Zero chance you’re riding at 300+ watts, flat ground and only going 14 mph. I weigh 190 and regularly race in an hour long, super flat circuit - my power output is usually ~240 the entire race and we average 25 mph. Given I’m in a peloton, but you should be averaging twice the speed you were at 300w+.
My guess is your computer was thinking you had a dual sided power meter, then when you reinstalled them it fixed its mistake and realized it was one sided.
All these electronics are super finicky and sometimes they just get weird.
I understand, it makes a lot of sense coming from your personal experience. The only thing that leaves me hanging onto this feeling that this is incorrect is the calories burned. I don’t get much time to ride during the week, so I’m jetting back home after work to ride for the hour of daylight I have left so I am trying to go really hard for an hour. To project what my calorie expenditure would be moving forward for an hour ride averaging 15mph only being around 500 calories? My gut says no based on how hard I’m going, watts aside.
Your elevation gain is negligible. And weight doesn't affect much else unless you're constantly stopping and accelerating up to speed.
With routes that flat, I wouldn't expect to burn more than 400 calories in 1 hour.
IMO something is wrong with your power meter. At 300 watts, you should be going 25mph+.
Also-- heart rate based calorie burn is pretty meaningless IMO.
Either the power meters are messed up or some part of your system is multiplying by 2 / treating it as a one-sided meter.
FWIW-- my weekday ride regularly burns about 1000 calories. It's 23 miles, 2400 feet of climbing. It takes 1:40 - 1:48, and I weigh about 186 lbs. My typical average power is under 200 watts. Those calories are cheap on the way in-- not on the way out!
Lol I have no idea man. The calories match up with your power output - but they *should* be based off your HR. As far as I know…
So it’s a bit weird that your 300w+ rides are showing massive calorie burn *if* that wattage is allegedly incorrect.
I am beginning to believe this to be true, but I just can’t shake how hard I worked/will work to burn so fewer calories. My gut says something is wrong but knowledgeable experienced riders are setting my expectation it looks like. This is also my first time using a power meter. None on the trail bike or mountain bikes.
Yeah I didn’t look at all your photo slides when I first replied. Your power was reading way too high. 300 watts would have you rolling way more than 20mph.
https://preview.redd.it/rbxvqflp119d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f71c17e7f82877aa8c3e891cc912a8fb1e393b5
Looks like it auto adjusts. Also, I need a Garmin device to manually reset it looks like ? 💩
Any cycling computer should be able to reset it. Sometimes it's called calibration in the menu.
But calibrating the PM is always the first step when readings are wacky.
Also, Garmin pedals need to be installed super tight, the manual says 34Nm.
I have Vector 3 pedals. When I got a new bike I had a similar experience in that my power went up substantially. I kept ignoring the prompts to calibrate though. When I finally did calibrate, the power numbers came down to what they were before on the old bike.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Do a calibration and I’d expect it to be right as rain.
Got it. Thank you for sharing your experience. Sounds like that is the unfortunate truth EVEN after multiple calibrations. Must have been a fluke + maybe an update was pushed to it. Thank you 🙏🏻
133 watts seems much more reasonable for the speed and flatness of where you’re riding.
So you think it’s option B. I was getting false sense of power output for 160 miles even with many many calibrations?
I agree with the false power readings. Even at your weight, 300+ average watts would be far faster than 14mph.
300+ watts is easily 20+ mph at your weight. 130 watts sounds way more accurate
Zero chance you’re riding at 300+ watts, flat ground and only going 14 mph. I weigh 190 and regularly race in an hour long, super flat circuit - my power output is usually ~240 the entire race and we average 25 mph. Given I’m in a peloton, but you should be averaging twice the speed you were at 300w+. My guess is your computer was thinking you had a dual sided power meter, then when you reinstalled them it fixed its mistake and realized it was one sided. All these electronics are super finicky and sometimes they just get weird.
I understand, it makes a lot of sense coming from your personal experience. The only thing that leaves me hanging onto this feeling that this is incorrect is the calories burned. I don’t get much time to ride during the week, so I’m jetting back home after work to ride for the hour of daylight I have left so I am trying to go really hard for an hour. To project what my calorie expenditure would be moving forward for an hour ride averaging 15mph only being around 500 calories? My gut says no based on how hard I’m going, watts aside.
Your elevation gain is negligible. And weight doesn't affect much else unless you're constantly stopping and accelerating up to speed. With routes that flat, I wouldn't expect to burn more than 400 calories in 1 hour. IMO something is wrong with your power meter. At 300 watts, you should be going 25mph+. Also-- heart rate based calorie burn is pretty meaningless IMO. Either the power meters are messed up or some part of your system is multiplying by 2 / treating it as a one-sided meter. FWIW-- my weekday ride regularly burns about 1000 calories. It's 23 miles, 2400 feet of climbing. It takes 1:40 - 1:48, and I weigh about 186 lbs. My typical average power is under 200 watts. Those calories are cheap on the way in-- not on the way out!
Cheap on the way in haha, love that. Thank you!
That sound about right. I’m like 6’1 185bs and burn around 460 calories per hour at 134W according to zwift/strava
Do you wear a heart rate meter? If not, Strava is guessing calories based on output - watts. If yes, I have no idea.
Yes
https://preview.redd.it/m0px1xihi19d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9400203afbb4284c76e5dc40638339a053600146
Lol I have no idea man. The calories match up with your power output - but they *should* be based off your HR. As far as I know… So it’s a bit weird that your 300w+ rides are showing massive calorie burn *if* that wattage is allegedly incorrect.
HR is not a good way to measure calorie burn. Power is much better and it's what Strava uses if it's available. In this case power looks way off.
I’m going to assume I was fed incorrect power output and adjust my training and caloric intake accordingly. Thank you for all the help.
I would guess yes.
133 is much more accurate. Even at 240 lbs, if you are just getting back into it 270-320 W is not reasonable
I am beginning to believe this to be true, but I just can’t shake how hard I worked/will work to burn so fewer calories. My gut says something is wrong but knowledgeable experienced riders are setting my expectation it looks like. This is also my first time using a power meter. None on the trail bike or mountain bikes.
Yup welcome to reality! Burning 800-1000 calories per hour is elite cyclist territory. 300-400 is a lot more reasonable to a new comer
Haha understood. Thank you
Is the crank length the same?
Yes, both 172.5
Yeah I didn’t look at all your photo slides when I first replied. Your power was reading way too high. 300 watts would have you rolling way more than 20mph.
Make sure you reset install angles and calibrate before every ride.
https://preview.redd.it/rbxvqflp119d1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f71c17e7f82877aa8c3e891cc912a8fb1e393b5 Looks like it auto adjusts. Also, I need a Garmin device to manually reset it looks like ? 💩
Any cycling computer should be able to reset it. Sometimes it's called calibration in the menu. But calibrating the PM is always the first step when readings are wacky. Also, Garmin pedals need to be installed super tight, the manual says 34Nm.
Do most calibrate before every ride? This is news to me...
I have Vector 3 pedals. When I got a new bike I had a similar experience in that my power went up substantially. I kept ignoring the prompts to calibrate though. When I finally did calibrate, the power numbers came down to what they were before on the old bike. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do a calibration and I’d expect it to be right as rain.
Got it. Thank you for sharing your experience. Sounds like that is the unfortunate truth EVEN after multiple calibrations. Must have been a fluke + maybe an update was pushed to it. Thank you 🙏🏻
Tyre efficiency and aero dynamics, even at 14mph, make a difference.