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 Must-read book for power meter users, March 12, 2006
By James Turner (Menlo Park, CA USA)
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If you presently train with a power meter on your bike or are thinking of getting one, this is a must-read book. Authors Hunter Allen and Dr. Andy Coggan are eminently qualified to write this book which is the first full-length book devoted solely to the subject of training (and racing) with an on-bike power meter. Hunter allen is a full time coach of cyclists and triathletes who uses the power meter as a key element in his training approach. Dr. Coggan is renowned as a widely published exercise physiologist and is also an avid master's cyclist.
The authors have presented much of the material in the book at seminars around the country. I attended one of those in 2005 in Sacramento, CA, so I was already familiar with much of the material in the book even before reading it. Also, much of the material has been presented and discussed in the Wattage discussion list on topica (lists.topica.com/lists/wattage/). The beauty of the book is that it collects all this valuable information, and much more, and presents it in a well organized manner in one place.
An early chapter describes each of the four major presently available commercial power meters (SRM, PowerTap, Polar and ergomo). It covers their relative advantages and disadvantages. The same chapter covers the software that is included with each power meter plus other standalone software offerings including CyclingPeaks which was developed by the coauthors along with Kevin Williams. Many examples from the book include screen shots and examples from CyclingPeaks but the ideas they convey are explained in the text so no prior knowledge of CyclingPeaks is necessary. If you are contemplating buying a power meter, this chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
The starting point to train using a power meter is to determine your Functional Threshold Power (FTP). The book explains several alternative methods to do this. Once FTP is known, the authors present a system of seven defined training levels. The explanation of why seven levels are chosen, what the purpose of each is and power and heart rate ranges (where those are appropriate) for each level are given. The power ranges are expressed for each level as a percentage of FTP. For example, level 4 is the lactate threshold level with power range of 95-105% of FTP. The justification for selecting these seven levels (sometimes called "zones" in other books on training) is the clearest I've ever read on the subject. The rationale for and benefits of training at each of the levels would be valuable information even to a cyclist who wasn't training with a power meter.
Many novel concepts are introduced in the book. The concept of "power profile" is one example. This involves measuring the maximum power that you can sustain for four selected time intervals - 5 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes and FTP. These are then converted to watts per kilogram. A table in the book (separate for men and women) allows you to see where you stand on a scale ranging from untrained to world class level. By determining your own profile and monitoring it over the course of time, you can see better your strengths and weaknesses as a cyclist.
There is simply too much novel material in the book to do it justice in a review of reasonable length. Just to mention, in the most cursory way, other novel concepts introduced and covered in detail the book are Normalized Power (NP), Intensity Factor (IF), Training Stress Score (TSS), "sweet spot" training and Quadrant Analysis. NP and IF are introduced to define TSS. TSS is proposed as a method to quantify and monitor the total training load that a cyclist carries.
Other chapters in the book tell how to develop a training plan based on power. Sample workouts and sample multi-week training blocks are given.
If you've gone to the trouble and expense of putting a power meter on your bike, you owe it to yourself to get this book and read it.
75 of 76 people found the above review helpful.
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A Comprehensive Book on Cycling Training With Power - Finally!!, March 6, 2006
By Cycling Coach (Utah USA)
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To understand where I am coming from: I am a licensed cycling coach and serious cyclist. I've been using a bicycle power meter (PowerTap) for years, and training with an indoor power-based trainer for even longer. For full disclosure, I have also met both authors in-person, and I know one of the authors quite well.
I highly recommend this book for any serious cyclist. I gobbled it down once, and I am now on my second reading. I have learned quite a bit on the subject by reading the book, despite my prior experience and training.
I enjoyed and appreciated the book because:
(1) COMPREHENSIVE!! This is perhaps the book's best feature--nothing seems to be missing. Every subject of which I am aware, as it relates to training with a power meter, is in there. Plus, I found information about which I was previously unaware. Joe Friel (renowned cycling coach and author) writes an introduction, and as he said, no other book even compares, at this time, in terms of content.
(2) AUTHORITATIVE. The authors are recognized in cycling circles as two of the most knowledgeable persons in the United States on using a power meter for cycling training. The authors' combination of an experienced cycling coach and former professional cyclist (Allen) and an exercise physiologist / scientist (Coggan) is not available in any other cycling training book, to my knowledge.
(3) EASY TO USE. The chapters are organized logically and, on my second reading, it has been easy to go back to subjects that interest me more than others.
