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Tell me this is an unnecessary toy

Old 03-28-18, 11:45 AM
  #26  
caloso
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Originally Posted by rm -rf
***

Stats!
So, you also like stats. Golden Cheetah is free software, with tons of charts and trend graphs. You can use it for formal training, or just to look at your riding. It's easy to get started, with lots of auto defaults, then you can modify the charts later as you want.

GC will automatically calculate your FTP after a few rides. And track it over the season, too. (FTP is essentially the best power you could put out on a hard one hour ride.)

The most useful to me is the CP (Critical Power) chart. This tracks your best power for all time periods from a few seconds to the longest ride you've done. It fits a curve to a few best effort points to show a theoretical max effort curve. Your current ride is shown as a line on the chart, too.

This chart is helpful to give me an idea of my power numbers for about 30 seconds, about 60 seconds, and about 5 minutes, to pace my all-out efforts on short steep climbs.

***
Happiness is pushing the curve up and out:

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Old 03-28-18, 11:50 AM
  #27  
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Go for it, if it will enhance your enjoyment of riding. Personally, I don't even bother with a bike computer because my own enjoyment of riding comes from other things.
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Old 03-28-18, 12:13 PM
  #28  
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Power meters are a waste of time and money if you buy them and never use the data for what it's intended to provide for you. Otherwise, get them.
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Old 03-28-18, 12:32 PM
  #29  
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If you are interested in tracking calories and metabolism a power meter is the only real measure of actual work done.
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Old 03-28-18, 01:18 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by deacon mark
Ok so I am almost 57 way past any racing age. I don't race and would not ever but do like to ride fast and as quick as I can at least sometimes. I am runner too and at one time could run a decent marathon but those days long gone with age and wear. I still run but on the bike I still have goals and can ride with a faster group for awhile.

So I have been thinking about getting a power meter just to see statistics. I am real stat person by nature and record my rides by time and MPH, pour over useless date for sure many would say. Do you think I am nuts wanting a power meter and should I just get over it and remain where I am and put the money to better use? I can see it basically as a toy to see how things are going, not for any serious training but at least it might keep me focused. All my focus these days seems to be I go out for a run and wow did I go slow.

Just my 2 cents here.

Do you ride with a HR monitor? If so, why? If not, you should be at your age!!

Now, if a HR monitor is OK, why not PM? Go for it. The data you get will help you overall even if you are not competitive. Mine helped me. It is nice to see the data and I might add it is nice to see the numbers improve and I am 62. After all, improvement is what we are after, at least for me. I'd like to think that riding all these miles has to be doing something for my overall fitness otherwise I would just get in a car and ride through the back country if you know what I mean.

So, I look at it as a progress meter. Not to mention that it does help you keep focused and not burn those matches to early as it is quite easy to try and go with the flow not realizing you are going to hard early on only to suffer those last 10 miles and not know exactly why you are out of gas.

As for Strava, it is merely a tool for me. I enjoy looking at my ride(s) and I do look at the segments to see where I am placing in my age group. Again, this helps in seeing if I am getting better or worse.

Now, true story on Strava. Last year I rode a metric century on flat land. I ended up sucking this young guys wheel for the first 25 miles where the first rest stop was. I managed to suck his wheel to the tune of 20.2mph over the first 25 miles. A record for me. Of course I paid for that the rest of the ride but it made me feel pretty good.

So, I take a look at the Strava segments and find one segment in those first 25 miles and look a bit closer. I find my name in the list on the segment and directly under my name was that of George Hincapie who used to ride with Lance. I did a double take and made sure it was not some other George Hincapie and sure enough it was him. Hey, I was faster in that one segment than George!! Of course he was probably eating or putting on another jersey but it didn't matter to me. I actually cut and pasted a screen shot of that and sent it out to several of my riding buddies. We all go a good laugh about it. Imagine finding a segment where I was listed with him out of the thousands of riders and segments on Strava. It is framed in my TV room!

