Quarq!

[cassette]

Hi everyone - I recently picked up a Stigmata with Sram Red cranks with Quarq. I've never used a powermeter and wonder if there's any benefit to a weekender like myself. Any input is appreciated!

[slambers3]

If you train for stuff and need an accurate way to gauge efforts, then you'd likely want a PM. If you don't, then it's just another gadget.

[FlashUNC]

Yes, it helps, but like any other tool its all in how you use it.

[kppolich]

Free cadence meter too!

[berserk87]

The powermeter will give you some more metrics to look at or track. There's a good bit of data that can be derived from power training: average power, peak power, normalized power, functional threshold power, to name a few. And from there, you can slice and dice your power numbers over periods of time (30 seconds, 5 minutes - whatever).

Yours also provides cadence, which is another measurable that you can use in training.

As it has been stated, the benefit or fun you will get out of the powermeter will depend on how you use it.

If you ride solo a lot, it can be very useful. Again, it gives you more data points to work with rather than current and average speed. Power output is also independent of the wind and terrain, which makes headwind riding a bit easier, mentally. You can focus on your power output into the wind instead of the fact that you are going slower than you might want.

Using power measurement on intervals is a great training tool. Using power measurement on short intervals is a lot better than using heart rate like we did years ago. There is no lag time on power - you are putting out your watts right away. With heart rate, there is some lag time before you can get into your target zone in a short interval.

On group rides, utilizing power isn't often as practical during the ride - you are either going to hang with the group and do what the group does, or you aren't. The data can be fun to look at afterward, however, to see what your output was during the ride.

[cassette]

Thanks everyone!