(4) NOT TOO COMPLEX. The authors touch every subject thoroughly and comprehensively, but do so in a way that is not too difficult to understand or grasp. Admittedly, I was already very familiar with the basic terminology of training with power prior to my first reading. Even so, it seems to me that someone with very little prior exposure to training with power would grasp, and benefit from, much of the content on first reading.
Despite my five star rating (which I give without hesitation), I felt that the book had a couple of distractions:
(1) The writing style is a bit choppy and sometimes lacks flow and sophistication. Occasionally, the style is a bit colloquial or informal. Then again, cycling coaches and scientists are not usually known for English professor type of writing, so the style was almost expected and happily tolerated.
(2) The authors sometimes toot their own horns a bit too much. Besides writing this book, the authors developed one of the first (and in my view, one of the best) third-party software programs used to analyze power meter computer files. In the book, at times, the authors did not hesitate to give full accolades for their own software product, while giving not so generous treatment of other products. The bottom line, however, is that their products probably deserve such high treatment. But, it was a bit of a distraction.
Overall, I felt that this type of book should have been published years ago. Now that it is here, I expect to refer to it again and again. It's one of those books that you can read several times and learn something new each time. But, I never seemed overwhelmed by it. I highly recommend this book for any serious cyclist.
32 of 35 people found the above review helpful.
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 Good, but not great, February 8, 2008
By Marcelo Iannini (Brasilia, BRAZIL)
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This is a fine book and tells some cool thing about bicycle powermeters. It introduces some usefull concepts, like the normalized power, TSS. You'll understand some capabilities of the limit-less tool called powermeter. It shows how to use an powermeter beyond the ordinary. You'll learn some nice stuff.
But the author doesn't give away their gold. It looks like their real secret - the training sessions - are kept away. They begin to show some exercise sessions for some kind of purpose, but they don't show you a lot. I felt like they were writing an teaser, not the full movie.
They also tell a lot about the Cycling Peaks software, which is good, but not all that great. I prefer to combine the Cycling Peaks with the original SRM or Powertap softwares to get the most juice.
They tried to keep this book from being an big ad and they pretty much accomplished that. I didn't get angry, nor got crazy to go buy their software after reading the book.
12 of 16 people found the above review helpful.
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Take your training to the next level, January 9, 2007
By d2g (USA - Navy)
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I am an experienced racer in triathlon and MTB ultra-distance events. This book, coupled with my new power measuring tools and my long-time use of a heart rate monitor, has taken my training to new levels. I am a detail-oriented, technical person, and the book satisfied my need for insights into how and why things are recommended or advocated. I found the advice and techniques to be absolutely useful in helping me improve my knowledge and my performance. I am wasting less time training wrong and getting more back from my sessions in the few months since I began reading this book-- but it will take me years to master the material inside, which tells me that I've got a real reference as opposed to an owner's manual here. If you're going to train with power, don't do it without this book.
11 of 11 people found the above review helpful.
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 A Promotional book for a website, September 25, 2009
By NWA (NW Arkansas)
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I was expecting this book to help me learn about my power meter and it's usage. I read over half of the book before I droped it. This book is for the "BIG RACER" not for someone that just wants to have fun and ride. From my understanding you need to buy webservice from them and ride for a little while and then spend twice as much time after each ride recording the information. What you eat, what you drank. What you ate and drank the night before and the morning of the ride.
I guess the book is ok and would be worth having if you use their web service. Really seemed more like an instruction manual that should be given away free if you are a paying customer on their website. All charts in the book are from their website which you have to sign up for.
11 of 26 people found the above review helpful.
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 I would have rated this 5 stars but.........., April 14, 2009
By C. Parchem
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This is a fantastic presentation about training with power with one exception. The Book/Font size does not support the detail in the charts. Even with a magnifying glass I could not discern the detail. This book should be repackaged in a way that supports the veiwing detail in the charts since this comprises of much of the material presented
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Power Meter Decision maker, January 11, 2007
By Dennis A. Walcott (Seattle, WA USA)
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This book is a must have for those already training with power or cyclists interested in learning what all the hubbub is about.
I bought the book in October 2006 because I had been hearing success stories from folks who trained with power. The book is well laid out and even provides enough information about the top four power meters and the software they come with to make a reasonable decision, however I would recommend joining some of the forums and reading as much as you can before you make your final decision.
Some of the topics were a bit technical, but you don't have to fully understand the most technical aspects of the book to find the information within these pages useful. I wanted to understand as much as possible without having to become a physiology major. With three readings under my belt I feel confident that I can create a reasonable training plan for improving my standing within the weekend group century rides. In addition to the book the authors provide a power meter course that visits major cities. I believe serious cyclists will find this course helpful especially if they read the book first.
