For many years I have used ergometer bikes during the winter months to optimize interval sessions and training load for my cyclists.

The majority of ergometer bikes offer riders a great opportunity to pace themselves based on their power output.

If you go to your local gym, you can try to maintain, for example, 250 watts for 12 minutes, or something similar. You can then use this number as a yardstick to measure your performance and push yourself harder. Crucially, this training method will also help you learn to maintain a smooth pace throughout interval sessions.

So if you have never considered yourself a candidate for power meter training, it’s well worth giving it a try on ergometer bikes during the winter months.

The rise of power meters

Power meters sparked a new craze among cyclists in the early 1990s and are still very popular among riders in 2011. 
The SRM crank system was the only power meter system in the beginning but now there are several alternatives.

But power meters are extremely expensive so in the winter months there is a brilliant alternative if you do not have the budget to splash out…

The ergometer alternative

About 10 years ago indoor training was the only part of the season that was based on power meter training principles.

The rest of my training strategy was based on perceived exertion and heart rate monitor training. It’s clear that my training programs were more successful during these winter periods compared to the summer. The reason? The intervals were better and had a more individual and tailored fit.

That is one of the reasons April has always been the best month for most of the riders I have trained. It has been easier for me to monitor their progress and individually tailor their training load using power outputs from the ergometer bikes.

Ergometer bikes are also great for performance tests. I have always believed in this since my early days as a coach. Testing my riders’ performance in this way means I can optimize their training programs based on my empiric data stream.

It is often impossible to take any records or digital files from ergometer bikes but they are still a really splendid tool for performance testing and interval purposes.

So the opportunity to use ergometer bikes during the off season should be a no-brainer for you: get the most obvious benefits from power meter training during the winter without spending a fortune on an SRM training system.

What are your best power outputs on the ergometer bike this winter? (please add your performance test scores in the comments section)

Case Story: Peter Ettles, 3K Pursuit.
Last year I received an email from Peter Ettles from Scotland asking me for help towards the World Track Championships. Peter had 3K pursuit as his main discipline and scratch race and points race as secondary events.

That email had the perfect timing because I at the same time was working intensively testing and optimizing the principles for my e-book, Time Effective Cycling Training.

After a few emails I understood that Peter was a very busy person who was very limited in training time and also limited in training time on the track.

So it was not an easy job, but I thought it could be a really good way to see if my high intensity training principles would work on ‘older’ cyclists. And just to emphasize the power of this test, Peter was actually preparing for the World Championships in his age group. So it couldn’t be a better scene to show how my training concept worked.

Since Peter had the 3K pursuit as his primary goal, I decided to make his 3,5min maximum power output the value we would track his performance progress with.

Getting started with the training towards 3K pursuit

In the first week of the training program he performed 396W with a body weight of only 76,0kg. Riders who have experience with power meter training will know that these numbers are highly respectable. And please remember that this guy was competing in age group 45 to 49.

So it was clear that Peter was already performing really well, but nevertheless, he wanted to do even better.

That was some kind of a challenge for me!

I decided to make a full training plan of 13 weeks with an average training time of 10hours per week (range: 6 to 15hours per week). His training was targeted the physiological skills required for an optimal performance at the track events he was participating in. Though, there was a primary focus on the 3K pursuit, because that was his personal favorite.

When it comes to track cycling, specificity of the training sessions becomes extremely important. So, Peter did a lot of anaerobic and VO2 max intervals in different combinations because it was both time effective training and also very specific towards the challenges he was preparing for.

I would have wished Peter had more time on the velodrome in Manchester, but with a travelling time of app. 6hours it was clear that we had to accept that he wouldn’t get the most optimal training for track cycling.

Here is a snapshot from the training program:

After 12 weeks Peter entered the velodrome in Portugal shortly after performing his best 3,5min test ever. Peter won the bronze final in World Championships 3K Pursuit, Age Group 45 to 49.

