I was serious about cycling for about 7 years before I bought a power meter. While training with heartrate data alone is fine, once you get used to a power meter you won't want to ride without one! $299 for a dual-sided meter is very impressive! I'm curious to see your long term review and how Magene compares to Garmin and Stages etc. on accuracy.
I'd be depressed getting one of those. One horsepower is 746 watts. The internet provided this: At rest, the human body generates an average of 100 watts of output. During sports activities, it reaches 300 to 400 watts. That's the equivalent of burning 2,000 calories a day. -Aug 29, 2023- I remember a science fair I went to as a kid. We had to pedal to light a 100 watt bulb. I couldn't do it very long. Your results are impressive.
Glad to see you on a power meter. Especially the Magene seems to be a very reliable one. I mainly got a power meter to better pace myself on longer climbs. Once you know your ftp you can keep track of your efforts on a 1h climb better to not blow out all the power at the very beginning while you feel fresh.
Good stuff! Same here: decades of cycling without PM. But you've convinced me: since I'm getting older und little "inconveniences" start to happen (occasional pain in knee etc.) I've decided to follow your path and monitor what I put into the cranks. Thanks for your videos, very relaxing and relatable.
Aha, you've explained to me what pedal smoothness is now, thanks! I found that when I got power meter pedals, I did geek out after every ride, looking through the numbers and as you did, matching certain points in the ride to the data. Now I think the main benefit for me is that it gives the Garmin platform a lot more information about training effect so I can better plan the intensity of upcoming rides. There's a lot to be said for going analogue and just enjoying the road but I find that having the data gives me a good feeling that I'm maximising my limited time to ride for fitness. Whether that's for a high intensity ride or a slower Z2 ride - the platform has so much more info to suggest what I should be doing. It's great!
Been riding for 40 years and I agree I just love riding. I think you’re 100% right just get out there and enjoy it. I’m not making it so technical stay healthy.
I didn't ever think I could afford a power meter. After watching this I see maybe I could. Thanks for posting this review. Taught this old salt something new.
I got a power just to experience having it. I don't do any serious training BUT it's the best tool I've bought when trying to be efficient against headwinds and climbs! It helps me conserve alot of energy when going against winds during my imperial centuries with ocean headwinds. Besides that I just use it for zone 2 rides...which is 99% of the time.
I've been riding for 4 years (covid) and with a powermeter for the last 3 years. It's only been the last 2 months that I finally learnt how to PROPERLY read and ride using the power data. It feels like the last 4 years have been nothing but junk miles 😅
I have been using power meters since 1999 and have used almost every product out there. Bought one Magene last year and liked it so well that I bought a second one. No better value on the market today. BTW, the L/R balance is NOT as good as on a double sided pedal system.
HR monitor is all I use sometimes been riding forever, PM not needed,I keep it basic if ur in a ride or race & ur behind common sense tells u have to speed up regardless of what device ur using,dont need either really,gotta stop relying on gizmos to enjoy riding like I see with people,keep it simple
I’m 62 and have been using a power meter for about 10 years. They're great for workouts, and for getting objective data on longer climbs to keep from going in the red. We all have a “feel” for how hard we can go, but I find my feel is a lot better when tempered by some objective power data. I also love being able to look back at past Strava segments and see that I’m holding up pretty well compared to the me of 10 years ago. My peak power has declined a bit, but my FTP and even 30 sec. power have held up very well. If I didn’t have the data, I might believe all those people who keep telling me how I’m getting weaker with age. It’ll happen one day, but my power meter says it hasn't happened yet!
Personally I don´t care about a powermeter. I have had one but never used the data really. So I sold it. I almost only use my computer for the maps since I have been a lot of different places the last few years. But hope you have fun with it though.
A power meter wouldn't do me much good because my heart pretty much regulates how I ride. I'm older and slower than ever and still just appreciate the fact I can still ride. Climbing is really starting to hurt and be a problem so when I begin a ride I need to start out avoiding hills until my body gets acclimated to the harder demands and efforts. I feel if you're training specifically for something then a power meter could help, but to have a power meter for the sake of having one is a waste because it doesn't add much to the joy of riding a bike.
