AeroPod, PowerPod and Newton

Hi John, excited to get going with my PowerPod. I'm attaching two files for your review. First is the out and back calibration ride I did today. I had modified profile 2 for my outfront mount per the instructions prior to the ride for weight, tubulars and best accuracy.

The second is the ride I did immediately following the calibration. When I look at the in the file it was higher than I expected. I did note when I downloaded the files I got a message that the profile was updated and sent to the device so perhaps adjustments were made?

Curious about what change in bike/rider total weight should trigger a manual tweak to the profile. I'm in my weight loss mode and targeting 1.5 lbs per week so don't want to tweak were unnecessary but would like to keep the power reading as reliable as possible.

Thanks! I have a few other questions that I'll post separately to make it as easy as possible for you to respond.

It looks like you did your calibration ride on a day with strong winds. You had a very strong tail wind that, after you turned around, turned into an equally tough head wind.

Your profile was updated but if you can find a less windy day for a cal ride I would recommend it. You had some tail winds that nearly equalled your bike speed. Unfortunately, unless you ride REALLY FAST with the wind at your back, the tail wind measurements can't be as accurate as they are be on a calmer day.

Thanks for the quick response. Well, some wind today, but I wouldn't call it really strong. Looking at the weather sites they generally report historical actual wind speed at 8-12 mph. There is a fair delta between my riding speed from my Garmin and the actual wind speed (riding speed higher). Not sure how all that translates into apparent wind speed or how you assess that. But I will do another o&b calibration ride.

What would you see as an upper limit for actual wind speed for a decent test environment? And do I replicate the full process (set up device, best accuracy, etc) to prep the device for the next calibration ride?

We have never done an upper limit to wind. My rule of thumb is that, if I am in a tail wind, I ride fast enough so I can feel a clear head wind against me at all times.

One of the (many) good things PP does is teach you to be more aware of your environment. You'll find that flat roads aren't really flat, and winds are much more variable than you might think! It really is pretty amazing...

Very true, John. I was pretty amazed/surprised during the miles after the calibration ride how quickly power numbers dropped when cresting a rise and how much harder I found I should be working than when I was riding based on HR. Also, found how much attention I really need to pay to keeping a steady pace, where before I thought I was reasonably consistent. Pretty easy to get distracted for just a short time and see how much the power number dropped by the time I returned to focus. Also, watching the power numbers as the road went up showed me that power responds much more quickly than HR. Had always read that, and now I see it.