Creatre

Rockets always recommends this too, but it's never actually worked for me. I can't produce nearly the power with brakes applied even like full out rpe. However, if you aren't looking to do 300w or more with brakes applied, and just need maybe half that, it works decently.

waterrockets 

Interesting. You have to make sure you're still at a good cadence, as you'll remember that half the cadence requires twice the force to maintain power. I can stop at a no-wait stop sign and barely miss any kilojoules, coming out of it cross-chained.

abhirama

Finally had access to my computer after 2 weeks and while going through my workouts during that period, I discovered that I had done my first 1000+W jump and my 5s avg was 1007W. Happy to see 4 digit wattage for the first time :-)

Voodoo76

Recently picked up a PT Pro wheel. Debating between Garmin 500 & Joule GPS for use with it. Anyone using the Joule?

asgelle

I've been happy with the Joule GPS. There are discussions on the Wattage group of issues associated with mixing one brand of sensors with another company's head unit.

mattm

Congrats, that's a nice feeling!

It took me a long time between cracking 1k watts, and getting a 1k+ 5-sec average.

rkwaki

It's not how big your watts are, it's how you use them...

revchuck 

Thank goodness. I'm still 33 watts away from that 1k level, but I haven't made a discreet effort to do it.

caloso

Never fails.

JohnKScott

Hmmm...I'm much fatter than I was 2 years ago. Perhaps I can set a new max power

bbbean 

Got my Stages power meter about 10 days ago, and have been enjoying the additional data and ability to better compare my efforts. When I first got the power meter, I put the bike in the trainer, cranked out a 40 minute session, and established an FTP of 213 based on the best 20 minutes less 5% method. A few days later, the weather cleared up and I got a decent ride in, and my best 20 less 5 ran 217. Pretty consistent, right?
So today, I enter my first criterium (Tour of St. Lopuis Carondelicious Criterium), get my ass beat, and spend about half the race chasing a bunch of guys half my age (tranelation, chasing the pack instead of in the pack. Race ends up being 50 minutes with an avg power of 247, normalized power of 266, and best 20 of 258.

Should I revise my FTP up to 258 X .95= 245 since this was a real world test of how hard I could push, or should I stick with my lower estimates from solo rides where I was pushing hard, but not as hard?

FWIW: Bike Ride Profile | Tour of STL Carondelicious Crit near St. Louis | Times and Records | Strava

shovelhd

No. Do a proper test after a rest week.

clones2

Cat 4 racer with a new power meter. Only two outside rides this year, both FTP tests, one a 20, one a 60. Both confirmed a ~270 watt ftp. so 3.6 w/kg. Not bad to start the year. However, I can consistently put out 5 second sprints around 1300watts and jumps to almost 1400 when I was testing sprint power...it's definitely my strength

My FTP seems to be "ok" and should get me to the end of most races... but does anyone have some favorite "tips" to use a good sprint jump and 15s power to my advantage at the end of a race. I have a few successes and a few failures so far... Is there any benefit of trying to jump early for a good sprinter...or should I be waiting as close to the 200m as possible?

Anything to avoid another year of experimentation....

Ygduf

You can't avoid another year of trying ****. Or a lifetime of it.

And yeah, if 15s is your strength, figure out how far you can go in 15s on a course and wheel it off backwards before the race and pick your spot.

After that, it's just skill and timing to be in a spot in the pack from which you can get a clear 15s to the line. Easier said than done, of course, as everyone else with your profile is angling to do the same thing.

clones2

Yeah - I should've worded my statement a little better. It's not like you ever "figure it out". :-) My emotions have gotten the best of me a couple times when I've run a good race, saved energy, been in a good position, and then I blow what should be the best part of the race for me. Thx

Voodoo76

Pick a good wheel.

dave2041

Cat 4 here with a stages. New to racing and following this training program: Cycling Training Plans: Fitness Guides | Bicycling Magazine

Completed my first race last Saturday and second race sunday. Took it easy throughout this week (z1/z2) except a turbo session wednesday - 4x(4min Threashold 1min max 10min base)

Sticking with the plan i should do a session tonight, 4x(2min threshold 1min max).

My question is should i do the session tonight? I have a race tomorrow. Is there anyway i can calculate how it is going to affect my fitness/fatigue/form chart?

It currently looks like this: (Note i've only had the power meter for three weeks)

globecanvas

The fitness/fatigue numbers (the fitness one, anyway) are not going to be useful until you have several months of data. So don't even bother looking at that for a while.

To answer the general question, since you're coming off a mostly rest week, it's probably fine to do the workout before the race. It's not a high load workout.

To answer your specific question, you can calculate how a potential workout will change those numbers. First estimate the training load of the workout, by looking at previous similar workouts. 4x(2m Z4 + 1m Z6) probably has a training load (TSS) of somewhere around 50-60, depending on what you do in between the intervals.

In Golden Cheetah or Training Peaks, you can just manually enter a workout with this TSS to see how the numbers change. You can't do that in Strava. But the calculation is straightforward. Typically fitness (CTL) is a 7-week moving average and fatigue (ATL) is a 7-day moving average. Roughly, given a new workout with a TSS of X, your new CTL is old_ctl*6/7+X/7, and your new ATL is old_atl*41/42+X/42. ("Roughly" because different software implements these calculations differently. Keep in mind this is all just an attempt to model how your body actually reacts to work.)

Although, like I said at the start, your numbers aren't meaningful yet anyway.

dave2041

Thank you for the fast and concise reply... i think i'm going to like it here (Just read through the 240 or so pages!)

globecanvas

Oh don't worry, that won't last.

ovoleg

If anyone was wondering on Quarq vs Powertap difference. I borrowed a friends Edge 810 and ran mine together on the same ride. I zero'd both units before I left. The Powertap 810 recorded an extra 0:45 sec of moving time.

Left is Quarq, Right is Powertap. I haven't had a chance to look at the interval splits. I had the Powertap one in my jersey pocket so I didn't hit lap like I normally do on the one mounted to my bars. Before I started the intervals(20mins into the ride) they were dead on.

Ygduf

2w of drivetrain loss.

waterrockets 

yeah, that was my first thought. But Quarq at +/-1.5%, PT at +/-2.5% that gets us to +/-3.75%, or ~8W of variability, so 207W and 205W might as well be the same reading.

hack

and 40mph wasn't achieved...not even at 800+ watts.

kindablue

Normalized power question... So there is quite a bit of variability between normalized power and average power when I'm looking at the chart after my intervals (3'x6). Any thoughts as to why?
Would it be better to shoot for a higher np during intervals? Translating to riding I'm assuming that would mean less fluctuation in power and more of a steady push.

My initial thought is that the short intervals would mess with np. In theory it is a better metric for more aerobic efforts, VO2 and above will likely just throw it off?