I hate marketing and trends for the sake of trends. Yes, I love new tech, and gadgets, and buying new things as much as the next person, but I know that most of my purchase joys are just ‘joys,’ not ‘needs.’ However, when it comes to cycling power meters...they are more than a cool toy or lavish upgrade, they are essential.
What is a PowerMeter?
Simply put, Powermeters measure force through tiny, precise strain gauges. This can be the amount of force applied to cranks, pedals, wheel hubs, etc., where ever a powermeter happens to be located (more on that later). The information is then transmitted to a receiver wirelessly, like a cycling computer (Garmin, Wahoo, etc.) or phone app, where it is translated into valuable data known as a ‘watt.’ This information is valuable because it is objective and measurable, which are the necessary qualities to successful performance (/fitness) gains and maintenance. And, whether you are a Racer or just a Fitness rider, ‘performance/fitness’ (not speed, distance, or podium position) is the effort we are all working on.
Life Before Powermeters (Dark Ages)
Perceived Effort
Prior to powermeters, people attempted to gauge their performance based on perceived effort (PE). In this approach, the athlete is asked to subjectively quantify how much effort they are putting out based on ‘feel.’ Coaches or training plans would normally invoke a scale of 1-10 where ‘1’ is barely an effort and ‘10’ feels like your head, heart, lungs, and limbs are about to explode. For example, a workout session may call for a 5min Warm Up with a PE of 3, followed 3 sets of a 2min hard interval with a PE of 8, followed by a 1min Recovery with PE 3, and concluding with a Cool Down of 10min with a PE of 3. Sounds legit, right? Not even close.
The problem with PE is that is entirely subjective. When you are well rested and healthy, ‘hard’ is not the same as ‘hard’ when you are tired and/or sick. Additionally, ‘hard’ at the beginning or a workout is never the same as hard as 'hard' is at the end of a workout. Additionally, this approach to training does nothing to factor in external factors like wind, elevation, downhills, etc., which also play into how our workouts ‘feel’ at a particular time. Therefore, while PE is ‘a’ approach to measuring and enhancing performance/fitness, it is very subjective and non-transferable beyond the person at that particular moment.
Heart Rate
The weaknesses associated with PE are not unknown to Coaches and the performance industry, and they’ve always looked for a more objective way to quantify a person’s efforts. Behold, the mighty Heart Rate! Knowing that the heart is the engine of a person’s body, Heart Rate (HR) became the chosen, scientific source of performance data and replacing PE. Athletes are asked to record their resting HR, and then go perform a significantly intense workout without rest (normally an hour in length) and then record their heart rate IMMEDIATELY at the end of that session. This number then represents the person’s Maximum HR. And with these two numbers (Resting HR and Max HR), athlete’s now have a numeric (objective) range to quantify and measure efforts. But, what if a workout calls for a moderate effort? What number HR should the athlete shoots for? To answer this question and to benefit from the knowledge that successful workouts require more effort to take place BETWEEN ‘easy’ and ‘hard’ (1-10), coaches and instructors assigned HR ‘zones’ based on percentages of an athlete’s Max HR. And, to keep it simple, most employ a 6-zone system, where Zone1 is 60-65% of Max HR, Zone2 is 65-75%, Zone3 is 75-82%, Zone4 is 82-89%, Zone5 is 89-94% and Zone6 is 94-100% of Max HR. Simple right? Kinda. Effective? Yes. Perfect? Far from it.
One of the biggest challenges to measuring HR is...measuring HR. Without a computer, a person is left to ind their pulse, get a stopwatch, and do math on the fly. Not very easy, quick, or effective when you are in the middle of a hot and sweaty workout. Plus, some of us just really suck at math. Thankfully, wearable computers do exist (and have for some time), and they have saved the day for many athletes. Problem solved, but only this one problem, and HR has many problems beyond merely acquisitions.
