Obviously I know the answer already, but I’m insecure and crave other people’s approval.
I’ve had Power Meter Pedals in my basket all month (Favero Assioma Duos), but also broke a wheel recently so am using Shimano RS01s temporarily.
So here’s the question:
Do I stick with my cheapo wheels and enter my card details on the Favero website while they’re in stock and cheap, so I can take my TR workouts outside based on something other than RPE, and just put up with heavy wheels that I’d be using for training anyway?
or
Do I fulfil my dreams and buy some Carbon Fibre race wheels so I can look showy in front of my friends and get some free speed that I don’t have to work for?
Potentially relevant information:
I have no races coming up until June (other than some TTs)
I kickstarted IQ2 in April 2018, hence waiting so long to get Power
I quite like having heavy/non-aero wheels as an excuse for being the slow POS I am.
The RS01s are about 1850g, so would be saving ~400g as well as the aero/stiffness benefits
In all seriousness, I just went through this and got the wheels first and regretted my decision hence the vote for PM. Luckily some GME stock magic helped fund a PM shortly after.
Do you already run nice tires? Maybe I’m lucky but I find suitable durability with conti gp4000s so I run them year round. They are also usually discounted online and aren’t that much more than a 60tpi training tire by various brands.
I think they make a bigger difference to ride feel than having light rims. If you wonder if weight savings on hubs matters, go to a bathroom mirror and see if you have a six pack yet.
So my answer is really power meter +/- fast tires (I had more flats with vittoria corsas and Michelin tires, so conti is a strong preference).
Performance aside, riding outdoors with a power meter can take some of the joy out of it. I look down every 4-8 seconds instead of just soaking in the scenery. That’s still better than the trainer though.
The wheels have the potential to make your bike faster. The power meter has the potential to make YOU faster. The way I see it, it’s just a matter of whether you would prefer to invest money into your bike or into yourself. Cheers.
You will be faster with a PM in your TT’s as you can pace appropriately to get everything out of your effort.
Ultimately, what’s going to get you on the bike more? The fact you have repeatable and consistent metrics to gauge your effort and improvement or the feeling of looking proper factory with your new hoops?
If you’re accustomed to riding without a PM, I’d wait until next iteration of power meter pedals. Favero is due for a new release. Speedplay is about to release theirs soon. I’d expect Garmin’s next one to be out within a year too. To be clear, I’m not saying new releases are definitely coming for Garmin & Favero. Just that their existing product is a bit old now. Speedplay has announced.
That being said, if you have a turbo trainer that does not have ERG and you ride indoors often, i’d probably pick up a decent ERG trainer first. You’d cover the PM and enhance your indoor training.
