Key tips you should know for making the leap into the world of watts.
A power meter is a device fitted to a bike that measures the power output of the rider.
Most commonly, power meters use strain gauges that deflect slightly when a force is applied. By measuring this torque and combining it with angular velocity, power (measured in watts) can be calculated.
A power meter is a device fitted to a bike that measures the power output of the rider.
Most commonly, power meters use strain gauges that deflect slightly when a force is applied. By measuring this torque and combining it with angular velocity, power (measured in watts) can be calculated.
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00:00 (car engine revving)
00:03 (upbeat music)
00:05 If you haven't purchased one already,
00:08 a power meter may be something you're very keen to invest in.
00:11 But what are the benefits?
00:12 And if you own one already, do you even know why?
00:15 Or do you just own one
00:15 because you think you should own one?
00:17 Whatever your reasons,
00:18 here are a few key tips you should know
00:20 for making the leap into the world of watts.
00:22 (upbeat music)
00:25 First things first,
00:27 why do you actually need a power meter in the first place?
00:30 It's not just so you can brag to your teammates
00:32 that you own one,
00:32 because they're extremely useful measurement
00:34 for analyzing your training
00:36 and far more accurate than other measures,
00:37 such as average speed.
00:39 Power meters take into account
00:40 the actual physical effort you're putting
00:42 through each pedal stroke.
00:43 It's a far more accurate reading for your training ride
00:46 compared to average speed,
00:47 which can be affected by the terrain
00:48 or the weather conditions.
00:50 Secondly, you can pace your effort to perfection.
00:53 Chances are at the beginning of a race,
00:55 you have adrenaline pumping around your body.
00:57 Therefore making the effort that you're riding at
00:59 probably unsustainable,
01:01 even if it doesn't feel like it at the start.
01:03 Knowing when you need to rest
01:04 can be tricky based on personal feeling alone.
01:07 Partly because when you start to feel run down,
01:10 it's probably too late.
01:12 Training with power does give you strong indications
01:15 on when you need to rest,
01:16 but also when your form is about to peak.
01:19 This real time feedback is crucial
01:21 as there is no drift which can occur with heart rate monitors
01:24 and attack on a climb may only result
01:26 in a spike in heart rate,
01:27 but that point it could be too late
01:28 and you've already gone into the red.
01:30 As previously mentioned,
01:31 using average speeds or times on courses
01:34 and certain segments can give a rough idea
01:36 to track your fitness progression.
01:37 However, utilising FTP results over time
01:40 can result in a far more precise and accurate measure.
01:43 We won't go too in depth here
01:48 as we have a power meters buyers guide video already,
01:51 to tell you all about each type of power meter.
01:53 But the three types come from the pedals,
01:55 the hub and the crank.
01:56 All of which have positives and negatives
01:58 that will work best for you, your riding and your budget.
02:01 So you're back from your ride
02:06 and what's the first thing that we all do?
02:08 Upload our data of course.
02:09 However, when you're training and racing with power,
02:12 the world of data is opened up to you
02:14 with a plethora of numbers.
02:16 Here's a quick breakdown of what each one means.
02:19 Training stress score or TSS.
02:21 This is the number that relates to the intensity
02:24 of a single training session.
02:25 The higher the number, the more strenuous it has been.
02:28 Acute training load or ATL.
02:30 This is the short term fatigue number
02:32 that is accumulated and estimated over a seven day period.
02:36 Chronic training load or CTL
02:38 is the longer term fitness accumulation rating
02:41 based over a 42 day period of time.
02:43 With rides that are completed more recently,
02:45 weighted higher towards this number.
02:48 Training stress balance or TSB
02:50 is the number that's the difference between CTL and ATL
02:54 and addresses whether a rider may be approaching top form.
02:57 When this number is positive,
02:58 it indicates a good performance is approaching
03:01 following a decent block of training
03:02 combined with low recent value of fatigue.
03:05 This is where the tapering effect comes to fruition.
03:08 So far, power meters may seem great.
03:14 However, there are a few key mistakes you need to know
03:16 as it can trip up your training
03:18 and make your training data completely useless.
03:21 The first and most basic mistake
03:23 is forgetting to zero offset a power meter before riding
03:26 and then you're relying on inaccurate data.
03:29 Think of zero offsetting power meter
03:31 as the same when you reset a set of measuring scales.
03:34 Air pressure, ambient temperatures and other things
03:36 can alter power meter readings in between rides.
03:39 Therefore zeroing your power meter before each ride
03:42 clears the residual torque
03:43 and sets an accurate baseline to work from.
03:46 Our second key data mistake to avoid
03:49 is confusing simple average power with normalized power.
03:52 Normalized power accounts for intervals and efforts
03:54 that have occurred over the entirety of a ride.
03:57 Whereas average power
03:58 will simply average out the training session as a whole,
04:00 which can lead to misinterpretation of more intense sessions
04:04 that may have actually been more fatiguing.
04:06 Our third mistake is failing to acknowledge the differences
04:09 between indoor and outdoor riding.
04:11 The former involves zero coasting and no air resistance.
04:14 Whereas outdoors, there are many variables
04:16 such as wind and drafting gains.
04:18 So comparing the two
04:20 can provide very different data results.
04:22 So those are our key points
04:24 to help get you started training with data.
04:26 Do let us know in the comments section
04:27 what top tips that you have.
04:29 And don't forget to like and share this video
04:32 and subscribe to the Cycling Weekly channel.
04:34 But thank you again for watching.
04:35 And until next time, we'll see you then.
04:37 (whooshing)
04:41 [BLANK_AUDIO]