brianappleby

for climbing.

First off, I apologize for the mixed units. They are just what I'm most familiar with...
v= speed in mph
P= power in watts
m=mass (weight) in lbs.
g=grade (6% grade would be entered as 6)
d=distance in miles of the climb
t= time in minutes to get to the top

first:

v=50P/(m*G)
t=1.2dmg/P

Boring I know but here's what i've learned:

For my weight (200lbs including the bike) and a 7% grade, losing 10 pounds off my ass or my bike is the same as increasing my power by 20 watts. 5 pounds gets me 10 watts.

For a climb that generally takes me 11 minutes, I can cut 17 seconds off that time by losing 5 lbs. or gaining 10 watts of power.

This is in the context of climbing and thus ignores air resistance.

hope it's helpful to someone.

B.