Originally Posted by
Jseis
So...would a typical pull...for say 2 minutes..by a "typical rider" (recognizing variability as you noted) be a watt output of say 250-270 watts? I ask this as I'm curious (not being a categoried rider) but I'd like some measure of watt effort. If you asked me to go pull 25 mph for 1 minute...well you'd get one pull out of me for maybe a minute (assuming I could even roll with a 25 mph paceline...thats a big assumption and likely I couldn't) then I'd be gassed, dropped. I'm 58 and would love to ride at that speed but it'll take me another year just to average 17+ solo and having no friends or partners locally who ride faster I'm destined to go it alone. BTW, I use Bike Calculator to get an approximate estimate of my watt output.
Thanks for the comments.
You don't seem to have had any answers. This may be because it isn't possible to generalise about "typical" pulls, riders or wattages. And one has to remember that as you emerge from the draft to take the pull, the power you have to put out to maintain the pace increases substantially.
I have a problem with the emphatic statements that the object is to maintain a consistent effort rather than a consistent speed. Yes, that is true in that one does not want the guy on the front to hammer uphill in order to maintain speed, and thus put everyone on the rack. But the idea is to maintain a consistent effort for the group, not the individual. So if I am second wheel I might be doing 25 mph and putting out 240 w because I'm sheltered. As the front guy pulls off and exposes me to the wind I maintain my speed, which means that the guys behind me get to maintain a consistent effort, but requires me to put out (say) 280 w. So the guys behind me get to put out a consistent effort, but my effort has risen for as long as I am on the front. These figures aren't accurate but you get my drift.
I'm your age. You'd be surprised how much faster you can go in a paceline.