Cycling Power Meter Guide

Power Meters: Are They Worth It for Regular Cyclists?

Power meter options have gotten complicated with all the brands and measurement locations flying around. As someone who resisted buying one for years thinking it was a tool for racers, I learned everything there is to know about why I was wrong after borrowing a friend’s bike with one installed.

Changed how I think about training completely. Here’s the honest case for and against.

What They Actually Measure

Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Power meters measure how many watts you’re producing. That’s it. But watts are objective – unlike heart rate (affected by caffeine, sleep, stress) or perceived effort (wildly unreliable).

250 watts today is 250 watts tomorrow. If you produce more watts at the same heart rate, you’re fitter. Simple.

Why That Matters

Pacing: Ever blown up halfway through a climb because you started too hard? A power meter shows when you’re over threshold. You can dial it back before you dig a hole you can’t climb out of.

Training zones: With a power meter, you can train at specific intensities. Zone 2 for building base. Threshold work for time trial fitness. VO2 intervals for short punchy efforts. Without power, you’re guessing.

Progress tracking: FTP (functional threshold power) gives you a number to compare over time. Mine went from 220 to 265 over two years. That’s not perception – it’s measured improvement.

Types of Power Meters

Crank-based: Sensors in the crank arms. Accurate, popular, moderate price. Stages and 4iiii sell single-sided (left leg only) units that cost less but double your left leg power. Good enough for most people.

Pedal-based: Garmin Vector, Favero Assioma. Easy to swap between bikes. More expensive but super convenient if you ride multiple bikes.

Hub-based: Built into the rear hub. Durable and accurate but tied to a specific wheel.

Spider-based: The original design. Expensive, very accurate, used by pros. Overkill for most.

What to Spend

Under $300: Single-sided crank options (Stages, 4iiii). Good enough to start. Some accuracy limitation from only measuring one leg.

$400-700: Dual-sided options with better accuracy. Favero Assioma pedals are popular here.

$800+: Premium options with marginally better accuracy and build quality. Real racers buy here.

For training purposes, a $300 single-sided unit gives you 90% of the benefit at 30% of the cost.

Do You Actually Need One?

Serious about improving fitness: Yes. It makes structured training actually possible.

Racing: Definitely. Pacing alone justifies the cost.

Casual riding: Probably not. If you’re riding for fun without specific goals, it’s an expensive number to stare at.

Indoor training: Very helpful. Pairs with Zwift/TrainerRoad for accurate workout tracking. Some smart trainers have power built in though.

The Learning Curve

Raw wattage numbers are meaningless without context. You need to establish your FTP (approximately your one-hour max effort) and then train relative to that.

Apps like TrainingPeaks break this down into zones. Most cyclists take a few months to really understand the data and use it effectively.

It’s worth the learning curve. But if you’re not willing to put in that time, the power meter just becomes an expensive distraction.

My Experience

That’s what makes power meters endearing to us cyclists who’ve invested in them. Bought a single-sided Stages power meter three years ago. First few weeks, obsessed over numbers too much. Learned to use it as a tool rather than a judge.

Now I train with specific power targets. Long rides in zone 2. Intervals hitting zone 4-5. Recovery rides actually in zone 1 (which feels ridiculously easy).

Am I faster? Yes. More importantly, training feels purposeful rather than random. That’s worth the price for me.