Power meters, speedometers, sleep trackers, heart-rate monitors, muscle-oxygenation meters, altimeters… there is no shortage of digital measurement tools available for cyclists to quantify ourselves and the minutiae of our lives. But what is valuable and what is just noise? I have played with all of these things and more, and come to an equilibrium of sorts with gadgets and digital technology. Here’s what works for me.
Let the cloud mind your data
Isn’t part of the joy of riding a bike to escape from it all? To unplug our minds from the electronic mayhem of our daily lives and engage our bodies with the natural world? Yes, absolutely.
Yet, there is something to be said for measurement. One thing I appreciate about modern computers and various training software is their ability to track a slew of metrics — and then store all that data online for you to dig into when you please. Just press start and enjoy your ride. Look at the world around you as you ride (or maybe just your friend’s hub as he tries he darnedest to drop you), then look at the numbers later.
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There are two core benefits to any of these tools, be they state-of-the-art power meters or your bathroom scale. One, they provide objective measurement. And two, when used regularly, they allow for analysis that can lead to improvement.
This basic feedback loop applies whether you’re interested in something geeky — like raising your FTP and W/kg while lowering your CdA (AKA 'drag area') and heart rate — or something simple — like getting yourself ready to do a big weekend ride with your buddies.
Tools I use
Tools I can’t bring myself to care about
The key component – human judgment
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