Speedometer, GPS, heart rate monitor, etc.: there are several electronic devices that cyclists can use to create their own training program and monitor their performance during a race. But what makes a power meter different from the others?
In this article, we’ll see the 10 main advantages that cyclists and triathletes can get from a power meter especially when it comes to a pedal-based one.
10 Reasons to use a power meter
- Watts don’t lie!
Power meters measure the mechanical power you release at the level of the pedals; all the real-time data (measured in watts) is sent to your bike computer or sports watch and serves as an objective reference for your performance. The underlying concept is really easy: the more power you are releasing (that is, the higher the number of the watts), the better your performance is. The most important is that this is a one-to-one ratio that can’t be distorted by external factors. Unlike the most commonly used heart rate data, the ratio power-performance can’t be altered by other factors such as high temperature, psychological stress, caffeine, bad digestion, etc.
