Test: In the spring I already had in the first part of my endurance test For the Power2Max NG power meter, the installation and first impressions are described in detail. Now I've been on the road with it all season and have collected many kilometers - you can find out how the power meter performed in the test.
Watt meters improve training efficiency - experts, ambitious hobby riders and professionals all agree on this. But how exactly does that work? I've been using the Power2Max NG for some time now and I train strictly according to the values that the last performance diagnostics gave me. Slowly but surely I'm getting closer to my goals. However, sticking to values and understanding them are two different things, and without this understanding even a power meter will not make the desired progress. The flood of data that such a power meter spits out is huge and it is correspondingly difficult to keep track of it. I want to try to explain here, relatively unscientifically, which values are important and how they can change the training.
Determination of the individual intensity ranges
Performance data want to be classified. Without knowing your own intensity ranges for basic and interval training, the watt values on the speedometer are pretty meaningless. If 270W is a good basic intensity for one person, it can mean driving to the limit for another. There are two ways to determine the right intensity ranges for you personally:
Possibility 1: Determination of the Functional Threshold Power (FTP).
The implementation of this test procedure is quite simple and therefore widely used. The FTP describes the maximum average performance that a cyclist can achieve over an hour. It is determined in a simplified manner in a 20-minute "all out" test. The FTP is 5% below the 20 minute average power. The big advantage of this method: You “only” need a power meter. Personally, I only use this option sporadically by analyzing longer starting mountains after races.
Possibility 2: Defining the intensity ranges via performance diagnostics.
In real performance diagnostics, further parameters are analyzed which, in my opinion, are of great importance for training planning. This includes, for example, the anaerobic threshold or maximum performance. The quality of the basic endurance can be estimated from the ratio, which is not possible with the FTP test alone.
Training with a power meter: Unfamiliar at first
If you know your own, individual training areas, you can start and use the power meter. The handling is not particularly different from what you already know from the heart rate monitor:
Before the bike unit, we plan what is to be trained. While ambitious drivers probably have a carefully worked out training plan, amateur athletes are more likely to decide spontaneously what is coming up: basics, intervals...
During the bike session, the watt values are checked. In my experience, the average power every three seconds is a good middle ground here. The values do not jump as much as with a direct display, but they are also not as sluggish as with the 20-second performance.
If my training goal is, for example, a basic ride, I have to make sure that my intensity range is not exceeded, either down or up, as rarely as possible. Of course, this is not possible over the entire route due to departures, stop signs, etc. If 80 percent of the training time is within the target range, I am satisfied and my training goal has been achieved. So the first thing the Power2Max NG taught me is how to keep my power consistent. Of course, this is easiest on the flat, in a mountain or on an easy descent, but it takes a little practice to stay in the right area. What many misunderstand: it is not the goal to keep the average performance in the target range.
That sounds a bit theoretical, so here's a small example: I've decided to do a basic unit. In the ascent I push myself and my bike up with 350W, in the descent it only needs 70W. My average performance is then still in the basic range, although I actually did not drive exactly this performance for a second.
Training according to watt values takes getting used to and patience: In the beginning, for example, I didn't find it easy to start slowly - regardless of whether it was basic or interval training. Compared to heart rate controlled training, the intensity felt way too low at first. Towards the end of the unit, I had to realize that it was pretty hard to be able to maintain the values. It took me some time to get used to my new riding style, but the feeling for even, constant pedaling came quickly.
The Power2Max NG – positively inconspicuous
The Power2Max NG is a great power meter. I've been using it for a full year now and never had any problems. The commissioning is no problem for any reasonably competent screwdriver. The assembly and the coupling with the corresponding end device was all that I had to do technically with the Power2Max NG this season. The connection with the Wahoo or Garmin works every time right away. The integrated battery can be easily charged via a USB socket. Unfortunately, I can't say much about the data quality, since I have no way of checking the promised +-1% deviation. However, I couldn't see any implausible outliers with the naked eye on the speedometer, so I'm relatively sure that the Power2Max NG delivers consistently good values.
Ralph Ziegler says
I also drive an NG. Deviations occurred after half a year. The power meter showed too little. In the meantime, the part was checked at P2M and the result was all ok. Today the first group ride was announced again and the values were compared. Colleagues quickly pointed out to me that something wasn't right. So we drove intervals with relief on level ground. Speed 40-41kmh . The power of my colleagues was about 260 watts, mine was about 185. And that was relatively constant over 4 long segments (Strava).
Jan says
I assume you & your bikes all weigh exactly the same?