130R
Cruising
- May 31, 2018
- 13
- 1
I have had the Garmin vector 2s and the Stages (also version 2) crank based system. My thoughts:
I never had any problems with the gamins whatsoever. They use a Keo 3 point cleat - easy. The downside is the ugly pod that hangs from the pedal. It looks silly and is in a place where I can be knocked easily.
The Stages has been a bit more troublesome. It regularly drops out while I am riding recording 0watts if even for a few seconds, this is very annoying. Otherwise it is trouble free but I think I prefer a pedal based system for flexibility between bikes/crank styles/crank lengths.
If I was to buy another one, it would be pedal based.
As for the effect on training, I think it is positive. What I appreciate is having an objective measure of your performance that isn't effected by external conditions like wind, heat, rain, drafting or anything else, it is purely a measure of your output. so for example on my local Cat 2 test hill, somedays I am flying but am hampered by strong winds at the top. Having a powermeter allows me to compare the effort with all my other efforts in a way other than purely by time. Generally if I am making more power in the climb than previously I am satisfied, regardless of whether or not I was faster. Of course I still like to go for time based PBs but the powermeter lets me gauge my efforts in a different way. In this way I don't feel the need to go to the hill in full race spec, I can do it with slower, heavy and more reliable tyres, carrying a litre of water and spares and still get a fair measurement of my effort.
edited for unwanted autocorrects
I never had any problems with the gamins whatsoever. They use a Keo 3 point cleat - easy. The downside is the ugly pod that hangs from the pedal. It looks silly and is in a place where I can be knocked easily.
The Stages has been a bit more troublesome. It regularly drops out while I am riding recording 0watts if even for a few seconds, this is very annoying. Otherwise it is trouble free but I think I prefer a pedal based system for flexibility between bikes/crank styles/crank lengths.
If I was to buy another one, it would be pedal based.
As for the effect on training, I think it is positive. What I appreciate is having an objective measure of your performance that isn't effected by external conditions like wind, heat, rain, drafting or anything else, it is purely a measure of your output. so for example on my local Cat 2 test hill, somedays I am flying but am hampered by strong winds at the top. Having a powermeter allows me to compare the effort with all my other efforts in a way other than purely by time. Generally if I am making more power in the climb than previously I am satisfied, regardless of whether or not I was faster. Of course I still like to go for time based PBs but the powermeter lets me gauge my efforts in a different way. In this way I don't feel the need to go to the hill in full race spec, I can do it with slower, heavy and more reliable tyres, carrying a litre of water and spares and still get a fair measurement of my effort.
edited for unwanted autocorrects