Need help with Garmin Vector 3

Yes :slight_smile:

Just a thought.

  1. i have had no problems with vector 3s calibration of showing what seems a reasonable power and they have been consistent with my Kickr core.
  2. I do specifically torque the pedals to 25. I assume if Garmin say 25, they mean 25
  3. Calibration. Whenever I do it i do it twice. The reason for this is that the first time i tend to see slightly higher figures which settle down before I exit calibration. The second time the calibration figures go straight to a low and consistent number.
  4. As garmin recommend, I always put baby oil between the batteries and between battery and end terminals, removing any fretting dust with a Q-tip. Are you doing that? (see separate Garmin thread or search “Garmin mineral oil vector 3” for the garmin instructions) https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/?faq=DIq9EtNhPH0qDSoqFyZWg8

Careful torquing and doing calibratation twice might help. Just a thought.

Alternatively you might gave a rogue pair…

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The problem is more than likely to be with the set up of your Vortex rather than your powermeter. A strava leaderboard on a climb with you riding outdoors with a powermeter will give a good idea of whether you’re powermeter is accurate or not.

Torque settings are not crucial with Garmin Vector 3, but they were with previous generations. The battery door issue caused drop-out but when working didn’t affect accuracy as far as I’m aware.

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It shouldn’t but it does, at least with mine.

Did a ride on zwift with Garmin pedals for An hour Instead of vortex. 39 km/h On a flat course, new ftp from 233 to 278, 130 bpm (I am 32). What Do you think? Is this possible? On the segments on zwift I am now 14th of 180 people. Before in the pack.
Will Do a ride in the mountains later. They are far away.

@Scheba. In answer to your question to me, I have genuinely no idea. Sorry. I don’t do Zwift very often.

In order to answer your questions, I need a link (not a screenshot) to a strava leaderboard where you have ridden with your powermeter. It’s impossible to draw any conclusion from the information you are posting. If you are able to provide that, I can probably say with a reasonable degree of certainty if the problem is with your powermeter or your trainer.

https://www.strava.com/segments/6876955/compare/MjczMDg2NDU1MzUzMDAyNzg3NiwyNzEzODE3MjM4NjAyMjk5MjYw
Something like this?

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Yes!! But a climb and you using your Garmin. If you can also let me know where you are on the leaderboard so I can find you easily! :grinning:

668 of 1024, sorry: I don’t have a climb? Why you need that? I will check on zwift.

Follow Seb on Strava to see this activity. Join for free. Vortex, Ftp climb on Strava.
If I have one outdoors with Garmin I will post. Thanks :wink:

If you do a climb on an outdoor segment with your powermeter, we can filter the leaderboard by weight and see how your power compares to people of a similar weight and time. All the other information you’re posting is useless in trying to help you. It must be an outdoor ride, not a virtual ride. And you must be using your Garmin pedals. I can’t make any meaningful contribution without the information I need.

Ok, Will get back to you when I got some data.

Did a calculation from a site that gcn recommended. Old ftp was 233, here 288 (was not all in). Seems totally off?

I did a ride in Watopia today for 40 km and ran 3 km. Exactly 2 people passed me during the cycling. I crushed all the rest despite 83 kg weight. I don’t do races.

Feels totally wrong

Hard to say. I don’t know what that calculator is using. I’m just going off the fact that you seem to think your accurate FTP give you 2.77W/kg, but you say you can ride at 20+mph for an hour or more solo. Those two don’t line up IME.

Too many factors in play. Like Andy said, a climb will help tell the tale. You are a bigger guy, so you can put down power in the flats better than some. That Watopia ride, if it’s totally flat, I can easily see you passing people.

What “feels” right and wrong to you in Zwift right now is based on your Vortex trainer. If the Vortex trainer is wrong, then yeah, what you’re doing will feel totally wrong just like if the Vector3s are “wrong”.

Neither one may be “wrong”, they measure power differently, and probably shouldn’t be compared directly anyway. I just know that one of them is notorious for accuracy issues, and it isn’t the Vectors. (The Vectors have had a bunch of other issues not related to accuracy provided they are setup correctly).

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Vector 3S owner here. It seems to read in line with the Powertap P1S, stages gen2 and stages gen1 - FTP, FTP gains, power personal bests, etc all within the same range. I also have a Kickr Core and that one reads too low in comparison to the ones mentioned above (5-10% lower).

When you calibrate the Vector do you change the pedal position? I noticed that if you try to change the pedal natural position it will affect the reading, i.e. normally it stays upside down due to its own weight, if you try to position facing up it will change the numbers. Same with the P1S.

You said you don’t do races but I suggest doing a criterium in Zwift just to test the numbers (use vector as the power source). If the Vector is correct you are around 3.5 W/kg, join the B group and see how it goes. A 12 lap race in Downtown Dolphin is real hard (at least for me), if you are managing to keep up with the group with no effort then something is wrong. You can also join the C race with the Vortex for comparison. The races don’t take too long (35 mins).

I give up!!! I’d you put post the info I need I can help. All the rest of the stuff you’re posting is pointless and meaningless. I can help, but you keep posting information that means nothing. If you want to know what’s likely to be accurate, do a ride like I’m suggesting. Even a 3 min climb will do!!

That first paragraph is really the answer here. The Vectors are accurate and the Vortex is not. I too would say from my experience that an FTP below 3 w/kg is unlikely to push 20 mph averages for an hour on flat/rolling road.

Not to mention, all the stuff OP is posting from outside are new PRs suggesting that their fitness has actually improved since they last hit these segments. Sounds to me like they have an increased FTP and are also seeing their true power numbers for the first time.

Accept the number and move forward. As long as you use the same power source moving forward, you’re comparing apples to apples. Trying to compare to the Vortex is comparing apples to oranges.

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