The Magene PM looks great. I have a PM on three different bikes now. Try a structured workout with a power meter, it's really interesting and effective.
Well Luis you are really having a blast lately with new wheels now cranks with a power meter i am delighted for the fact that the industry is recognizing your value and your contribution to cycling What next Sir ?.
Looks just like a Power2max copy. Perhaps from the same factory. At least they offer lots of crank sizes. Power Meter or Not question.....old news. you are way late to the party. 🤣🤣 But nice commercial. Still always enjoy the content.
Can I ask what you use for the stats overlay / video? Very cool and much more minimal / less intrusive than what cycliq does. Hope someone can tell me? Interested in your code too. Been thinking about a meter on my next bike.
Power metres are great for structured workouts I do. But when I ride outside, I can’t careless about sensors for data. My Z2 endurance outdoor rides are done clean. RPE is king 👑
Thank you for your experienced comments on this. The data should be able to make a beginner cyclist better. The left/right is almost a given; your dominant side will be outputting more. Cadence is important to develop and be comfortable at 100RPM. All good for the beginner. For the experienced non-racer, I am not impressed. I raced pro in the 1980's, but today ride alone in the extremes of mountains in the wilderness of Northern California. I don't take any electronics, not even a watch anymore. Just pure mind body connection monitoring, and then how I feel when I get home, through the day and recovery over-night. I don't want this "Active Meditation" to be interrupted or tested or data filled. I continually alternate cadence, pedal strokes, positions by flat/bar end/aerobar alternatives, adding many out-of-saddle techniques. I monitor my heart/breathing rate and depth/muscle power output all day long at sub and conscience levels. This is total freedom and a deep dive into my high skills of riding at maximum speed for the intended intensity and distance of the day. A freedom I am not going to give up.
Welcome to the modern world😅 Nice review. I have one of these. So far, so good. Very accurate and great build quality at an excellent price. Also, battery life is fantastic. Compared to others I've used over the years, A*** from me One thing, it's not true 'dual sided' per se. It estimates left right, based on total power and i guess relative torque. Keep the good work up💪💪💪👍👍👍👍
If there is one brand I don’t trust, it’s Magene. I have the C406 Pro bike computer and the L508 radar. Both stared out fine but quickly turned to garbage. C406 Pro internal battery is going bad inside a year and constantly loses paired devices. Radar worked great out the box. A firmware update severely and negatively affected the performance. Even the speed/cadence sensors are quirky. I have some that are great and others that die much too soon. It seems to me they have a quality control problem. Don’t even think about warranty support. I received several emails that I simply could not decipher. I finally just racked it all up as a loss and a lesson.
56kmh? On a flat! I'm actually surprised that your power numbers are that low! Then again, I'm a chunky boy, so hitting 600w on a flat I still cannot manage 50kmh 🤣 It needs to be downhill and a steep one at that.
As someone who doesn't race and just rides for fun, I want a fast bike, but idc about the numbers. Maybe its because I am an RPA developer and look at numbers all day long, haha
First ride with indoor power meter for me was in 1998 using a NES Racermate. A few years ago I ditched it for a Wahoo smart trainer, so I have some experience training with power indoors. Two weeks ago I rode for the first time with a power meter on an outdoor ride. Average power readings were pretty close to what my Garmin watch had been estimating over my 30 mile loop. What was surprising was the power spikes I hit on the punchy hills around here in Kentucky; I would be hard pressed to regularly pop those numbers several time on an indoor training session. I guess it’s just more proof biking is better out in the outdoors. ( And that I should avoid certain hills or get smaller gears for my “easy” days.)
The best reason to get a power meter is if you're training with a coach and they need to see your workouts. If you don't have a coach or aren't 'training' a power meter is a 'nice to have' but certainly aren't 'need to have.'
Power meter is a waste of money unless you do workouts. If you only do group rides then is an absolute waste of money. I actually own 3 power meters and they are all collecting dust in box because I no longer do workouts, only group rides for me.
