Maybe I’m an anomonly, but I’m faster on the CT. Both up hills and down. On the CT, for up hills, you can sit up to stretch your back and keep pedaling. Hard to do that on the road. For down hills, all you have to do is hammer. No potholes, no switchbacks, just hammer.
To the OP, I did a 51.5 mile course on the CT this Saturday – can’t remember the course name, though. I’m 185. I averaged 209w and 19.6 mph. That’s considerable slower than 20k in 31 minutes. Weight is a big factor in wattage, especially up hills. That may be why your friend put out significantly more watts.
Finally, I wonder how many of us include the bike weigh in our CT profiles? I suspect that skews things a bit, too.
Maybe I’m an anomonly, but I’m faster on the CT. Both up hills and down. On the CT, for up hills, you can sit up to stretch your back and keep pedaling. Hard to do that on the road. For down hills, all you have to do is hammer. No potholes, no switchbacks, just hammer.
The more aero you are the further away the computrainer is from the speed output. The tried to fix that with the “drag factor” but i have yet to mess around with it enough to get me close on the speed part.
Like i said earlier on a flat course at 230watts im around 24mph. theres no way in the world i can avg 24 mph on the CT for an hour it just wont happen.
I picked up an indoor trainer (angry badger) and my speeds/watts have been horrible compared to what most ST’ers do. I don’t have a power meter on my bike (just the cheap kurt kinetic power meter and the spreadsheet someone made for speed vs watts on the trainer), but my average speed outdoor is usually 1.5-2+ mph easily for 30 minute rides (on a moderate course…some tougher hills). I’ve been complaining because my rides on the trainer just seem pathetic number wise, but I feel like I’m getting a good workout. Just gonna keep hitting the trainer till the weather gets better.
Don’t forget the ST effect when reporting on wattage numbers, run spits and swim times.
No. Way. I´m 150 lbs and I´d say about 300 watts on a trainer responds to about 40 kph on the road. 200 watts is around 30 kph. This I know from riding my tacx and doing threshold testing on a static bike compared to riding outside in full aero gear. My AnT was some 300 watt and I ride a 40K TT in about 60 min. AT was 240 which can be compared to me riding 180K at some 35-36 kph.
Thanks for the explanation. Thanks makes sense, at least to me. I’m 6’ and 185, so not that aero. It’s funny how wattage differs. On the Central Park course (6.03 mi), my best time is just under 16 minutes at 298 watts. I think the average was 22.7 mph.
The other thing that I notice is that I can beat people on the CT that I can’t touch on the road.
But, it’s still fun and makes riding a trainer tolerable.
No. Way. I´m 150 lbs and I´d say about 300 watts on a trainer responds to about 40 kph on the road. 200 watts is around 30 kph. This I know from riding my tacx and doing threshold testing on a static bike compared to riding outside in full aero gear. My AnT was some 300 watt and I ride a 40K TT in about 60 min. AT was 240 which can be compared to me riding 180K at some 35-36 kph.
Either your power meter needs fixin’, or you need to re-examine your “aero” position. At ~170 lbs, I did 59:43 on 279W. I also did 1:01:57 on ~235W this year. Both years, same flat course; much more aero this year.
Yeah check to make sure the weight setting is options is what you weigh that may make a difference. and make sure you calibrate it every ride a couple times. Obviously if its 16 mins don’t but if you are doing an hour or 2 on the bike i normall check it about every 45 mins. If youre on a regular tire that thing can be all over the place.
One other thing that i haven’t tested too much, but where you are sitting when you do the roll down test may have an effect. Since its so touchy the difference in sitting in aero and sitting up may make a difference in the roll down calibration.
But as far as the difference outside. I’m 6’, 160lbs that makes a huge difference in watts/mph for me.
Still don´t buy it, if you didn´t have quite a tailwind. What kind of watt meter did you use? The 59:43 sounds almost possible on a very flat course, tailwind or no wind at all, and a little less than 40K rather than more. But 39kph with 235 watts doesn´t sound realistic.
I have an anaerobic threshold at 300 watt, as do one of my friends about same size. This has been measured in lab conditions at sports research institutes. Both experienced time trialers with I´d say ok aero position. And a good aero position doesn´t save 100 watts compared to a bad one. We both do 10K at about 14:00 and 20K at 28:00 on a flat course. I do a 40K in about 60:00.
