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  • - Do you need a powermeter?

  • Now although they are coming down in price,

  • they still do represent a pretty serious investment.

  • So, here are six good reasons

  • why we think you should seriously consider

  • investing your hard-earned cash.

  • (electronic chill music)

  • - First up, having a powermeter is going to lead

  • to huge gains in fitness.

  • - Hold on a second, Dan.

  • You can't just plug it on your bike and expect to do that.

  • You need to learn how to train with one,

  • analyse the data,

  • and then use that data to form a personalised training plan.

  • - That is true.

  • But if you do do all that,

  • I stick to my original statement.

  • And I will give a personal example to back this up.

  • I got my first powermeter at the age of 23.

  • At that point, I'd been a full-time rider for four years

  • and I'd been racing for over 10.

  • Nevertheless, within the first 12 months of using one

  • and training with it properly,

  • I made a 10% improvement in FTP,

  • which is pretty big.

  • Secondly, powermeters make segment times

  • completely irrelevant.

  • You can set a new PB, bike power, instead of bike time.

  • - Well, hold on a minute, Dan.

  • You need to make sure that you keep aerodynamics and weight

  • the same because even if you say

  • you're 10 watt improvement in your power,

  • it's not gonna mean much if at the same time

  • you're gonna be 10 kilogrammes heavier.

  • - That is very true.

  • But if you do keep all those other factors the same,

  • a powermeter is going to let you see the bigger picture.

  • So if, for example, if you were slower

  • on a particular part of your ride,

  • but your power is higher,

  • you'll know there is good reason for it.

  • It might be you got a slight headwind.

  • Or it might be that the air pressure was higher.

  • Whatever the reason, you can be satisfied.

  • For although you were slower,

  • it was a better physiological performance.

  • - Because power is absolute.

  • - That's true.

  • Speaking of which,

  • the powermeter is a great tool to help you

  • mentally deal with those types of conditions.

  • I don't know about you, Matt, but I hate a headwind.

  • In fact, when I was a lot younger,

  • I actually cried to a headwind because it forced me

  • below my average speed goal for the ride

  • of 20 miles per hour.

  • - Well, I used to hate headwinds, Dan.

  • And I still do, but the good thing about powermeters,

  • they allow you to keep a really good, even tempo.

  • And like how last point, and not worry about the speed

  • that that power produces.

  • In fact, I use headwind sections to help me climb.

  • - [Dan] Next up, a powermeter will allow you to go faster

  • even without getting any fitter.

  • - [Matt] Hold on a minute, Dan.

  • Really?

  • - Yes, really, Matt.

  • Through pacing.

  • So, a powermeter will enable you to ensure

  • that you don't go in the red at the start of your event

  • and pay for it at the finish.

  • Through testing in training,

  • you're going to know what you've got in the tank,

  • and therefore, empty your tank at your event

  • at exactly the right time.

  • Whether that's 24 minutes or 24 hours.

  • - powermeters give you a reference,

  • allowing you to compare yourself with yourself.

  • Which is really important if you're looking to make

  • performance improvements.

  • - [Dan] Now, you may be thinking that you've got

  • a local test climb that allows you to do exactly that.

  • But the beauty of the powermeter

  • is that it allows you to compare efforts on unknown roads

  • with the efforts that you do at home.

  • It would also allow you to create a power profile.

  • That will show you what your strengths and weaknesses are.

  • And you'll even be able to compare your efforts

  • with those of the pros.

  • - A watt is a watt no matter where

  • in the world you may be.

  • And, no matter what the weather.

  • - In the words of Doctor Andy Coggan,

  • one of the pioneers of training with a powermeter,

  • testing is training,

  • and training is testing.

  • And a powermeter allows you to do your testing

  • out on the open road

  • without the need to head to a laboratory.

  • - [Matt] They're a great tool to track your progress

  • and see if you're training is leading to improvements.

  • And in conjunction with your heart rate,

  • you'll also be able to see if you're making

  • efficiency improvements.

  • You can test your sprint, your ability on short climbs,

  • on mountains, and in time trials, et cetera.

  • - What we would like to know

  • are your experiences of training and racing

  • with a powermeter, both good and bad.

  • You can leave them in the comments section down below.

  • On the other hand, if you don't have a powermeter

  • and you also have no interest in every buying one,

  • please let us know why in the comment section

  • just down below.

  • - And if you haven't already subscribed to GCN,

  • you're one stop short for all things cycling.

  • Click on the globe.

  • Now, for how to test for your FTP,

  • click just down here.

  • And for how to pace yourself for an individual time trial,

  • click just down here.

  • And don't forget to like,

  • and share this video, too.

  • Cheers, lads.

- Do you need a powermeter?

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