Originally Posted by
AzTallRider
Good luck with the non-racer part of that. Most of us that spend the bucks, time and hassle on power measurement do so because we are racing and want our training to be as effective as possible. And comparing numbers falls into what is called the "e-wang" category. It's similar to "average speed" threads.
Amen... I am over 60 and have power on my road, track and time trial bikes. Why do you care about others's power numbers. Some riders are very aero and light and do not need much power. Some riders are big, heavy and strong and can generate a lot of power but may no be very fast. Also, duration is the key metric combined with power. Some examples are 5 second power, 30 second, 1 minute, 5 minute, 10 minute and 60 minute. The maximum power one can produce for 60 minutes is call the functional threshold power (FTP) and it is the basis for setting power zones. Riders that have higher FTPs tend to be good at time trials and hill climbs while those that have great 1 minute and 30 second power with the ability to recover are good at criteriums but may have relatively poor FTPs.