Russell @ Upper Echelon Fitness

Melissa -

It's an endless discussion on which is better, or best for each person. I've
used SRM and Powertap extensively for many years, and they both work well.
From a reliability standpoint, the SRM is going to hold up better. Powertaps
have gotten a lot better, though. For most people I work with, a Powertap is
their choice. Why? $1500 Vs $4,000 is a big difference. SRM is out of reach
for most. They both work fine, though. If you can build a wheel you can both
race and train on, then Powertap is a good choice. The wireless is the
absolute way to go. one of the most common failures in the system was the
wiring harness, and this allows you to swap from bike to bike very easily.
In the NW, being able to switch the wheels from race bike to rain bike is
important. Because power data is good for objective feedback during your
training and communicating this with your coach, if you have one. But data
from every ride needs to be recorded if you are going to get everything out
of it and incorporate the performance management applications. So, no right
answer for everyone. I think it's best to have an SRM on every one of your
bikes.... but that's not going to happen. So get a Powertap you can both
train and race on, and go with it. That works for most. The Quark seems to
be working alright for folks too, but I'm giving that some more time before
I make any conclusions. The wattage forum is a great place to get questions
answered since every questions. No doubt, if you are looking for clear,
objective training data, power is the essential. And if you are
communicating your data with someone else, then that's an even great reason
to use wattage.

RC

--
Russell Cree, DPT, CSCS
Upper Echelon Fitness
CONNECT Bike Fitting
Portland, OR
503-501-8121

On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 12:48 PM, Melissa Sanborn <
melissa@melissasanborn.com> wrote:

> I've been using a PowerTap on and off for about 6 years. First it was the
> standard model, then the Pro, and now the 2.4 wired carbon SL model. Power
> is a GREAT training tool when the tool works! Several riders/clients I know
> use both the PowerTap and the SRM with some mixed feelings. I'm thinking
> about the cost of these things and upgrading my wired model to a wireless
> model. However, I'm a little hesitant due to their reliability but I'm also
> not convinced an SRM is the answer either and an even greater expense than a
> PT. I am wondering what others have experienced and what their preference is
> for training and racing with power. Of course, training with power is only
> great if you can race with it, too... which is another problem in itself.
> What wheel to lace the PT to or what bike to install the SRM on? Is it easy
> to swap an SRM from the winter bike to the race bike? The wattage forum
> might be a helpful place to start as well and I think others on this list
> may be asking the
> mselves the same questions.
>
> Thanks,
> Melissa Sanborn
>
>
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--
Russell Cree, DPT, CSCS
Upper Echelon Fitness
CONNECT Bike Fitting