My power meter, which this book and the forums helped me choose, arrived this week. I hope to install it over the weekend and take my first fitness test so I can build a power based training plan.
This book is a must have!
4 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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Great book!, December 20, 2010
By Bart
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Excellent book, all I need to train with my PM is that book. Superb scientific but easy to read. SUPER!!!
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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A must read for Power Meter users, March 28, 2010
By CyclingGuy (Philadelphia, PA United States)
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If you spent the money on a power meter for your bike consider this book a necessary purchase, a user manual on how to use the power meter to improve your training and racing. It's a little technical and assumes you know at least a little about training, but there is nothing else out there that even comes close!
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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great reference, January 11, 2007
By triathlon addict (Iowa)
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this is a great book to understand the details of training for cycling using a powermeter. a necessary reference for the library of an athlete with a powermeter. this is the first of its kind and does a great job directing the reader in methods to analyze power data from rides, get the most of workouts, and monitor training stress. also includes pretty thorough reviews of the various powermeters on the market.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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It has helped me immensely!, July 31, 2011
By Jay Adams
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I purchased two items in July: a power meter and this book. And I believe that one without the other would be nearly useless. The information outlined and detailed in the book is clear, concise, and methodical. The attention to detail is meticuluous, and is presented in a very user-friendly way.
If you plan to train and race with power, I would recommend this as the Gold Standard in required reading.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great book. It hides nothing., June 1, 2011
By Robert D. Croucher (Vancouver, WA)
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This book is awesome! It divulges many ways that you can use the power meter to help your training. It heavily revolves around using the Training Peaks WKO+ software, so be prepared to buy it too. It doesn't keep secrets. It could be used by coaches or technically savvy people who would like to self coach. If you're not a numbers person, it may go a bit too far. At the moment, even though it is on it's second edition, it still has no rivals. I would like to see more books written about power training. Right now it has the market cornered.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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EASY TO UNDERSTAND, March 2, 2011
By JACK
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THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK, EASY TO UNDERSTAND. JUST FOLLOW THE STEPS AND DO NOT BE IN A RUSH TO FINISH READING THE BOOK AND NOT HAVE CARRIED OUT THE TESTS AS INDICATED. THIS WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER COMPREHENSION OF WHERE YOU ARE PHYSICALLY AND HELPS YOU TO PUT INTO PRACTICE WHAT YOU ARE READING. SIMPLE : READ A SECTION AND PUT INTO PRACTICE.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Meet your meter, November 26, 2010
By train-in
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"You can only change what you can measure" is one of the basic principles in the CycleOps indoor power cycling instructor course. I read "Training and racing with a power meter" in preparation for my course. It clearly describes how to measure what you do, how to analyse the data assesing you current fitness, and how to plan and perform the right training at the right time. Using a powermeter and reading this book lifted my own training and the classes I lead as an instructor and coach to a next level.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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excellent review covering power training, August 7, 2010
By TravelingDentist (North Carolina, USA)
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This book is probably the standard in power training. I'm getting ready to implement some of the training programs. Very detailed on power analysis. Although the book can be used along with your power meter software. There is an obvious lean towards using their WKO+ software. Other than that, I recommend the book completely.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Usful training guide for novis power meter owner, October 19, 2007
By AB (Australia)
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This book clearly explains training based on power meter data & has been especially useful to me as a novis to power meter use in triathlon training. The book outlines training zones based on individual abilities & self testing, plus their effect on training stress. Most usewful & highly recommended.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Highly recommended, July 3, 2011
By Magnus Gille
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I bought an SRM before I bought this book and I could quickly see that it would transform the way I train. However I felt like I lacked in a lot of areas "how can I analyze the data?", "how can I build a training system?", "what are my strengths?". I had already read Joe Friel's book which is great for basic training and periodization but does not go into that much depth on how to actually use a power meter. A power meter is a complex tool and if you don't know how to use it won't benefit you that much. This book tells you how to use the power meter to figure out what kind of rider you are, find your weaknesses, very good suggested exercises and teaches you how to use the tools to their full extent. Combined with Joe's book you end up with an amazing combination. The only complaint I have about it is their focus on how great WKO+ is (a software they develop), however if you've read this book you'll know enough to be able to use any other software (I personally use Golden Cheetah). I'd recommend a power meter to any serious cyclist and without this book getting a power meter is a waste of money. The Cyclist's Training Bible
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Great Technical description of Power Meter usage, November 18, 2010
By SeanH
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This is an invaluable tool to understand the use of your power meter for all types of racing and training. Very comprehensive with work-out parameters and information to create individualized training plans.
