1. are you sure it is that different? did you test with similar degrees of rest, motivation, temperature, etc? maybe try again on the tri bike?

2. if you are sure, something is probably amiss with your fit. is it comfortable? are you distracted by pain? maybe your hip angle is too tight.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

How much of your hard training you did indoors this winter was done in the aero position? If it was little or none then I'm not surprised at the difference. You really need to do a good bit of your hard work aero if you want to have a solid tribike FTP. That said, if you start now improvement with come.

Hugh

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Yes...I was training with a road bike this winter. I do feel like I can't get my hips over as well when aero like when I'm on my road bike. Would I split nose saddle be a good choice for this?

If your power is being reduced by discomfort in the saddle contact zone then the right split nosed saddle might well help. If your thighs are impeded at the top of the stoke by your gut then shorter cranks might be in order. If you haven't spent time cycling hard in the aero postion then you need to do that a good bit. Lionel Sanders recently mentioned that he had made the mistake two winters ago of having done most of his indoor winter training non-aero and when he first got outdoors his aero position power was really disappointing. This winter he remedied that failing and came into season with excellent power from the get go. So get out there and do some hard riding in he aero position.

Hugh

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Simple question: was that the same power meter? Do you know for sure that number is correct? Like others have said, there are factors that can lead to what you are seeing, but probably not a 40W gap. That seems too wide to me.

2nd. Maybe a 5-10w difference, but not 40w

i myself am noticing this on my tri bike in aero vs non aero position (sitting up right)

Either your test was bad or you're way better at road biking than tri biking. Both are common.

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I would bet mine is at least 20-30 watts difference btw the two, never tested on road bike however. Min 20 watts for sure.

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2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

Sorry for any thread hijacking, but I have a similar question:

Is it very common for FTP to be higher out on the road than it is on the trainer, even when using a reasonably sized fan when on the trainer?
If so, what sort of differences are people seeing?

this

get to work hard on aero position but don't chase your road bike numbers right away.

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev

Thanks. I'm switching to a P.N. 1.1 saddle. I had the stock saddle that came with bike and its very uncomfortable. I guess I didn't notice it before but I lowered my position.

I'm assuming I should set my zones based on my FTP from my tri bike. Darn!

Yes it is common, but not universal.
Part of it is heat. Big fan? But what is the room like? a big fan in a small room will just spin the hot air around. Need to vent the air outside if possible. open windows, turn on AC, something

Part of it is the inertia of the trainer and how it compares to outdoor riding. How big of a flywheel does your trainer have?

Part of it may just be motivation or comfort related too

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Agree with what a previous poster said about double checking your power meters if you aren't using the same one for both bikes. There are a couple ways you can do this. Depending on what is available, you could check each against a third power meter (e.g. borrow a powertap if you use a crank or pedal based PMs), or if that isn't available, testing both with the same indoor trainer might tell you something. e.g. Hold 200 watts on each and see what speed your trainer thinks you are holding. Ruling out that the PMs are way off will tell you if you have a problem with your PMs and inform you about whether your issue is power in your TT position. If you find that out, follow the other advice on the thread and work on it. Good luck.

I'm in a garage with the door open (although there isn't a huge amount of air movement), using a 16'' pedestal fan.
I'm using a Minoura B60 turbo trainer, a pretty entry level unit so possibly not a great flywheel.

I did a ride on Sunday that was almost 4 hours and supposedly at .90 IF. I was ready for home by the end but by no means spent.
It just seemed a bit odd, 300+ TSS never felt so easy haha.

You could try borrowing a kurt kinetic with extra flywheel option, or a whaoo kickr, lemond etc and seeing if you can do more power with more inertia or not.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Good suggestions, but not really an option for me.
I'll probably just set my FTP to what's right on the road, and bear in mind that I can hold less when doing intervals on the trainer.

Could be but thats' pretty wide. Mine is 10-15W and I think that's becuase my TT position is really tight versus my road position which is a bit relaxed. But 40W is really wide.

Sorry, only my wife can do that.

Well played.

so if I were to generate 325w sitting up on tri bike vs 275w in aero bars for 20 minute ftp test, which should I count?

If you plan racing a flat tri in the aerobars then the latter.

What was your heart rate in both tests? If your heart rate is lower in the 275w test I would suspect that:
a) your fit is not good and you can't generate the power (perhaps too much drop and too closed a hip angle); or;
b) Rule #5

I would say raise the bars .5mm and try again :) that is 50 watts that u losing; maybe u can post a pic?

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev