Viewers like you

The Superbowl broke a viewing record of 111 million viewers according to Nielsen. That is more than a third of the American population. It also the number of households in the US so I suspect it could be a tad optimistic. However, combined with record temperatures that shot up in the high seventies (close to 25C)  I had a gas riding my bike on Sunday. It was awesome weather and nobody was on the street. As an additional benefit, I also missed those million dollar commercials that everybody is ranting and raving about.

The one that started it all

During the Superbowl most Americans practiced overeating and overdrinking and so much of the country is now overweight that the USDA (and HHS) started recommending that people eat less. USDA and HHS (Health and Human Services) form an odd couple but that is another story.

All that is good for you 

The agencies recommended that people eat fish, not exactly a product the USDA constituents in the agribusiness benefit from. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Don't worry too much about the future of agriculture though. The first reason is that fish will soon be history; and two, USDA may well say the right things but behind everyone's back they put real money to work to do just the opposite.

In any case, the latest recommendations capture all there is to know about nutrition, or nutrition science as it is often referred to. The latter, like all disciplines that add the word science to their name is not very scientific. The correct wording is nutritionism, which like other -isms is really an ideology.

Eating less is something most masters athletes should take to heart. A substantial number of them are overweight and instead of investing serious money in lighter carbon fiber frames, they should consider eating (and drinking) less. A whole lot less. Even some juniors with competitive aspirations would do well to eat less. Cycling is above all a sport of very skinny, large chested, not-too-tall individuals sporting oversized leg muscle. All other accumulations of fat or muscle are to be avoided at all costs.

When it comes to food, the more you try to eat normal food the better. That means stay away from processed or prepared stuff and avoid all supplements, minerals, anti-oxidants, vitamins and other chemistries. At best these will just cost you a lot of money. At worst, you may test positive for one of the many forbidden fruits that WADA has on its lists. And when that happens good luck to you!

Remember you are responsible for what goes into your body. Although at first glance this may appear sensible, however in this day and age it is anything but. Nearly everyone has to buy their food in the store and nearly all foods in the store are manipulated to some degree or other. Most manipulations are fairly minor, such as spraying water (and pesticides?) over vegetables to make them look fresh, but some are not. And when it comes to packaged foods, all bets are of. The worst are of course the health food stores. Here people actively add substances they think are missing from real food. No wonder food labeling is becoming such a difficult matter.

Ricco, off to a good start

And in more shocking news, Riccardo Ricco was taken to the hospital yesterday with what appeared to be an infection. Today however, we learn that the Italian Judiciary has opened an investigation because they suspect Ricco landed in the hospital as a result of a botched blood transfusion. Another Italian Lorenzo Bernucci just received a five year suspension effectively terminating his cycling career. Yes it is that time of year again so brace yourselves for more good news. As long as this bone-headed doping policy is in effect, the news will keep coming.

Cherry blossoms and beer

The weather has turned sub-tropical with record-setting temperatures in the high 70's to mid- 80's (25-30C) in some places. We are in for a cool down this week but it is supposed to stay dry at least until the weekend. Then some storms are forecast, but every time the forecast gets updated, the storms are downgraded. Right now we expect showers Sunday and Monday.

The weather has produced some very high winds and rather spectacular sunsets. Here is the view from my balcony (a plain iPhone shot with no edits).

Sunset over SF Bay

Spring is definitely in the air. Cherry blossoms are everywhere and many plants are in bloom already. With temperatures like these it feels like mid-May.

Cherry blossoms

Yesterday I went on a 56 mile ride into Danville during the Superbowl. No better time to ride than when all are glued to their TV sets. The one thing that struck me was how different things look on the other side of the hills. There are more deciduous trees there (oaks and maples) and the bare branches impart a distinct wintery look that is in shocking contrast to the flowers around the bay. Bay area microclimates are for real.