Here is the testimonial from Peter Ettles:

“In 2010 I decided to try to get in shape for the world masters track champs. The pursuit was going to be my main aim. It was not going to be a easy task  as I also work full time running my own forestry business. I got a 13 week training programme from training4cyclists.com. First I did  a 3.5 min max test to see what sort of power I was producing. I did 396W.
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The bulk of the programme consisted of very high intensity intervals varying from 10second sprints up to 5min repeats. The intervals, although being very hard, were a great challenge and really made to look forward to the training as you could actually feel yourself getting better and stronger with every session. At the end of my 13 weeks including a proper taper, I was amazed to find my power over 3.5 mins was now up to 424W. That’s 28W increase! I had also lost a couple of kilos which was an added bonus.
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I must say that almost all my training was done on the road or on the turbo as I dont live anywhere near a track,so you can imagine my delight when I went to the Worlds and won bronze. I’m going to give it another go this year (2011) and will be sticking with what I have learnt from Jesper’s interval training. With a few tweaks, maybe I can get gold!!”

So this was a success story of how time effective training principles can be used to compete at international level. Peter did a really great job and I was very glad when he won his bronze medal. That result gave me the final confidence to launch my e-book one month later.

If you want to use some of the principles mentioned above, please make sure to get your own copy of Time Effective Cycling Training.

I really like the concept of power meter training. It makes it possible for me to convert my knowledge about exercise physiology to the best possible training for my riders.

Let me show you an example that demonstrates what I talk about.

Gonzalo Vilaseca from Spain is an experienced rider who had been riding quite seriously the last 3 years before he participated in the Power Meter Project 2007 here on Training4cyclists.com. Before he started out on my 12 week training program he was able to perform 357W/5min and 321W/20min with a body weight of 73kg.

Quite impressive numbers so it was no easy task for me to make him significant stronger in only 12 weeks. I decided to put the most focus on building a large aerobic engine. In old days (and still found in most standard training programs) such an engine was period with long slow distance training without intervals, but I let Gonzalo test one of the newer training strategies with more intensive training.

Actually it was a quite intensive training program with intervals every second day. These intervals were designed to increase his VO2max and aerobic endurance.

I’ve used similar technics in my two latest training programs: 12 Week Winter Training Program and VO2 Max Booster Program. The VO2 Booster program though is an extreme, short and focused demonstration of how you can use a power meter to increase your VO2 max.

We know that well trained riders need intervals with an intensity close to their VO2 max to make further progress. You might wonder why I keep telling you this, but lets look at the results from Gonzalo:

The hard work payed of and he made some impressive results. His 5min maximum power went up to amazing 416w (+59W) and still weighing only 73kg. His 20min maximum power made a significant increment from 321 to 342w. I think these numbers speak for themselves.

You can read an interview with Gonzalo here.

Time Effective Cycling Training

Time Effective Cycling Training is the culmination of my years of experience training some of the top cyclists across Denmark. The e-book is designed to help road cyclists, mountain bikers and triathletes to reach their full performance potential.

Time Effective Cycling Training is not a miracle cure or a “quick fix”. Instead, readers will get an insight into intelligent and proven scientific training principles that will accelerate their progress. It takes a long-term view: that you can get faster by training less.
Read more here…

Did you read about how Dave improved his threshold power 62 Watts? Did you read how Gonzalo increased his VO2 Max power 59Watts? Both riders achieved these results in only 12weeks and one of the most important secrets to their success is power meter training.

Power meters are no longer reserved for elite cyclists, but are now being used by a significant number of amateur riders. Though, power meters are expensive, there are now affordable alternatives to the king of power meters: SRM Crank System.

SRM is considered as the most reliable power meter on the market. However, there are now cheaper alternatives such as PowerTap SL and Ergomo, who represents worthy alternatives. If the financial crisis has arrived in your budget, Polar monitors offers a much cheaper solution that gives you a feeling of what power meter training is. I don’t think it is fair to compare the Polar with the more expensive power meters, simply because the prices are so different. SRM, PowerTap and Ergomo perform much better, but also cost more than twice as much as e.g. Polar CS-600 or iBike Pro.

