Cycling Training Tips

Introduction to Training with Power Meter

Power meters like SRM, Ergomo and Powertap are very useful if you want to optimize your training and start getting better results. Before you throw away all your pocket money consider how serious you are with your training. If you find it very difficult to stick to a rigid training scheme, doing specific intervals in heart rate target zones, then a power meter might not be the best choice for you. If you think that analyzing your performances or registrating your training sessions is a waste of time, then you are probably not ready for cycling with a power meter yet. But if you get excited when you turn on your computer immediately after parking your bike, watching your heart rate file, then you will likely be even more excited about the data from a power meter. If you like to make training plans or have a cycling coach who works out plans for you, then a power meter will be a very powerful tool, which gives you opportunity to make better training plans.

Power meter training starts a new era

Like the heart rate monitors started a new era back in the 80´s, and got mainstream in the mid 90´s, the power meters started a new one in the early 90´s and are now getting popular among amateur riders here in 2006. The SRM crank system was the one and only power meter system in the beginning, but now there are a couple of other systems on the market. Powertap and Ergomo uses different technologies than SRM´s crank system, but they give a precise measurement of watts. SRM is the most expensive system, while Powertap and Ergomo is less expensive. I will not make further comments on the differences between SRM, Powertap and Ergomo, but instead save my words for a review later. What you need to know is, that there are different technologies and different prices. Generally they all allow the workload to be measured correctly.

In the first couple of weeks I will recommend that you just continue to train as normal. It will be a very good education for you to spent this time studying how quickly the power meter react to your effort. People get surprised when they accelerate the bike for the first time and discover that they are pushing more than 500W (for a short while, naturally”¦)

After a few weeks you will be getting more familar with your new equipment. You are now ready to make your first observations with this powerful tool. Before you can start doing intervals or pacing with your power meter, you have to make a test of your physical performance. To make things easy and time saving, I recommend you do a 5 minutes allout test to measure your wattmax. You can use the software that followed your power meter or you can a software system like Cyclingpeaks which offers more opportunities. After your 5 minutes allout test you have to figure out what your average power output was. Also notice your body weight since this is an important factor when comparing test results. You are now able to make your first training program based on test results from your power output.

Make maximum power tests to define your intervals

It is possible to convert your test result to shorter or longer intervals. There will be less accuracy depending on what kind of rider you are. Some people can keep a high percentage of their VO2 max for a very long period of time, and other people who are much better at shorter distances where they can perform impressing high average watts for short intervals. Therefore this table is only a guideline and the best way to define your target zones is to do a test at that specific distance. If you are a track rider and are training for 1km time trials (anaerobic endurance and strength) you will have to test your power output at that distance.

Power output Training examples
Sprinting 200-?? % 5×150m (complete rest)
Anaerobic endurance 100-130% 5x(1+6min)
VO2 max 90-105% 3x(3+2min)
Threshold 85- 90% 3x(8+4min)
Endurance 50-85% 3 hours
Recovery 40-50% 1 hour

Next time you go to a race, use your power meter to collect data from the race. You will see, that you spend time in all the target zones in the table. Have a look at the interesting parts of the race. This investigation is an important part of having a power meter, and it is here you can discover things you would never have found out. You can see the difference it makes in crosswinds to sit behind a bunch of riders compared to suffering in a long line. When you see that big difference, you will definitely try even harder to keep your good position in the bunch in the crosswinds next time.

Time trialists uses watts for pacing

Time trialists love to train with power meters because they can see exactly how good they perform and make it easier for them to see progress. With a little training it is possible to use the power meter as a pacer during the time trial. In this situation they can compare their physical performance from time trial to time trial. These data files are not affected by the wind, course or equipment, so they are very useful to see how the form changes.

If you have a velodrome in your neighborhood you can make tests to improve your position on your bike. Serious time trialists should consider this and at least give it a try. Testing in a wind tunnel is very expensive, so testing on a velodrome with your power meter might be a cheap alternative. When you do the tests you will need at least one assistant to take split times for each lap. With a little training in this setup, you can try different positions and equipment, and see which combination saves most watts. This part of using a power meter is the more challenging part, but I promise, that it is very satisfying when you save a couple of watts.

