53x12 wrote:Those of you that don't train with a pm, may I ask why? Is it that you don't believe it will help? Do you think they are too expensive (lots of affordable options available now)? Some other reason. Just curious to hear why some don't train with power.
I think it's obvious.
1) Most people don't actually "train" nor race. They ride. They may ride a lot. They may have raced many years ago so they have bike skills. They do group rides and reach a decent level of fitness by the end of the summer. But they aren't really training.
2) A PM was expensive up until a few years ago. Even today, it looks like the cheapest option is an extra $400 but most guys wouldn't want to be caught dead with a 105 crank so $500-800 is a budget left side PM. A more premium spider based option is still around $1000-1500+.
3) I think the actual usage (other than a wattage readout on their garmin), analyzing data, and getting the most out of it can be intimidating.
I think this type of rider wants to improve but the cost in both money and time is steep. And maybe this kind of rider already knows that if they put more time into training (maybe weights and trainer in the winter, yoga/core work, and a weekly interval session) they would improvement greatly. But if they already aren't maximizing what they are doing then adding a power meter to mix probably isn't going to help.