A public service announcement from the Colorado State Patrol on Colorado’s 3 Foot Law.

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Using a power meter is the preferred training device most professional cyclists and triathletes these days and the information below explains why.  Other devices such as a heart rate monitor and cyclometer can be used but this guide will focus on the usage of power meters to accurately track performance.

Why train with Power?

The power meter allows you to accurately and quantitatively measure your training, define areas of strength and weakness, fine tune your training plan to meet your specific goals, and to provide a common language with which to communicate with your coach. As your coach, power data allows me to see exactly what you are doing during your workouts as if I were there. When I ask you how hard was your workout, “hard” is a relative term meaning different things to different clients. Being able to look at your power output enables to me to see not only exactly how “hard” the workout was, but if you completed it accurately and how your body responded to it.

According to Charles Howe in the article “Empower your training” he lists the following benefits to using a power meter:

• Eliminates the guesswork from gauging exercise intensity
• Allows performance to be precisely quantified and the training log to be more realistically and effectively managed
• Other uses besides data collection such as pacing during interval training and time trials and aerodynamic testing.

Using heart rate and the Perceived Rate of Exertion scale in conjunction with the use of a power meter provides additional, useful data in examining the body’s response to training.

Have you ever heard the saying “it is not always the strongest racer that wins”?

This is definitely true and whether you are an aspiring racer or recreational cyclist just looking to improve your fitness, proper form and technique is a way is key to improving your performance on the bike.

There are 2 major components to the above statement.

The first is addresses your ability as a cyclist to become as efficient as possible on the bike. Yes, watts are still important. But even more importantly is speed and efficiency. We must keep in mind the end goal. For example if you are time trialing against someone else your exact size but you are generating more watts, will you win? Not necessarily. The other rider could be more efficient, thus has to generate less power and yet still be faster. There are many ways to increase efficiency on the bike. The most common are developing proper form and technique, (including a smooth pedal stroke), refining position and aerodynamics without losing speed. Remember, it is possible to generate more power and actually go slower. Therefore, we work to find the optimum balance between generating power and efficiency.

The second component addresses your mental ability on the bike. Do not underestimate this one. Even if you never desire to enter a competitive situation, you can still benefit from using mental strategy. The most common way to use this technique addresses being a smart rider. You need to become adept at reading your own body and others while riding, always know where you can conserve energy, where you should expend energy for the greatest result, and if necessary how to take advantage of other riders and their strengths and weaknesses. This topic is best covered with athletes individually. I could write pages on the topic but the best learning comes from experience and conversations with your coach.

Some general tips on form and increasing efficiency on the bike:

• Anytime you are training inside, always use a mirror. Watch yourself; analyze your form while riding at different intensities. Always look for ways to improve your form on the bike.

• Never bounce in the saddle. The goal is to be supple and smooth while able to spin comfortably at cadences ranging from 90-125+ rpms.

• Do not lock elbows; always keep at least a slight bend. Relax and drop your shoulders.

• Think about the entire pedal stroke. Push down, scrape the mud off the bottom of your shoes, pull up, and kick over the top. Put it all together.

• Look through the tops of your eyes; keep your head tucked down.

• Keep your hips square, no rocking side to side. Think of your hips as your main axis, keep them level and quiet.

• Use diaphragmatic breathing. Deep breath in, let your abdomen relax and expand. Exhale and squeeze all off the air from your lungs, contract abdominal muscles.

• Relax! Learn to release the tension from your upper body, jaw, face, etc. Work on eliminating/reducing wasted energy throughout your body.

• Keep knees from drifting out while pedaling.

• Change hand positions frequently and be comfortable in all of them. Learn how your position changes by moving your hands on the bars. Flatten out your back as much as possible without losing form or power. This will take time to develop and realize.

Every cyclist should be familiar with the basic mechanics of his or her bicycle and also have a record of bike setup or measurements. Why? Seatposts, handlebars and other parts can slip or rotate, maybe you will need to travel with your bike and need to take it apart and rebuild it, if you get a new bike you will need to know how to set it up to be similar to your old bike, if you are uncomfortable and want to refine your position having accurate measurements will allow you to make precise adjustments and have record of the changes made. These are just a few of many reasons why a cyclist should have a record of their current bike measurements.

Use the diagram below to fill in the measurements. Keep your measurements from bike to bike, year to year. Determining optimum fit can be a lengthy process and any previous fit data can be helpful in determining changes necessary.

In addition to the measurements below, I always measure my saddle height and mark the seat post height with electrical tape. I measure seat height along the down tube, measuring from the center of the seat to the center of the bottom bracket. This way I can quickly see by the tape if my seat height has changed and also reset it to the proper height.

Download a larger version of this diagram here.