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Power Meter Training for Beginner Triathletes

Heart rate monitors like Polar and CardioSport have been the most used strategy in triathlons because these events have such long durations. If you like to use a heart rate monitor for pacing, triathlon and especially ultra distance triathlons are definitively the place to wear heart rate monitors. It is clear that when a constant tempo is the ideal pace in a race situation, then there is a good chance that your heart rate will show you how tough you current workload is. In cycling races the workload (Watts) is very inconsistent (sprints, jumps, hills, breaking, corners, etc.). In a traditional triathlon race there is lot more consistency in the power output, thus there is a lot better correlation between heart rate and workload.

Power Meters to the People

Power meters like SRM, Ergomo and PowerTap are very common among pro triathletes, but actually they would be at least as helpful for beginner triathletes. When a triathlete enters a competition for the first time, he will realize that it is very difficult to get an efficient pacing strategy. It is very tempting to hunt down the opponent in front of him and it is difficult to save the energy for the final part of the race (hint: there is a run AFTER the bike race in triathlons”¦)

Even though there is a better correlation between heart rate and workload in triathlons, there is really good arguments to start considering power meter training. By knowing your critical power outputs for the distances you compete in, you have the best opportunity to optimize your training program. As an example I would like to mention Dave Simonson who participate in the power meter project. He has gained several watts because he has learned how to pace himself and trained at the right intensity.

Heart rate monitors are good for pacing, but they are still influenced by several external factors (temperature, caffeine, level of recovery, etc.) This indicates that there is a great potential for beginner triathletes to improve their performance. Power meter training improves their skill for pacing and that is one of the most important non-physiological skills in triathlon

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New Power Meter: iBike Pro

iBike Pro

Cyclists apply forces to bike pedals in order to overcome the forces resisting forward motion (hill climbs, wind resistance, rolling resistance, acceleration, etc.) Traditional power meters like SRM, Powertap and Ergomo measure the forces applied by the cyclist (direct measuring). The new iBike Pro is the first power meter that measures the resistive forces working against the cyclist (indirect measuring). The principle is that forces applied by the cyclist is exactly the same as the forces from wind resistance, rolling resistance and gravity. Thus, if you know these factors you can calculate the forces applied by the cyclist. The iBike Pro measure both wind speed, hill gradient and bike speed.

Body position does not affect power output
As you can guess, there are several variables that can possible affect the measuring. One of the biggest problems in my opinion is that the power output will not change if you change body position. That means that data from the rides will reflect the average power output rather than the actual power output.

iBike Pro website FAQ about the body position problem:
“Most riders stay in the same position about 90% of the time or more, so the percentage of the total ride where there is a wattage difference won’t be great. The iBike Pro assumes that the athlete remains in the same riding position, so changes in riding position will not be reflected by changes in the iBike’s wattage readings.”

My opinion about iBike Pro (haven’t tried it yet…)
I think it is a interesting concept, but it is very difficult for me to understand why they measure power indirectly. That doesn’t make sense to me. I am not sure that this product can be used to seious wattage training, but I would really like to try one to see how it performs. There are some good things that could make iBike Pro to a competitor for the other power metres: It weights only 60g and costs 399$, which is nothing compared to the more expensive and heavier products on the market.

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18 Hours Per Week Training Program

This training program is designed for serious riders who already have a solid mileage. I will recommend that you use a heart rate monitor or even better a power meter in your training. During short intervals a heart rate monitor is worth nothing because the reactions from the cardiac system are delayed with a few minutes. People that enter this program should know about the terms overreaching and overtraining.

Have a look at the 18 hours per week training program

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16 hours per week training program

This training program is for serious riders who already have a solid mileage. I recommend that you use a heart rate monitor or, even better, a power meter in your training. During short intervals, a heart rate monitor is worth nothing because the reactions from the cardiac system are delayed by a few minutes. This

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