Power meters are devices that allow you to track how much power you produce while cycling. Different manufacturers have products with slightly different data-gathering methods, but all power meters provide roughly the same accuracy. Training with a power meter allows you to track your power output in watts at different points throughout a ride. Use this data to both plan your workouts and track your progress throughout the season.
What Power Meters Measure
Power is the energy required to move mass a distance within a set period of time. When you generate power on your bike, you are using that power to overcome the combined mass of you and your bike, the resistance of the wheels against the ground, air resistance and many other variables. Different power meter manufacturers use different methods in order to measure your power, but they all measure how much force you are generating over time and distance while turning your pedals.
Power Meters vs. Heart Rate Monitors
Heart rate monitors are another widely used method for measuring your cycling performance. While power meters measure your total power output, heart rate monitors track use your heart rate to measure how hard you work to produce power. Heart rate is a more subjective measurement. Riding a specific course on two different days, you may produce 350 watts both times, but your heart rate may be 150 on one attempt and 180 on another, depending on factors such as your diet and hydration.
Benefits
Power meters allow you to track and plot your power output throughout a ride. You can save the data and compare the results of the same course at different points throughout the season, measuring exactly by how much your power increases as your training progresses. You can also measure your power output against your heart rate and evaluate how you respond to training under different conditions, allowing you to create strategies for different racing situations.
Power Meter Workouts
Working out with a power meter means you have to perform tests to determine your maximum power output for a given distance. Once you have determined your max output, you can train at different percentages for different periods of time to achieve specific training effects. Your max can be tested by riding all out for five minutes and recording your peak power. From there, you can develop different training rides that have you riding at different percentages, such as riding 150 m at 200 percent of max for sprinting, or riding 1 hour at 40 to 50 percent for recovery.
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