Force vs power? So what’s the difference here? “Force” and “power” mean pretty much the same, right? As in “more powerful than a speeding locomotive”?

Not in the world of cycling. According to The Cyclist’s Training Bible, “force” means the ability of a muscle, or a muscle group, to overcome resistance. It could also be called “strength”. Force is, however, an aspect of power.

“Power” is Force + Speed Skills; the latter being the ability to make the required moves quickly and efficiently. For example, being able to pedal rapidly and smoothly.

I  continue to work to improve my force. Today I practiced pedaling against a hard gear, working for 70 rpm for a minute at a time, with 2 minutes for recovery between hard efforts. I think I need to use a harder gear, or make the intervals more than 60 seconds long. They felt too much like “sorta hard”. I don’t need to move up from a compact crankset yet, do I?

This morning it was almost wind-free, but when I’m trying to work against a headwind I wish I had a power meter for my bicycle. It would probably do more to tell me whether I’m making real progress than anything else; and would help settle my force vs power questions. In late 2016 I had about decided to buy that power meter, when up came the need for a root canal. I needed to pay for that first; and Project Power Meter has sat on the shelf since!