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Started using a wattbike (of british cycling power testing fame) for training whilst at work and getting a bit befuddled with the shear amount of data that the thing emits. Wondering if anyone out there has used one for structured training and what kind of workouts you do? Currently try and ride on it for an hour following similar routines as what i would do on the turbo, but with 'power' data i can get from the bike i'm tempted to start training by 'watts' so to speak and see if i can't apply a more scientific approach to training and see if offers any improvements over HR / Cadence / Feel?!
We have 6 of them at work, so I usually get a couple of sessions a week on one. I can't speak highly enough of training with power- eliminates all the guesswork as your heart rate and rpe drift during a session.
In terms of sessions I alternate between sufferfest workouts and timed intervals set up on the bike so it shows average power etc for each rep.
Got one at the work 😀 I do half an hour as part of my gym routine. Any more than half an hour and the Dance music channel goes full circle & boredom sets in.
My average for 30 min is between 20 & 21 K's at an average power output of 250/260 W. I don't know how that fits into the big picture. I chuck in a few intervals now and then to keep things interesting.
D.
Watt was the question?
I have to agree, that even my limited knowledge of Power outage, maintaining a set average wattage for a set distance or time is alot more accurate and useful in 'real life' than HR or simply riding for a period of time or distance. We've been having a TT comp at work for the usual distances - 10m and 25m, although i have to admit holding an average wattage for nigh on an hour of riding for the 25m just about killed me!
Which version of the Wattbike do you use - the Pro or Trainer? They both seem to have advantages disadvantages. The Pro seems biased towards higher wattages and the Trainer more suitable for longer sessions with more spinning at lower watts
We have a mixture but I tend to go with the pro through habit these days (for no other reason than I can remember the resistance levels I want to use).
Watt bike tell us that the two versions are the same in every way, apart from the range of resistance being higher on the pro version (same range with a higher minimum resistance).
Power wise I aim for about 450w on a one minute interval, more like 300 for a 5 minute effort (this is in a Hypoxic chamber so a little less than at sea level).
Great for Sufferfest, you'll soon work out what wattage 7/10 is for you for example, no cheating then and easing off !
Whilst working at a world-renowned centre of rehab excellence (2012) the guys who made and designed them delivered a training/education session. Once all the sexy inter-connectivity bits and bobs had been explained, the ONLY advantage over a good quality turbo (tacx flow etc) I could find (and I ‘lived’ on my turbo ‘back in the day’) and their main selling point THB was the very useful graph output that essentially joins the downward power curve with the (same leg/side) upward power curve thus presenting the user with a very useful insight to their pedal efficiency.
Chirs Hoy’s graph was almost a perfect circle, without any flat spots at ‘top’ & ‘bottom’. Mine was initially like a number eight that over a couple of weeks I managed to expand out to a constant sized monkey nut/ellipse shape – our power output was the same, obviously 🙄
Downside, the threads on the seat-clamp and bar adjustment fudge up (hope they've been upgraded) and they seemed to break-down a fair bit – but they (bikes) did see a fair hammering tbh.
Useful yes, better or equal to a tacx flow with YOUR own bike (geometry) – not even close.
Agree on the power graph- very interesting and useful. It is available on other bits of kit as well though now. I see the point about a turbo and your own bike, but as exercise bikes go (the only option really in a commercial setting) they are the best I've ever used apart from a contraption called a velotron.