Are HR/PM's essential for racing/training these days?

colm_gti

Time for a good old fashioned debate

In your opinion, all other things equal (i.e. skill, racecraft, etc.), is training to HR/power essential to win races these days?

What do you think?

Beasty

Don't think they are essential to win races, but I've certainly lost plenty using them .....

Beasty

And just to be a bit more serious - no they are certainly not essential. They can be used to train (and indeed race) smarter though, allowing you to work out where weaknesses are and work on them. Used properly they can probably save a lot of unnecessary effort

pprendeville

Beasty wrote: »

And just to be a bit more serious - no they are certainly not essential. They can be used to train (and indeed race) smarter though, allowing you to work out where weaknesses are and work on them. Used properly they can probably save a lot of unnecessary effort

Good answer. Training with power meters is much more effective I have discovered. Definitely uncover your weaknesses when you do any standard 1, 5, 10, 20min test or shorter sprint tests. Best investment you'll make in the long term.

colm_gti

Just to be clear, I've sort of gone full circle, a year of training to hr, maybe half a year of training to power, definitely saw gains but started to hate cycling because all that mattered was hitting numbers, ditched them all, sometimes I don't even take my garmin on rides anymore.

Just interested to hear others, it seems everyone has a powermeter these days.

pprendeville

Definitely nice to get out and not focus on numbers now and again. The one thing I find about training to numbers is that it keeps me focused.

fat bloke

pprendeville wrote: »

Definitely nice to get out and not focus on numbers now and again. The one thing I find about training to numbers is that it keeps me focused.

Me too. Keeps me interested too. Vital for any kind of turbo trainer work

Leroy42

In my opinion it would be yes, they are necessary to win races.

Not in the races themselves as such, but moreso in the training.. As was mentioned, they don't actually make you any better, but with the better focus on training they increase the results and therefore make you stronger.

The fact that nearly everyone uses them to some extent means that they become essential. All things being equal if others are training better than you are then they will more than likely beat you.

Still, cycling while driven by numbers and data, is still won on the bike by the person themselves.

On a slightly different point, I find I need them to stay focused and also I feel they increase my enjoyment of cycling. While occasionally it is nice to simply head out and see the view & forget about the numbers, once you are training you invariably end up doing the same routes over and over again. How many times have I cycled up Howth at this stage? I tend not to look at the numbers while on the bike too much, but it is good to review them after the cycle and understand them in the context of the cycle itself.

godtabh

Its more about progress. Its easier to see when the numbers are there. I've done a few FTP tests over the last 4/8 weeks and I can see the numbers improve. I did a club spin last week that put in a massive effort to chase down a breakaway and I was able to keep my place and do my effort which I dont think I would have be able to do 4 weeks previously. All based a training with power using a structured turbo trainer program

wav1

Old school I know,but I don't think its necessary at all..Some of the best even in the modern era domestically do it on ''feel''.
Roger Aiken put in a fantastic performance in the ras in 2013 after doing the pre training on feel and one 3 day stage race in preparation.
Some of the very best World Tour riders could never hit the numbers in tests[eg Cav] but could sniff it out when it mattered.

doozerie

Are they essential? Absolutely not, as proved time and again by successful riders who don't use one or other or both. Are they useful? Yes, *if* you are motivated to use them and use them "properly"?

Personally, I find the numbers useful and they help give my training focus - but I see that lack of focus without numbers as being a failing/weakness on my part, I feel that the ability to ride on feel is a very useful skill that I've never mastered. Given the choice, I'd sooner be able to train/race effectively on feel than feel it necessary to rely on numbers. Training by numbers feels a bit sterile and takes some of joy out of riding a bike, for me anyway.

killalanerr

To quote Sean Kelly after he had chased across to gap to a brake "The HR monitor said I'm wasn't able to do that !
I use one they have their uses,but not so much while actually racing ,when the hammer goes down you have to go regardless of the numbers