Power Meters
Power training is redefining the way endurance athletes train on the bike. While heart rate training is quite good and provides structure and data, the data one can obtain from power training is extraordinary.
Power data is constant, predictable and repeatable. This means that things like cardiac drift and heartrate variability based on fatigue state no longer jeopardize the data. The top cycling athletes in the world train with power now, and this technology is available and is useful to everyday cyclists.
The following pages outline the two major brands of power meters, SRM and PowerTap. Both are fine devices with very good output. They read the power differently and thus have different strengths and weaknesses which we will discuss.