# Power meters. How did they help you?
**URL:** https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746
**Category:** Road
**Created:** [January 2, 2014, 4:15am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746 "2014-01-02T04:15:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@swuzzlebubble](https://fixed.org.au/u/swuzzlebubble)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/41 "2014-02-13T14:41:17Z")
To think teams have been paying him big money over the years to go around doing his own thing with sub-par results to show for it.
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### Author:  [@lock](https://fixed.org.au/u/lock)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/42 "2014-02-13T15:41:11Z")
> [@generic\_hipster](#):
>
> sram rival stages power meter, some people say you need something that does left and right power but there isn’t a lot to support those claims. My thinking is if they’re good enough for team sky it’ll be just fine for me.
My own L/R split varies from 47% to 52%, but I’m pretty sure that most of the variation comes from the rides where I’m dicking about on bike paths 'n stuff (ie; the rides that don’t matter). There’s a few papers out there that do show L/R balance changes on many factors, and may not be consistent for any given rider. That said based on how I use the PM, I don’t see this variation as being significant enough to worry about.
Having a PM changes your rides though, it keeps you honest. Those hard efforts you thought you were doing, well they weren’t hard enough. Felt good going up a climb!? Well that’s cause you had a tail wind and were pushing out 30w less than what you usually do.
Also, don’t forget to switch the Garmin over to 1 second recording.
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### Author:  [@generic\_hipster](https://fixed.org.au/u/generic_hipster)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/43 "2014-02-13T16:16:41Z")
The keeping you honest bit is what I like! When doing efforts it’s instant rather than HR which rises slowly or for efforts where you have to go back down to a certain power, again it’s instant. With HR you could back off a little but your HR will stay raised.
I’m interested to see how it changes my rides, I’m guessing it’ll mean going much harder when having a tail wind and maybe a little easier in to head winds. Will definitely mean all the hours I’m doing will be of better quality that’s for sure.
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### Author:  [@dalai](https://fixed.org.au/u/dalai)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/44 "2014-02-13T18:43:05Z")
> [@thriller](#):
>
> Have been keeping an eye on old, wired 2nd hand SRM units, seems around $550 for the lot including head unit, which ain’t bad at all.
I’m still a fan of the old wired models as honestly from personal experience and from others that very little can go wrong. I have heard that in rare cases the spider can crack and that the glue bonding the strain gauges can become brittle over time - but my oldest unit was manufactured around 2001 and is still going strong…
Main limitations with SRMs is replacing the batteries (either be handy with a soldering iron or be prepared to send to NZ every 2-3 years). Plus with wired systems they are not manufactured anymore so at some stage spare parts will be harder to come by. Having said that other than one issue caused by baggage handlers (somehow the sending coil in the unit broke on my flight back from the states last year) my units have only just needed new batteries and not parts.
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### Author:  [@swuzzlebubble](https://fixed.org.au/u/swuzzlebubble)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/45 "2014-02-16T15:27:44Z")
> [@lock](#):
>
> My own L/R split varies from 47% to 52%, but I’m pretty sure that most of the variation comes from the rides where I’m dicking about on bike paths 'n stuff (ie; the rides that don’t matter). There’s a few papers out there that do show L/R balance changes on many factors, and may not be consistent for any given rider. That said based on how I use the PM, I don’t see this variation as being significant enough to worry about.
[Alex’s Cycle Blog: Left Right Out of Balance](http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/left-right-out-of-balance.html)
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### Author:  [@HeavyMetalCyclist](https://fixed.org.au/u/HeavyMetalCyclist)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/46 "2014-02-16T18:19:37Z")
> [@swuzzlebubble](#):
>
> To think teams have been paying him big money over the years to go around doing his own thing with sub-par results to show for it.
when he said he spends the offy cross country skiing i lost my shit. Such a cool guy who has the balance right.
