Cycleops PowerCal

colm_gti

Anyone using one of these? How do you find it compares to a hub/crank based power meter?

Thinking of picking one up as a cheap alternative to a power meter to focus training a little better over the coming months...

smacl

I'd be interested in hearing how you get on with this. Currently using the estimated power on the Tacx Flow turbo, which is pretty rubbish. e.g. I can be powering along a flat section at 280w-300w no bother, and struggling up an incline, with lower gears to give similar cadence, an putting out 220w-240w. Even then, it's a good stat to measure relative changes in performance over time.

At a guess, a HRM based power meter would suffer from other problems, and need regular recalibration as fitness levels and cycling efficiency change. Possibly a better measure of energy expended than energy transferred into the cranks. Still looks like a handy device for the money.

I wonder if the brim brothers will ever get their act together and deliver a reasonable alternative?

Lumen

Just use a heart rate monitor.

easygoing39

This will do the job better,in fact its a bargin!!
http://eurocycles.com/ie/product/powertap/pro-g2-alloy-wheelset

lennymc

from using the pm, i found a few times that my hr would be at a certain level for a particular power output during an interval, bu then ten minutes later after a rest period and another interval the HR could be higher than the previous HR but the same power. From this I can conclude that you need to spend more money on things for your bike.

Seriously tho, I find my HR has no bearing on the power output day to day, and can vary by up to 15% or so depending on how tired I am, where in a work out session I am, and lots of other things.

Lumen

lennymc wrote: »

from using the pm, i found a few times that my hr would be at a certain level for a particular power output during an interval, bu then ten minutes later after a rest period and another interval the HR could be higher than the previous HR but the same power. From this I can conclude that you need to spend more money on things for your bike.

Seriously tho, I find my HR has no bearing on the power output day to day, and can vary by up to 15% or so depending on how tired I am, where in a work out session I am, and lots of other things.

The variations you describe are not necessarily an argument in favour of a power meter.

You seem to be making an assumption that accurate power measurement = effective training, and then judging the HR monitor by that standard.

The argument in favour of training by HR is that effective training requires listening to your body, and that HR tells you lots about the state of your body and its readiness to respond to a given training stimulus. By focusing on power measurement you are blocking out other potentially useful information.

Of course IF you are training by power THEN you want the power measurement to be accurate.

lennymc

I didnt think i was making any assumptions or argument for or against using or not using a PM - i was only suggesting to colm that in my limited experience of using a power meter and a hrm, the reading from a hrm does not allways directly map to the power output. And that he should buy more stuff (but buying more stuff is a standard recommendation and solution to any biking problem)

colm_gti

While I completely agree that buying more stuff is always the solution, but a power meter is currently lower priority on my list unfortunately :pac:

The powercal doesn't directly relate HR to power though, it runs the rate of change of your hr through various algorithims to give a rough estimate of power. I just wanted to see if anyone on here had used one, and how they got on with it

lennymc

in that case id probably agree with lumen and just get a heart rate monitor.

Hmmzis

+1 on getting a HR monitor. In addition it would be very valuable to find out your lactate threshold. It should be part of any of those ramp type VO2max ergometric tests, plus they will also tell you the power outputs at various heart rates and thresholds. At 80-150eur that would be a fraction of the cost of a PM and would add a good bit to your training structure.

colm_gti

Hmmzis wrote: »

+1 on getting a HR monitor. In addition it would be very valuable to find out your lactate threshold. It should be part of any of those ramp type VO2max ergometric tests, plus they will also tell you the power outputs at various heart rates and thresholds. At 80-150eur that would be a fraction of the cost of a PM and would add a good bit to your training structure.

In the process of booking one, and have a HR monitor already