Well, guess the most important is what the clock says. And that you know your own watts and optimal training/racing pace.
Oh, you´re more aero. You must have wind tunnel tested it, being that confident. Anyway, either is your PB at 20K TT around 15 minutes or then I just put out a lot more watts than you. Interesting by the way, according to that I could theoretically do a 30 min TT with just either one of my legs. 230 watts is no problem with one leg pedalling.
Still don´t buy it, if you didn´t have quite a tailwind. What kind of watt meter did you use? The 59:43 sounds almost possible on a very flat course, tailwind or no wind at all, and a little less than 40K rather than more. But 39kph with 235 watts doesn´t sound realistic.
I have an anaerobic threshold at 300 watt, as do one of my friends about same size. This has been measured in lab conditions at sports research institutes. Both experienced time trialers with I´d say ok aero position. And a good aero position doesn´t save 100 watts compared to a bad one. We both do 10K at about 14:00 and 20K at 28:00 on a flat course. I do a 40K in about 60:00.
Well, guess the most important is what the clock says. And that you know your own watts and optimal training/racing pace.
My PM is a PT. The course this year actually measured a little long, IIRC. The course is an out-and-back, and there was more headwind on the return, but not a whole lot of wind. My PT has never read low, only high before I zero it. You can believe it or not, but I have no reason to make up these numbers, and my PT never reads low (I never get that excuse, unfortunately).
There are people on this forum who can do 40kph on closer to 200W, I believe.
I ride a P2SL with a LG Rocket, a 60mm deep front, a wheel cover rear, and I’m really low in front.
No need to get snarky, he’s only pointing out the obvious.
My wife would do 20km in 30.40 on 200w, on a relatively modest bike.
There are guys on this forum that would do it in ~29.30 on 200w (assuming flat smooth course).
Even for me at 203lb, 6’4" 200w (and needing to work on my position) is ~36.5 on a nice road.
You need to pay more attention to what chicanery is saying, go look through some of his past posts.
Someone can do the math cause trainingpeaks velocity thing is messed up but, i believe thats right around 38.5 kph at 231 watts. I was also probably 175lbs and 6’0" 2 years ago so definitly not a lightweight by any means compared to some people.
Ok so I´ve never tried a power meter on the road. I just find it weird that I could do so much higher watts in lab. Because I seriously do not believe that my aero position is that bad, and neither are Isaacs TT frame (next summer Cervelo P3C) and Zipp 404 tubular wheels.
your position isn’t that bad (certainly not that of a typical traithlete), if you have good tubs on. If you have bad tubs then your position is quite good (all assuming that you’re putting that 300w onto the road). But an excellent position is another beast entirely. You may find it more useful to get a Power Meter than a P3C, then learn how to attain an excellent position and train your power more effectively.
Still don´t buy it, if you didn´t have quite a tailwind. What kind of watt meter did you use? The 59:43 sounds almost possible on a very flat course, tailwind or no wind at all, and a little less than 40K rather than more. But 39kph with 235 watts doesn´t sound realistic.
Seems reasonable to me. I ride (on flat even pavement with little to no wind) about 24mph on a bit less than 235W. And that’s with just a deep front (Jet60) and plain 30mm Velocity rear rim. I’m 5’11" 160lb, so if the OP is smaller and/or has narrower shoulders than me then it’s perfectly reasonable. For a 40k TT I get just over 26mph on 285-290W with aero gear.
On an indoor trainer I have a hard time exceeding about 150bpm/200W before I overheat and just can’t ride any more. Outdoors with a 20+mph breeze I can hold 175bpm/315W for 2x20min easily. If I have a giant fan on me I can do okay indoors but I still hate it…
I’m not trying to be an asshole here, I am stating facts.
There is no way you’re under my weight of 132lbs
There is no way you’re under my CdA of .204
The SRM doesn’t lie (assuming it’s be calibrated recently)
One does not need a wind tunnel to determine CdA, just a lot of time, input data, and reliable mathematical calculation software. I will put my hundreds of hours of data and testing up against an hour in the wind tunnel any day of the week.
