jadocs

Balls out is balls out. It doesn't matter what the power meter says. Train to your zones, as long as the PM is consistent it doesn't matter if it's 2% off from another brand. If you switch to another brand then you will train within the zones on that PM. So your FTP is higher by 5 watts on another brand...so what. The zones will be recalculated to account for that 5 watts. Zone 3 is still zone 3, zone 4 is still zone 4, etc...The level of effort is still going to be the same operating in those recalculated zones.

Metallifan33

All this being said, I totally understand the need/desire to know where you fall in the spectrum of power (or speed) as a beginner. I wanted to know what the average power is among beginner cyclists and where I fell. Unfortunately, many cyclists get a hard on to tell you how that is useless and you shouldn't worry about it (seriously, not just on this site). While there is truth to that, it doesn't take into account people who just like to know the numbers.
Wanting to know how/where you stand among other cyclists is a very legitimate and healthy curiosity.
Some of us like the numbers. If you do want to know the numbers for the sake of curiosity, you should absolutely pursue the knowledge.
Just know that it's a rabbit hole and can get expensive. Do it for the right reasons. I've purchased multiple power meters; I'll probably buy more, and I don't regret it, because I know what I'm getting into.

guadzilla

There you go - that's your problem. You shouldnt be engaging with triathletes at all.

guadzilla

I would disagree there. A 1-2% variance in numbers isnt going to change anything in how you train: ultimately, the goal is to go faster, not to have a consistent number on the screen. A 1-2% variation in the output falls within your own body's day to day variation in power output. How actionable would this 1-2% variation be in real life?

Eg, my sprint is around 1200W. Whether is 1224 or 1176 doesnt really make a meaningful difference one way or the other.

Seattle Forrest

What better alternative is there?

colnago62

It could be the difference of you being able to come around a person at the line or the difference in being able to make the bubble in a sprint tournament. Those numbers inform your training. Is your jump not sufficient or do you start your sprint too soon? Your power curve can help answer those questions. An accurate power meter is absolutely important if your goal is to get the most out of your training.

WhyFi

Liar. We know that you're a dirty triathlete and that your sprint is 400w for 5min.

Bah Humbug

Sounds normal to me?

tomato coupe

A triathlete will get off their bike because the power meter is off by 5W, but they'll soil their shorts rather than get off the bike to use a porta-potty during a race. Really sums it up ...

Bah Humbug

That's really not typical, in either case.

rubiksoval

What?

Have you ever raced? Sprinted in a race? Trained for sprinting in racing?

This is a bizarre example.

Atlas Shrugged

The lengths people go to defend a losing position in an discussion never fails to amaze me.

Atlas Shrugged

It’s at best a wild assed guess but they all use different formulas to achieve the numbers.

caloso

Well, now at least I have a new excuse for when I get pipped at the line: my power meter was reading 5% off and I wasn't able to optimize my training!

RChung

Ooof. Sometimes I read threads that I really shouldn't and then I regret it.

RChung

Different people have different goals and different abilities so it's not surprising that people may have different needs for accurate power data. Some uses of a power meter don't really require much accuracy or precision, others do. Drag measurement is one of the more demanding uses for power data.

We've long known how to make someone faster on a bike: maximize the power they can make, or minimize the power they must make. Training is mostly about maximizing the power they can make; drag reduction, in its many forms, is mostly about minimizing the power they must make. The stopwatch or finish line don't care whether you got there first because of more power or less drag, and the rules allow you to do both.

In my situation, my power is declining. I have to do all this crazy drag reduction stuff to keep from being even slower. Even if my power weren't declining, drag reduction means you can go at the same speed as before but more easily, and lots of people consider that a nice thing, too, even if they never race.

That said, I've helped a couple of people set world records, a couple of teams win Olympic medals, a few riders to win state or national races, and one guy to finally beat his brother-in-law in their annual family race. That was sweet. One of the riders I helped to a world record had made an unsuccessful attempt the previous year. We made some changes in both position and equipment that made him faster even though his power in the second (successful) attempt was a couple of watts lower. All that mattered was the clock, and it didn't care. He didn't either.

woodcraft

LoL

guadzilla

Hey, are you new here? Welcome to Bikeforums

Actually, after a couple of years of riding tempo and SST and rarely going over VO2 for more than a handful of seconds, along with unavoidable aging, it seems that I no longer have a 1200W sprint. Or anywhere close to it. Atleast I did not yesterday, when I did some intervals. I cant even blame it on a 2% inaccuracy of my power meter.

Damn triathletes.

400W? Only if i am doing an easy full Iron.

Yeah, but do you have a Youtube channel where you Tell It Like It Is, preferably by using a lot of cusswords to mask unsupported leaps in logic? Bro?

guadzilla

I am not sure how a 2% difference in my powermeter reading is going to affect any of that.

WhyFi

Easy -