Meanwhile my compatriot Stefaan Engels completed his 365 back to back marathons. He had set out on January 1 of 2010 to run a marathon every day of that year but was forced to abandon his effort early on due to a foot problem. He then restarted and now he finished in Barcelona. His best time was 2hrs 56 minutes. Now that is endurance racing at its best.

Sven Nys won his tenth Superprestige and Tommeke scored his first victory of the year in Qatar, where there are as few spectators as in California -but no cows. The big news out of Qatar is that the pro-pack there has decided not to revolt against the no radio rules. Unlike what happened in Mallorca, they decided to keep things quiet. I found this quote from Wilfried Peeters manager of Quickstep who said,  "out of respect for the Sheiks who pump so much money in this race, we're not going to paralyze the thing here." Qatar has plenty of cash-cows apparently.

On Friday, Flanders Classics presented its second edition in Gent in front of former champions Museeuw, Leman and Van Petegem. Flanders Classics has six races, starting with the season opener, Het Nieuwsblad (formerly Het Volk) on February 26 and finishing with the Brabantse Pijl on April 13. The most famous race is the Ronde van Vlaanderen, this year on March 4. Every race in the series has a very popular tourist version the day before. "That way we bring racing closer to the public," the organizers said. The tourist version of the Ronde now attracts more participants than there are amateur racers in the US.

I also wanted to present to you Moinette from the Brasserie Dupont, a fabulous blonde that scored very high in the beeradvocate ranking. Dupont calls it their showpiece. It gets my full support. The Brune (brown) version did not score nearly as high on beeradvocate, but as I mentioned many times before, blondes are my thing. For other Dupont beers, look here.

Moinette blonde

Superbowl weekend

I have a confession to make. Even though I have lived in the US for more than 25 years, I have never once watched the Superbowl. I have never watched American Football period. I do not know the rules of the game nor do I care to sit down and learn them. It appears to me those rules are mostly dictated by the need to insert commercials on a regular basis. The game itself has no flow to it and it does not surprise me that many viewers only watch it for the commercials.

Superbowl commercials are as big as the game itself. People write and talk about these commercials as much as the write and talk about the game. Commercial rating has become a sport in its own right. It would not surprise me if one day the commercials truly take over and the superbowl itself fills the breaks. We are very close already. But back to football.

To me, football seems like a boring display of machismo performed by steroid-pumped men with artificially inflated chests and shoulders and ballerina tights. But what do I know? I am just a smug cyclist. And perhaps not surprising road cyclists (not mountain bikers) were voted the smuggest sports participants by the readers of Adventure Journal. If you don't know what smug means just study this graphic that went with the article.

Am I smug or what?

Roadies outsmugged other sports participants by a very large margin (41% of the votes). Triathletes ended up second (just under 20%). Skiers were a very distant third at 7% and all other categories, from surfers to rock climbers, snowboarders to backpackers were practically in the noise. Mountain bikers too ended up in the noise, showing that it isn't cycling per se that is grating on people's nerves. 

Although I don't care for football, I do look forward to Superbowl Sunday. It is one of those very rare days when traffic is exceptionally light. That makes it an ideal day to go cycling. Traffic is light that day because most Americans hang in front the TV, drinking beer and eating chips, all afternoon long. 

The Superbowl experience is also very instructive. It shows one simple thing that most cyclists in this country never seem to grasp: to have a successful sport you need spectators. Human spectators that is, not cows. And the only way to get spectators is to schedule events at a time and place that is convenient for most people.

Look ma, no spectators!

But there is one other essential element. Spectators are people who are familiar with the sport. They are people who have tried the sport when they were young. Unless people have a personal connection to a sport, a connection that one can only get by practicing it, they will find it boring to watch. That is why Americans find European sports boring and vice versa.

Creating future spectators (and competitors) is the area where US cycling fails in the most dramatic way. Rather than promoting an all inclusive youth field, the people in charge do just the opposite: they drive youngsters away from teen-only events. They want teens to compete with adults as soon as the kids can stay upright on a bicycle. They drag them away from their friends and peers, out in never-never land before the crack of dawn.

