jon10461

I just got an indoor trainer (travel trac) with a power meter. I am sustaining about 260W for 2hours, and 300 for 30 min. I don't race, but my buddy is telling me to just start off as a cat IV right away. I say he's a little ahead of himself (or myself) what do you guys think?

Enthalpic

Those are some solid numbers depending on how much you weigh. Use this to compare yourself to others; keeping in mind it overestimates your ability a bit.

DannoXYZ 

Well, bike-racing is 90-95% mental strategy and tactics and 5-10% physical anyway. You can be a monster brute and not do well if you've got more cunning guys in the pack who can use your own strength against you. It's really not about average power-output, it's really about going from 200w to 1000w in a matter of seconds and being able to sustain it for 10-15seconds, then drop down to 100w to recover, you recover quickly in 10-15 seconds. Then do it all over again from 150-1200w and holding it for 5-10 seconds, then recover @ 100w for 10-20 seconds, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, etc.... There are guys who can crank it up to 1500watts even and if you can't hang with them for 10-15 seconds, they're gone and you're dropped.

cslone

How accurate is the trainer when compared to a well known power meter?

slowandsteady

This is so true. In bike racing, especially crits, it has so much more to do with strategy than anything. You can safely asssume that nearly everyone is at about the same physical level, but the winners are those with the strategy.

merlinextraligh

Regardless of your buddy's opinion, and your power numbers,accurate or not, you can't start as a Cat IV in USCF racing. You have to do 10 mass start races as a CatV. After you do those, you'll know if your ready to move up.


Also, you'll find out that Racing, particularly crit racing is not about sustained output. It's about the ability to go extremely hard in short bursts, recover quickly and repeat, over and over and over. So you might mix in some short intense intervals.

Finally, depending on how much you weigh, 300 watts for an hour would likely place you mid pack in a CatV 40K TT.

Don't mean to burst your bubble. But most folks find their first bike races to be harder than they think. However, most foks also figure outs what needed to succeed and can adapt and go on and be successful.
Not even knowing anything about you, just based on pure law of averages you're likely to struggle in your first race or two.
It sounds like you do have potential, and if you work at it, you may come to be good. However that remains to be seen. Developing a sense of humility might help get you farther.

jon10461

I appreciate all the advice. Time for some intervals.
PS Merilin-the sense of humility is not really my problem. I didn't think I needed to be catIV (I obviously didnt even know enough to know i couldn't start at that level) That was my buddy's idea

fuzzthebee

Speaking of intervals, how are you setting your zones? I would guess your FTP (functional threshold power) to be in the neighbourhood of 280-290w assuming that your sustained efforts are all-out.

zimbo

Totally depends on weight and aerodynamics. For me, 300 watts on flat ground is over 27mph in my TT configuration. That's better than mid-pack CatV around here at least.

I agree with those who say that tactics, strategy, and handling are crucial to racing success... But they aren't 90% of the equation. Maybe 50%. Maybe.

--Steve

merlinextraligh

which would indicate you weigh less than 135lbs. Pretty good power output at that size. https://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm

NomadVW 

300 watts at 27mph. Wow. At my weight of 180, my best speed at 300 watts yesterday was 34.1kph. I need that aerodynamics.

Looking again at my info, (cut me some slack for being a power newbie)

I did do an interval that was tailwinded that had some time below 300 watts and above 37kph.

Min 220, Max 348, Avg 285: Avg Speed 38.1

Again, tailwinded pretty nicely on that interval.

Anyway... back to my new toy.

brianappleby

i've asked the accuracy question on this forum before and gotten that the TTrac consistenly runs about 60W below the Powertap.

jon how much do you weigh? 300w at 200lbs is much different than 300w at 160.

NomadVW 

I gotta wonder how you endure 2 hours on a trainer too. Blech. Rolling into the winter season and not being on the rollers in months, I can barely get by an hour on them without wanting to throw in the towel.

grebletie

Stuff to watch on the computer, a fan, and normal outdoor carry-alongs like water and cliff bars. Longest one I've done so far is 3 hours 30 minutes. Given my endurance needs, I probably won't go too much over that. Sometimes indoors is better than freezing rain.

The_Convert

Um... of course this is depending on what you weigh, except not how you are presenting it. If you put out 300 watts for an hour, and are around 165 lbs, that is good for at least a mid pack 3's finish.




as for the thread...
the real question is how much you weigh jon. You arent that kid who was on the american classic team are you?

zimbo

Which shows that the calculator isn't always accurate. I have a PowerTap SL (ok, two, actually) and got my numbers at a recent 10 mile TT at Lowe's Motor Speedway. If I plug the pertinent numbers into the calculator you posted it predicts a speed of 26.2 mph, but here's the actual result:

My weight: 163lbs with clothes
Bike weight: 18lbs
Average power: 308 watts
Distance: 10.0 miles
Average speed: 27.1mph
Configuration: Road bike with aero bars, aero helmet, skin suit

Incidentally, this online calculator predicted 27.1mph. But sometimes it's off as well.

--Steve

jon10461

I weigh 145 lbs.
BTW, I don't have a powertap-my power estimates come from the powermeter on my trainer. WHen I bike outside (hands on the drops, Specialized Aluminum frame road setup) My speed isusually on1ly 22-23mph. Does aerodynamics make that much difference?