Or don’t got the the power in my case.
As I sit here at my desk, pulling my shorts up over my spare tire, I find myself already looking forward to next August when I will ride Haute Route Alps. I’m registered and have started a ‘team’ (so far at 5 riders – don’t be shy to join if you’ve ridden with us before…or even haven’t) and I’m now beginning to look at the training program that will take me to this hors-norme event hopefully full of endurance and back down to racing weight (which I think will mean a 10kg weight loss, but I haven’t had the courage to step on the scales to find out yet).
And that brings me to the question of the day: which power meter do you use and would you recommend it?
The only PM I’ve owned was one of the first editions of the Garmin Vector, which was (and is still) in the pedal. I used this for a couple of years till I just couldn’t take it dying on me or giving me wrong readings. I’ve been powerless since. I’m now wondering whether I should be back in the market for one of these devices, but I think that the answer should be ‘yes’. When the Garmin did work, training with power was very effective and the feedback useful.
Oh, and all hail Evenepoel!
The Vicious Cycle 
I bought my Stages powermeter back in 2015, and it was the single best investment in my training i have ever done. I still have it and its working like a charm. I recall, however, that i had some problems with my garmin head unit losing connection from time to time. I have since switched to a Wahoo unit and no more problems.
However, if i were to purchase a new powermeter, i might go for one of the pedals. Maybe Wahoo since i have favourable experiences with that brand. Having more than one bike and occasionally renting one on vacation, the pedal powermeter is just so convenient 🙂
I just checked the Stages website and see that they now do cranks for Campy, which I don’t think was the case back in the day. I’ll put this one on the list for sure, thanks!
Good point about the portability of the pedals, too. I will probably ride my ‘2nd bike’ in the winter and on the trainer, so switching would be handy…and a pain in the ass at the same time!
No suggestions on power meter but congrats on riding HR again Gerry. Can’t believe it’ll be 10 years since I did it. Happy training.
The invitation stands, Luc. You still have time!
I would love to ride it again but I think 10 years ago I wished I were 10 years younger – that’s 20 now!! On a side note a friend in Glasgow just attended a play last night called Ventoux. About Armstrong Pantani 2000 TdF. He said it was surprisingly good and well attended by cyclist. Who’d have thought one could make a play about cycling.
Gerry, congratulations on this effort! I am excited to hear how the training and the event go for you! I wish I had something to offer on power meters for you. I’ve riden powerless for about 20 years and don’t know what I’m missing. So, please provide feedback as you venture into this new world. The C64 secret project is still in it’s development build stage, so if you see huge benefits, please advise whether you think the juice is worth the squeeze.
Best,
Eric
I’m looking forward to seeing the final C64 product, Eric. Regarding power meters, I can only say with some confidence that they are excellent if they are used correctly, i.e. not just to look at numbers, but for actual training. That being said, my best Haute Route results were from 2013 when I only used heartrate. Maybe I just trained harder.
1) Assioma DUO
2) Yes
My pair have been faultless for years, plus they’re super easy to swap between bikes.
I think a friend just said he had Assioma as well. Will give that one a boo, thanks!
I’ve been using the Garmin Rally RS for the last few months, and they seem to have addressed all the earlier issues from the Vectors, and as DC Rainmaker rightly suggests, they are basic Vector 4.0. I have had no problems with them to date, they just seem to work as reported when paired to my Garmin 530 head unit. Really have helped me take my training up a level.
Here’s DCR’s review: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/03/garmin-rally-power-meter-review-spd-spd-sl-look-keo.html
Thanks, David. I didn’t even realize that the Vectors had a new name till I started re-shopping for a new PM. Power can really up the training, you’re right about that…as long as the numbers are consistent, which they seem to be with yours. Looking forward to seeing the results next year!