Originally Posted by
RoadTire
Uh, no, not everyone trains using power. I'm still in the dark ages where watts is for light bulbs. Why not train with watt-hours. Seems that would be a better measurement of energy over time.
Because
1. Research shows that training impact on your body goes up with the square of power output. Except when it comes to boosting power output and fit issues an hour at 100% has similar impact to four hours at 50%.
2. It's easier to compare results and work with generalized training plans when the effort is normalized for the athlete's fitness level.
The most popular training stress tracking schemes are essentially the product of time and the square of the quotient of weighted average power divided by what an athlete should be able to sustain for one hour, scaled so that 100 points = a maximum effort 1 hour time trial.
Ex: with a 235W critical power, if I ride a 1 hour time trial at a steady 230W I get 96 points.
But then that's just me. And I have not idea how to relate 250 watts to anything mechanical, including me.
About 20-24 MPH riding a road bike on flat ground depending on aerodynamics and rolling resistance.