plx

I'am 19 years old, i am a begginer, i started cycling last year, but i didn't train much.
Now i'am motivated and i want to improve as much as possible, trying to avoid junk miles and doing every ride with a purpose.
I have a climb near my home which is 5 km long and averages 6.5%, i climb it at 15 km/h which equals 3.7 w/Kg, i feel that it's too slow so i want to be able to climb it at 20 km/h

Is it possible? Or i'am just dreaming?

jsutkeepspining

umm thats a pretty big jump... it might be possible if your really (genetically ) gifted. most likely it will not happen that fast though.

abstractform20

spake AmeriCAN

ericm979

It depends on how well you train and how good your genes are. The first one is under your control.

Why do you think it's "too slow"? Is climbing a limiter in races or are you just chasing a nice round number?

plx

i have big nose, every pro cyclist i see has big nose too so i think i might have talent for this

Lexi01

I reckon if you're pushing as hard as you can and are at 15km/h...getting to 20km/h in 5 months will be hard yakka...if not impossible.

That's just my opinion based on the gains I made when I first started.

kimconyc

It's possible but 5 months seems like a short amount of time for that big of a jump considering where you are right now.

However, it's not a very long climb, you are not talking about unrealistic speeds, and you are 19 so you most likely have the time to train properly, so odds are that if this is really important to you in life at this moment, you should go for it.

If you have the finances, I'd hire a personal coach and cycling specific nutritionist to add structure to your game plan to help you get there faster.

Phil85207

Sounds like good advice.

wkg

is yer bottom bracket beef enough to handle that watts?

renton

climber7

edit: but actually, to answer your question...3.6 or 3.7 w/kg is a fantastic starting point if you really haven't been training much, so i wouldn't be surprised if you could at least get up into the mid-4s with some serious training. 5.0 w/kg is very good but not superhuman.

but more importantly: are you using a power meter or estimating based on distance/time/grade?

kabex

How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

If you're 5'9-5'11 you should weigh around 135lbs for maximum efficiency.

If you're 5'6-5'8 I think you could do sub 130lb.

wkg

i'm pretty sure he's not using a power meter.

ok tell that to cadel (5'9" and 150 lbs), contador (5'9" 140), philippe gilbert (5'10" 150), andy schleck 6 ft 150, cavendish 5'9 150.

then there's the big guys, thor weighs 180, cancellara 180.

someone 5'9-5'11 might be best at 135 if all they do is hill climbs but even pro guys that win grand tours weigh more than that at that height.

most amateur races in the US are crits anyways where power is key.

merlinextraligh

for an indivual that is already reasonably fit, going from 3.6 w/kg to 5 w/kg in 5 months is going to be higly unlikely.

If you're a couch potato to start, or you have a lot of weight to drop, that could alter the equation.

That said, don't fixate on the power data. Get a plan to get stronger, work the plan, and don't worry about artificial bench marks.

jwible

He's talking about a 20-25 minute effort so at least he's got about a 2-5% above FTP target he should shoot for. That being said, 3.7 is strong. 5 is damned strong. Good luck kid.

WhyFi

Wouldn't being able to produce 5 w/kg over 20 or so minutes put one in fairly elite company? From that statistical standpoint alone, I think that the odds aren't favorable.

jwible

Yeah, 5w/kg is in the Cat 1 range I think. Elite Euro pros push between 5 and 6.

fly:yes/land:no

if you are north of 71 kilos, you will need to gain at least 100 watts. this will be very, very difficult.

hammy56

You started cycling last year but have been lurking here since 2010?

blcknspo0ln

This right here is why I will never fully commit to cycling. Malnutrition would not even get me to weigh that little and I'm 5'8".

echappist

you want more hay for your strawman argument?
hate to break it to you, 15kph is more like 3.5w/kg on a 6.5% hill. 20kph is ~5w/kg though. If you choose the right parents and have a bit of time to train, an improvement of 1.5w/kg is possible in 2-3 years.

before you do anything else, you should read a few books on training.

jmX

If I thought it was possible to go from 3.5 to 5.0 in 5 months I'd be out there killing it right now for the next 5 months. It's a pipe dream.

Set the goal for 4.0 and see how it goes. 4.0 (for an hour, or 4.1/4.2'ish for 20min) is a nice milestone, and probably achievable by anybody who puts the work in.

Also, if these are not power meter numbers, then be sure you are taking into account of the level of accuracy you're getting.

Forza

Is your gearing right? Sorry to be so direct, but the math does not add up.

I'm 68.5kg and on a similar climb I did it at 18.5km/h @ 3.34w/kg (at high Z2) and it was only 12:30 in time , not close to 20 minutes.

5w/kg is not that extraordinary for 13 minutes, and should be easily do-able...20 minutes is another story and remember to multiply your 20 minute power by .95 for the actual number, when using the 20 minute test.

wkg

i'm pretty sure that i already established that dude is wrong. sounds like he's from mexico and is having trouble converting kg to lbs. i'd say you need more mass than he believes is necessary for "maximum efficiency". you can go ahead and fully commit.

WhyFi

fify.