Wheel Upgrade...will I notice the difference up hills?

Plasterer's Radio wrote:

No, It's rhetoric. The benefits are small.

Spend the cash on a power meter instead. WAY more useful.

On a long climb (30 mins plus) wheels may save seconds.

The power meter can save you MINUTES.

Do you think so? I only started using HR a year or so ago and am now a convert, speed is just an output, controlling the ability to push a much better measure. It'll be hard to convince me to spend so much on a piece of tech, why does it make such a difference?

alansmurphy wrote:

Plasterer's Radio wrote:

No, It's rhetoric. The benefits are small.

Spend the cash on a power meter instead. WAY more useful.

On a long climb (30 mins plus) wheels may save seconds.

The power meter can save you MINUTES.

 

Do you think so? I only started using HR a year or so ago and am now a convert, speed is just an output, controlling the ability to push a much better measure. It'll be hard to convince me to spend so much on a piece of tech, why does it make such a difference?

 

A power meter is a good tool, but when used with a HR they work very well together.  You learn quickly at particular heart rate you can make at a certain power figure.  This is easy to measure and see when doing indoor training with both devices.  I now only use HR when outside and so know when at a  particular HR, I'm in, lets say sweetspot zone.  Obviously seeing a power number is more accurate, but HR and feel once experienced is nearly as good and will do if you're climbing an alpine route.

alansmurphy wrote:

Plasterer's Radio wrote:

No, It's rhetoric. The benefits are small.

Spend the cash on a power meter instead. WAY more useful.

On a long climb (30 mins plus) wheels may save seconds.

The power meter can save you MINUTES.

 

Do you think so? I only started using HR a year or so ago and am now a convert, speed is just an output, controlling the ability to push a much better measure. It'll be hard to convince me to spend so much on a piece of tech, why does it make such a difference?

 

Speaking honestly, I would rather have an £1K boggo bike with a PM than a £3K bike without. 400quid or so gets you a good PM and isn't THAT much if you ride your bike lots but people do like to see something tangible for their money. Bling wheels or Dura-Record on an otherwise mundane componant. Fast riding is largely about the ENGINE....meaning you the rider.

They are not just for racers. Audax riders, sportive riders etc can all benefit. I have. HRMs are OK but a PM offers much more.

Search power meters in youtube. DurianRider videos are funny too but he is marmite too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j--o2LNg_Qw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFqOsVrvQlY

alansmurphy wrote:

Plasterer's Radio wrote:

No, It's rhetoric. The benefits are small.

Spend the cash on a power meter instead. WAY more useful.

On a long climb (30 mins plus) wheels may save seconds.

The power meter can save you MINUTES.

 

Do you think so? I only started using HR a year or so ago and am now a convert, speed is just an output, controlling the ability to push a much better measure. It'll be hard to convince me to spend so much on a piece of tech, why does it make such a difference?

 

The difference is heart rate lags physical effort and tends to smooth it out, whereas measured power is closer to the real-time instantaneous effort.  Theoretically, if the riding situation changes quickly enough a Power Meter may provide better guidance. To realise this improvement though, changes can't be too quick as the individual still needs time to respond to the guidance.

fwiw I've used HRM's for many years and now have an accurate PM on my smart trainer. Power is definitely useful on the turbo for training. If I was regularly road riding for hour plus type times I would want one. However, imho I wouldn't put a PM ahead of wheels; unlike power meters,  nice wheels are a useful improvement every ride and are unlikely to become either significantly cheaper or  obsolete as rapidly.

shufflingb wrote:

alansmurphy wrote:

Plasterer's Radio wrote:

No, It's rhetoric. The benefits are small.

Spend the cash on a power meter instead. WAY more useful.

On a long climb (30 mins plus) wheels may save seconds.

The power meter can save you MINUTES.

 

Do you think so? I only started using HR a year or so ago and am now a convert, speed is just an output, controlling the ability to push a much better measure. It'll be hard to convince me to spend so much on a piece of tech, why does it make such a difference?

 

The difference is heart rate lags physical effort and tends to smooth it out, whereas measured power is closer to the real-time instantaneous effort.  Theoretically, if the riding situation changes quickly enough a Power Meter may provide better guidance. To realise this improvement though, changes can't be too quick as the individual still needs time to respond to the guidance.

fwiw I've used HRM's for many years and now have an accurate PM on my smart trainer. Power is definitely useful on the turbo for training. If I was regularly road riding for hour plus type times I would want one. However, imho I wouldn't put a PM ahead of wheels; unlike power meters,  nice wheels are a useful improvement every ride and are unlikely to become either significantly cheaper or  obsolete as rapidly.

Another downside of HR is that as you approach (and exceed) max VO2 the HR / Power relationship becomes less and less linear, making higher power efforts much more difficult to judge with just HR. 

madcarew wrote:

 

Another downside of HR is that as you approach (and exceed) max VO2 the HR / Power relationship becomes less and less linear, making higher power efforts much more difficult to judge with just HR. 

When I get past zone 4.5 I can't even read the bloody bike computer