Does cycling have a will o\’ the wisp? Perhaps an elusive championship; or even just a personal best that you can\’t seem to reach?

The term for me has always meant an eerie light among the trees: one that vanishes when I approach it, only to reappear in another spot, farther away. Of late, however, that will o’ the wisp has begun to look like a power meter.

Why a power meter? When headwinds that slow me down, I can\’t determine from my average speed during that ride whether I’m making progress towards increasing my cruising speed. A power meter, on the other hand, would let me know whether I’ve gotten stronger. X watts is X watts, whether you’re plodding at 10 mph against a 25 mph wind; or flying at 20 mph with that same wind at your back.

Late in 2016 I had just about decided to buy a power meter; and the need for oral surgery arose. I had to forget about spending my cash on a power meter. Last December, when my finances had just about recovered, I had to have another oral surgery. Once again, the need to pay for it has put a power meter out of my financial reach.

They say that, to really make the best use of a power meter, you need to do a FTP test. Otherwise a power meter is just an expensive toy.

The test doesn’t sound like fun, and you might reasonably argue that there’s really no need for a recreational cyclist to bother with it. You may well be right, especially as far as “expensive toy” goes. So, at least for the foreseeable future, I’d better forget that will o\’ the wisp power meter in favor of something a bit more attainable.