Nico gets a powermeter

ROK ON

I read today that Nico Roche is getting a powermeter (SRM) as a training aid.
He has never had one and only used HR data.

I assumed all pros have them. Just goes to show that you don't need all the gizmos to be a top athlete.

Are there other teams that don't use power or in most teams is it left up to the athlete?

Chips Lovell

I think it's up to the rider for the most part. Power meters seem to be part of the culture of some teams more than others. I know Oscar Freire doesn't even use a bike computer.

mloc123

Nobody needs a powermeter but if you work full time and have limited training time each week, say 10-15 hours then a powermeter will help you get the most out of those 10-15 hours.

cantalach

I'm stunned to hear that. I too assumed that training with a power metre was the norm at pro level. Maybe he will be even better next year for it!

Hungrycol

ROK ON wrote: »

Just goes to show that you don't need all the gizmos to be a top athlete.

+1

BryanL

goes to show how expesinve SRM units are

LeoD

mloc123 wrote: »

limited training time each week, say 10-15 hours

:eek:

15hrs is limited??

tunney

mloc123 wrote: »

Nobody needs a powermeter but if you work full time and have limited training time each week, say 10-15 hours then a powermeter will help you get the most out of those 10-15 hours.

MLoc - remember this is the Cycling board. 10-15 hours is huge here.

Chips Lovell

LeoD wrote: »

:eek:

15hrs is limited??

If you have a full time job, yes.

DirkVoodoo

500 hours a year is about normal for a good A4 rider, 10-15 hours a week is pretty good when you are only training for cycling and not any "other" stuff.

tunney

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

500 hours a year is about normal for a good A4 rider, 10-15 hours a week is pretty good when you are only training for cycling and not any "other" stuff.

two long rides and two hour turbos? I'd have thought pure roadies did more than that?

Lumen

I'm not sure there's much correlation between hours and ability.

I'm sure there are A2s who can stay competitive on 10 hours a week and A4s who struggle on 15.

mloc123

tunney wrote: »

two long rides and two hour turbos? I'd have thought pure roadies did more than that?

Most triathletes would do two long and two turbos... and they waste time splashing and jogging too.

mloc123

Lumen wrote: »

I'm not sure there's much correlation between hours and ability.

I'm sure there are A2s who can stay competitive on 10 hours a week and A4s who struggle on 15.

This probably goes back to my original post... you could train with purpose for 10 hours a week or piss about for 20 hours a week.

Lumen

mloc123 wrote: »

Most triathletes would do two long and two turbos... and they waste time splashing and jogging too.

I read some interesting stuff about Ironman training on here recently. I don't know much about that sort of thing, but it's quite interesting.

Pure runners typically perform two fast runs each week. Pure cyclists typically perform two fast rides each week. Many triathletes try to do two fast rides and two fast runs each week. I don’t think this is a good idea for anyone, except perhaps World Cup racers, but it’s definitely not a good idea for those training for Ironman events. The problem is that fatigue from cycling transfers all too well to running, and vice versa, such that doing two hard rides and two hard runs weekly is almost tantamount to a pure runner doing four hard runs every week. Fatigue will accumulate and performance in all of those hard workouts will be compromised.

Sorry for off-topic, but it's sort of relevant with respect to avoiding excessive training loads. Not that I have that problem at the moment (or Tunney apparently, judging by his blog).

Chips Lovell

I suspect some people get more benefit out of powermeters than others. By that I mean, some riders would be better able to gauge their efforts without measurement.

Now of course, you could point to someone like Freire and say he doesn't really need one. But the counterpoint of that would be to ask if he would be even better if he did use one. Who knows?

Aside from the measurement of effort, I reckon some riders benefit from them purely because they enjoy working with the numbers and it adds a certain motivation through tracking improvement and hitting targets.

ROK ON

Just as some folks use numbers as motivation others use as a barrier.
I climb better in a group as I am usually too focused in trying to hold onto the wheels ahead to look at hr data.
Now on my own I look incessantly at data making sure I don't go into the red.

Ironically when in a group and I do go into the red on a climb it is usually not too bad and given the short nature of climbs here recovery is only around the corner.

I guess most riders fall between the two stools of a barrier or a target.

tunney

Lumen wrote: »

I read some interesting stuff about Ironman training on here recently. I don't know much about that sort of thing, but it's quite interesting.



Sorry for off-topic, but it's sort of relevant with respect to avoiding excessive training loads. Not that I have that problem at the moment (or Tunney apparently, judging by his blog).

A bad bad day.

10 year bonds over 6% and Lumen made me laugh out loud.

ryan_sherlock

Lumen wrote: »

I'm not sure there's much correlation between hours and ability.

I'm sure there are A2s who can stay competitive on 10 hours a week and A4s who struggle on 15.

I was going to stay that - I would think that 10hrs a week (with a couple of longer weeks in the winter) would be enough for a good A2 rider in all but the longest races... They would have to be very efficient with the time though - not buming around for the 10 hours etc...

levitronix

From my experince ironman training is all about putting in the hours conditioning your body for long days

levitronix

Would it not be normal practice for most pros to all have power meters on their TT bikes ?

spyderski

There were 2 shocking elements to this IMO.

1. He doesn't already have a power meter
2. He seems to suggest he bought it himself (as some sort of "treat")

Jesus, power meters are expensive and all, but its what he does for a living ffs!