What Is The Best Power Meter Option On A Low Budget? | GCN Tech Clinic
What Is The Best Power Meter Option On A Low Budget? | GCN Tech Clinic
With Ollie off gallivanting around the Alps again, Alex is flying solo on this week’s GCN Tech Clinic! He answers questions on upgrading to an entry level carbon frame, the potential cause of numb toes, converting from a 1x to a 2x set-up, patching tubeless tyres, and the best power meter option when you’re on a budget.
0:00 Intro
0:16 Upgrade Frame Or Just Wheels & Tyres?
1:29 Pedal Or Crank Based Power Meter?
2:27 Numb Toes From Wearing Cleats?
3:36 Does Titanium Need Special Grease?
4:02 Convert From 1x To 2x On Gravel Bike?
4:59 PS5 Or Xbox Series X?
5:39 Smaller Spare Tubes For Wide Tyres?
6:13 Can I Patch A Tubeless Tyre?
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Hello team, I got a trek Domane Al2 Disc recently and I’ve been riding it I don’t want to spend any money on fancy components just yet can you suggest me how can I improve my aero and measure a quantifiable difference without any tools? Aldo currently running the stock Bontrager R130mm tires what should I switch to next ? Thank you in advance for replying
Two questions, answer one or both:
1. I have a road bike on which I have put clip-on aero bars. It works OK but I’m wondering whether it is feasible to put an actual TT-cockpit on the bike instead. Is it unheard of or can I just buy a new handlebar, redo my cable routing, and have Bob as my uncle?
2. What rectifies the extreme price differences between similarly speced Triathlon Bikes? I’m thinking Cervelo P Series and Canyon Speedmax vs Specialized Shiv and Scott Plasma? What makes the latter cost three times as much?
Boring.
Re patching a small puncture in tubeless tire. Normally latex based sealants will stop the leak and form a permanent seal, nothing else is needed. I’ve found dozens of sealed punctures when replacing worn tires and only once needed a separate patch – that was a longish sidewall cut, not a puncture.
Had two pedal power meters – Garmin and Assioma. Both misread. Massive issue. Crank seems far more reliable and consistently accurate
#askgcntech #askgcn hi team. I’ve just thrown a fair amount at a new fancy pants frameset. Do you recommend frame protection for road bikes or is that just for the MTB guys and gals? Thanks.
With respect to chain checkers they worked well for me on shimano-setups but with campa veloce I couldn’t find any relevant stretch or typical wear on any teeth for that matter after about 10.000 km. By then it was high time to change the chain as well as the cassete to get back the shifting-performance the bike used to have.
Buy power meter … or …. just enjoy riding ?
100% sympathise with the viewer & numb feet / toes. Happens to me as well & my short term solution is undoing the shoes for a while & riding like that for a bit but when I tighten them up again the numbness returns. Only happens on longer rides of about 40-50 miles plus but my feet will always be numb for the rest of the ride after that point. Tried different shoes. cleat position, insoles, pedal system & saddle height all with the same result – still numb feet. Only thing I haven’t tried is a bike fit but as I have pretty much the same position on 3 bikes I’m not sure that is the answer. TBH though I don’t know what is.
Why should I even buy a power meter?
About the titanium pedal axels reacting with the alloy crank threads: galvanic corrosion could actually be a problem here, if the two metals come in contact through an electrolyte, such as (salty) water, as I understand it. An anti-seize compound, e.g. a non-metallic one, might be an idea in this case. But it’s perfectly possible that standard grease will do the job just as well, mainly keeping any water out.
I don’t know enough about this to say for sure, but I also don’t like the dismissive attitude of the GCN guy in this video – just because he’s never heard of it doesn’t mean it isn’t an actual issue.
Xbox ~
Let us know your tech queries using #AskGCNTech 👇
#AskGCNTech I’m looking to make a significant bike upgrade in the next year or two, leaning toward a titanium frame which are often available with custom geometry. I’ve never had a bike fit, would it be worth getting a bike fit before ordering a frame so it’s exactly right, or should I get one that’s reasonably close based on height and inseam and move the contact points around afterwards? Looking for an all-road/light gravel capable bike, not for racing or multi-day endurance stuff, but I do enjoy both speed and comfort.
