Well I have a new ride and am looking to make some improvements on the bike and I just wanted to hear some stories of other peoples success… What power, speed, endurance gains have you all made over the course of a year?
10%
.
10% here too.
Some basics - you need to know where you are before you know how far you’ve gone …after 18 months of gains I wish I had established a written plan, starting with a time trial that is easily repeatable, I now work on a 4-5 week cycle that builds to a peak training week / race week followed by a recovery week … I’ve probably gained 10% without much of a plan - as a beginner - longest ride in 30 years was 17k - 18 months later I’m doing 100k rides and 80k Centurion - I’m pleased with the progress but would be elated with another 10% improvement even with smarter more focused trainer.
I leave the rest to those with more experience,
Cheers and good luck in the coming year,
Dan
My FTP went from 225W to 275W in a year. Paltry by ST standards but still 40 some percent.
Wouldnt that be about 20%? So should i not expect more than ten percent?
Yes. Sorry. I bit addled today.
No problem, what has your training been like? Anyone else?
I’ve seen guys go from mid pack to front of a pack in 4 months(mtbing). That was cat 2/sport, and same guys fighting for top 5 in cat 3/expert.
Times from one race a year earlier was 10min difference(1hr45min timeframe). Again, that was on just over 4 months training.
I’ve seen guys go from mid pack to front of a pack in 4 months(mtbing). That was cat 2/sport, and same guys fighting for top 5 in cat 3/expert.
Times from one race a year earlier was 10min difference(1hr45min timeframe). Again, that was on just over 4 months training.
My interest is piqued—how did they do it? What happened in those four months?
(I think you have your Cats backwards, however. Last I checked, Cat 1 was expert and Cat 3 was beginner.)
I’ve seen guys go from mid pack to front of a pack in 4 months(mtbing). That was cat 2/sport, and same guys fighting for top 5 in cat 3/expert.
Times from one race a year earlier was 10min difference(1hr45min timeframe). Again, that was on just over 4 months training.
My interest is piqued—how did they do it? What happened in those four months?
(I think you have your Cats backwards, however. Last I checked, Cat 1 was expert and Cat 3 was beginner.)
A power meter and EPO will get you 40% no worries! 
I saw 20% improvement in speed on the bike over about 4 months this year, but it’s also my first year. No power meter though, sorry. Also, over shorter distances approx 15 miles although it was in the course of training for a HIM.
It really depends on your prior training and your bodys ability to adapt.
This is my third year cycling, but first year doing a true winter build cycle. My FTP improved by 12% over last year. My other power measures increased 10-20% as well, with my 5s sprint increasing close to 25%.
Interesting year in terms of gains: nothing on top end but nearly 20% at sustained power for 3+ hours.
A power meter and EPO will get you 40% no worries!
Yeah, and Powercranks gets you another 40%. With this combo I could win TdF. That and my lazer-like focus…
My FTP went from 225W to 275W in a year. Paltry by ST standards but still 40 some percent.
difference between 1 and 2 is 1 or 100%
difference between 300 and 330 is 30 or 10%
I would argue if you are very fit, 10% a year is unrealistic without ergogenic assistance.
Power meter and a lot of intervals on the trainer last winter. My IM split went from 7hrs at St. George to 5:50:00 at CDA. Again, nothing special by ST standards, but I’m older (45), and relatively new to cycling seriously (3rd full year,) so it’s possible to get big gains. I expect continued improvement to be tougher and tougher.
Carl, from reading and following your contributions elsewhere, you certainly have a great pedigree. I’d love to hear some of the stuff you’ve worked on to get such gains at the pointy end of the field.
In 5 years of heavy cycling with a power meter, and better understanding of how to use it as time went on, my yearly gains were roughly
20%
10%
2%?
0% or maybe even (-2%)
10%
The 5th year breakthrough was detailed here: http://www.findingfreestyle.com/?q=blog_breakingthrough2010
Terrific article Dave. Loved it!