Originally Posted by
fuzz2050
It means that pro cyclists put out a lot more power (often measured in watts) than us tourists do. If you have 50 pounds of static weight on your bike, there are other forces at play, but if you have a 'SUL' load, then it shouldn't be much of an issue.
Pro riders put out more power per mass than tourists, but not necessarily more power. They still manage to have many bike failures over the course of a grand tour, which is fine when you have a team car with replacements. That wouldn't work out so well for a tourist on the Lost Coast.