Getting a coach, no power meter?
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Getting a coach, no power meter?
I am thinking about hiring a coach for next season, but I don't yet have a power meter? Is that even worth it nowadays? I don't want to feel like I am wasting money because my coach can't use all his/her skills and tools.
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A lot of the coaches around here seem to have a tiered pricing model for power-based vs. non-power-based training. I made more gains in the 8 months or so that I had a coach and no PM than in the month and a half or so that I had with both. I'd say the coaching is a more worthwhile use of the money than the gadget.
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Coaching w/o a PM worked for many years for many people. I agre with pretzelface, if you have to choose one, go with the coach.
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This is a big depends. I have had both - coaching with and without a power meter by different coaches. Both were successful. I suggest interviewing coaches and question them about their program. The key issue is that the coach is interested in your goals (not his), the program is tailored to you and you do the work. The measurement method is secondary. IMO, power meters are the best way to communicate with your coach and have he / she set training objectives and daily prescriptions to meet your goals. Currently I have power meters on my road and TT bikes but not my track bike. We use speed and lap time at the track recorded by my Garmin and uploaded to Training Peaks. Also, I provide a qualitative assessment of the training session based upon how I felt and perceived effort along with the power files. A power file does not tell the coach how you felt hitting those numbers.
Last edited by Hermes; 07-22-10 at 11:27 PM.
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Why chance it? Wired powertaps are all over the place for $350....and that also gets you a spare rear wheel, HR monitor and bike computer.
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Sure, you don't need a power meter for coaching. The biggest benefit of coaching is keeping you motivated, providing direction, and holding you accountable. Power meter helps makes workouts less ambiguous but not necessary by any means.
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My coach is $189 a month. I haven't seen many a whole lot cheaper. So even the cheapest coach is going to be $1200 a year or more.
Wired PT $659 complete.
Over time it seems penny wise pound foolish to spend significant dollars on a coach, and not have the data to take full advantage of that spend.
Wired PT $659 complete.
Over time it seems penny wise pound foolish to spend significant dollars on a coach, and not have the data to take full advantage of that spend.
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Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I will check out different coaches, and see if I think a coach without power will be worth the performance.
When I checked that out, it didn't support Edge 500 files, or was I missing something? If that's the case, that whole competition is alienating everyone without a GPS, and everyone with the extremely popular 500.
When I checked that out, it didn't support Edge 500 files, or was I missing something? If that's the case, that whole competition is alienating everyone without a GPS, and everyone with the extremely popular 500.
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Edit: Just uploaded for today and there was an option for FIT files, that's the 500 right? Also an option to use the Garmin Communicator plugin.
Edit again: I hadn't uploaded for 2 days and slipped to 16th.
Last edited by umd; 07-22-10 at 09:46 PM.
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coach > powermeter. any coach worth paying money to does not need a power file to help you improve. while the information provided in a power file simplifies the process because it minimizes the subjectiveness, it isnt necessary. the necessary component is communication from you to your coach on how things felt.
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I'm not sure, but you could always import to GTC and export a TCX file, right? I started late and was travelling a bunch, I've only uploaded rides for about half the stages and was sitting 13th last I looked
Edit: Just uploaded for today and there was an option for FIT files, that's the 500 right? Also an option to use the Garmin Communicator plugin.
Edit again: I hadn't uploaded for 2 days and slipped to 16th.
Edit: Just uploaded for today and there was an option for FIT files, that's the 500 right? Also an option to use the Garmin Communicator plugin.
Edit again: I hadn't uploaded for 2 days and slipped to 16th.
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coach > powermeter. any coach worth paying money to does not need a power file to help you improve. while the information provided in a power file simplifies the process because it minimizes the subjectiveness, it isnt necessary. the necessary component is communication from you to your coach on how things felt.
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