Road Bike Racing - Watts per Kilo

if there was already a thread on this, please someone point me to it--couldn't find it.

anyone know rough numbers the pros get on watts/kilo? i know lance is around 7, but that's all i've heard. also, what's the proper way to measure? I got mine done yesterday and they measured wattage at my anaerobic threshold, including the bike in my weight. that sound about right?

The watts per KG should include your bike or what ever equipment you're using.

7 per KG for Lance sounds a little high as that puts him right around 560 watts including the bike which I don't think he can sustain, although I could be wrong.

So, how many watts did you crank out?

a little under 5.3. i'm just trying to figure out how that stacks up. now, of course, i'm obsessed with the number. i know i could raise my threshold a bit--i'm not exactly in peak condition right now, and i could drop several pounds on myself and my bike to get the number up closer to 5.5 or higher, but i just have no basis for comparison.

i did see an article where millar was saying he was putting out mid 400's at his threshold. is that anaerobic threshold? all this serious training stuff is too complicated!

Well if you find the equations you can almost work the problem backwards. You know how fast LA can do a 40-50k TT. But all the stuff I've seen about LA is that he is able to put out wattage numbers in the mid 400's for a "long" TT.

It's all relevant to what you are looking at, an Olympic sprinter can probably push out close to 2,000 watts, but only for a few seconds, a rec cyclist on a 40k TT is going to be in the 160-180w range.

Andrew

If you can sustain 5.3 for an hour, you're doing very well but you already knew that. I'm pretty sure that with your numbers, you're either a Cat1/2 or should be.

If you were my weight and could drop a 5.3 watt/kg average including gear in a 40k TT, you'd be averaging around 420 watts which would put you at just over 31 mph and 48 minutes on a flat course with no wind (not that that ever happens). I don't time trial enough to know if you'd actually run a 40 ITT at LT but would guess it would be somewhat below that, possibly 10-15%.

Millar's TT power, per an interview with him on OLN, is around 470-480. Most of the big rollers, Lance & Jan along with a few others, can average around the same. I'd guess the averages they're putting out are somewhat below threshold power.


If you don't race, you must be a terror on group rides :D

Is the watt/kg per hour something that many "power meter" users measure? Do you get the same results inside or out?

Do pro riders ever really test for a whole hour at max?

Originally posted by Richard Cranium
Is the watt/kg per hour something that many "power meter" users measure? Do you get the same results inside or out?

Do pro riders ever really test for a whole hour at max?

Not too many power meter users will actually do a CP60 (critical power for 60 minutes) test but rather use a series of shorter tests CP1, CP6, CP12, CP30 to estimate hour or 40k power.

In theory, you should produce the same amount of power inside or out. The only problem with that theory is you cannot effectively cool yourself indoors, at least I can't, when training hard.

I honestly don't know how often or if a pro would test hour power. Most of the figures I've seen are estimates based on ITTs or tour climbs. The actual power output of the big pros is kept under wrap and I'd guess only their coach and team really know. The highest level of racer that may be willing to share that info would be a Cat1 or possibly a Div3 pro but even those might be hard to come by. I don't think that someone like Saturn's Danielson would be willing to divulge his power output while training for the Mt Washington Hill Climb.

bikeinmn, i'm actually not a racer yet. i'm thinking about getting into it though. i'm pleased with the wattage, but really just wanted to figure out if, based on the number i was putting out, racing was worth the effort of getting into that kind of shape. i might just give it a go.

During the tour, Bob was saying that to be competitive, you need to be able to produce 7 watts per pound.

Originally posted by pgreene
bikeinmn, i'm actually not a racer yet. i'm thinking about getting into it though. i'm pleased with the wattage, but really just wanted to figure out if, based on the number i was putting out, racing was worth the effort of getting into that kind of shape. i might just give it a go.

Where did you go for the testing? Was it expensive?

ahh...a triad guy. i went to paceline in winston, cost me $100, took around 3 hours, and definitely qualified as my workout for the day.

this could start a whole other thread on shops in the triad, but i'm really impressed with the staff at paceline. a little more agressive from the sales point of view, but definitely know their stuff. cycles d'oro in greensboro's great too.