In brief a power meter shows you how much work you perform (Watt) and a heart rate monitor how hard your body works (pulse / min). This means that a power monitor does not replace the heart rate monitor, but rather complements with data on how hard you are pedaling. It opens a chain of opportunities for interval training, analysis and aerodynamic optimization of equipment etc.

Power Meter Training = Better Training

The main reason to use a power meter in your cycling training is you get a better and more accurate picture of the physiological parameters you want to improve. An old rule of thumb says that you get good at what you train. Using a power meter makes it easy to train exactly what you want to improve.

Your training must be tailored to the properties you want to improve. Based on your past performance in tests, training rides and races, you can plan your interval training exactly as you want it to be. Best of it: It’s not so difficult. Indeed, training with a power meter is easier than for instance heart rate monitor training.

Now you might think: Can I really find out using a power meter? Yes! It’s really easy and it makes a lot of sense to use a power meter, because you get so much valuable information about your performance in training rides and races. Don’t be afraid of the technics. It’s not rocket science to use a power meter and most riders can’t get enough of them when they’ve first started using them. They get addicted to power meter training!

If you are a time trialist or triathlete one of the benefits using a power meter is that it enables you to optimize your aerodynamics. Better position on the bike supplied with aerodynamic equipment can help you to save seconds or even minutes in a time trial.

Now I will show how you can use a power meter to optimize aero position on your bike through a simple testing procedure.

Wind tunnel aero testing: Gold standard but expensive

Wind tunnel tests are referred to as the gold standard of optimization of aerodynamics.

These wind tunnel tests are expensive and therefore we only see professional riders use these tests to optimize their position on their aero bikes. It’s logic that professional riders have a great advantage being able to do wind tunnel testing. Often it is only the classement-riders who get the chance to do these tests due to the high cost.

Don’t worry, here comes the good news. A power meter can help you optimize your aerodynamic position without ever visiting a wind tunnel or spending extra money!

Power meter: Great performance and affordable

If you are the lucky owner of a power meter like SRM or PowerTap you can perform your own aerodynamic tests. It’s essential to have a precise measuring of power output.

Currently I think SRM and Powertap are the two best power meters on the market. Using cheaper and less precise power meters is not recommended. If you don’t have a power meter, then buy one or try to borrow one.

A power meter is the single best investment for a serious rider who wants to improve performance. The fact that it enables you to make aerodynamic testing, precise analysis of power output in races and training situations and finally is a solid training partner/coach makes the power meter an easy choice.

Best of all, the power meter presents objective data that are not influenced by weather, hydration, stress or any of the many parametres that affect your heart rate.

Use a power meter to optimize aero equipment

Maybe you remember how I last summer used a power meter to investigate how much bike weight costs on Alpe d’Huez? The U23 rider who performed these trials had to maintain a power output around 275w on all four rides up Alpe d’Huez. The test bike was a Pinarello Prince equipped with Shimano Dura Ace and SRM crank.

Afterwards I could compare the finishing times to see what price you pay if you carry extra weight. It’s obvious that you can make more precise trials than we did here, but it shows the principle of using a power meter to optimize your equipment.

Thus, after these trials we had a picture of how much weight matters in the Alps.

When you ride up Alpe d’Huez, aerodynamics don’t play a big role because you ride relatively slowly. In time trials the speed is much higher and many serious riders perform average speeds above 40km/hr.

Thus, optimization of aerodynamics should be the major concern if you want to improve performance without spending more time struggling with your threshold power.

Find a good location

You will need a circuit where you can ride fast and still maintain a constant speed/power output. This is best done on a velodrome.

The main principle is to eliminate everything that is not related to aerodynamic drag. That is why wind tunnel testing of cyclists has become the golden standard procedure. Nevertheless, outdoor testing is still important because that is where you are going to compete when you race (corners, small hills etc.)