They create an elitist environment that pushes kids out for all sorts of reasons. Reasons that go far beyond fitness. These inane moves not only limit the chances of promising youth who may become star cyclists, they assure that public interest will stay low too. The result is a group of licensees that gets older year over year. Already more than half the USA cycling license holders are masters. When you look at the membership from 2000 to 2010, one thing is crystal clear. Everyone is getting older.

Road racing, California style.

It all starts early in the wee hours of the morning. Aging baby boomers and their teenage offspring load their SUV's and vans with $6,000 bicycles, $2,000 spare wheels, trainers, rollers, floor pumps, and various day-camping gear. It is cold before sunrise in California so they bring extra clothing, jackets, arm and leg warmers. They bring coolers with food and water because where they are headed there is nothing to be found. Then before the sun comes up they settle for a 120 mile drive into nowhere land.

Soon they are in the middle of the Central Valley with little or no traffic. This is the weekend after all and nobody, except a few stray Mexican farm workers and a couple of forlorn truckers are on the road at this time. Bits of fog and low clouds obstruct the view, creating an eerie atmosphere. But the cyclists are not to be deterred. A few hundred of them gather from all over and converge on tiny roadways that are absent from most maps. Although their oversized vehicles are equipped with the latest GPS and iPhone technology, soon they will lose coverage and the gadgets will be useless.

Not to worry though. They make this pilgrimage year after year, always heading to same place. Only a few newcomers are added as time go by. But by and large this is a procession of veterans who have been performing this ritual for the past 20 years.

When they reach the foothills on the other side of the Valley, the sun is just cresting the hilltops. And then, as if by magic they stop by the side of the road. There are no signs of civilization here and if you did not know, you might wonder how they know this is their destination.

And they're off

Other than an few farmhouses and barns in the distance there are only cows and crops. For those arriving later, there will be a small square tent and few orange cones. Maybe even a sign on the corner warning motorists that a special event is underway. The motorists here are farmers driving farm equipment and they do not care much for cyclists or their signage. If you are not careful you might get hurt.

Covered in many layers and wrapped in blankets the cyclists pull out their licenses and head over to the tent, where two elderly frozen officials await them. There is coffee and donuts but these are only for the workers and volunteers. Cyclists bring their own breakfast. There are no signs of festivities and no music. No spectators gather and none are expected. The only people who will watch the race -or part of the race- are those who came along with the cyclists or the race organizer.

Now is the time to fill out the obligatory disclaimers and waivers and to pick up a race number. Then quickly get over to the car and pull out the gear and the trainers, get dressed, and start warming up.

As early as 7:30 AM a small group of twenty racers line up by the roadway behind an old truck. In all likelihood these are the pro-1-2 racers. One or two pro racers and a number of Category 1 and Category 2 racers make up the field. Most are masters and well into their forties. Some are even older but today they feel good and so they will skip their own category and race pro. A few juniors have also decided to join in. Someone is called over to check their gearing.

If all goes well and the two highway patrol (or local sheriff's department) officials show up, we will start on time. If not, everyone will just sit around until law enforcement gets there. The cops will likely position themselves at one of the intersections but when they get bored they will drive the course and leave the intersection to the volunteers.

An official wearing a black and white striped prison suit awaits on his motorcycle. After a brief speech and a few miscellaneous instructions, they are off. Since this is the pro field, they will have one follow vehicle with some spare wheels.

Before the first group disappears over the ridge another smaller group is getting ready for their race. Another official pulls up. A few people go looking for a volunteer to drive a follow vehicle. Maybe they will be lucky, maybe not. If nobody is available the racers will have to solve their own problems.

Sometimes the group that forms is too small even by US standards. Then the organizers will put them together with a larger group. Sometimes there aren't enough officials so one group will be sent off without officials.

The ritual is repeated eight or ten times and then all is quiet again. The racers are off, and the few spectators left behind go back to the warmth of their cars and trucks. A few hardy ones pull out foldable chairs and sit by the roadway. Another tent is erected at the finish line, which may or may not be in the same spot. There fifteen odd people will wait for their racer to finish. A few others will drive out to the feed zone with bottles to hand to the cyclists.

