2009 Powertap Lineup

frenchyge

Several new models this year. Are wires obsolete now, or will Saris continue to make wired hubs? Anyone "in the know" know if there are any differences between the Elite and Pro hubs besides the $200 alloy axle?

fas_cat

The Elite model is $200 cheaper and weighs 158g more than the 466g Pro+ hub (624 v. 466). A HR strap is not included with the Elite model either.

There's a nice video review of the 2009 Product line from RoadBikeReview.com from Interbike here:
http://www.fascatcoaching.com/?site...uctgallery_id=1

Krazyderek

I like the time in zone on the CPU... very handy for making sure you actualy do a lv2 workout when you're supposed to

frenchyge

Thanks Frank (et. al), good summary on the video. I was just wondering if they were doing something else in addition, like cheaper seals or bearings, to hit the Elite+ price point.

I like the time in zone, too. HR I can do without, and I've never had issues with only 8hr of CPU memory (at 5 sec recording).

BTW, the video link is actually here: http://www.fascatcoaching.com/powertap.html

fas_cat

Yeah you're welcome. I designed a new PowerTap Page over the weekend and moved the video from Interbike there.

There's also a nice table highlighting the price, features, hub weight, etc...

Alex Simmons

Yeah, that's a nice summary but the CPU memory capacity would be at 1-second (1.26-sec) recording frequency.

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frenchyge

You're right. I have no idea what I was thinking (maybe my old Polar HRM....).

Hitchy

Only if you give it a fair bit of thought as to what it's actually telling you...for instance, say I'm supposed to spend 30 mins at 400 watts..(yeah Ok, I can't but lets just say )....during a 3 hour ride, I could easily 'just be riding around' a few hills without a lot of effort & get 30, 1 min 'snap shots' of 400 watts, or 60, 30sec etc etc...I get home review the file & find I've spent 30 mins at 400 watts...I'm sure most folks serious enough to be training with a PM aren't going to be 'bluffed'...but it's a reminder to think about what the data the thing is showing you actually represents

velomanct

"The 2009 Elite PowerTap is a superb value and would make a great introductory powermeter"

What a joke. $1100? Introductory? That's easily $400 more than the powertaps back in 03 or so.

It's funny as hell that these companies can keep raising the prices on their "introductory" products. The sad part is, there are LOTS of new riders out there that are feeling pressured into believeing that they need to spend $1100+ in order to train well. WHAT A JOKE.

I love my powertap (when it worked), but this whole training with power thing is getting ridiculous. NOOBS need to learn that much more goes into successful cycling than staring at an LCD screen or their computer when they go home.

Powermeters are like the icing on the cake. You need a solid foundation of experience and training under you before you are really able to to utilize them as they should be.

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Steve_B

I would say that the sad part is that people who already spent >$3000 on a bike say that they could never justify a power meter.

frenchyge

Cranky Old Man wrote:
The Elite+ is a wireless unit with a $999 MSRP. What is the inflation adjusted MSRP for the '03 wireless units with 7.5 hrs recording time at 1sec interval you were looking at? I know the Elite+ comes in significantly cheaper than any wireless units that were available last year.

Really, because since '03 a lot of good books have been published to teach people how to use them effectively in a training program?

Cycling NOOBS, please PM your training credentials to Velomanct *before purchasing* a powermeter so that he can evaluate whether you are sufficiently qualified to benefit from them or not.

Velomanct, why do you continue to beat this drum? What is the source of all your frustration that others are doing *too much* in their efforts to become great cyclists (training in the winter, wasting their money, etc.)?

Let it all out, buddy. We're here for you.

Piotr

I predict that within 5 years all high end racing bikes will come standard with a PM (Shimano?).

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kopride

Hard to say whether Velo is just a troll, immature, or both. The gist of Velo's threads seems to be that "I was a teenage sensation, big fish in a very small pond, had some success early, it came relatively easy to me. And even though I have never really reached my potential, I am going to criticize folks who take a different path."

Velo, here is the score from the older set. When I was in my early 20s, I had much more time than money, and I was young so progress was relatively easy, provided I put the time in. And I had 20 hours week to ride, and fart around before and after. At 42, I have more money than time so an $1100 device designed to maximize the results from that limited time is valuable to me. For me, fortunately, $1100 is a few hours of work in what I do. But I don't have an extra 12 hours a week to put in extra time on the bike, so it makes sense. At 21, it might not make the same sense. If my disposable income was considerably less, it would make no sense. But neither would $900 wheelsets, or any groupo over 105 make sense.

grahamspringett

Considering the amount we spend on bikes and associated gear, a power meter is not really a major expense.

What it does do is help you to make far more effective progress.

If it's icing on the cake, so are STI, clipless pedals, QR wheels. You can get by just fine without them, but your cycling is so much more effective with them.

Why don't we all just freeze time at Mauric Garin's era? He won the first Tour de France without this modern stuff like derailleur gears, so we should all be happy to emulate him...