525 on eBay. After playing with it for a month, I can truthfully say that it’s by far the best bang for the buck in power meters. The installation is ugly, but it works well, can be easily transferred from bike to bike, the software is top quality, and the heart monitoring functions are suburb. It has altitude and temperature recording but no real time IF of TSS. It’s definitely worth a look for the price.