Spectators at the finish line

Half an hour later the first group comes through and start their second lap. Most likely -but not always- these are the pros since they can be expected to go faster. But with the later groups all bets are off. The women were likely passed on the backstretch and now people have to check the schedule to see who will be coming next.

It gets even more confusing because some dropped riders will inevitably hitch a ride with a slower pack. That is against the rules, and if they care, they may hold back a bit -or speed up a bit- while passing the officials in the tent. But as soon as that is taken care of, they quickly regroup with their new pack to start drafting again.

Feed zone pack 1, pack 2 is following close behind

This scene will repeat itself two or three times, getting more and more confusing as time goes on. Packs are now split and dropped riders are all over the road. Faster groups have caught and passed slower ones, and the order is messed up too. If all goes well, these events happen out on the course. If not, a faster pack that is about to finish may run into a slower pack that has a few more laps to go, thereby wrecking everyone's sprint.

Either way the results will be wrong. Both the officials and the spectators are now thoroughly confused. Lapped riders who stay on course may well be counted in the pack, and solo breakaways may well be mistaken for dropped riders. The winner could end up last and the dropped rider may well "finish" in the top 10.

As one group after another rolls in, the finish line area clogs up with riders standing around and chatting with their friends. Officials and organizers will now try -often in vain- to clear the road. Most likely the pro pack will still have a few extra laps, but when they come through they may well find themselves bumping into parked riders. If two packs happen to arrive at the same time, the scene becomes as confusing as a shopping mall on black friday.

Soon enough the first riders will start packing up and heading home. The leaving cars will only add further obstructions and more confusion, but most people hate to hang around and watch the race. Why would they? There is a long road ahead, and traffic has picked up significantly by now. They'd be lucky if they get home by 5PM. But not to worry, they'll do it again next year.

Tour of California

According to the local media, the Tour of California organization has dropped a provision that excluded riders who are subject to a pending doping investigation, prompting speculation that Lance Armstrong may enter the race. The Texan, who is under investigation by US authorities for activities relating to his Postal Service years, has quietly withdrawn from cycling after the Tour Down Under where he faced a barrage of doping-related questioning. A re-appearance with a more upbeat exit cannot be ruled out.

Lance had earlier canceled plans to race triathlon on the Ironman circuit. He was due to start Ironman New Zealand after the Tour Down Under, in order to secure a spot for the world championships in Kona, HI in October. He had been training on the big island last year and even challenged Chris Lieto, former second place finisher to an informal time trial there. He must have figured if I can beat second place Chris on the bike, I will win for sure.

However, after last year's stunning win by Chris McCormack Lance must have realized that his chances were close to non-existent. Lance, as we all know, does not enter races unless he thinks he can win them.



Ironman races are decided on the run portion of the event. Even if Lance were to ride a stunning TT and gain 20 minutes, chances are a runner like Chris McCormack or Craig Alexander would find him rather easily in the marathon. Winning times for that segment have now dropped well below the 3 hr mark. Based on Lance's previous marathon results it would be surprising if he could run a 3 hr marathon in Ironman. So there is a very real chance that -like Chris- he would just make the top 10- a nightmare of epic proportions for a seven time Tour de France winner.

A further interesting note regarding the Tour of California is that the AEG organization will hand over doping investigations to WADA.  USADA apparently pushed for testing to be done by an independent agency, and not UCI and its potential conflict of interest.

WADA would like to begin testing next week for the May 15-22 race and AEG has asked the teams for a list of 12 riders by the weekend. Even so, AEG does not want to exclude riders who are not on the list from entering at the last moment. If Lance were to stage such a last minute entry nobody would have the guts to stop him.

But on to the interesting question of early testing. WADA thinks doping will happen in the months leading up to event. Surely longer term remedies such as growth hormone, anabolic steroids, etc. take several weeks to show an effect and that effect lasts for months. These compounds work mainly through building muscle and promoting muscle adaptations that do not happen overnight.

