Power meter justification over high end wheelset

15-11.-2007, 08:43 AM	#1
rapid524 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 7	Power meter justification over high end wheelset I'm coaching and financially supporting my 21 year old son's return to competitive cycling. At 15 he was a promising junior racer but my spinal cord injury from a MTB accident and him getting hit by car just six months later threw him into a tailspin. While I didn't go too overboard with his equipment when he was younger, I didn't skimp either and he knew it. This makes buying decisions a little more difficult now. I bought him a 07 Specialized Tarmac Expert a few months ago and he's working himself back into form. We've discussed a high end wheelset for the coming race season but I think a power meter would be a much better investment. Can I get some opinions from coaches and cyclists so that he doesn't think dad is trying to steer him away from the really neat stuff (even though IMHO a power meter is about as cool as you can get). Last edited by rapid524 : 15-11.-2007 at 08:54 AM.

15-11.-2007, 09:19 AM	#2
Alex Simmons Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 1,561	Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset Well the no.1 investment you can make is in your son's training: consistency, specificity, goal oriented etc. Way more important than bling equipment. No doubt. A power meter on its own won't help if you don't also invest time in learning the best ways to use it. Assuming you devour all the good references, you'll be on your way and should find the power meter is simply the best tool for guiding the training. If that's taking longer than you like, then I would also recommend using a good coach who is power savvy. Some good stuff here: http://www.trainwithpower.net/ __________________ http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/ http://www.cyclecoach.com/

15-11.-2007, 10:27 AM

rapid524

Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2003

Posts: 7

Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset

Quote:

Assuming you devour all the good references, you'll be on your way and should find the power meter is simply the best tool for guiding the training.

I should have added that I've spent considerable time reading everything I can about the benefits of power meters and how to best use them. He owned a PT several years ago but had a horrible time getting it to work properly. We also had a copy of Cycling Peaks and know it's benefits. I'm just looking for a little "ammunition" for my disscussin with him.

15-11.-2007, 10:28 AM	#4
strader Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 123	Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset Easy: powertap... built into a high end racing wheel.

15-11.-2007, 01:20 PM

Bikeridindude

Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2006

Posts: 142

Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset

Quote:

Originally Posted by rapid524

The benefits of a power meter far outweigh those of bling wheels. Bling wheels would give him a little confidence, maybe perform a minute amount better, but a power meter opens up a whole new world. Of all the cycling gadgets that I've acquired, I consider my Powertap the smartest and most beneficial piece of equipment. My only regret is not getting it sooner so I could have more records of my fitness to look at and compare to. It truly is a beautiful thing. Hopefully you get one and get it to working. Just my opinion though, and you can still get the wheels later.

And by the way, Quark is in the early stages of releasing a powermeter which would enable you to use your bling wheels with power. Similar to an SRM, but a lot cheaper. Hopefully it works well.

16-11.-2007, 06:24 AM	#6
robkit Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: London, England Posts: 260	Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset personally i've had about 4 bling or semi bling wheelsets but none of them had the same impact as a power meter. perhaps with the wheels i felt like ridiing a few extra times to enjoy them, and perhaps they saved me a smallish number of watts in drag when at race speed, but that's relatively minor as compared with the gains i experienced when getting serious with a power meter. then again you are asking this question on the power forum. ask it on the equipment forum and you'd likely get a bunch of guys recommending the wheels! __________________ I am my favorite rider.

16-11.-2007, 08:01 AM

ovalmaster

Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2005

Posts: 17

Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset

Quote:

Originally Posted by rapid524

I'm coaching and financially supporting my 21 year old son's return to competitive cycling. At 15 he was a promising junior racer but my spinal cord injury from a MTB accident and him getting hit by car just six months later threw him into a tailspin.

While I didn't go too overboard with his equipment when he was younger, I didn't skimp either and he knew it. This makes buying decisions a little more difficult now.

I bought him a 07 Specialized Tarmac Expert a few months ago and he's working himself back into form. We've discussed a high end wheelset for the coming race season but I think a power meter would be a much better investment. Can I get some opinions from coaches and cyclists so that he doesn't think dad is trying to steer him away from the really neat stuff (even though IMHO a power meter is about as cool as you can get).

After years of gradually upgrading bikes and equipment and having decent wheels I finally got an SRM (second hand). Now I would recommend to anyone to get the best powermeter you can afford and cut the budget on the rest of the bike. The difference in performance a powermeter makes is quite enlightening and training becomes so much more focussed and productive. Forget the bling wheelset his bike is already better than what most pros had a few years ago.

__________________

16-11.-2007, 10:07 AM	#8
bodaciousguy Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 19	Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset Tell him that at his age, its more important to make gains in fitness than to have a nice bike. I would even go as far to say having anything nice other than a trustworthy powermeter is a waste of money. Nice stuff will always be there but focusing on building strong legs is much more important. Plus, getting to Cat 2 is doable on a rec bike and when you get there, your club/team should provide you with nice stuff. A power meter will direct him to make better workout decisions and teach him about his body and how it will react to different training stresses.

16-11.-2007, 11:42 AM	#9
jeff828 Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 224	Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset Power meter hands down! Doesnt matter much about the bike, its the motor that pwers the bike that makes the most difference. I got one on my training bike and liked it so much bought another for the race bike, I made more progress in 1 year than the 10+ years I have been riding.

16-11.-2007, 02:27 PM	#10
marko16 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 14	Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset Can't power the high end until you learn how to power any end.

16-11.-2007, 03:31 PM

#11

padawan

Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2005

Location: T.O.

Posts: 237

Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset

Quote:

Originally Posted by rapid524

I'm just looking for a little "ammunition" for my disscussin with him.

Fancy race wheels... small and very finite gain

Powermeter to help get the most out of your training/racing... potentially limitless.

17-11.-2007, 12:37 AM	#12
holli Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Winnipeg, MB, Canada Posts: 148	Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset -07 bling wheels are not that bling in -09 anymore. Powermeter for sure, it will give bigger bang for the buck in long run than any equipment ever. __________________ Pain is just weakness leaving the body.

17-11.-2007, 01:02 AM	#13
Felt_Rider Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,201	Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset I have several sets of wheels including a pretty light custom built wheelset, but to be honest I wished I had put the money into one wheelset with a PT hub. To be honest I can do just as well with my heavier run of the mill Mavic Ksyrium Elites as I can with the more expensive lighter wheels so the cost difference probably wasn't worth it. Hind sight, I wished I had put the money in to a PM instead.

17-11.-2007, 09:00 AM	#14
morana Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 52	Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset AH its an easy one the pm is the answer. I love the fact that I can see the numbers go up and then the performances follow in an upward manner. I also get great confidence from my training, in races I know that I can go harder because I know I am doing x watts at ftp or whatever. I got a pm and it took a year for me to get the show on the road really (because I didnt have a great knowledge of the mix ) but after a year I won a stack of races and the same last year so I also would recommend the pm.

17-11.-2007, 09:36 AM	#15
n crowley Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: dublin ireland Posts: 411	Re: Power meter justification over high end wheelset [QUOTE=morana] Try the same question in the "cycling equipment" section.

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