I like power meters. I like them because, like a lot of people, I always enjoy having a gadget to mess around with and, as someone who definitely has an aspect of his personality that errs towards the empirical, I like seeing numbers on a screen that I can measure against past and future performances.
It’s also worth pointing out that while I like seeing these numbers, the information they give me is never anything short of disappointing, as my ability to actually turn the pedals in no way matches my enthusiasm for doing so. The only thing that stopped me from becoming a professional cyclist, in fact, was a dramatic lack of talent. And application.
Fundamentally, though, I think power meters are still slightly misunderstood. There seems to still be an eternal power struggle between the power disciples and those who claim that power measurement adds an unneeded level of complication to an otherwise simple sport. This one I can clear up once and for all: you don’t need a power meter. I’ll just reiterate that to make sure it’s absolutely clear: you do not need a power meter. Thousands upon thousands of cyclists have become really strong riders before the advent of training with power, and just because you don’t have a wattage readout on your Garmin’s screen doesn’t mean that you aren’t making progress towards your goal.
Sorry if that sounds like blasphemy, but it’s the truth. Whether or not you’re measuring power, you can still get on your bike, have a blast and ride until your legs burn.