Last year riders were first tested 10 days before the start of the race. Given that the event lasts for a week that left the door wide open for most forms of doping, including what is probably the most effective form of doping, blood doping in all its incarnations.

Blood doping relies on extra red blood cells to carry oxygen. Since performance is largely limited by cardiovascular performance -which in turn means the capacity to deliver oxygen- blood doping is probably the most effective form of doping. I say probably because my background in drug development tells me that the only way to be sure a drug is efficacious is to see how it performs in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. To the best of my knowledge no such testing has ever happened. So even though blood doping makes total sense, and should enhance performance, we won't know unless we test it.

In any case, blood doping is not only (rumored to be) most efficacious, it is also virtually undetectable if done properly. The best way to catch blood doping is to find the athlete in flagrante delicto and the chances of that happening are insignificant to say the least.

Red blood cells survive for a long time. The value one finds in the literature is 120 days, or nearly four months. Of course there are cells of all ages in a random sample so one cannot expect the cells gathered to last for that long when re-infused later. Furthermore, storage does affect life expectancy and even properly stored cells will not survive as long as they would in vivo. But in all likelihood a transfusion 10 days out will guarantee extra cells for the 20 days needed and then some. Such an autologous transfusion would be undetectable.

There is a lot of talk about biological passports and even dating red cells, but as a practical matter these methods are not going to achieve much. If statistical methods gain traction it would open a whole new can of worms, and one lawyers would love to tackle. Then lawyers would indeed wreck the sport as McQuaid so miraculously predicted.

EPO is even better when there is extra time. rhEPO's half life is less than half a day (4-13 hrs) so it is undetectable after just a day. But its effect lasts for months as new cells will be formed that will easily survive for 3-4 months. As you can see, this is a no-win situation.

The irony is that there is a very simple and very effective way to stop blood doping. Simply set a limit on the hematocrit. Unfortunately that means switching to a method that favors science and abandons the magic-inspired forbidden substances rules that WADA holds so dear. If you think WADA likes science think again.

WADA prefers to use the latest science to uphold a pre-scientific set of beliefs. This is no different from religious groups using science to enforce religion as described in the Feynman incident where orthodox Jews asked him whether nuclear energy was fire, so they would know if it was allowed on the Shabbat.

Measuring hematocrit is simple and easy to do. Rumor has it athletes who engage in blood doping use it to check their outcomes. It thus appears that the groups using doping are indeed far ahead of the regulators in their adoption of scientific thinking and the scientific method.

A quiet day

While the rest of the country is busy shoveling snow and digging itself out of one more monster storm, we in Northern California are enjoying another week of dry warm weather. The only drawback, apart from the increased risk of drought later in the year, are the constant high winds. Last night I once again had to get up and go out to retrieve a toppled garbage can and tons of debris blowing down the front steps.

The warm temperatures are certainly a boon to cyclists and runners alike. They are out in droves and many have already accumulated extensive mileage despite the early season. One rider posted he had ridden close to a 1,000 miles in January alone. He is not alone. With the advent of recording gadgetry we now see evidence of great accomplishments posted on a nearly daily basis.

Next weekend the Northern California road racing season starts with the traditional Cherry Pie criterium in Napa. Although sunny and dry conditions are expected, the absence of cloud cover also means a chilly -say frosty- early morning start. As most races in California take place in remote areas and before normal humans get out of bed on weekends, that will surely mean winter clothing for most cyclists. Once the races are over though, it should be T-shirt time again.

The Europeans are also getting ready. Now that the cyclocross world championships are over, most roadies are heading to (or are already riding in) Spain for spring training. The cyclocrossers meanwhile are finishing up the season, and Sven Nys did so by winning in Maldegem before Vanthourenhout and Stybar, who was fifth.

