Watts...what?

[aka0019]

I am going to buy a turbo trainer and keep reading stuff to do with what power people get measured in watts. How is this information read? Any advice will help

Thanks
Andrew

 

[Will1985]

Before you get the watts information you have to spend a lot of money...

You can either get turbos to measure (or estimate) power, or on the bike tools such as an SRM crank or PowerTap rear hub which have strain gauges to calculate power.

 

[aka0019]

Thanks for replying Will. I wasn't sure if all turbo trainers had them or not. I am right in assuming that only top end turbos will have them? The ones i've looked at go up to about £270 but don't think they had wattage reading.

 

[doyler78]

Thanks for replying Will. I wasn't sure if all turbo trainers had them or not. I am right in assuming that only top end turbos will have them? The ones i've looked at go up to about £270 but don't think they had wattage reading.

Power meters that come with turbo's (with a few notable exceptions) are only proxies for power and power isn't actually measured by them therefore you either have to spend a lot of money to do what you have been advised above or buy something like a computrainer or saris turbo with built in turbo however they are very expensive.

For intervals you can do them very effectively on a turbo just by using speed as a proxy (you must have a consistent trainer setup). So if your average speed (which is the speed you will hold during the whole 20 minute effort if doing 2x20's) increases over time then you can be pretty certain that your power has increased. Once 2x20's feel a little easier then its time to move the speed up slightly and try again.

Whatever turbo you go for I would make sure you get one with a big fly wheel as that will provide a much more realistic ride experience. I personally own a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Pro and think it great however there is lots of choice out there.