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Lots of good stuff !, August 2, 2010
By dkdude
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This book was just what I was looking for when I got my SRM Power Meter. If your using the WKO+ Software it covers the key areas of it. Good power based workouts are covered as well.
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power meter bible, June 28, 2010
By Ken
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This book is really great.
It gives me a very detail information about power meter.
It lists all the power meter of the world.
Good for pro!
However, if you are a beginner, you may find it difficult to understand.
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Training and racing with a power meter, November 16, 2009
By Harold J. Wilson
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If your goal is performance improvement, then this book is invaluable. A must have for people with a power meter.
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training and racing with a power meter, September 21, 2009
By bike
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It is a book with a lot of good information. Also a lot to digest the first time you read the book. You have everything you gain and nothing loses.
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Great book, September 9, 2009
By Sasha
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This is great book for an introduction to training with a power meter. Discusses specific power meters and the pros/cons of each. Then gives a good start to power and lot's of examples on how to use the power data and what it all means. I will be referring to this book often as I train.
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power meter explained, April 6, 2008
By Peter J. Thornton (Australia)
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really well thought out book, explaining the different training zones inherent in our physiology and how they relate to practical methods of utilizing them to train better and understand the need for recovery and useful training levels.
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Power the only way to train, March 10, 2008
By power lover (san diego)
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If you have a power meter this book will make sense out of all the numbers, will give you real insight in the newest training way out there.
Very technical book, but easy for the layman to understand. Will please 99% of the racers out there.
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Cycling with power effectively, November 4, 2007
By R. Torres (Baltimore, MD USA)
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Simply the most comprhensive book out there on the subject. A little biased in favor of "TrainingPeaks" software but still very, very good. If you are looking for simple answers about training effectively you might want to look elsewhere. Training with power takes a little thought and consideration.
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The Benefits of a Power Meter, April 9, 2007
By Truth About Caffeine.com (SCR Books)
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Cyclists who train with a power meter must have this manual. It's the first of its kind, and you can learn everything you need to know to get started with this new trend.
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Very Useful, November 9, 2006
By Migalhas
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"Training and Racing with a Power Meter" is a very useful book which helps all those triathletes and coaches that want to move to the next step of cycling training, either in Triathlon or road cycling.
I would strongly recommend this book!!!
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VERY technical, April 19, 2011
By Big Kid (Bay Area, CA)
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A great book if you are a techno cyclist. Personally I chose to use the Chris Carmichael Time cruched cyclist training book instead. But if you want to know all there is about training with watts...this is the book.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great book, July 14, 2010
By Eric (VA)
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If you are planning to get a power meter or you already have 1 this book is totally for anybody. The book totaly guide you through all the concept of training with a power meter I highly recomended it
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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The user's manual for training with power, October 11, 2007
By cyclysm (San Diego, Ca.)
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If you are looking for the rosetta stone to unlock the mystery of wattage data and what it can mean to your training then this is the book for you.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Awesome power-training book., September 25, 2011
By Jim
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Great book for understanding and building a power training schedule. This book really helped me understand the significance of data from my Powertap. Its nice seeing data from different skill levels and sample training programs.
The books only detractor is its persistence in citing the authors' Cycling Peaks software package, but most texts dealing with analysis have similar problems (ie: numerical analysis books focused on Matlab coding).
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Not a Complete Waste, but..., September 7, 2011
By calamarichris (Carlsbad, CA)
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This book is worth buying for the sample training plan in the appendix. The rest of the book is pretty poorly written and it seems a lot of chaff to wade through (and compelling arguments why you should subscribe to their web service) for the substance. But my FTP has jumped nearly 30% in the last year and a half, in large part due to that training plan in the back.
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power meter bible, June 28, 2010
By Ken
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This book is really great.
It gives me a very detail information about power meter.
It lists all the power meter of the world.
Good for pro!
However, if you are a beginner, you may find it difficult to understand.
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Mandatory book for anyone that is serious about road biking..., May 22, 2010
By me="R21XMOX88HHHDF">
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mandatory book for anyone th
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That book is exactly what I was missing to make the next leap in my road biking performance ! Unbeliveable amount and quality of information ! I just ordered my PT wheels and trainning will never be the same now !
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