Wheels or Power

Triathlon Forum
1

With the season winding down (only the big one - IMWI) left. I’m turning a few thoughts in my head about things I can do over the winter to improve my bike leg.

I have narrowed it down to:

Aero Wheels or a power meter.

If I were to get the wheels, I’d probably go with something like Zipp 404’s. The power meter would most likely be an SRM Ametuer, and follow up with race wheels in fall of '06.

I could probably get a powertap rear wheel and spend about the same as I would for the SRM, but I’m a bit leary of training on 1500 dollar wheels (300 + miles/wk, some rough roads). Plus isn’t it geeky to train on the race wheels?

Thoughts/opinions/Advice? Tips for convincing my wife to let me get one of the afore mentioned items?

2

SRM. No question.

3

Not SRM amateur. I think most of us wattage types have decided it’s not accurate enough to be worthwhile. I’d say spring for the Pro or get a Powertap.

-jens

4

i agree with rappstar, but save a few more weeks and get the pro model. the amateur is known to be off upwards if 15%…at least from what I hear.

Kurt

5

It depends on how you like to train. I use an HRM, but not anything that downloads to computer and has charts and graphs. I like to train somewhat on feel. I paid a lot and got a Polar 725i. I used the downloading features for about a month. Then I quit using it. I now only use it for an HRM as I’m riding/running. I think the power meters are cool, but what do they really tell you? It’s cool to see how many watts you put down in a sprint, but how is that going to affect your training?

If it was me, I’d go with the wheels. And clinchers too.

6

All the wattage guys seem to suggest avoiding the SRM amateur. Training on racing wheels isn’t geeky, it’s just that not many people do it. Personally, I’d say the less you change for raceday the better. I’ve never ridden Zipps or Reynolds, but from the feedback I’ve read from others, the Reynolds would be a better everyday/raceday bet. My suggestion…PT Pro or SL in a set of Reynolds Stratus clinchers or tubulars. I’m hoping to end up with a set of the Stratus’ (Stratii?) in the near future and would be training on them everyday, and putting in at least as many miles as you are.

7

As long as it’s consistant for me, on my bike, from day to day, is accuracy that important?

Think of it this way: Are the benefits/accuracy of the Pro model, worth the headache/heartache earned from the wife, worth the six hundred extra dollars?

8

It is not really necessary to ride with a powermeter every day. The novelty will wear off in a while and after that amount of time hopefully you will have used it to see what some of your riding tendencies are and work on riding in a smoother, more efficient way. I suspect after six months with the meter I didn’t need it as much as before.

If you buy the Zipp wheel with the powertap you can use it for key workouts and races and it ought to hold up pretty well. And you obviously don’t need to use the front race wheel all the time.

My PM is an ergomo, with the sensor in the bottom bracket, so I use it every day because it is there and will wear out whether I have the info or not, so why not see what it says?

Chad

P.S. You know the only real way to improve you ride and run over the winter is to take Eddy Merckx’s advice when someone asked him how young riders could improve. “Just ride a lot.”

The power meter will help you get the most from what you have, but only the volume will give you something to work with.

9

“P.S. You know the only real way to improve you ride and run over the winter is to take Eddy Merckx’s advice when someone asked him how young riders could improve. “Just ride a lot.””

Well, if you’re not riding with a power meter, this may be your best advice!
Seriously, I wouldn’t consider riding w/o the power meter–on every ride. If you download each ride and have some useful software for looking at it, I think you’ll find you can train much less and get better results.
I’d definitely go with the power meter. If you don’t do events where you use a disc, I’d consider a power tap with an extra deep dish race wheel (Hed Alps or 404) when you can spring for it…or bite the bullet on the SRM pro. Due to the nature of the SRM Amateur (fewer strain gauges), not only absolute accuracy, but consistency, is compromised.
Good luck!

10

Another option for a race/training wheel is to do what I’m in the middle of doing: PT SL laced to a Mavic Open Pro or Velocity Aerohead OC rim with a disc cover from www.wheelbuilder.com.

11

As long as it’s consistant for me, on my bike, from day to day, is accuracy that important?

Think of it this way: Are the benefits/accuracy of the Pro model, worth the headache/heartache earned from the wife, worth the six hundred extra dollars?

Basically, the Amateur drifts a fair bit, and may not come from the factory well calibrated (see Gardner at al. 2004 MSSE). The Pro also drift and may not come well calibrated (but are generally more accurate and drift less over time than the Amateur). Additionally the response may not be linear with the Amateur and should be better with the Pro.

When you come to recalibrate the SRM (i recommend every 6 - 8 weeks with the Amateur) and 4 times a year with the Pro you may release that your previous data was incorrect, or was drifting.

I would recommend the PT Pro or SL over the SRM Amateur, and say the accuracy of the PT is equal and/or possibly better than the SRM Pro. The PT has some disadvantages (e.g., weight with the Pro, wheel = training or race set up with both of them), while the SRM has disadvantages too (e.g., drift and calibration).

If you want to calibrate your SRM yourself (we recalibrate them before sending them out) it likely takes a couple hours and you will need known certified masses of around 5 and 20 kg.

If you don’t like science/maths/physics and don’t want to spend time recalibrating your SRM say 2 to 7 times a year get a PT. They stay accurate until the torque tube goes (i find this is 1200 to 1800 hours of use).

I’ve found the SRM and PT fine in the rain (although the wiring kit for the PT can get soaked and require an extra days drying out). I live in south Wales (UK) and it can get very wet here. My Ergomo failed in the rain.

Caveat: we sell both the SRM and PT

Additionally we can advise on their use/training/coaching with them.

Ric

12

If you’re thinking of training with power, this seems like a pretty good deal to me:

http://www.cruciblefitness.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3317

You’ll hear nothing but good things about Rich Sawiris and wheelbuilder.com who has built a ton of PT wheels for fellow slowtwitchers.

13

I’d say get the rock solid PT Pro built to 32-spoke rims and buy a good set of race wheels. You’ll learn more from training with power such as how perceived effort relates to power. Even without a power meter, I can gauge where I am with just perceived effort and the thousands of miles of correlating PE to power.

14

Unless they have changed the design in the past year or so, the SRM Amateur is not extremely accurate. Say . . . about the same level as a CompuTrainer, maybe slightly worse. Go with the PT or splurge and go with the SRM Pro.

About wheels vs. power meter. I have not read the responses, but I’m betting most people told you to get the PM. I have been training with a PM for over two years now, I love it. I find it hard to train without it. That being said, the PM does not make you faster . . . training makes you faster. aerodynamics makes you faster. So which is more important to you . . . objective feedback about your cycling progress or going faster next year?

15

With the SRM are you stuck with the chain rings that come with it or can you swap them out?

16

You can change the chainrings out easily. Just make sure you check the BCD (bolt center diameter) to know which chainrings you need.

-Darrell