I am planning on putting together a more systematic approach to my cycling training this summer by monitoring wattage output. I’m 24 and been riding for about 3 years, not real consistent, but I am starting to get a little more serious about it. I’ve done a couple time trials and some du’s and tri’s.
Can anyone point me in a direction in learning how to train with wattage output, what the benifits/drawbacks are, and maybe an overview of some of the meters on the market. Also, a friend of mine is going to let me borrow his Tacx I-magic trainer, although I’m not sure how I’d integrate it in my training, or even if it has the capability to monitor power output (I’m not sure what model it is).
I use to just train using time, then last year it was time and sometimes cadence, and now as I am getting a little better at riding it seems that power is the way to go. An online article or website or personal input from experience would be great. I haven’t googled the subject yet, because I thought I would start here.
What are max output, avg. output, etc., and what is the importance of these values?