What watts per kilo at ftp would be considered a minimum for semi pro cyclists. I realize there are a lot of contributing factors to performance, other than power to weight, but setting those aside for a bit. I peaked this year with 280 watts ftp at 63.5 kilos, so a tad over 4.4 w/kg. My goal within the next couple of years is to get to 5 w/kg ftp which would only mean dropping to 62 kilos and bumping my ftp up to 310 watts, so not much of a stretch. Just trying to gauge my potential if I get serious about racing.
Google “Coggan Chart” or “Coggan table”. You will find your answers!
Be sure to take 95% of a 20 min test as FTP, or 100% of a 60 min test, time trial, or crit (usually pretty close if you are pushed very hard).
W/KG has many limitations, as you are aware. So having a good position/ adequate flexibility to hold said flexibility and a good racing brain to go with your fitness will go a long way.
Cheers lad
Backdoor brag much?
You can get to Cat 2 with that power and maybe better if you have a strong sprint, or you are a smart racer, or choose your races well.
Here is the chart mentioned along with a calculator. http://www.americanroadcycling.org/TheBook/PowerToWeightCalculator.aspx
It puts you at upper cat 2. 5 w/kg puts you somewhere between high cat 1 and domestic pro according to the chart. Personally I find the numbers in the chart to be slightly too high, but they will give you a good idea of where you are.
I’m around 4.5 w/kg when in race shape - usually gets me near the front of the bike leg, but I’d be spit out the back of most riders who don’t also swim and run. Pro or even semi pro riders are beasts on the bike. Tactics help a lot and bike handling skills go a long way, but pure power is what is really needed at the pointy end of bike racing.
A local guy has won our state TT and won his AG nationally. In 20’ power tests he’s around 430 watts. He does weigh around 190 pounds, so not the best for climbing, but on rolling or flat terrain it doesn’t matter.
You’re right, tons of situations in every bike race where being able to hit very high power very often is necessary. The only exception being in a TT. This can be seen in draft-legal racing as well http://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/Matt_Chrabot_s_power_file_2762.html.
My goal within the next couple of years is to get to 5 w/kg ftp which would only mean dropping to 62 kilos and bumping my ftp up to 310 watts, so not much of a stretch. Just trying to gauge my potential if I get serious about racing.
Don’t worry about your FTP w/kg if you want to race with the pros. At 4.4 w/kg you are 20-30% off from being able to climb with the top 50 guys in North America so you are going to have to get by with short efforts and tactical savvy. Low 300ish watts in a TT is going to lose you 6-10 minutes over a top pro TT specialist in a 40km. If you can crack 11+ w/kg for a minute or 1300+ watts in a sprint and handle your bike like a baller then you will be in the mix in crits or technical circuits.
To put it another way, if you show up to a pro race (NRC, UCI or top regional race) with a 5 w/kg FTP and no other weapons in your arsenal you will do nothing but suffer and live in the back 1/3 of the pack where crashes happen. I’ve watched guys do that for years and only win the prize for “best excuse for why you got dropped”.
I hope that puts “pro racing” in perspective watts wise. Local 1/2 races are a different story, 5 w/kg and a good team will put you in the mix in non selective races. I just wouldn’t call that “pro”.
Depending on how trained you are, going from 280 to 310 would e a huge stretch. You underestimate how difficult another 10% could be.
What is a semi-pro cyclist?
My goal within the next couple of years is to get to 5 w/kg ftp which would only mean dropping to 62 kilos and bumping my ftp up to 310 watts, so not much of a stretch. Just trying to gauge my potential if I get serious about racing.
Don’t worry about your FTP w/kg if you want to race with the pros. At 4.4 w/kg you are 20-30% off from being able to climb with the top 50 guys in North America so you are going to have to get by with short efforts and tactical savvy. Low 300ish watts in a TT is going to lose you 6-10 minutes over a top pro TT specialist in a 40km. If you can crack 11+ w/kg for a minute or 1300+ watts in a sprint and handle your bike like a baller then you will be in the mix in crits or technical circuits.
To put it another way, if you show up to a pro race (NRC, UCI or top regional race) with a 5 w/kg FTP and no other weapons in your arsenal you will do nothing but suffer and live in the back 1/3 of the pack where crashes happen. I’ve watched guys do that for years and only win the prize for “best excuse for why you got dropped”.