Make no mistake about that, I in no way am faster than a Pro or Ex-pro. Not even close. But, but on that one lone day, on that one 1.2 mile segment, I was faster.

john
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Old 03-28-18, 03:05 PM
  #31  
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It is only unnecessary, if you don't want it!
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Old 03-28-18, 04:32 PM
  #32  
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If it floats your boat, do it.


When racing I kept great stats on rides and conditioning. No longer race and no longer see any sense in bothering with it. Now I work on mechanical things such as my newly acquired old truck or the vintage fleet of bikes I am amassing.
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Old 03-30-18, 07:46 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by rutan74
Do you ride with a HR monitor? If so, why? If not, you should be at your age!!
OMG, am I'm going to die? I don't have a heart rate monitor.
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Old 03-30-18, 10:00 PM
  #34  
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I’m not sure what age has to do with HRM use.
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Old 03-31-18, 02:07 AM
  #35  
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I'm pretty sure he just saying we have to be more aware of our physical condition as we age. Someone having chest pains at 25 is a lot less worrisome than someone having them at 55.
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Old 03-31-18, 02:12 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by TiHabanero
If it floats your boat, do it.
.
Best answer
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Old 03-31-18, 03:19 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by rutan74
Just my 2 cents here.

Do you ride with a HR monitor? If so, why? If not, you should be at your age!!

Now, if a HR monitor is OK, why not PM? Go for it. The data you get will help you overall even if you are not competitive. Mine helped me. It is nice to see the data and I might add it is nice to see the numbers improve and I am 62. After all, improvement is what we are after, at least for me. I'd like to think that riding all these miles has to be doing something for my overall fitness otherwise I would just get in a car and ride through the back country if you know what I mean.

So, I look at it as a progress meter. Not to mention that it does help you keep focused and not burn those matches to early as it is quite easy to try and go with the flow not realizing you are going to hard early on only to suffer those last 10 miles and not know exactly why you are out of gas.

As for Strava, it is merely a tool for me. I enjoy looking at my ride(s) and I do look at the segments to see where I am placing in my age group. Again, this helps in seeing if I am getting better or worse.

Now, true story on Strava. Last year I rode a metric century on flat land. I ended up sucking this young guys wheel for the first 25 miles where the first rest stop was. I managed to suck his wheel to the tune of 20.2mph over the first 25 miles. A record for me. Of course I paid for that the rest of the ride but it made me feel pretty good.

So, I take a look at the Strava segments and find one segment in those first 25 miles and look a bit closer. I find my name in the list on the segment and directly under my name was that of George Hincapie who used to ride with Lance. I did a double take and made sure it was not some other George Hincapie and sure enough it was him. Hey, I was faster in that one segment than George!! Of course he was probably eating or putting on another jersey but it didn't matter to me. I actually cut and pasted a screen shot of that and sent it out to several of my riding buddies. We all go a good laugh about it. Imagine finding a segment where I was listed with him out of the thousands of riders and segments on Strava. It is framed in my TV room!

Make no mistake about that, I in no way am faster than a Pro or Ex-pro. Not even close. But, but on that one lone day, on that one 1.2 mile segment, I was faster.

john

I wear a HR monitor because it came with my Garmin 910x. To me it is just another piece of data and I frankly my take is different than most. My resting HR is about 38-42 if I am really relaxed. I manage to get my HR to about 150 if I try and kill myself on a very steep climb or all out run after some distance.

None of it adds up to anything is some respects. I have had high blood pressure since I was 14 years old and take medication for this all my life. I have had my kidney's and very other type of test run to see why I have HBP. I finally had stress test a year ago. I wrote about that previously. I was very nervous about the test thinking I would be told to get off the treadmill and stop right away.

I have been a distance runner for 40 years running daily. I give myself stress test everyday. Well sure enough my blood pressure was 170/90 before I even got on the treadmill for the test. I was shaking and visibly in turmoil. They were not going to even do the test but doctor came in and I was allow to proceed. I did and manage to get to some level, I am sure, but my HR was 150 and they said to stop, the test was diagnostic at that point.

