Powertap Wheel Thoughts

[mdeeds71]

I am having a set of Hed Belgiums Tubies laced to Kings for CX built. I may dual use them for road when the season ends.

Now the thought process of a powertap is out there. I am thinking of doing a second set of wheels using the Hed (tubs) and the powertap rear and king front.

What I do not know is what Powertap and do I even need to do a front? I plan on training on these and the occasional training crit or road race. This will run through my Garmin 500 or 800 depending on the bike I am riding.

Thoughts?

[wasfast]

The front has nothing to do with it, no need for a different hub there.

Power opens both another world of training options and also sends you into "dataland". Just having a power reading on your Garmin is completely meaningless without context relative to your capabilities. I'd suggest buying the book "Training and Racing with a Power meter". I'd read the book before buying the wheel, at least the first 1/2.

If you're not the type that likes data, a power meter isn't for you. If you think you'll use it year over year, need to send data to an online coach, etc it may be worth it.

[mdeeds71]

The front has nothing to do with it, no need for a different hub there.

Power opens both another world of training options and also sends you into "dataland". Just having a power reading on your Garmin is completely meaningless without context relative to your capabilities. I'd suggest buying the book "Training and Racing with a Power meter". I'd read the book before buying the wheel, at least the first 1/2.

If you're not the type that likes data, a power meter isn't for you. If you think you'll use it year over year, need to send data to an online coach, etc it may be worth it.

Already read the book...hence the reason for a meter...heart rate for me is just not enough...have a tendency to overtrain on HR. Just to easy to push into my threshold.

[scrubadub]

I'm not the best at training with power (thought I was a numbers guy but turned out I'm not), but I have found a power meter critical to doing high quality intervals. It keeps me honest on the longer intervals since I know what I have done in past sessions. Also since I race tris, knowing how hard much power I can put out during training and still run well off the bike has been really helpful during races.

[Bruce K]

Powertaps for cross are not very productive as there is generally no consistent/steady effort to monitor

Friends who have tried it saw files with lots of zeros followed by lots of VO2Max accelerations.

I would worry about hub durability if your area is generally wet and muddy.

Also not sure I would want the additional weight to lug around

BK

[mdeeds71]

Powertaps for cross are not very productive as there is generally no consistent/steady effort to monitor

Friends who have tried it saw files with lots of zeros followed by lots of VO2Max accelerations.

I would worry about hub durability if your area is generally wet and muddy.

Also not sure I would want the additional weight to lug around

BK

Thanks but the plan is for road use on them...just talking wheels and hubs.

[jlwdm]

HED Belgium tubulars not highly recommended. Clinchers yes, tubulars no.

Jeff

[gavingould]

Been training with power for less than a year, Powertap (for sale!) and more recently a Quarq crank system. I highly recommend the Training with Power Meter book.
I find that the meter is great for specific training and post-ride analysis, but during races I don't look at the numbers much.
The exception to that is long races like Barry-Roubaix or the Gravel Metric where I don't want to go into the red much in the early minutes... Those are more about maintaining a high threshold for a few hours. I might use the Quarq on the cross bike, but it'd be more post-race analysis than anything else.

[Bruce K]

What's the issue with Belgium tubulars?

BK

[gavingould]

I am unaware of issues with HED Belgium tubulars as opposed to clinchers... know a bunch of people who've been racing on the tubs for a couple seasons.

??

[ergott]

You say you are having a set of King/Hed wheels built and then you also want a PT. The problem I see here is that if you get a hub with power, you won't use the other rear wheel much. I wouldn't but a rear wheel with the King hub if you are planning on getting a PT.

EDIT

Sorry I didn't comprehend that the King wheels are for a different bike. What wheels are on your road bike now? Perhaps match up the PT wheel to the front wheel you already have on the road bike?