Training To Power vs Perceived Effort (poll)
When power come up there is a distinction (I think) of how power meters are used.
Terms like riding WITH power, training with power etc mean different things. For example when my kid was training to increase power - he used the gym. We measured that by the stack of weights and how he sprinted relative to others. When we hear Peter Sagan was training to increase power - I hear he was likely lifting weights, reducing miles and trying to take on Kittle. Others hear he is using a power meter.
In training, I see a distinction where some do not.
1 Do you use a PM primarily used to record.
If you are one of these you do not need to see the numbers for power when riding other than entertainment. You ride, and look at numbers later. The PM is one of the useful tools to tell you your progress.
2 Is a PM used to tell you how to ride
If you use this method you MUST see what your power is and adjust your training appropriately. You have a plan on how many watts you are going to ride and you go ride those watts.
So for example Allen and Coggan's book chapter 9 - Developing a Power-Based training plan. Do you do such a thing. Maybe not his, but you have a plan to train to power.
And while I know this is not a racing forum, there are riders, pro riders that look at their PMs to determine if they should attack, continue to attack etc. There are others, for example we know Wiggins hour record, where the effort is based on speed/time and perceived effort. We know this as UCI does not allow a PM display on track.
Last edited by Doge; 05-04-17 at 10:30 AM.