If you don’t have a velodrome in your neighbourhood then you have to be a little creative to make a good course for your tests. It’s still possible, but there are more factors that can influence on your ride. Though, it gets more difficult to show small differences.

Write a protocol

Write down all the tests and numbers you want to collect and in which order. That could be the different aerodynamic materials you would like to test and/or different body positions on your bike.

It’s a good idea to start with a standard upset of your bike e.g. Standard frame + standard equipment + standard body position. When you want to test different set-ups, change only one parameter at the time. Otherwise it gets difficult to identify what set-up change actually resulted in reduced aerodynamic drag.

Make two rides of 1-3km with each set-up. The more rides you do, the better chance you get to show a small significant difference.

Constant power output method

When you ride on a flat road with a constant power output differences in speed are primarily due to your aerodynamics. If you decide to use the constant power output method, you have to keep your power output as constant as possible and keep your desired aerodynamic position on your bike.

When you have finished one lap on your circiut, notice your average speed and power output. Hopefully you get power outputs there are so close to each other that differences in average speed can be accepted as due to altered aerodynamics.

Constant speed method

When you ride on a flat road with a constant speed, differences in required power output are primarily due to your aerodynamics.

If you decide to use the constant speed method, you have to keep your speed as constant as possible and keep your desired aerodynamic position on your bike. As you can see, this method is much the same as the constant power output method.

The difference is that you here try to keep average speed so close to each other that any difference in power output can be considered due to altered aerodynamics.

Constant power output or speed?

Decide whether you use constant wattage or constant speed method. Both are good methods, but if I have to pick one I will choose the constant speed method. I recommend it because it gives you the possibility to use an iPod in your ear to keep a constant pedalling frequency.

When you’ve found the right gear combination, this little trick makes it easier for you to ride at the decided speed in all tests. You just follow the rhythm from the music just like when you are at a spinning lesson. Thus you can concentrate 100% on holding your aerodynamic position on your bike.

Riding at speeds close to your race speed is the most optimal since it is here you can see how many watts it’s possible to save. There is, however, a little risk that the workouts with standard setups can become quite hard intervals. This will not happen with the constant power output method.

If you use the constant power output method there is a risk that you loose focus on holding your aero position. The positive thing is that the result is directly shown as increased speed/saved seconds.

Thus you can immediately see how much faster you will go if put on e.g. an aero helmet instead of your standard helmet.

Collecting data

It’s a good idea to have an assistant to help you e.g. your cycling coach, a friend or family member to keep track of the data stream. Assistants can be helpful throughout the whole process.

As I said previously we need data from two rides with each setup at a speed close to race speed. Doing tests with a distance of 1 to 3km gives you a fair chance to notice significant changes in aerodynamics.

I recommend that you do more of these tests instead of longer tests because weather conditions might influence on the results (temperature, changing winds).

It is also recommended to do a few tests at lower speeds e.g. 80 and 90% of race speed. This increases the power of your data and gives you the chance to spot trends at an early stage.

Analysis of aerodynamics

This is the really interesting part of this process since this is where you find out what works for you. You will be amazed how much time you can save with an optimized body position on your bike. Also you have the chance to figure out how much time can be saved if you use a rear disc wheel.

Remember to look at both material and body position savings because they can add up. I know that it is expensive to buy aero gear for your time trial bike, but using the principles above you can find out where you get the best value (watts or seconds) for money.

Share power meter data

Feel free to share your experiences with the readers here at Training4cyclists.com. If you have some interesting observations, let us hear about them. How many watts did you save using the principles described above?

Conclusion

There are many benefits of using a power meter. It enables you to do aerodynamic testing without extra cost and still offers a qualified alternative to an expensive wind tunnel test.

Doing aerodynamic tests using a power meter can help you to optimize your aerodynamic position on your time trial bike and/or selecting the right combination of aerodynamic wheels/frame/helmet etc.