If you use a power meter, you probably know all of this, but it’s still good to get confirmation. If you don’t use a power meter yet, here’s a basic guide as to what it is, why its useful and what the different options are.
The best way to gauge cycling effort is with power measurement. Power is measured in Watts, which is the amount of work you are doing in a certain time. This measurement is true for all cyclists, which means the Watts that you push out can be directly compared to your riding mate.
If you push out an average of 400 watts up a 1km climb and your friend pushes out 385 watts up the same climb, you will get to the summit first. Watts are watts, no matter who is pushing them. An objective metric not influenced by an external factors like wind or type of road/trail surface. It’s that simple. It’s possible to improve your cycling performance and race results by improving your power output over certain time periods – usually measured as maximum (around five seconds), one minute, five minutes and 60 minutes.
A cycling coach will start by establishing your FTP (Functional Threshold Power). This is the number of Watts you can sustain for one hour. This is trainable to increase so that you become a cycling machine like Matt Beers! Or at least a lot faster than you have been. A cycling coach will set you interval training sessions that are measured in Watts in various time periods to gradually make you deliver more power when you ride.
Measuring your Watts practically can only be done with a power meter. There are a variety of methods of measuring your power and a range of brands that make power meters.
The most popular method of measuring your pedalling power is via the crankset. Either a power meter inside the crank arm, or a power meter attached to your chainring ‘spider’. Power can also be measured through your pedals, bottom bracket or rear hub. There are positives and negatives to each, but they all essentially work well. The key is that they should all be consistent and accurate.
You need to be able to see and record your power output. This is done via Bluetooth or Ant + between your power meter and your cycling GPS device, in South Africa, primarily a Garmin or Wahoo handle-bar mounted device.
There’s a lot more to power measurement training, racing and analysis. This was intended to be a basic, non-scientific guide for those considering purchasing a power meter. There’s a significant amount of content to be found online about training with power. This article https://stories.strava.com/articles/feel-the-power-why-a-power-meter-should-be-your-first-cycling-upgrade offers a bit more depth without being too scientific and will give you more insight.
Lynnwood Cyclery stocks a range of power meters. Check them out here. https://www.lynnwoodcyclery.co.za/collections/power-meters
Author, Lynnwood Cyclery