So, here I am purchasing a Powertap wheelset and Garmin. Why would a guy who doesnt even use a computer jump onto the power bandwagon? Not sure really. Maybe now that I am older I feel the need to see just where I am? I ride alone almost 99% of the time and I think a power meter will be a good companion? Sort of takes the place of racing and training with people better than me to gauge my level of fitness. It is also much flatter where I live now and I dont have those trusty hills to beat me up.
Now, question is, where should I start? Do I just put it all on and ride normal and see what the numbers are? I do have a tendency to ride hard (I commute a lot and am usually running late!). I want to make this purchase worth every penny and would like to know the specifics of using it. This is coming from someone that has never cared about numbers which is why I would like some expert opinions on where to begin and what to focus on.
help the old man navigate the sea.

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I would get the "Training and Racing with a Power Meter" by Hunter Allen & Andrew Coggan book. It has a lot of great information.

Having a powermeter makes you realize that the days that you thought you were going easy was not easy enough and the days that you think you are killing it you may have been lazy.

Just my thoughts & realizatoins since I bought a power meter.

+1
It strongly reinforces the "make the hard days harder and the easy days easier" mantra, and provide quantitative data for that.

I will be watching this, I am in the same position myself!

Got the wheel and the Garmin all hooked up. Now I get to look at all sorts of pretty numbers. I guess I will have to read a book now. One thing that seems odd though is the fluctuation of wattage within a just a few pedal strokes even if effort hasnt changed at all (nor speed or position). I am talking 50 to 75 watt drop. Is this a calibration issue or am I that inconsistent when JRA.

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The word "Brifter" should be banned.
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everyone has that issue. it's the nature of a pedal-stroke. you can select a 3 sec average rather than every second on the garmin. it's much less of a fluctuation in watts.

a field test is a good place to start to set your "numbers". it's a place to get a base to start from and to see improvement from as you train.

I find that in efforts over about 3 min the correlation between average watts and time is just frighteningly consistent.

I say "frighteningly" because it shows that my average power is almost identical regardless of how I dole it out and how much drama is going on in my mind during the interval.
From "moderate effort" to "absolutely tearing my legs off and swallowing a lung" is only a few percentage points, and 2-3% change in average power corresponds almost identically to a 2-3% change in overall time.
(assuming wind conditions at least approximately equal)

I always leave my garmin showing "3-second average" and "lap-average" power.

Interesting idea of showing 3 avg wattage instead of constant 1 sec wattage. I might try that.
I just a 20 interval. Running the numbers shows that if I lose the weight I gained I will be close to where I used to race at. That is assuming that I wont lose any power when I lose that weight (or, lets be honest, IF I lose that weight). Does anyone have any direct knowledge of power loss after losing, say, 5 kilos?

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The word "Brifter" should be banned.
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Power after weight loss should be the same if not higher, assuming you are losing fat or muscle mass from places that don't matter on the bike (upperbody).

I'm not a doctor, but if I was losing power while losing weight I would be worried.

Well I ordered that book about training with power. I am going all in now.
It will be interesting to see what type of training advise I can find that will fit with my lifestyle and, well, personality. I am, for the first time, seeing the real benefits of these products. Ive never been a numbers guy but I am getting closer.

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The word "Brifter" should be banned.
Casati Vola SLi- viewtopic.php?f=10&t=108931" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

this is a quite interesting publication about training with power as well. a little different approach than coggan/allen.

http://www.trainingbible.com/pdf/Train_with_Power.pdf

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sorry vor mai bed englisch!