So I’ve been delaying buying a powermeter forever but after 2 months of solid power training with a coach I think I’m ready to pay the $. (Even though I want a new iMac and sofa…)
So, how messy is the wiring for the Powertap? I’m looking at the instructions and it just looks like one wire; from handlebars-toptube-seatstay no? Seems pretty out of the way? Does anyone use the optional cadence wire?
Right now aside from weight I see no reason to go with the SL over the Pro. Earlier posts here confirm the durability should be same as of '07… I would build this for my road bike and I race on 650’s so there’s no way I’d be able to race with the powertap anyway.
So I’ve been delaying buying a powermeter forever but after 2 months of solid power training with a coach I think I’m ready to pay the $. (Even though I want a new iMac and sofa…)
So, how messy is the wiring for the Powertap? I’m looking at the instructions and it just looks like one wire; from handlebars-toptube-seatstay no? Seems pretty out of the way? Does anyone use the optional cadence wire?
Mine runs from the bars, around the front brake cable, under the down tube (attached with two zip ties and covered with electrical tape), under the BB, and along the non-drive side chain stay.
I just purchased a PT Pro and 2 wiring kits and wired up 2 bikes. It is very easy. I mounted the computer on the stem and ran the wire down the brake cable and then taped it under the top tube and then down the brake cable to the rear stay. I coiled up the extra wire and tucked it behind the rear brake. You can hardly even see the wires at all on either bike. Take your time and you can pull off a very neat and clean installation, even with the wires. I don’t use the optional cadence wire. The hub will figure a virtual cadence for you and it is good enough.
One of the real benefits of a Powertap is being able to race with power. That’s why I sold my 650 bike. Maybe you should just train and race on the 650 and put the Powertap on that bike? Just a thought.
On the wiring of the PT, it isn’t horrible but you should know that the virtual cadence feature on the PT is not the most accurate. If you want to know anything about your cadence, you’ll need the actual hard wired cadence sensor. I would think that would be a good choice, particularly as you’re new to power training. If you’re going to invest, might as well get as much information as possible.
Likewise, I’d encourage you to think about how much road versus tri bike training you do, if you have to hook up only one bike. I hate for people to give up on the chance to race with power before they’ve even started as it can be quite helpful, particularly as race distance goes up.
I have the “Wired” version. The wiring harness is no big deal. I highly recommend the cadence setup (which will be another wire). I’ve used a combination of electrical tape and packing tape to secure my wiring to the frame. I’ve had it for a year and it works fine. I’d avoid securing the wiring with zip ties as I have heard that it can crimp the wire and cause issues.
I’m not sure how good the SL Wireless is these days. I’ve heard mixed reviews on the accuracy and consistency of those units. One thing I will say is that the “Wired” hub is heavy…very noticeable. The SL is quite a bit lighter and I sometimes wish I would have gone that route.
One thing I do like is Saris has good service. I had the old “Wired” CPU on the old platform and when the HR started acting up on me they replaced it with the upgrade kit to the 2.4 CPU for free. For technical assistance they are great - the people in the call center seem to know the ins and outs of the product quite well.
I recommend you really think your strategy through between training and racing. I have a PT Pro on a Mavic Open Pro wheel for training. I race on a set of Zipp 404s and as a result, have no PT hub. Not a huge deal. But if you want power output data from races you need to think about what wheels you’ll be racing on. I just stick a magnet on my Zipp rear wheel and switch the PT CPU over to “Bike Computer Only” mode and get everything but Watts. Works good enough for me.
One more thing…the wiring will stretch when it gets warm. I’d recommend installing it carefully and making sure you gently stretch out all the kinks. It will look a lot cleaner that way.
Yeah, believe me I’ve been debating the which bike to put it on; but my gf rides a 700 and I’d really like for her to use the powertap occasionally so I’m fairly set on getting it built up 700. Also, up until the 1/2 I did last weekend I’ve never raced with even a heart rate monitor. (I needed it to pace myself since it was my first 1/2.) Not sure if having my watts on the screen would put too many number/stresses into my head on race day. Not to mention its only one day of racing as opposed to the months of training…
One last thing, my tri bike is my rain bike… so I probably shouldn’t put the powertap on it…
What do you mean by you feel the weight of the hub? Back heavy? Slow on sprints etc? I dunno 150grams? you can feel that? I’m ~150lbs, 5’7".
fyi, I’ve had the wireless for two months now and haven’t had major issues. Battery dies quickly but that’s about it. Got stuck in some light rain once or twice but didn’t have to open up the hub. Wireless is nice but I can’t justify the cost. Renting the thing is expensive enough but I’m glad I did and have a much better idea of what I like/don’t like.
Also, if I save some $ on the Pro/SL I figure I can eventually get a used baby sometime pre-built with a zipp or something for the 650… I just don’t think carbon is versatile enough for everyday riding; especially in pothole ridden Montreal. Not to mention my encounters with traffic/cars…
If you want to use the powertap wheel on multiple bikes then I’d go with the wireless hub.
I’ve had my powertap sl 2.4 for almost 2 weeks now and have used it on 4 different bikes already. It’s as easy as changing the wheel from bike to bike (in my case I’ve had to change cassettes too). Extra computer mounts are only $10 or you can get some reusable zip ties to move the computer.
As far as reliability goes… I’ve only had it less than two weeks but so far it has been flawless. I’ve wanted a wireless powertap for over a year and waited because I had read about some issues. It seems that Saris has most of those issues sorted out now. And, as it has been mentioned many times, they have good customer service if something goes wrong.
If you don’t race with the powertap you are missing some very valuable data. Not to mention some very good pacing info during the race. It is a great training tool but you are only getting half the picture if you don’t race with it. In my opinion, it would be worth getting rid of the 650 bike for that reason alone. Besides, why train on a road bike and then race on a tri bike if you are a triathlete?
I don’t notice the weight of the hub at all. This is a non issue for triathletes really. You are not constantly acclerating out of turns or sprinting like roadies. I would not worry about it at all. Besides, if you are only going to use it in training why would it matter?