The results were I manage to pass fine. To this day all the hoopla about HR means zero to me. HR is really only one part of the piece. To me in anecdotal evidence my HR is slower when I am tried and I cannot get it up a fast. When I is up and higher in training I tend to feel better and able to do more. Not sure but this goes against the grain.
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Old 04-02-18, 11:15 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
OMG, am I'm going to die? I don't have a heart rate monitor.
Well, we are all going to die.

I think of a heart rate monitor as taking my pulse, only constantly when I ride. I do not monitor off the bike.

Since it is very easy to run your heart rate up and possibly into a danger zone, I personally like to keep tabs on mine so I know when I get near my max heart rate. My cardiologist thinks it is a good idea too and when I visit, he looks at the data from my rides.

So, if you are over 50, I'd wear one and keep track of my heart rate.

I'd rate the HR monitor way above a power meter though since HR is way important than to know how many watts I am producing.

Again, just more data to collect can if you have some heart conditions as I do, the more data I can supply my Doctor, the better.

john
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Old 04-02-18, 11:57 AM
  #39  
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Last year a friend of mine sold me a used Powertap wheel. His pitch, skillfully delivered, started with "you're a numbers guy..." and a year on, I'm glad I bought it. I'm a few years younger than the OP and will never be more than a recreational rider-- ride to live, not live to ride-- but before I bought it I was watching eBay auctions for used PMs, so it was a very timely offer, though I freely concede, a want and not a need. I had been leaning toward a crank-based PM, but the hub-based one works great, and the price was right. I think Wheelbuilder.com still sells a good number of rear wheels with the Powertap G3 hub, and you can find some on eBay for less than you would pay for a new or used PM in some other configuration.

When I first started riding with a HRM it was interesting to be able to quantify the physical feeling, to an extent, and even more so with the PM. I still have a long way to go before I can say I make good use of it, but the data it gathers is interesting, to me, anyway. I signed up for a century with about 4800' of climbing, and it will help me pace it.

If it helps keep you on the bike and holds your interest, why not?
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Old 04-17-18, 06:10 PM
  #40  
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If you would enjoy the process, you really should get one. I went to a power meter seminar a few years ago and realized that a big part of my bike riding enjoyment was self awareness, proprioception, so I didn't get more involved with analytics. If I had been on a race team, I probably would have. As it was, I became a very strong, fluid rider (i.e. "souplesse") and enjoyed every ride I ever took. I'm mostly a mountain bike rider now, at which i suck, but it keeps me off the streets.

Souplesse: The art of perfect pedalling and cycling cadence | Cyclist
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Old 04-17-18, 06:45 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by FrenchFit
I eschew all such gadgets, they're black hole of needless information for neurotics.
Hey, that black hole happens to be where all my neurosies live.
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Old 04-21-18, 10:15 AM
  #42  
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You need to make a good excuse, then get one. I did when I was training for the Devil Mountain double century (200 miles, 20,000 feet of climbing.) It helped. I had planned to sell it afterward, but it's too much fun.
My story: Curtis Corlew in Bicycle Land: Power! or, I've lost my mind
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Old 04-23-18, 09:37 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Hondo Gravel
Buy whatever toy you want to. No need to try to validate it, heck I’m replacing all my AC/DC cassettes with CDs. If a power meter inspires you and keeps you motivated then by all means it is good.
Plus 1

Except I've replaced a lot of my Van Morrison LPs with CDs.
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Old 04-28-18, 07:36 PM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by deacon mark
Ok so I am almost 57 way past any racing age. I don't race and would not ever but do like to ride fast and as quick as I can at least sometimes. I am runner too and at one time could run a decent marathon but those days long gone with age and wear. I still run but on the bike I still have goals and can ride with a faster group for awhile.

So I have been thinking about getting a power meter just to see statistics. I am real stat person by nature and record my rides by time and MPH, pour over useless date for sure many would say. Do you think I am nuts wanting a power meter and should I just get over it and remain where I am and put the money to better use? I can see it basically as a toy to see how things are going, not for any serious training but at least it might keep me focused. All my focus these days seems to be I go out for a run and wow did I go slow.
Let me get this right - you're OCD about your data but you can't decide if you need a power meter or not with all the extra data it brings? And all for around $500 or less?
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