Training with a Power meter?

[email hidden] (two spoke) wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I am wondering if anyone out there is using a power meter on there bike? and if yes do you find it
helpful?

Thanks

I use a Power Tap and several athletes I coach use SRM power meters and I think they are very
useful, especially for harder workouts. For easy workouts, heat rate is the best way to monitor
intensity because power will fluctuate more than heart rate.

For training near lactate threshold, using both is best. Comparing wattage and heart rate is a great
way to monitor improvement and to gauge recovery. If I am not putting out the watts I usually do at
LT heart rate, I need more rest and not a long LT set.

For training well above LT, such as aerobic capacity training, wattage is a better tool than heart
rate because the reps are so short that heart rate may not plateau. Also, if you go too hard or too
easy on this type of workout, the dammage is done before you know by watching HR.

Both the SRM and the Power Tap work great. The SRM allows wheel-switching which is important race
day, but it also costs significantly more. The Polar power meter doesn't work reliably and I do not
recommend it. Two of my clients have bought it and moved on to Power Tap after several frustrating
months. Hope this helps, Ken.