Although Nys had to settle for silver in Sankt Wendel, he is now topping the UCI list ahead of Albert. He also leads the Gazet van Antwerpen (GvA) ranking and the Superprestige Cup. Albert meanwhile holds on to the Worldcup.

The Belgians have mixed feelings about the cyclocross season. They would have preferred to win the world championships and although there is some finger pointing going on, overall people seem happy and content. Belgium can't complain since both Nys and Albert have had fantastic seasons. So the main topic in cyclocross news is the lack of leadership in the U23 category. Despite what you might think, U23 racing rarely becomes national news in Belgium, except in situations like these.

Although Belgian U23's captured several top 10 finishes -a feat that would surely warrant multiple press releases at USACycling had it happened to Americans- the fact that nobody got a medal has led former world champion and pro rider Bart Wellens to decry a "weak draft" and add, "there is no talent in the U23's."

In America on the other hand, all is quiet. The best performance here was a silver in the women's cyclocross, something nobody -except true aficionados- noticed. Our hero Lance retired without much fanfare and the little news we have is dominated by doping allegations that won't go away. In the latter category NY Velocity just published a transcript of the entire, 7 hour, Landis interview by Paul Kimmage. Not too many people took notice as neither the pro-Lance camp nor the much smaller anti-Lance camp seems very interested.

Paul Kimmage is not that well known over here, except for this 2009 Tour of California incident with Lance. On the European continent however, the man is blacklisted for his book Rough Ride: Behind the Wheel With a Pro Cyclist, where he came out and pointed fingers long before any doping scandal surfaced. The book won many awards but it did not endear him to the cycling public. Kimmage is now a reporter for the Times.



The Landis interview is fascinating reading though. Even if most of it were made up, or -more likely- heavily embellished, it would mean that doping is very widespread in pro cycling. That is not what anyone wants to hear right now. Least of all those who feel that we should leave the matter be, since the problem is now going away on its own due to better enforcement.


If you believe that you probably also believe in Santa Claus.

The ergomo power meter

I got my first Ergomo Pro power meter in 2005. I had it installed on my Griffen Vulcan triathlon bike and have been using it ever since. Most often I use it with the bike on the trainer but I also record my races and from time to time, my training rides. I use ismarttrain software on my Macintosh to retrieve the data. I analyze the data in Excel. It works like a charm.

For my USA Cycling power exam -which still isn't graded apparently- I had to use WKO and Trainingpeaks. It was not a pleasant experience and I can only say that Windows users must have a very high tolerance for poorly written software if they like this stuff. I for one, will stick with Excel. But back to Ergomo.

In 2007, after the German parent company got in trouble and cheap Ergomo units became available on eBay, I bought a few more and these I have used on and off on a road bike. At that time it was pretty easy to get a NIB Ergomo for around $300. The parent company went bankrupt and it seemed the end was near.

Last year, the Ergomo IP and assets were taken over by a Colorado outfit and they have since started to add new units and new features. My older Ergomo had a near-dead battery and I sent it to them to have it fixed. It came back, refurbished, with new battery and new seals and works perfectly. Even though the Ergomo brand is alive again, people continue to dump older units on eBay. Prices have risen somewhat from the low of $300, but it is still possible to get a first rate power meter for less than $700. Given how pricey SRM is, it is a steal.

The Ergomo had some early adopters, including Hunter Allen, Mr Power himself, who was an adviser to the company. Since then Mr. Allen has moved on and he is now a clear proponent of SRM. In spite of this early association with the driving force of power meter use, Ergomo never really "made it" to the big leagues. Nevertheless, the Ergomo is a high quality unit that is maintenance-free, very durable, extremely weather-resistant and long lasting. It is every bit as good and useful as the overpriced SRM.

The reason Ergomo never took off has a lot to do with the fact that it has been plagued by two issues since its inception. The first is really not an issue at all but it loomed big in the minds of Freds everywhere. It has to do with how the unit reads power.

