Power meters are ubiquitous now at the pro level. By measuring wattage, riders and coaches can quantify not only their real-time output, but the training load for every interval, race, training week and more. Does this mean that training with a heart-rate monitor is outdated and less accurate? Well, that depends who you ask. We talked to several experts, from physiologists to to WorldTour team managers to elite coaches.
Q: Will a power meter improve my riding?
A: Used correctly, in most cases, the answer is yes. They can eliminate guesswork in your training, help you train more specifically and help track your performance over time. But a power meter is a tool, not a magic bullet.
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In a perfect world, an investment in a nice power meter would make you go faster instantly. But unlike the latest state-of-the-art aero bike or lightweight carbon hoops, a power meter only offers only the potential for speed.
“It’s easy to expect too much and it’s something we see relatively often,” says Elliot Lipski, physiologist and cycling coach at trainSharp. “At the end of the day, the only way to get better is to put in hard work. It’s up to the rider to produce the power themselves – unless, of course, you have a motor in the bike!”
Q: Are power meters essential to success in cycling in 2015?
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