Another BIG problem with HR is that it is varies different between different sports and responds differently to a host of other variables, like medicine, caffeine, and other stimulants. Did you drink a coffee before or during your ride? Taking DayQuil to get you through day? Then your HR numbers are going to be off because you are not truly starting at your ‘resting HR.’ Also, and this is significant, a person’s MAX HR in cycling is not the same as it when they are running. For the majority, running produces a much higher HR. Likewise, swimming has its own effect on HR, and so do team sports. Now, this problem can be solved with setting particular parameters/zones per sport, but that is a pain in the neck to remember, calculate and plan for.
But, above all, the biggest problem with HR is ‘lag.’ The effects of our effort take time to show up and manipulate our heart. Now, we are not talking a matter of minutes, but the lag is significant and varying enough that precisely measuring a particular effort can be very difficult and often inaccurate. The only precise way to compensate for this ‘lag,’ is to take multiple readings immediately following an effort. But, by this time, there is a good chance the heart might have already entered into recovery, or, worse yet, the athlete’s motivation and rhythm have been broken and the quality of the workout has now suffered, regardless.
So, while HR Zone training is a better means than PE in quantifying and improving performance/fitness, it is still fraught with limitations, complexities, and large margins of error. For successful measuring of effort, there needs to be a numeric (objective), consistent (static), and instantaneous means of data collection relevant to an athlete’s activity. All hail the mighty POWERMETER!
Today’s PowerMeters
Powermeters have been around for more than a decade, but have historically been very expensive and only available through a very small supply chain. However, with the constant increase in micro-technology, and the rising demand for this technology based on all the information cited about, PowerMeters today come in variety of different forms, are within in the financial means of most (about the price of a quality smart phone), and are available from a growing number of manufacturers.
The number one type of PowerMeters today are crank-based. This means that the powermeter(s)* are attached to the bicycle’s crank arms and measure the force being applied as the athlete pedals. The reasons why this is the most popular style is largely two-fold: 1-the cranks provide an ideal service and location for mounting these tiny computers, and 2-they are extremely close to the athlete’s point-of-contact with the bike, and, specifically, where the ‘power,’ or effort, is being transferred. Therefore, extremely relevant information is being collected from sturdy and reliable source. Of course, and even better source of pressure would be the pedals, and with improving nano-technology, pedal-based powermeters are the fastest growing market in PowerMeters. But, crank-based is still the largest and is extremely accurate and reliable.
*Important Note: Not all crank-based or pedal-based powermeters measure the power/effort/pressure being applied to a bike’s two cranks or pedals (left and right). In an order to save on cost and make powermeters more marketable to consumers, some Powermeters are 1-sided only, meaning that only one side of the crank/pedal has the tiny computer/meter attached. However, impartial testing has proven time and again that a 1-sided powermeter is just as effective as a 2-sided. The reason for this is because MOST cycling really do pedal at a near 50/50 ratio, meaning that the effort by the right and left leg is virtually identical. Therefore, there is no real ‘missing data’ if an athlete only has a 1-sided powermeter.
Big Benefit of Powermeters
We’ve already cited some of the benefits of Powermeters, especially when compared to PE or HR, but the real ‘power’ of the powermeter goes way beyond their technological breakthroughs and comparison to other means of measurement. The greatest advantage to Powermeters are their constant communication of information at all times. Powermeters don’t care is you are tired, sick, hopped up on caffeine, or just for a casual group ride. The numbers being recorded are, in fact, the numbers you are putting out.
Powermeters are the best way to ‘know’ where you are at in your fitness, your training, and even your ability; both in the moment and in review and planning. No other training dynamic can make up for what a powermeter can provide you, and because of this they are, in fact, essential.
So, before you drop an extra $500-1,000.00 on a new group set, piece of kit, or even a training program or coach, make you have the most important tool you actually need. Get a powermeter! Without it, you may just be wasting your time...and money.
Powermeters are the best way to ‘know’ where you are at in your fitness, your training, and even your ability; both in the moment and in review and planning. No other training dynamic can make up for what a powermeter can provide you, and because of this they are, in fact, essential.
So, before you drop an extra $500-1,000.00 on a new group set, piece of kit, or even a training program or coach, make you have the most important tool you actually need. Get a powermeter! Without it, you may just be wasting your time...and money.
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