Ergomo measures the torque in the bottom bracket axle. That is in many ways an ideal place for measurements and it has several advantages. It can be done friction-less, with minimal additional weight (the Ergomo pickup is optical and the weight penalty is totally negligble), and it also offers the best protection from the elements. You can literally drag the Ergomo through the mud without any issues whatsoever. That is one thing Mr Allen acknowledged when he showed his mountain bike (for Ruta) sporting an Ergomo.

Ergomo BB, square (Campy) type

The key worry is that the unit only measures the output from one leg (the left leg). The twisting of the axle (between the left crankarm and the right crankarm) is measured using an optical non-contact method. The value is doubled and plugged into an equation to get a power output. (No power loss but only half the effort is really measured)

For all practical purposes (and even scientific experiments) the one-leg measuement makes no difference whatsoever. But it really troubles the Freds, who have nothing better to do than to worry about such trifles. Even Mr. Hunter took it upon himself to joke that some people may have a monster left-leg that distorts the readings. "It happens, you know," he added. Maybe his new employer thought he should keep the doubt alive?

No asymmetry here

The second problem is related to the first. Just about the time that Ergomo hit the market, most component manufacturers switched (back) to the two piece crank with attached axle. Shimano led the way with HollowTech -as they usually do when it comes to gadgetry- but others soon followed. That move unfortunately, made the bottom bracket with axle look old-fashioned overnight. And perhaps more importantly, it made it so new cranks would no longer work with the Ergomo. I believe this played a big role in Ergomo's demise.

The component people also strongly advertised the benefits of the new two-piece crank. It was lighter and (magic word) stiffer, an attribute no Fred can ignore!

 It is perhaps ironic that before that time, two piece cranks were only found on cheap French bicycles. For decades the two piece crank had been the telltale sign of a cheap crank. But Shimano, a company that also tried to revive the non-round chainring (remember Biopace?) loves this type of innovation.

Remember those??

The Ergomo has a high quality display that is easy to customize. Although it is a tad big, it is easy to read and easy to use. The standard layout has two main screens and five secondary screens. On each screen there are four values. The unit can do metric and English (or even a combination of both).

You can display all kinds of information but the basic main layout shows power, heart rate, cadence and speed. There is an alternative main readout that shows altitude, % grade, power and speed.

Then there are four screens that contain additional information.  One of these has averages, the other maxima, the third calories and joules, with total distance and trip distance, and the fourth has analysis data.

For those who are really into power analysis, the fourth screen shows power (Watt), Normalized Power (NP in Watts), Training Stress Score (TSS) and Intensity Factor (IF).  These measures will sound familiar to the aficionados of the Coggan-Allen literature.

On bike analysis

Normalized power is perhaps the most useful measure and even before I learned about Coggan and his research I had figured out how to use it (Being a mac user, I don't read manuals, nor do I buy books that explain gadgets to me.)

When I bought the Ergomo in 2006, I knew very little about Coggan and his work. I certainly did not know that his friend and co-worker Allen was an adviser to the company. A recent USA cycling coaching publication explained to me that Allen was the one who urged Coggan to "develop" IF and TSS. I never saw much use in these values and even now that I know what they are for, I hardly ever use them. TSS is nothing more than how tired you are, while IF tells you how hard you went.

Before I learned all this I just thought NP was a proprietary measure that Ergomo had developed.

What I did figure out quickly however, is that NP correlated well with my perceived effort. And later I noticed that it was very useful in time trialing (ironman is a long TT) to keep NP and average power as close together as possible. What that really means is that you stay aerobic as much as possible. Checking the average and the NP afterwards gives you a good indication of how well you did sticking to that rule. The reason you may want to check is because it is easy to go hard without noticing.

The final Ergomo screen shows how much battery power is left, how much recording time is left, and other household items.

For mac users, ismarttrain will not just download the data. It will also allow you to set all the values you need to set. The only thing you can't do on a Mac is to update the firmware. To do that you need a Windows box.

I forgot to tell you about intervals. If you like Ergomo can store intervals and keep them separate. It is something I never use but it is there in case you need it.