[Closed] What metrics on garmin for power

At least 3seconds on the road, or even 5seconds or 10seconds average.

Depends what kind of ride you're doing as to what else you need/want?

I usually have average lap power and then depends what I'm doing but probably lap time.

3 seconds. I'll use 30 sec average for climbing (pyrenees,etc). Lap power for intervals.

I use 3 second average but it is very noisy signal and very hard to maintain a set power if pacing to power so might increase the sampling interval...but then when you're doing sprinting efforts there will be too much lag to hit a target power.

But having said that, you do get used to it and i'm getting better at riding to a target power.

I like autolapping on distance with a display of average power for lap on one screen with other averages (speed and heart rate). That way you get a much longer average. Set mine to 8 km.

For short readings I use 3 or 10s. Instant isn’t really that helpful.

Like most above, I use the 3 second average. I also have the average for the whole ride, but I only find that useful if I'm trying to ride at a certain effort, it's not much use if I'm doing intervals.

I too tried out my new 4iiii meter yesterday and had the same issue. Sounds like 3s average is the way to go.

I got a new record for my 40Km time yesterday. I see in the records that there is a 20 minute Power but it was empty. I rode for at least 2 hours so it should have updated.

Is there a setting I need to enable to do power records?
Thanks

Mine is on a TT bike on 3s average but I don't find it all that useful in the events tbh - despite thinking beforehand that it would make it a lot easier to just sit at ftp, problem solved. Our local courses are too variable for me to easily ride to power, and the stuff I do too short (10s and 25s) to make the realtime monitoring valuable. It is good for isolated data points - like God I feel like I am dying here, PM says yes you are 🙂
but mainly it's some thing to look at afterwards for me, say to try and figure out if a particular section went very well (or very badly), or if you changed your position and wanted a power readout on that.

I think if you're very good you can learn to ride to power over mixed terrain - fast testers have really smooth power delivery, but for me it needs to be a smooth course for this to work - a drag stip ten, or a massive climb say. You can get a steady readout with a 3s display and tapping it out.

I think if you’re very good you can learn to ride to power over mixed terrain

You don't need to be really good - i'm not. i think my powermeter has been a revelation. It takes a bit of effort to get used to it and get a feel for your numbers. The first thing to do is to do an FTP test...it might take a couple of try's do to it as initially you're not too sure how hard to set off, it took me a good three attempts to get a good FTP number I was happy with. Then form that you get your power zones. The good thing about power is that it is absolute, so irrelevant what terrain you're riding over. If you want to stick in Zone 2 then you know your numbers and stick to them and all the terrain does is vary your speed...but it works. I find it far better to pace using power than HR. With HR I find i'm always going too high then reacting, but with power I can control my HR and prevent it from creeping up. And power is really good for intervals.

How precise can you be wobbliscott? Say your ftp is 300, and you were doing a 25 so would be aiming for that power for one hour. Riding to that number (plus or minus what? 295-305 say?) seems very hard to me as it fluctuates a lot on anything but the smoothest course. But no doubt some can manage it.

I realise testing is just one example, though - many different types of riding where you'd be interested in power, and the controllability will vary.

I am in the minority, but I use instantaneous power. When we first started messing with power meters a few years ago, my son's coach recommended using instantaneous power. With time you visually filter the fluctuations and get a truer picture of what you are doing now. It is also better for short intervals because there is no lag.

If I ride with averaging switched on it looks to me like my power meter is not working correctly now!

After using heart rate, instantaneous power takes some getting used to.

Garry, wish my FTP was as high as 300!

Against a 3second average setting I can maintain a target power plus or minus about 30 watts of terrain is varied, but closer than that for a nice consistent stretch of road, which has taken a bit of practice to get to which I find is close enough for the kind of riding I do for challenging sportives and big days out in the hills or mountains where I have to pace myself.

The harder aspect is to calibrate yourself against the numbers which is really just a case of riding as much as you can and see how you feel.

Thanks for the responses all-

Next question....

Now I have a 4iiii on the bike it will read differently to my tacx vortex on trainer road sessions.

How do I mate the two so when using trainer road it takes my wattage from the crank but controls the power using EGR?

Is that even possible?

I have a Tacx Flux 2 and have no idea where it is taking the power reading from. Obviously the cadence is taken from my 4iiii, but not sure if it takes the power from the 4iiii or not. I have run my Garmin in parallel so know the Garmin is linked to the 4iiii and there’s was a discrepancy between Tacx power and Garmin power using the Tacx software. I’m currently using Zwift and haven't done The same back to back so not sure. The discrepancy was about 5 or so watts between the Garmin and Tacx so within the range of my ability to hold a consistent power output so i’m Not too fussed about it....it may not be a real discrepancy and maybe a difference in the averaging affect between the two devices.

Re: Trainer road, turn on Power Match

Thks for that link tiim - didn't realise you could do this and my PM (bepro pedal) diverges quite a bit from my kickr (ca. 7-8%).

With time you visually filter the fluctuations and get a truer picture of what you are doing now

But what's the point when the computer can easily do that for you? Unless you're doing 5s sprints (with a target) I see no point in having instantaneous power on.

3 seconds. I’ll use 30 sec average for climbing (pyrenees,etc). Lap power for intervals.

This.

Yeah, for short intervals, surely there wouldn't be a target power - it would be all out (and look at the data later)?

And then for any lap/interval 30second or more then 3second average is fine whether you're aiming for a target power or not.

Depends what you are training, if neuromuscular then I agree it is balls out, if it is say repeated anaerobic then it would be targeted and could be as short as 10 secs.

But that’s why you use lap power for intervals. You’re not literally going to ride 10 second intervals to power, if you’re concentrating on that you’re not doing them right 🙂

I still can’t see any point in instantaneous whilst mentally filtering out the noise.

I find the PM most useful for pacing longer efforts. All out efforts are hard enough that you won’t be looking at the garmin. Trying to break away for example. In my 12hr TT I rode to 2/3 FTP (200 watts) with 1hr laps and average power and 30 second power. Each of the laps was consistent to within 5 watts. It’s a great pacing tool to not go too hard. Previously I did the same with heart rate, which also worked. But power was nicer.

Don’t get hung up on the numbers. I also use it for calibration, riding a closed circuit at fixed power (200 watts) to measure changes in lap times. This helps look at aero changes and is accurate to about 5 watts difference in kit or bike changes. Hence I know how much faster my aero road bike is compared to non aero, effect if skin suit etc....

It’s just a tool.