Hello GCN!
I am going to ride up the alpe d’Huez or mont ventoux this summer. I only have deep (65mm) carbon wheels with rim brakes so I am worried for the wind and heat build up from the braking during the descent. Should I try and find replacement wheels or will it be fine if I am a bit cautious? #AskGCNTech
Mr Alex. I want to put a Sram flat edge chain on my shimano groupset.
I am not sure if they are compatible but I really like the look of the sram straight edge chains ! Help !
Nice video and presentation.
Following page 2:30 numbness toe? I tried everything I can think of, failed. Such as – closed all vent holes, toe insulation, cleats types, cleats positioning forward/aft/L/R/angle, tight/loose lacing, thin/thick socks and finally shoe size “bingo” which was the root cause. Changed from #40 to 41? Improved some, change again to 42? No more discomfort.
A quick search told me that (1) all bike shoe manufacturers share a common sole model of champion bikers, tall and slender but we are short and fat. Sole models are narrow or too narrow, in the metatarsal for the averaged bike enthusiasts. (2) manufacturers love to use cheap and harder plastic that doesn’t entertain the metatarsal to avoid nerve pinching. (3) they forgo shoe lace, but the mass market are not professional bikers, only dresses like one. (4) Test fit the way we did on a walking shoe wouldn’t tell the problem until we stress our foot on the paddle in a bike run, by the time we found out $100 or so wasted. (5) bike shoe with softer sheath and a normal to a wider metatarsal fit can cost more than the price of a full group set.
Solution for cheap and hard sheath cleats shoe? (1) shift cleats to far back position. (2) Up the shoes size by one to two notches. (3) Soft shim our heel to keep the metatarsal in the widest section in sole.
I use two size up to a cleats and rigid shoe to make up space for warm socks in cold wet weather.
so… whats the best power meter option on a low budget? …
Nooo…Ti is notorious for galling! Anti Seize mixed with grease please!
I bought a single sidded stages power meter on sale for $250 in january. A bargin.
Little known fact: Jim Felt was a mechanic for Honda’s powerhouse motocross team in the 80’s. Most of the riders did off-motorcycle training on a bicycle. Jim started building bicycles and the rest became history.
Do y’all have an pedal based power meter recommendations. Are the wahoo ones good
If you cant enjoy the beauty and freedom of cycling without digitizing everything then there is something wrong with you.plain and simple.Wheres the lie?
#AskGCNTech
Hello. My question is less tech related and more tech adjacent. I am having a titanium bike made for me. Do I tip the bike shop? Do I not? Would a case of beer be okay as well?
It never seizes to amaze me the things GCN recommends when it’s your money that’s being spent. You want to patch a tubeless tire just buy a tube of RTV Black Gasket maker and spread it around the inside of the tire in the area where the puncture is. I promise you won’t ever have to worry about the patch coming loose. And it would only cost a couple of bucks for a tube that will last for many punctures. Coming from the mountainbike side of cycling I know this works because I’ve done it hundreds of times.
#AskGCNTech What is harder a fly wheel or wheel on turbo trainer and are both accurate
#askgcntech. Hi guys and gals, problem with Tiagra 4700. Changed gear cable now gear won’t change from 7th to 8th gear on big ring. Reset indexing and tried a different cassette (12-25 (Decathlon) & 12-28(Shimano)), no change. Help! Phil P
Hello, I’m one year post-op from a dual organ transplant and started cycling to get into shape and get some outside time. My question is I’m having trouble standing and riding my bike up climbs and when I stay sitting it feels like I am going to fell backwards. What are somethings I can do or works to help with that. I’m using clipless shoes and paddles. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Regarding the 3400 chain wear question: If you have a RULER you can check it yourself.
Titanium anode, aluminium katod, add water and you get battery, so you’re cranks gone degrade
How good is zwift and Strava at estimating power
What’s the best power meter if I want to use it easily on multiple bikes? Is there something that can go inside the soles of shoes?
Can I fit any sram power-meter crank on an e-bike like Haibike HardNine 9 with Bosch Gen 4 motor 625wh (2021 model) or any e-bike?
