Please settle a controversy. When I compute my watts per kg, do I use my bike weight? Or, do I just use my weight directly from the scale?
Just your own weight. The weight of the bike does not affect the power you are putting out, just has an effect on the resulting speed.
The proper scaling factor for bragging is as follows:
FTP Power/Weight = /
optional +.5 fudge factor.
The proper scaling factor for bragging is as follows:
FTP Power/Weight = /
optional +.5 fudge factor.
Note that this is best for online bragging. It is a little bit harder to pull off the “Yeah, I’m at 6 watts/kg” when your cycling buddies know they can drop you at will on steep climbs 
you get on the scale without your bike, no clothes, just pooped, no water or food for the last two days. Whatever your weight in pounds (165 lbs), you then round down to kilograms (74) then round down nearest multiple of 5 (74 kg → 70 kg). Round your power up to the nearest multiple of 10 (eg 283w → 290w).
Take that number (4.14w/kg) and round it up to the nearest 0.5 = 4.5 w/kg
Nice job. You’re looking pretty strong
Note that this is best for online bragging. It is a little bit harder to pull off the “Yeah, I’m at 6 watts/kg” when your cycling buddies know they can drop you at will on steep climbs
Not true: you had a cold that day, your kids kept you up all night, tough day at the office, you’re really upset by the whole Lance situation, the weather is getting too hot, etc…
i thought all w/kg stats were in watts in a 1 hr tt per kg… no?
i thought all w/kg stats were in watts in a 1 hr tt per kg… no?
no
there are an infinity of watts/kg stats. Though must stick to whole second intervals of duration =)
5 second, often used for sprinters
5 minutes is often used
20 minutes
1 hour
those are how i guage my overall fitness: 5s, 5min, 20min and 1 hr. But I thought when someone said “I’m a 5w/kg rider” that they were referring to their 1 hr. what say you jackmott? not necessarily true?
those are how i guage my overall fitness: 5s, 5min, 20min and 1 hr. But I thought when someone said “I’m a 5w/kg rider” that they were referring to their 1 hr. what say you jackmott? not necessarily true?
when people say things you can assume absolutely nothing!
lol
*when people say things you can assume absolutely nothing! *
Actually it is pretty safe to assume that their ‘true’ w/kg is lower than stated.
Francois in Montreal
The proper scaling factor for bragging is as follows:
FTP Power/Weight = /
optional +.5 fudge factor.
6.48W/Kg I guess my backdoor brag doesn’t work well in this case because that FTP should have me on anyone’s Le Tour team, which probably means I’m still bragging.
Just your own weight. The weight of the bike does not affect the power you are putting out, just has an effect on the resulting speed.
Agree that people don’t generally include bike weight & that it doesn’t affect the power put into the bike. However, bike weight does affect speed up a grade. W/kg probably should include bike weight… Accept that would lower the value, so forget it 
Please settle a controversy. When I compute my watts per kg, do I use my bike weight? Or, do I just use my weight directly from the scale?
For what purpose?
Measuring and tracking fitness progress - no bike
Predicting climbing times - bike included
Note that this is best for online bragging. It is a little bit harder to pull off the “Yeah, I’m at 6 watts/kg” when your cycling buddies know they can drop you at will on steep climbs
Not true: you had a cold that day, your kids kept you up all night, tough day at the office, you’re really upset by the whole Lance situation, the weather is getting too hot, etc…
I think I need some coaching on this, how about “did 400 TSS ride yesterday”, “riding with 50 lbs of weights to even things up between us”?
Not a bad start but remember, they could always ask to see your extra weights. You have to keep your excuses impressive but vague enough that they would feel like an ass or an idiot for asking for more detail.
“yeah, just taking it easy today because I raced this Hawaii event yesterday and my legs are sore from climbing up and down the podium for all the pictures that Triathlete Mag was taking”
"trying to keep the heart rate down, I’m doing that ultramarathon in Leadville on Saturday and they say it’s tough or whatever. "
“just not feeling it today, work was rough. My boss keeps riding my ass and always wants me to lead him out. Oh, you didn’t know? Yeah, Cavendish is pretty cool in real life, for a sprinter”
Please settle a controversy. When I compute my watts per kg, do I use my bike weight? Or, do I just use my weight directly from the scale?
No, don’t include your bike weight. But when you use some sort of pacing calculator to determine your finish time, don’t include bike riding. Just go by your best running time.
Not a bad start but remember, they could always ask to see your extra weights.
Ah, but I have a response for that, “Nature’s Pocket”
.
You’re obviously better at this than I!
*when people say things you can assume absolutely nothing! *
Actually it is pretty safe to assume that their ‘true’ w/kg is lower than stated.
Francois in Montreal
You can also pretty well tell by the ensuing run split how over inflated the watts per kilo claims are. Run splits don’t lie. You can’t concoct run splits. Pure “bench press” wattage numbers and watts per kilo using weights from grade 6 and wattage from 5 min all out can easily be concocted…run splits are all out there on sportstats for the world to see. We can always reverse calculate the watts per kilo off the run splits
Dev