Kit: Bike computer/watch that supports power based workouts

kingQuez

I'm curious what software + bike computer people use with power meters.. My 310xt is slowly dying, and as Christmas approaches I can smell the amazon voucher we get in work each year.

Initially the 310xt didn't support power based workouts, and now that it does - you can't configure them in garmin connect to send to the device. Configuring on the device is fiddley and a bit of a pain.

Not sure if the 910xt supports this, or if I'd be looking at one of the bike-specific computers.. or something non-garmin.

RacoonQueen

I can't help in any way. No idea what sort of workouts you can create on the device, but, can you not set power zone workouts on garmin connect/training centre?

sconhome

I suppose the best place to start is with the power meter, find out what units are compatible with them.

A bike specific head unit will give you more flexibility on creating or managing workouts too. I get a lot of people asking about the Garmin Edge 500 & 800 for bike only workouts but the 910xt seems to do the same thing and features for multisport.

A good tool is the compare facility on garmin.com.

Other option is a wholy Polar based set up, but this is not ANT+ compatible so you are restricted in what power meter you can use, only the Look power pedals will work with the head units CS 500 or CS600 for full analysis, L/R balance etc.

tunney

amphkingwest wrote: »

I suppose the best place to start is with the power meter, find out what units are compatible with them.

A bike specific head unit will give you more flexibility on creating or managing workouts too. I get a lot of people asking about the Garmin Edge 500 & 800 for bike only workouts but the 910xt seems to do the same thing and features for multisport.

A good tool is the compare facility on garmin.com.

Other option is a wholy Polar based set up, but this is not ANT+ compatible so you are restricted in what power meter you can use, only the Look power pedals will work with the head units CS 500 or CS600 for full analysis, L/R balance etc.

Or you could go with a head unit that doesn't introduce 5-6% inaccuracy. (all Garmins do this when working with crank based power meters)

pgibbo

tunney wrote: »

Or you could go with a head unit that doesn't introduce 5-6% inaccuracy. (all Garmins do this when working with crank based power meters)

What would you recommend? Not all PMs have their own head unit. So, is there a best of breed in bike computers that supports Ant+ PMs?

kingQuez

RacoonQueen wrote: »

I can't help in any way. No idea what sort of workouts you can create on the device, but, can you not set power zone workouts on garmin connect/training centre?

Yeah, you're able to create them on garmin connect - but just cant download the power data in them to the 310xt (seems its only happy with speed/hr based sets)

For what it's worth, I've a powertap (so ant+ compatible).

Nwm2

kingQuez wrote: »

I'm curious what software + bike computer people use with power meters.. My 310xt is slowly dying, and as Christmas approaches I can smell the amazon voucher we get in work each year.

Initially the 310xt didn't support power based workouts, and now that it does - you can't configure them in garmin connect to send to the device. Configuring on the device is fiddley and a bit of a pain.

Not sure if the 910xt supports this, or if I'd be looking at one of the bike-specific computers.. or something non-garmin.

Powertap + Garmin 310XT (recently lost ) for outdoors.

Powertap + Trainerroad for indoors. Trainerroad has a new workout-creator in beta.

There are a couple of competitors to Trainerroad out there, once a good free one comes on-line I will be moving.

mloc123

tunney wrote: »

Or you could go with a head unit that doesn't introduce 5-6% inaccuracy. (all Garmins do this when working with crank based power meters)

So a P2M and Garmin coupled should be about 50% accurate then?

pgibbo

I forgot to say above - I use a Garmin 500 with my P2M.

The important thing is that the head unit gives consistent readings. The 500 is very easy to program, as is the 310 and 910. Personally I prefer the old Garmin Center app for programming workouts.

sconhome

tunney wrote: »

Or you could go with a head unit that doesn't introduce 5-6% inaccuracy. (all Garmins do this when working with crank based power meters)

If you are aware of the difference it shouldnt be too much of a problem. Its frustrating having to discover the inaccuracies all the same, once you know it you can at least gauge workouts against each other.

Time to dig out my PM bible again and get the turbo set up.

tunney

amphkingwest wrote: »

If you are aware of the difference it shouldnt be too much of a problem. Its frustrating having to discover the inaccuracies all the same, once you know it you can at least gauge workouts against each other.

Time to dig out my PM bible again and get the turbo set up.

No thats the problem - you cannot. It introduces a percentage inaccuracy for some rides it may be 0%, for others 7%. Depends on how you ride.

sconhome

Thats a head wreck!

El Director

Sure is, especially with my new set up nearly ready to roll :mad:

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

El Director wrote: »

Sure is, especially with my new set up nearly ready to roll :mad:

You will be fine, just don't stop pedaling and go through all traffic lights without stopping:). Its only when you stop pedaling the inaccuracies come into play.

El Director

Korbin Gigantic Quagmire wrote: »

You will be fine, just don't stop pedaling and go through all traffic lights without stopping:). Its only when you stop pedaling the inaccuracies come into play.

I see. Well on the plus side most of my long spins are at home so no lights and not many right turns at junstions! You would hope on a long spin though that the few zero watts that their might be will not really influence the overall average at the end.

