Power Analysis

harringtonp

Hi,

Using Garmin Connect and Strava to analyse power and generally quite happy with that.

One thing I would like to have though is the ability to choose time start and end points and get a power average over the choosen time interval.

Anybody know any free downloadable tools or web applications that can take a tcx or gpx file and provide this info ?

Thanks Paul.

ericzeking

You can crop your performance graph on Strava just by clicking and dragging and it'll give you averages for that time period

harringtonp

For stationery trainer rides (which is what I am looking for at the moment) you do not have that option. And in any case they do say that cropping a ride cannot be undone.

I am looking for something that will allow you select random time intervals and throw a number back without disturbing the original ride or training session

ericzeking

Crop was the wrong word, apologies...it's more like zoom, you can definitely do it, click on the point in time you want to start, hold then and move the mouse along to the end point you want, you'll see the section of the graph being highlighted. The screen will automaticlly switch to the new 'segment' you've selected, and your data and averages for that section will be on the right as normal. It has no effect on the data you've uploaded, you just click back to go back to the screen for the whole ride, or there is a 'back to ride' icon too.

Try it!

Beasty

Not used it for a while (and certainly not the latest version) but Cycleops PowerAgent used to allow cropping in that way

harringtonp

ericzeking wrote: »

Crop was the wrong word, apologies...it's more like zoom, you can definitely do it, click on the point in time you want to start, hold then and move the mouse along to the end point you want, you'll see the section of the graph being highlighted. The screen will automaticlly switch to the new 'segment' you've selected, and your data and averages for that section will be on the right as normal. It has no effect on the data you've uploaded, you just click back to go back to the screen for the whole ride, or there is a 'back to ride' icon too.

Try it!

Magic, exactly what I was looking for. Notice that with the first selection it can be hard to get it accurate but you can then further zoom in with more selections and capture the exact time segment you want.

zentrumsounds

Easy: Golden Cheetah. Does everything and more.

Also buy "Training and Racing with a power meter" by Hunter Allen. Its pointless to have power recording and not read this really. Otherwise power on the bike is just a toy imo.

Diarmuid

Gldencheetah is streets beyond all other power analysis applications. That it's free and open source is a bonus. The one catch is that it may be too powerful and can take some work to figure out what is what. However once you do, its incredible what you can do with it.

harringtonp

zentrumsounds wrote: »

Easy: Golden Cheetah. Does everything and more.

Also buy "Training and Racing with a power meter" by Hunter Allen. Its pointless to have power recording and not read this really. Otherwise power on the bike is just a toy imo.

Thanks guys for pointer towards Golden Cheetah. Have ordered the Allen and Coggan book which currently seems to be the bible for this stuff and look forward to getting stuck into it.

I have seen in various threads that a lot of people here on boards make power meters out to be quite complex things. They can be I'm sure but they can also be used simply and effectively.

Every training program I have come across starts with a field test from which FTP and FTHR are extrapolated. From here you are given watt/HR ranges to stay within for each session in the program. It's as simple as work out your watt ranges from your field test, and then stay within them while doing the session intervals by using the Lap Average Power field on your Garmin.

Anybody who has tried to follow program on HR and RPE (perceived effort) and then
switched to power for the same program will realise how much better and scientific it is. I have found HR completely useless for shorter intervals and without power you end up relying on the RPE more than the HR.

Using power for training in this way is quite easy and perhaps the biggest single benefit you can get from a PM.

Of course I may be of a different mindset after reading the Coggan and Allen book ...

Raymzor

hello harringtonp, can you advise what power meter you have invested in? have you found it useful so far? thanks Raymzor

harringtonp

Raymzor wrote: »

hello harringtonp, can you advise what power meter you have invested in? have you found it useful so far? thanks Raymzor

Got this one:

http://www.power2max.de/europe/en/Produkt/power-meters-en/rotor-3d-road/

Have only used it on turbo sessions so far but find it very useful, know exactly what wattage I need to be holding during intervals