Originally Posted by
Eyedrop
Hello everybody! I'm exited to be finally buying a power meter in the next month or so. I want the best value possible. I don't want to spend any more than I have to. I just want to be able to pace myself better during rides and analyze my fitness progression over time. I've never used power before but always use my HR monitor to stay in the right zones. It's helped me so much. Ive been reading "training and racing with a power meter" and I'm convinced it will help me become more fit.
Im really interested in the new iBike newton+ for its low cost, good software, and comparable accuracy to more expensive products. I would try stages power meters but I'm unsure if my bike is compatable (felt da TT bike). The powertap is tried and true but heavy and expensive. Plus, I run 650c wheels which are hard to come by with power tap. Quarq and SRM are obviously out of budget. What should I buy? Is the iBike really that bad? The new one gets great reviews but some forum members say it's just not good enough and you must spend atleast $1000 or your wasting your money. Opinions?
If those are really your needs, then your needs aren't very demanding and almost any power meter, including the Newton, would probably be okay. The iBike is a reasonable, if relatively expensive, gateway drug to power. In fact, if you've been getting good results with your HRM, with a bit more attention to detail you could probably do about as well with that, and it's cheaper.
Originally Posted by
Eyedrop
Everyone says iBike is inaccurate. But if you look at dcrainmaker review, magazines, youtube, etc... It seems pretty close to the big boys. I wonder just how much position changes and road surfaces effect the iBike readings.
I haven't tested the Newton. I tested the previous generations. Position changes and road surface and cross winds do affect the readings. In addition, since you're riding a Felt DA you should know that the iBike works best when the front port is in "clean" air so you'd want the extension to put that somewhere clean. Not sure where that'd be but maybe you don't care.
As for accuracy, iBike has said that every generation of iBike was an improvement over the previous generation. iBike also claimed that every generation, including the first, was as accurate as a Power Tap.
If I get a decent used power tap, how much $ would I be spending? Can somebody list all the things I need to get a setup going? I would probably end up selling the wheelset I have (reynolds solitude) and upgrading to carbon while I'm at it, as I already have a spare carbon front zipp wheel. How much would the head unit cost? Does the hub need maintenance?
About a year ago a friend picked up a used PT in a 650c alloy rim with head unit ~$375. But he was looking for a long time -- there are plenty of 700c wheels but not many 650c's.
Or, you could stay with your HRM.