Hi all, new Tri geek here and I am wondering if a good measurement of improvement is via w/kg.
After a year of working with a coach (2 years of regular exercise), my powertap files show a that I am holding 4w/kg at my threshold.
My coach set me up in 2008 with a powertap and a kurt kinetic trainer, and for the last year he has restricted me to only riding outdoors 2x per month.
The remainder of the sessions he has required me to ride only on the
trainer, putting me through these long mind numbing sessions. Sometimes
I fall off the bike when I am done, sometimes I don’t, and I just puke
on my handlebars. Or feel like I’m going to.
Is this good for tri, or am I looking at another season of training before seriously competing.
4 watts per kilogram? Yeah, I’d say you are going to get a lot of triathletes panties in a wad with a number like that; since that’s an above average number for a cyclist, and a very very good number for a Triathlete.
Sounds like you spent some time in the hurt locker getting there! What do you do when you ride outside?
oh, and your seat is too high. (am i first?..was i first?!)
After a year of working with a coach (2 years of regular exercise), my powertap files show a that I am holding 4w/kg at my threshold.
Small tip: You’re supposed to weigh yourself for the w/kg, not the bike.
John
I just tried that with a calculator…put my watts per KG down to high 3’s.
but, if you put just the KG of your bike in, well…then I get like 39watts per kg. HELL yeah!!!
but then…i’d have to sit my fat ass out of the race…and just let my bike go out and have all the fun…
EDIT: OP, so I read your post closer, have to ask; is that threshold figure your FTP then?
Hi Devlin
I am new to this, so I checked and I did set up WKO+ with just my weight. I did not put the weight of my bike in.
My coach has just turned over file management to me a few weeks ago, so I am bound to make a few mistakes.
Hi Devlin
I am new to this, so I checked and I did set up WKO+ with just my weight. I did not put the weight of my bike in.
My coach has just turned over file management to me a few weeks ago, so I am bound to make a few mistakes.
thanks!
–slp
WHOA WHOA WHOA!!
My post was tongue in cheek! I was telling you that YOUR weight, NOT the bike weight is what you enter, i.e. kidding you about putting in your bike weight only to get the #'s that you have. AFAIK, you DO NOT add the two to put them in. I stand to be corrected, though.
Long trainer sessions numb more than my mind…
Just go have fun - can’t compare an actual tri vs a trainer session
(…and you’ll probably find higher power #'s)
Long trainer sessions numb more than my mind…
Just go have fun - can’t compare an actual tri vs a trainer session
(…and you’ll probably find higher power #'s)
I found that too. So are you saying that I would see higher power numbers during an actual tri versus the trainer?
This has got to be a bad joke… you know its bad when you can’t actually tell if it’s a joke or not.
If you have a PowerTap why would you ride on the trainer except 2 days a month???
Why would you train 2 years before racing?
And 4 watts per KG for 1 hour is pretty good but nothing amazing however I have found trainer #s to be MUCH MUCH lower than reality. I would never do a 1 hour FTP test on a trainer to find out though…
If you are average weight for a triathlete guy (160lb or thereabout) then 4w/kg could net you a top 10% bike split easy. If you are 110lb then 4W/kg is only 200W and isn’t going to make you go very fast outdoors. I’d head to analyticcycling.com and put in a reasonable sustainable 2hr wattage and see what it sez for your speed. It’s all mental masturbation until you actually race it though…
I think that is good power, not great but good. I would say that is probably a high Cat 3 rider. I have a PT and I have found that riding the trainer trying to hold steady watts has improved my biking. I only do my long rides outdoors. If you can swim and run you are good to go! you will probably have a very good bike split compared to other triathletes at the race.
I wouldn’t think about racing anytime soon. After all, 4 w/kg would put you dead last in most UCI protour races. I would cut the outdoor riding down to 1x a month, or better yet, 1-2x a year. Then, ride the trainer another 4-6 years until you get to 5-6 watts/kg. Then, you can start work on your swimming.
I think that you’d be ready in 2017 or 2018 for your first triathlon. Don’t want to rush things though.
dead last? 4 w/kg would barely get you past the start line of a uci race and certainly not over the first climb. that’s like decent cat 4 power at best.
HA!! I just moved up to CAT 4 this fall. And yesterday, while going up a hill I hit 12.5w/kg. If you extrapolate my hip angle by the tangent of the gradient you would easily calculate an FTP equal to about 8.43217w/kg.
And again, I’m a Cat 4 racer, not some wimpy tri guy afraid of a group ride or a cross wind. Go back on the trainer boy.
Table from Training and Racing with a Powermeter, by Andrew Coggan & Hunter Allen, VeloPress, 2005 Men**************** 5 s1 min5 min20 min World Champion/World Record Holder 23.5 11.5 7.6 6.62 World Class 22.14 10.9 7.06 6.14 UCI Div. I/II Pro 20.78 10.3 6.52 5.67 UCI Div. III pro 19.42 9.7 5.97 5.19 Cat. 1 18.06 9.1 5.43 4.72 17.72 8.95 5.3 4.6 Cat. 2 16.7 8.5 4.89 4.24 16.36 8.35 4.75 4.12 Cat. 3 15.34 7.9 4.35 3.76 15 7.75 4.21 3.64 Cat. 4 13.98 7.3 3.81 3.29 13.64 7.15 3.67 3.17 Cat. 5 12.62 6.7 3.26 2.81 12.28 6.55 3.13 2.69 Untrained 11.26 6.1 2.72 2.34 10.92 5.95 2.59 2.22
Note: Values are displayed in watts/kg. The weight should be the weight of the body only. Bicycle, kit, water bottles, etc… are all excluded
*the values are just the first lines for each category (and i found this table using the google).
I wouldn’t think about racing anytime soon. After all, 4 w/kg would put you dead last in most UCI protour races. I would cut the outdoor riding down to 1x a month, or better yet, 1-2x a year. Then, ride the trainer another 4-6 years until you get to 5-6 watts/kg. Then, you can start work on your swimming.
I think that you’d be ready in 2017 or 2018 for your first triathlon. Don’t want to rush things though.
hilarious. Thanks for the laugh. I literally laughed out loud (in the middle of the library).
You’re right. At 4 w/kg, the OP should just pack it in and take up basket weaving. I would encourage everyone not at world class levels to hang it up now, and head to Michael’s for some craft supplies, NOW, before the big holiday rush gets going. You can even make a handlebar basket for your cruiser bike (and maybe your coach will one day allow you to ride that bike outside).
If you are average weight for a triathlete guy (160lb or thereabout) then 4w/kg could net you a top 10% bike split easy. If you are 110lb then 4W/kg is only 200W and isn’t going to make you go very fast outdoors. I’d head to analyticcycling.com and put in a reasonable sustainable 2hr wattage and see what it sez for your speed. It’s all mental masturbation until you actually race it though…
Agree that it really does matter how big you are. Little guys can have a great looking w/kg and still be slow. No way to extrapolate certain w/kg to certain levels without a lot more information. Regardless the OP is clearly a poor attempt at a troll so he/she can go back to trilovein.com or whatever and complain about how all the asswipes on ST said that 4 w/kg isnt shit
AFAIK, you DO NOT add the two to put them in. I stand to be corrected, though.