Despite the myriad of options, one thing has remained (fairly) constant in the world of power meters: the high cost of admission. \u00a0True, the Stages power meter<\/a> has entered the market at a very attractive price and older model Powertaps are plentiful and more affordable, especially since the G3 price drop. \u00a0The fact remains that your average power meter will run you around $800 or so.<\/p>\n It's expensive, yes, but that doesn't mean you don't need one, and you can read why after the jump<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In today's busy world, most of us don't have option to spend 20 hours per week training. \u00a0If you happen to be one of the lucky few, imagine getting higher quality training in less time and having more time left over to ride with friends or hit the trails for a weekend romp in the mud? \u00a0Plenty of folks have said “I used to train XYZ hours per week. \u00a0Once I got a power meter, I cut it in half and I'm stronger than I ever was before.” \u00a0The name of the game is quality over quantity, and you can easily accomplish that with a power meter.<\/p>\n Who wants to pay a hundred bucks every time you want to test your VO2 max or FTP? \u00a0Why go to a university or physiology center, have to block out 3 hours of time and lose a training day, just to get your FTP numbers confirmed? \u00a0With a power meter, you can test your FTP<\/a> anywhere, anytime with a simple field test. \u00a0You can even test your Zone 5, 6 and 7 level power<\/a>, all for the cost of the unit itself. \u00a0All you need to do is build a field test into your ride and you'll be\u00a0cataloging\u00a0your fitness in no time.<\/p>\n While it's not a true wind tunnel, your power meter will show you differences in aerodynamic positions. \u00a0How? \u00a0Simply comparing power output, speed, heart rate and the specific position or equipment change can give you a sneak peek into what positions allow you the most speed for the power you're producing. \u00a0By carefully analyzing your data post ride, you can roughly determine the most efficient position (based on HR\/power\/speed numbers) or equipment (changing wheels or bars for example.)<\/p>\n What to get leaner? \u00a0Want to lose that belly? \u00a0Wouldn't it be nice to be able to determine exactly how many calories you burned on a ride without relying on an archaic and error prone heart rate algorithm? \u00a0Energy expenditure in kilojoules can easily be converted into calories, giving you a very accurate estimation of how much energy you're putting out. \u00a0Compare that to how much you're taking in and you can easily manage your calorie deficit.<\/p>\n Take the best of an old-school technique and blend it with new technology. \u00a0One of the quickest ways to building fitness is to hit your\u00a0sweet spot<\/a>\u00a0during your rides instead of rolling along in zone 2 for hours. \u00a0Imagine being able to precisely balance your intensity and duration in order to get the maximal benefit out of your training. \u00a0Imagine being able to watch your FTP climb by balancing your recovery and intensity. \u00a0Training with a power meter is the ticket that gets you on that train.<\/p>\n Interval work is designed to balance high intensity and recovery in specific ratios in order to elicit a physiological change. \u00a0Especially at supra-threshold levels, heart rate just doesn't give quality feedback. \u00a0Training with a power meter affords you more consistency and precision while performing those hard efforts because wattage is displayed in real time (instantaneously.) \u00a0You'll immediately know how hard you're working instead of guessing and hoping you got it right when your heart rate catches up thirty seconds later.<\/p>\n The post-workout\u00a0feedback and analytical potential of a power meter\u00a0is invaluable to someone looking to improve their fitness. \u00a0You can see exactly when you fatigue and how badly, what aspects of your training you need to emphasize and what your current strengths are. \u00a0Is your 10-second power terrible? \u00a0Either develop some intervals to work on it or don't expect to win a sprint. \u00a0Do you fatigue after three VO2 max efforts? \u00a0Maybe you need to work on repeatability. \u00a0No matter what your weakness, you'll be able to find it and turn it into a strength if you're training with a power meter.<\/p>\n Training by duration and distance will get you some fitness gains (especially early on in your career), but a power meter affords you the ability to build, manage and execute a training plan that relies on scientific metrics rather than simply “go out and ride for XX hours.” \u00a0You can monitor your Training Stress Score<\/a> (TSS), Intensity Factor (IF) and energy expenditure precisely. \u00a0You'll be able to see improvements, prevent overtraining<\/a> and see when you're about to hit a peak<\/a> in fitness.<\/p>\n![\"SRAM](\"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/SRAM-RED-2012-Front-derailleur-Quarq-Power-Meter-Laurent-Vidals-bikesm-300x175.jpg\")
<\/a>1: Power Meters Can Reduce Your Training Time<\/h2>\n2: Power Meters Allow For Free Fitness Testing<\/h2>\n
3: Use a Power Meter to Optimize Your Position<\/h2>\n
![\"Fitness](\"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Screen-Shot-2012-09-30-at-11.29.31-AM-300x229.png\")
<\/p>\n4: Accelerate Your Weight Loss<\/h2>\n
5: Hit Your Sweetspot<\/h2>\n
6: Perform Perfect Intervals<\/h2>\n
7: Analyze Your Data<\/h2>\n
8: Tweak Your Training Load<\/h2>\n
9: Understand Your Races and Events<\/h2>\n