#AskGCNTech I see GCN presenters and pro cyclists sit on the top tube all the time, yet mechanics and GCN often tell us it’s not okay to clamp the top tube on a work stand (always clamp the seat tube). Surely the weight of a person is much higher than the clamping force to support a bike. So which is it, okay to sit on the top tube or not okay to clamp the top tube, particularly for a carbon frame bike? Bonus question, does descending on the Froome-tuck compromise the frame too?
I’ve been using something called Power Pod. It uses air pressure and some very clever maths. Been working a few years now. Very easy to swap between bikes.
#GCNTech. Hi Alex. Just got a long awaited Orbea Gain. Great bike. Great to be assisted ;-). But ! The space between the interior of the left crank and the frame is too narrow to fit a cadence sensor (wahoo). Would you have a tip to solve this situation?
Doddy from GMBN Tech did a video about 3 years ago. Were he showed how to repair a tubeless tyre with a split in the tyre.
#AskGCNTech I was wondering if it would be more power efficient to ride behind someone with an aero bike or someone with a non-aero bike? Since maybe the aero bike will guide the air better or it will catch less wind so I’ll catch more.
#AskGCNTech I upgraded to clip less pedals a couple of years ago and used the easiest release tension whilst I was getting used to them. Now that I’ve got the hang of them, is there any point to making the release tension tighter?
>having power-meters
but really, the pedals are the best ones to get for versatility.
Also on 1x to 2x conversion, if it is not a direct mount, you need to make sure that the tube is round and will fit a clamp-on and that there is clearance between the chain and tire, some bikes like the Dragon Bahamut have this sort of inter-compatibility in mind, other bikes like a Connondale SuperSix Evo CX are pretty much impossible to convert.
#AskGCNTech – How to actually remove a TL tire from a carbon rim that is extremely well adhered and, in this case, contains a tube / NO sealant. Your previous video of prying it off with one’s fingers was hilariously unhelpful. Even using soapy water and a vise, the small tire width (as compared to MTB) won’t allow complete release at the bead end when moving it back and forth.
How often do you recommend replacing your helmet? Do they go "bad" or do you only need to replace after a crash? #AskGCNTech
#askgcntech Hi people. Love the show. May I ask a hydraulic brake question for all those post-mount frame gravel bike ninjas out there?
I have an old 2016 Cannondale CAADX frame with mechanical post-mount brake callipers (which are really awful). I’m looking to upgrade the whole groupset to modern GRX 600, but can’t fit GRX callipers as they’re all flat-mount only. Would Shimano post-mount mountain bike brake callipers work with GRX hydraulic shifters, and if so which one would be most suitable and are there any pitfalls in terms of hydraulic hose fittings between gravel and mountain bike standards?
Best wishes,
Harley
#AskGCNTech Hi! I found my SPD-SL bolts doesn’t reach the socket on my cycling shoes. Is it even possible? Is it safe to use M5x13mm bolts instead of those came with the cleat?
Happy days!
What should i look after/pay attention to if i were to assemble a bike #AskGCNTech
#AskGCNTech An upgradeability question : I have an MTB which I got used (which has a carbon frame -Poison Graphan MTB , 26" mavic wheels and some old parts, from the ex owner). I got this thinking I’ll manually convert it to an ebike (yes, I have a detailed plan). However, someone threw a spanner in the works and I can actually lease an electric bike for pretty sum of 100 Eur a month. Does it make sense to still convert the old MTB or to sell it and get an EMTB? I will be using to commute all round the year and hit the trails with my colleagues. I live in Finland where snow and sleet are facts of life during the winter months.
Stages all day
Regarding patching tubeless tires. I use common inner tube patches on the inside of a tubeless tire. I do my best to clean the area on the tire with alcohol and of course make sure it is clean of dried sealant. I do this for punctures that won’t seal or stay sealed from sealant alone. Also, I’ve done this when for whatever reason a tire plug hasn’t held.
I bought a Rock Shox Reverb AXS XPLR dropper port and it shows quite some torsional play which is clearly noticeable when riding. How much torsional play would you see as normal?