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10 Reasons to Use a Power Meter
10 Reasons to Use a Power Meter

Coaching discussion, Power training and discussion

10 Reasons to Use a Power Meter

A power meter has become ubiquitous with performance in the past few years, and their popularity has led many companies to jump headfirst into the power market. Previously dominated by Saris and SRM, the power meter market has expanded significantly in the past few years. Quarq, Power2Max, Look/Polar, Rotor, 4iiii, Brim Brothers and Stages Cycling have joined the fray, while Ergomo has disappeared, iBike has suffered mightily from the lack of direct measurement and Garmin has finally brought the long-awaited Vector to market.

Despite the myriad of options, one thing has remained (fairly) constant in the world of power meters: the high cost of admission. True, the Stages power meter has entered the market at a very attractive price and older model Powertaps are plentiful and more affordable, especially since the G3 price drop. The fact remains that your average power meter will run you around $800 or so.

It's expensive, yes, but that doesn't mean you don't need one, and you can read why after the jump:

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Tags: Coaching, power|

SRAM Red Exogram Quarq Review

After managing to put paid to my third Cinqo power meter, Quarq went above and beyond the call of warranty service and upgraded me to a Red Exogram power meter to replace the problem child Cinqo. I detailed the warranty process in this post, so you can read about it in detail there. Suffice to say, Quarq was wonderful throughout the process and I feel confident recommending them and their power meter units to anyone.

As for the Red Exogram model, while it may look similar, in reality it is a radical departure from the (now discontinued) Cinqo model, both in terms of the power meter spider and the SRAM crank components themselves.

After the jump we'll take a look at the Exogram unit as a whole and as a sum of its parts.

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Tags: components, power, reviews, wrenching|

Zone 5 and VO2 Max Training (Podcast #18)

With the solstice and the arrival of summer, the cycling scene could literally not be hotter. Group rides are rolling out almost every night of the week, centuries and charity events are plentiful and of course the racing scene is full speed ahead. However, many cyclists, from weekend warriors to racers are often missing something. Something that could be the difference between being dropped from the group ride or peloton and being the one pushing the pace and shelling other riders.

That something is an understanding of the importance of VO2 max (Zone 5 or Z5) training. This season, much like every other one before it, I see lots of riders who are plenty strong and tactically fit. However, they lack that one last skill that would turn them from a “one-speed rider” into a group shattering monster. They lack the punch to match accelerations on climbs, make it over short, sharp pitches and surge with the group. More than that, they lack the ability to repeat these surges over and over again, and they invariably find themselves off the back asking “what happened?”

Today's podcast will deal with the how and why of VO2 max training, including:

Describing what VO2 max is
Why VO2 max is important to train
How to train Zone 5 properly
Indoor trainer workouts for Zone 5 power and repeatability
Outdoor examples of how to incorporate Zone 5 work into your rides

As always, if you have questions or comments about today's podcast, feel free to contact me. And always remember to rate the Tailwind Coaching Podcast on iTunes!

And for my podcast listeners, you can take 15% off everything in my downloadable training plans section by using the code “spower”. This code will expire on July 4th, so act fast!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:21 — 39.7MB)

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Tags: Coaching, podcast, power, training|

Giro d’Italia Modular Training Special

[dc]M[/dc]ay means the Giro d'Italia is looming on the horizon and spring has arrived in a big way. The spring classics are behind us and we turn from the slippery cobbles, the leg breaking bergs and the sharp Ardennes pitches to the serene beauty of Italy. Now the goal is not to win on any given day, but to survive the long haul, bringing home the ultimate prize: the Maglia Rosa. And of course, there's an amazing phenomenon observed during a grand tour: people are inspired by the efforts of the professional cyclists they're watching on TV, plying their trade on some of the most beautiful terrain in the world.

If you're one of those people who uses the Giro for motivation and you want to get a little more out of your spring training blocks, now's your chance: the sun is shining high in the sky and motivation is pouring out of the TV right now. Don't miss the chance to boost your fitness and ride your buddies off your wheel like Vincenzo Nibali, Ryder Hesjedal or Nairo Quintana.

Below you'll find your Giro 2016 discount code, active during the entirety of the Giro d'Italia, May 6 to May 29, 2015.

Sorry, the Giro isn't happening now!

Tags: power, training|

Quarq Warranty Experience (Part Deux)

[dc]A[/dc]s I reported back in December, I had an issue with my Quarq Cinqo Saturn unit. Specifically, I had ridden in wet conditions, and the unit died shortly thereafter. On that occasion, Quarq replaced the unit, however with it being around the holidays, turnaround was about 10 days. I received a new electronics pod on the original spider, along with the explanation that "there was a run of bad pods, and this was probably one of them." I was told that there shouldn't be any more issues with my Cinqo. Fair enough, back to training and all was right in my world.

Fast forward to February, 2013. After a training ride for Battenkill (in other words, pissing rain, lots of dirt roads and mud, and overall shitty weather) the magic stopped a second time, and my Cinqo was once again dead. Off to South Dakota with it again, this time overnight, only to be replaced again. I had a brand new electronics pod AND spider in hand in 4 days, I was told that there wouldn't be another problem with it, and again all was right in my world.

Or should I say it was until Friday, April 12th.

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Tags: components, power, reviews|