Power-Tap vs. iBike

So I am delving into the world of power measurement. Like I really want to see how much, or not enough power I can kick out when I try to turn them over.

Borrowed an iBike from my Brother who went over to Ireland for the year and decided to give his body a break. It’s one of those back calculate wattage sort of deals that takes into account wind speed, road angle, combined rider and bike weight, moon phase to take into consideration tidal forces on the earth’s gravitational field. Runs some sick algorithm to tell you how much pain your in.

So I strapped it on the handlebars a few weeks ago and have been riding around with it. I am a minimalist when it comes to having things strapped to my machine. I like the lines simple, clean and elegant. The less the better, so I wasn’t to impressed with the size of the thing, and there was no stem mount option which isn’t really that big a deal, but I like to run with the forearms on the bars sometimes and computers mounted there get in the way, and throw off my total one-ness with the position.

Then a good friend let me borrow a Power Tap, so I thought, “Lets run both and compare the wattage to see the difference.” Unfortunately, I don’t have the download cable yet for the PT, then I could do real comparison and get statistical and all that. I could manipulate the results to say whatever I wanted. Kind of like industry sponsored research projects.

Anyway, the PT is a much more streamlined unit with a stem mount option. The controls are very intuitive, unlike the iBike where you are risking certain death trying to navigate the controls without reading the instruction.

Just like any new piece of software, I like to try and operate it without looking at the instructions, if you can figure most things out by intuition, then I feel the designers have done a good job. But that is a minor point. The big question is how do the units compare. Which one gives me the most bang for the buck, so that I can try to squeeze out every last bit of sick wattage.

Well, I noticed that the iBike was approximately +- 50 watts to the PT when you got above 150, and when you check in at 185, it is pretty easy to hit that mark once the road tilts up even a fraction. The PT was much more stable with both running output ever 1 second. Plus the PT has virtual cadence, which I guess is pretty cool. I think the real issue is cost, $300, versus, over $1000 (you can get a PT brand new for $800 or so on Ebay).

Anyway who really cares, just something to occupy the mind when you are numbing it during intervals.

All this talk of wattage and output files, calculation time steps and the like. Dangaa……I feel like I am at work. I remember when I would just go out and ride for fun. Me and the crew from the hood would roll at 5:05 am and try to beat the living crap out of each other. Man, I remember having to get all psyched up for the morning. Eat right, go to sleep early, and roll out of bed at 4:20, cup of coffee, banana, and march down the gravel drive in my mountain bike shoes to clip in.

It was always a race, mostly smiling faces, but sometimes nerves would get frayed. The goal was to get some exercise, ride faster than last time and stomp on your buddy, generally have a good time. Man…..I loved those morning rides, they led me to race my bike again, and the quest to get faster became all encompassing. How can I use my time more wisely, get the most out of my miles. When you can’t train 15 hours a week, you need every advantage you can get to help out. So now I am staring down at this little yellow box and letting it guide me.

Most of the Brothers understand, and go along with it, some even love the intervals, sprint training and slow base miles.

But every once in a while, we all just let it rip……I have to say, it is pure fun. Just like I was six again, rolling down the street in cut-offs, checkerboard slip-on vans, and a sleeveless Hulk tee, bruised knees and dirt under the fingernails.

Racing feels like that. Whether it is 5:05 in the Old Fig hood, or 1:30 in some coned off industrial park. Crazy, mad, sick fun.


Later