How much did your power meter help your improvement?

[fergie]

As a coach and a rider it has been an amazing asset. I am stoked how I can fine tune training. Only downside is I know exactely how **** I am

 

[GordoKX250]

Last year I trained by mostly racing and group rides.
This year I've got an Ergomo and the HunterCoggan book and followed it.

Results:
Road race results were much poorer than last year. Not in the top 10 much.

However TTs show improved times. I have dropped my 26.5m TT time by 1.5mins compared to last year (similar conditions, same bike).

With better pacing strategy I've also become 1 minute faster over a 7 mile circuit.

I believe this is because I've not done group endurance rides and not done hard chain gangs. I've been doing a lot of FTP work instead (less time training). As a result I've got better at TTs but the hill sprints have suffered and there is nothing left in the tank at the end of long races due to lack of endurance.

A better plan/ coach might have solved that issue.

At least I am able to see the Wattage gains, however they have not been significant, perhaps only 5% which I could put down to equipment error/ testing error. I've found it disappointing as there is of course no quick fix to getting faster and I've had to realise that I'm genetically middle of the road.

 

[Billsworld]

I just won a track state championsip ( while injured) . Qualified 1st in masters 2nd overall. I live 5 hrs from the track and have only been to the track 3 times this year. BTW , I am 45 and have been riding for 3 years , racing for 2. Have owned a PM for 2

 

[dkrenik]

1. How much did it help you progress and in what amount of time?

This is a challenging one to answer. I started using an SRM in Feb of this year. When I started my FTP was ~220W and I'd been training (SST, 2x20, etc) regularly since November - mostly on my rollers. My FTP is now ~250W. I had made it to 235W and plateaued for a while. With some of the keen insight of those on this list I was able to break through the plateau. I also found that I was naturally "better" in some areas than others (5 min power for example). Knowing this from my training with a PM I was then able to focus more on my weak spots (FTP).

2. Was there a big jump in ability in the first some-odd months and then later much less?

The PM doesn't make you faster. It's what you do/interpret with the data gathered from using the PM. Everyone has a different learning curve and I believe that ones' improvement strongly correlates to ones' learning curve.

3. Comparing to the improvement of others around you without power meters, did you progress more?

I think that you need to look at this from another angle. A PM won't necessarily make you x% better than training by HR or whatever. If you're already at, or near, your genetic potential via training by HR then a PM isn't going to make you that much better. A PM will help to make the vast majority of us who better more quickly than by training by HR (assuming you and/or your coach know what to do with the data).

4. Did you progress more due to the power meter or specific workouts you started after you got it? (e.g. did you get it, not have much progress, then discover some power-meter training program and that gave you a boost?)

I had been using speed as a proxy for power for several years on my trainer so I would say that it's more from working the data from the PM.

Dave

 

[mises]

Thanks! So...does that mean I can have your power meter?

I have been thinking about selling it....

 

[nrhorwitz]

I wanted to focus on my sprinting with breaking it down in parts.

1. Weightlifting
2. High/Low Rpm sprints
3. Repetition
4. Track related sprints

My first sprint was about in 900 ish watts range. The most recent personal best was 1599 watts.

My powermeter has helped me in a way nothing else would have ever. The coach I had was one of those big parts in getting my watts improved though.

http://www.peakscoachinggroup.com/images/Sprinting_foundation2.jpg