Key tips you should know for making the leap into the world of watts.
A power meter is a device fitted to a bike that measures the power output of the rider.
Most commonly, power meters use strain gauges that deflect slightly when a force is applied. By measuring this torque and combining it with angular velocity, power (measured in watts) can be calculated.
A power meter is a device fitted to a bike that measures the power output of the rider.
Most commonly, power meters use strain gauges that deflect slightly when a force is applied. By measuring this torque and combining it with angular velocity, power (measured in watts) can be calculated.
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00:00If you haven't purchased one already a power meter may be something you're very keen to invest in,
00:11but what are the benefits? And if you own one already do you even know why? Or do you just
00:15own one because you think you should own one? Whatever your reasons here are a few key tips
00:19you should know for making the leap into the world of watts. First things first, why do you
00:28actually need a power meter in the first place? It's not just so you can brag to your teammates
00:32that you own one because they're extremely useful measurement for analyzing your training and far
00:36more accurate than other measures such as average speed. Power meters take into account the actual
00:41physical effort you're putting through each pedal stroke which is a far more accurate reading for
00:45your training ride compared to average speed which can be affected by the terrain or the weather
00:49conditions. Secondly you can pace your effort to perfection. The chances are at the beginning of a
00:54race you have adrenaline pumping around your body therefore making the effort that you're riding
00:58at probably unsustainable even if it doesn't feel like it at the start. Knowing when you need to rest
01:04can be tricky based on personal feeling alone and partly because when you start to feel run down
01:10it's probably too late. Training with power does give you strong indications on when you need to rest
01:16but also when your form is about to peak. This real-time feedback is crucial as there is no drift which can
01:22occur with heart rate monitors. An attack on a climb may only result in a spike in heart rate but at that
01:27point it could be too late and you've already gone into the red. As previously mentioned using average
01:32speeds or times on courses and certain segments can give a rough idea to track your fitness progression
01:37however utilizing FTP results over time can result in a far more precise and accurate measure.
01:46We won't go too in-depth here as we have a power meters buyer's guide video already which will tell you all
01:51about each type of power meter but the three types come from the pedals the hub and the crank all of
01:56which have positives and negatives that will work best for you, your riding and your budget.
02:05So you're back from your ride and what's the first thing that we all do? Upload our data of course
02:09however when you're training and racing with power the world of data is opened up to you with a plethora of
02:15numbers but here's a quick breakdown of what each one means. Training stress score or TSS this is the
02:22number that relates to the intensity of a single training session the higher the number the more
02:27strenuous it has been. Acute training load or ATL this is the short-term fatigue number that is
02:33accumulated and estimated over a seven-day period. Chronic training load or CTL is the longer-term fitness
02:40accumulation rating based over a 42-day period of time with rides that are completed more recently
02:46weighted higher towards this number. Training stress balance or TSB is the number that's the
02:51difference between CTL and ATL and addresses whether a rider may be approaching top form. When this number
02:58is positive it indicates a good performance is approaching following a decent block of training
03:02combined with low recent value of fatigue. This is where the tapering effect comes to fruition.
03:10So far power meters may seem great however there are a few key mistakes you need to know as it
03:17can trip up your training and make your training data completely useless. The first and most basic
03:23mistake is forgetting to zero offset a power meter before riding and then you're relying on inaccurate
03:28data. Think of zero offsetting a power meter as the same when you reset a set of measuring scales.
03:34Air pressure, ambient temperatures and other things can alter power meter readings in between rides
03:39therefore zeroing your power meter before each ride clears the residual torque and sets an accurate
03:44baseline to work from. Our second key data mistake to avoid is confusing simple average power with
03:51normalized power. Normalized power accounts for intervals and efforts that have occurred over the
03:56entirety of a ride whereas average power will simply average out the training session as a whole
04:00which can lead to misinterpretation of more intense sessions that may have actually been more
04:05fatiguing. Our third mistake is failing to acknowledge the differences between indoor and
04:10outdoor riding. The former involves zero coasting and no air resistance whereas outdoors there are
04:16many variables such as wind and drafting gains so comparing the two can provide very different data
04:21results. So those are our key points to help get you started training with data and do let us know in
04:27the comments section what top tips that you have and don't forget to like and share this video and
04:32subscribe to the Cycling Weekly channel but thank you again for watching and until next time we'll see you then