"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - FTP as a percentage of 5' power

What is your FTP as a percentage of 5' power? I'm sitting at around 81%. I am hoping to get that up to 87%.

In last October I was at 85.5%. Don't have a concrete FTP right now.

80%

86% (88% if I beleive the Monod method, which puts my FTP a little higher than I think it is right now). I'm all endurance.

Just got done testing this week. FTP's about 75-77% of CP 5

Last year, my 5 minute power was really high in comparison to my FTP. FTP was probably about 65% of my 5 minute power. sad?

Attempting to fix that this year.

-bullseye

At peak last year, my FTP was ~80% 5 minute.

Right now, it's a lot closer to 83-84% as my 5 minute has fallen off more over the winter than FTP - as expected. We'll see where it is at the end of March.

Interesting, my FTP is 80% of my 5min power. For some reason, I thought my 5min power was low in comparrison to my FTP. I guess I'm about the same as most other people.

It's funny to see that many of you want to raise your threshold to be a greater percent of your five minute power. I wish I had a better five minute power so it was not so close to my threshold!

It's funny to see that many of you want to raise your threshold to be a greater percent of your five minute power. I wish I had a better five minute power so it was not so close to my threshold!

Agreed, I'm fine with a medium ftp but working toward high 5 minute wattage. I'm at 82%.

It's funny to see that many of you want to raise your threshold to be a greater percent of your five minute power. I wish I had a better five minute power so it was not so close to my threshold!

I wish I had a better 5' power, too. I was basing the question on the assumption (or limiting belief ;)) that I may not see much more improvement in 5' power at this stage in my life.

76% here. 380 and 289. Though the 5 min is probably a little higher as ive never done "test" for it.

I wish I had a better 5' power, too. I was basing the question on the assumption (or limiting belief ;)) that I may not see much more improvement in 5' power at this stage in my life.


Why is that? Age or training? I'm curious because I'm 45+ but I think I can improve my 5min power more than my FTP (and 1min more than 5min), simply because most of my training so far has been endurance or 20-30 min climbs.

Why is that? Age or training? I'm curious because I'm 45+ but I think I can improve my 5min power more than my FTP (and 1min more than 5min), simply because most of my training so far has been endurance or 20-30 min climbs.

I though I read that VO2 max declines gradually after about age 40. If this is the case, just maintaining 5 min power from year to year would be akin to increasing it.

On the bright side, I remember a quote from Dr. Coggan saying he was improving his 5' power at an age when it was supposed to be decreasing.

your vo2 max also decreases as your ftp increases..

your vo2 max also decreases as your ftp increases..

Why would that be?

your vo2 max also decreases as your ftp increases..

???

Classic explanation, short version:

Years of training has laid a large capillary bed and the interconvesion of fast twitch fibers favors aerobic efforts. VO2 max falls with reducing MHR.

wow, epic fail for me on this one. I'm the only one down below 75%?

5-minute power: 365
60-minute power: 230

-bullseye

I wish I had a better 5' power, too. I was basing the question on the assumption (or limiting belief ;)) that I may not see much more improvement in 5' power at this stage in my life.

Yeah, I just want to keep pushing everything up.

Years of training has laid a large capillary bed and the interconvesion of fast twitch fibers favors aerobic efforts. VO2 max falls with reducing MHR.

Still don't see it. Why does the first imply the second? Why does increased capillarization and fiber conversion reduce stroke volume?

wow, epic fail for me on this one. I'm the only one down below 75%?

5-minute power: 365
60-minute power: 230

-bullseye

Do you do much long steady state work? (i.e. 10-20 minute intervals at FTP). Just guessing, solely from those numbers, that you do a lot of intense training, but perhaps not enough threshold work. I'm thinking you could raise your FTP significantly.

Do you do much long steady state work? (i.e. 10-20 minute intervals at FTP). Just guessing, solely from those numbers, that you do a lot of intense training, but perhaps not enough threshold work. I'm thinking you could raise your FTP significantly.
You're pretty much right.

I see two main problems:
1. Relatively new to cycling [about 2.5 years total, 1 year of systematic training]. Though I can't use this excuse for much longer. :D
2. A lot of my training previously has been on fast group rides [read: 75 minute hammer fests in the city limits with a fair amount of stopping/sprint/recovery]. I knew this was killing me when I literally saw no gain in FTP from February 2007 to September 2007 [though my 1m/5m power went up significantly].

So, I'm going to focus on doing 1.5-2 hour rides at 92-95% of FTP. hoping to see some good results in 2-3 months [after it gets warmer]. I feel as though I'm just maintaining my current fitness with these hour long trainer rides.

-bullseye

I find it difficult to believe that you couldn't do more than 230 watts for an hour.


You can still work on FTP indoors. Try doing the 20 minute intervals at ~260 to 280 watts and see what happens. I'd bet you could do 300 if pushed hard (or after a couple of weeks of training).

I find it difficult to believe that you couldn't do more than 230 watts for an hour.


You can still work on FTP indoors. Try doing the 20 minute intervals at ~260 to 280 watts and see what happens. I'd bet you could do 300 if pushed hard (or after a couple of weeks of training).
I really can't. I've done everything [including resting up for a test session, et cetera] and 230 is the most I've been able to muster.

See, this is where I'm a bit uncertain, as I don't know if 3x20 intervals are going to benefit me more than 1.5-2 hour SST rides at this point. My guess is the latter, because I think I simply haven't built up a good enough aerobic base at this point.

-bullseye

I really can't. I've done everything [including resting up for a test session, et cetera] and 230 is the most I've been able to muster.

See, this is where I'm a bit uncertain, as I don't know if 3x20 intervals are going to benefit me more than 1.5-2 hour SST rides at this point. My guess is the latter, because I think I simply haven't built up a good enough aerobic base at this point.

Are you planning on racing? If not, then it doesn't really matter what your FTP is.

Are you testing FTP indoors? Some people's FTP take a big hit on trainers. Even if you try to test on a long climb, after almost an hour of climbing the air is pretty thin and affects your power, too.

Are you planning on racing? If not, then it doesn't really matter what your FTP is.
Is this the racing forum? :D



Are you testing FTP indoors? Some people's FTP take a big hit on trainers. Even if you try to test on a long climb, after almost an hour of climbing the air is pretty thin and affects your power, too.
Yeah, that's outdoors. Indoors is about 5-8% worse.

The same question still applies: more intensity or more time? I'm leaning with more time at SST.

-bullseye

81.6265%

So I voted 81 before relooking my power files. I shorted myself 10 watts on the 5 minute, bringing the percentage down to 80.6% (391/315).

Is this the racing forum? :D

Yeah, that's outdoors. Indoors is about 5-8% worse.

The same question still applies: more intensity or more time? I'm leaning with time at SST.

More time but don't compromise intensity too much. I improved a bit doing 3x20s but they only got me so far. I was already doing them as hard as I could so further improvements were only possible by increasing volume, even if it meant intensity was no longer 100%.

81.6265%

332, 271.

332, 271.

:o

That is nothing to be ashamed of.