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### Author:  [@AL9000](https://fixed.org.au/u/AL9000)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/47 "2014-02-17T18:57:13Z")
[Shimano Files Patents for Powermeter Cranksets, Measures Effort in Multiple Planes](http://www.bikerumor.com/2014/02/17/shimano-files-patents-for-powermeter-cranksets-measures-effort-in-multiple-planes/)
[ul]
[li]Fig. 18 – driving torque[/li][li]Fig. 19 – out-of-plane force[/li][li]Fig. 20 – radial force[/li][li]Fig. 21 – torsional moment force[/li][/ul]
All the data.
di2 integration possible.
shimano don’t fuck around.
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### Author:  [@HeavyMetalCyclist](https://fixed.org.au/u/HeavyMetalCyclist)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/48 "2014-02-17T19:07:52Z")
i still prefer cross country skiing
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### Author:  [@swuzzlebubble](https://fixed.org.au/u/swuzzlebubble)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/49 "2014-02-17T19:40:40Z")
> [@AL9000](#):
>
> di2 integration possible.
Auto transmission?
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### Author:  [@AL9000](https://fixed.org.au/u/AL9000)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/50 "2014-02-17T20:03:58Z")
^^ entirely possible, program in a desired power level / cadence.
> [@eavyMetalCHyclist](#):
>
> i still prefer cross country skiing
oh man, me too, look at the way the olympic XC skiers cross the line and completely DIE.
biathlon is even better. pew pew pew
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### Author:  [@HeavyMetalCyclist](https://fixed.org.au/u/HeavyMetalCyclist)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/51 "2014-02-17T20:05:10Z")
what’s the one where they ski and shoot guns
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### Author:  [@dfunkt](https://fixed.org.au/u/dfunkt)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/52 "2014-02-17T20:08:36Z")
> [@eavyMetalCHyclist](#):
>
> what’s the one where they ski and shoot guns
pew pew pew
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### Author:  [@AL9000](https://fixed.org.au/u/AL9000)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/53 "2014-02-17T20:14:34Z")
> [@eavyMetalCHyclist](#):
>
> what’s the one where they ski and shoot guns
biathlon. so good.
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### Author:  [@HeavyMetalCyclist](https://fixed.org.au/u/HeavyMetalCyclist)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/54 "2014-02-17T20:21:39Z")
genius.
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### Author:  [@swuzzlebubble](https://fixed.org.au/u/swuzzlebubble)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/55 "2014-03-03T15:15:47Z")
[How To Interpret Power Data And What To Do With It - USA Cycling](http://www.usacycling.org/how-to-interpret-power-data-and-what-to-do-with-it.htm)
> Pain management is still and always will be the name of the game. If you can handle pain you will likely excel. Think of a power meter as giving you a number to associate with that pain
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### Author:  [@JP1](https://fixed.org.au/u/JP1)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/56 "2014-03-04T18:27:50Z")
Saw Pioneer came out with their proper new power meter recently with the 12 magnets and force vector display on the unit at those 12 points on each crank. I would be crashin a lot, looking at that, trying to even it out and get some nice symmetric arrows going!
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### Author:  [@generic\_hipster](https://fixed.org.au/u/generic_hipster)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/57 "2014-03-04T18:38:30Z")
Good to see their final design does not hold the unit on with zip ties as it did in the prototype!
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### Author:  [@JP1](https://fixed.org.au/u/JP1)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/58 "2014-03-04T18:51:52Z")
> [@generic\_hipster](#):
>
> Good to see their final design does not hold the unit on with zip ties as it did in the prototype!
its amazing how much money mustve gone into developing the system, and still nobody on the team knew the reaction they’d get to that. Still, its fixed now, and price is heaps cheaper at $1900 including DA9000 crankset, $1600 or so for Ultegra.
I dunno, is everyone agreeing that stages is the best bet these days?
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### Author:  [@generic\_hipster](https://fixed.org.au/u/generic_hipster)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/59 "2014-03-04T19:20:50Z")
Stages is mostly definitely the best value for money in my opinion. It’s very easy to use/install and change batteries also.
Apparently their customer service is great also.
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### Author:  [@dalai](https://fixed.org.au/u/dalai)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/power-meters-how-did-they-help-you/63746/60 "2014-03-04T20:59:23Z")
> [@JP1](#):
>
> I dunno, is everyone agreeing that stages is the best bet these days?
Depends on your requirements…
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