On a related note-the include/don't include zero's (WATTS) functon on the 910xt, I would have thought that it's best to include zeros but in light of the above situation and the inaccuracies that are introduced when stopped/freewheeling-would it be best to NOT include zero's?

tunney

El Director wrote: »

I see. Well on the plus side most of my long spins are at home so no lights and not many right turns at junstions! You would hope on a long spin though that the few zero watts that their might be will not really influence the overall average at the end.

On a related note-the include/don't include zero's (WATTS) functon on the 910xt, I would have thought that it's best to include zeros but in light of the above situation and the inaccuracies that are introduced when stopped/freewheeling-would it be best to NOT include zero's?

No - the issue is not the zeros but the absence there of.

You ride at 400watts for 4 seconds. 1 second sampling

400,400,400,400

Then you stop pedalling for 2 seconds.

What you would expect is
400,400,400,400,0,0

what you get is
400,400,400,400,400,400

See the problem?

Ant+ requires cadence supported to 20rpm, means takes three seconds for when you stop pedaling to be recorded.

Easy to clean up, Garmin don't though. SRM do.

Fazz

tunney wrote: »

No - the issue is not the zeros but the absence there of.

You ride at 400watts for 4 seconds. 1 second sampling

400,400,400,400

Then you stop pedalling for 2 seconds.

What you would expect is
400,400,400,400,0,0

what you get is
400,400,400,400,400,400

See the problem?

Ant+ requires cadence supported to 20rpm, means takes three seconds for when you stop pedaling to be recorded.

Easy to clean up, Garmin don't though. SRM do.

That's hardly an issue at all now in fairness.

Maybe their smart recording bridges the gap to resolving.
Even if not so it takes a couple secs to read accurate.
So by that nature that applies to both start and end of cadence so in all probability cancel each other out to a minor irregularity.

In addition, the important power readings would be taken when actually reading them such as a hard turbo session etc.
A couple secs here and there over a long ride's figures is pretty meaningless in fairness.

I know my main sets are all at set watts for long enough durations that this is no issue.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

ElD make sure you include zeros otherwise you are inflating wattage which is pointless.

Tunney never thought to ask but what differences are you showing between the 910 and the srm pcv. Much discrepancy?

tunney

Fazz wrote: »

That's hardly an issue at all now in fairness.

For those that race crits or do crit style efforts it is

Fazz wrote: »

Maybe their smart recording bridges the gap to resolving.

Nope

Fazz wrote: »

Even if not so it takes a couple secs to read accurate.
So by that nature that applies to both start and end of cadence so in all probability cancel each other out to a minor irregularity.

Nope

Fazz wrote: »

In addition, the important power readings would be taken when actually reading them such as a hard turbo session etc.

Constant efforts do yield better results

Fazz wrote: »

A couple secs here and there over a long ride's figures is pretty meaningless in fairness.

Data from "normal" (ie not TT style efforts) thrown into mathlab has shown 4-7% off

Fazz wrote: »

I know my main sets are all at set watts for long enough durations that this is no issue.

I know the power from my Garmin is quite different from my PC7 on long rides.

tunney

Korbin Gigantic Quagmire wrote: »

ElD make sure you include zeros otherwise you are inflating wattage which is pointless.

Tunney never thought to ask but what differences are you showing between the 910 and the srm pcv. Much discrepancy?

Enough

El Director

If the clean up is easy and I'd imagine that it is, then hopefully someday Garmin get the finger out.

Does Training Peaks, WKO, Trainer Road or Golden Cheetah do a clean up upon upload?

tunney

El Director wrote: »

If the clean up is easy and I'd imagine that it is, then hopefully someday Garmin get the finger out.

Does Training Peaks, WKO, Trainer Road or Golden Cheetah do a clean up upon upload?

Nope, none of them do. SRMWin does but that fvck all use to you.

As JB says, soft pedal rather than coast

speedyj

Does anyone have experience good/bad with the newer CycleOps Joule or Joule GPS units? I want something reasonably small (Garmin 800 for example is a turn off), but so far the Garmin 500 looks the only option.

Of course I could spring for a 910xt but cycle specific is more appealing to me.

BTH

speedyj wrote: »

Does anyone have experience good/bad with the newer CycleOps Joule or Joule GPS units? I want something reasonably small (Garmin 800 for example is a turn off), but so far the Garmin 500 looks the only option.

Of course I could spring for a 910xt but cycle specific is more appealing to me.

And the swim function of the 910 would be wasted on you Speedy.....

Sorry, know nothing about any of the above

tunney

BTH wrote: »

And the swim function of the 910 would be wasted on you Speedy.....

Sorry, know nothing about any of the above

For shame - he beat me out of the water in Roth. For shame. That's why my bike split was so sh1t, I went off for a wee cry.

speedyj

BTH wrote: »

And the swim function of the 910 would be wasted on you Speedy.....

Sorry, know nothing about any of the above

Now BTH, don't get me smack talking here on boards - I reserve that for when drunk..

BTH

speedyj wrote: »

Now BTH, don't get me smack talking here on boards - I reserve that for when drunk..

Ha

Who wants to see some pics I have of Speedy when he's had a couple of drinks!!

Tunney, hang your head in shame..

speedyj

BTH wrote: »

Who wants to see some pics I have of Speedy when he's had a couple of drinks!!

That's low BTH, real low Someone obviously spiked my drinks, all of 'em!