I hope that puts “pro racing” in perspective watts wise. Local 1/2 races are a different story, 5 w/kg and a good team will put you in the mix in non selective races. I just wouldn’t call that “pro”.
i think people would call this: spitting truth like hot fire
Backdoor brag much?
You can get to Cat 2 with that power and maybe better if you have a strong sprint, or you are a smart racer, or choose your races well.
oh yes, and this, too
a professional Strava KOM hunter?
jest aside, a lot of good regional teams (e.g. the new Kelly Benefit) would qualify. basically all cat-1’s with a dedicated coaching staff and funds for travel and equipment. This may be not too far from a few continental teams as some continental teams provides lodging and food but not much else
a professional Strava KOM hunter?
jest aside, a lot of good regional teams (e.g. the new Kelly Benefit) would qualify. basically all cat-1’s with a dedicated coaching staff and funds for travel and equipment. This may be not too far from a few continental teams as some continental teams provides lodging and food but not much else
I went to school with several individuals on those teams now/in the recent past…even a couple guys who had a cup of coffee in Europe. They’re monsters.
Sprinters are the coolest dudes. Become one of them…unless you can’t sprint…then do something else.
a professional Strava KOM hunter?
jest aside, a lot of good regional teams (e.g. the new Kelly Benefit) would qualify. basically all cat-1’s with a dedicated coaching staff and funds for travel and equipment. This may be not too far from a few continental teams as some continental teams provides lodging and food but not much else
I went to school with several individuals on those teams now/in the recent past…even a couple guys who had a cup of coffee in Europe. They’re monsters.
Sprinters are the coolest dudes. Become one of them…unless you can’t sprint…then do something else.
i’m as slowtwitching as they come; so much so i really shouldn’t be racing bikes, but i do. as my user name suggests, i tend to get away and do things the hard way
i’ve cracked 1200w over 5 seconds on one occasion, but i think i have went over 1000W in only one race, and that was when i was quite fresh. At the end of a break when i’m hauling, i’d be lucky to crack 800W for one second.
4.8-5W/kg can get you to Conti-pro if you are big. You don’t need that much to pull a train on the flat if you are a big guy, but you need it to keep in touch so as not to get shelled on small climbs. A sprinter for crits could probably get by with less.
On climbs it’s W/kg.
On flats it’s W/m^2 (watts per frontal surface area).
Don’t worry about your FTP w/kg if you want to race with the pros. At 4.4 w/kg you are 20-30% off from being able to climb with the top 50 guys in North America so you are going to have to get by with short efforts and tactical savvy. Low 300ish watts in a TT is going to lose you 6-10 minutes over a top pro TT specialist in a 40km. If you can crack 11+ w/kg for a minute or 1300+ watts in a sprint and handle your bike like a baller then you will be in the mix in crits or technical circuits.
To put it another way, if you show up to a pro race (NRC, UCI or top regional race) with a 5 w/kg FTP and no other weapons in your arsenal you will do nothing but suffer and live in the back 1/3 of the pack where crashes happen. I’ve watched guys do that for years and only win the prize for “best excuse for why you got dropped”.
I hope that puts “pro racing” in perspective watts wise. Local 1/2 races are a different story, 5 w/kg and a good team will put you in the mix in non selective races. I just wouldn’t call that “pro”.
BEST. RESPONSE. EVER. to this type of question.
Read ‘pro cycling on $10 a day’ by phil gaimon
gives some interesting details about how much he was being paid when racing as a domestic pro. happened to luck into an $8000 salary with a semi-pro team for his first gig, but for a short time only. got $2500 a year (basically $200 a month) for his first pro contract ( Jelly Belly), then. got around $15,000 a year for a couple of years with Kenda 5-hour. After he won redlands he negotiated $45,000 with Bissell, and apparently Francisco Mancebo is being paid $90,000 at kenda .
He’s now at optum Kelly Benefit after a year with Garmin, so I do think he is getting paid at least some money. Obviously with more results you can negotiate a better salary.
But if you’re just starting out… you’d probably have to slum it with the dogs for awhile.
What watts per kilo at ftp would be considered a minimum for semi pro cyclists. I realize there are a lot of contributing factors to performance, other than power to weight, but setting those aside for a bit. I peaked this year with 280 watts ftp at 63.5 kilos, so a tad over 4.4 w/kg. My goal within the next couple of years is to get to 5 w/kg ftp which would only mean dropping to 62 kilos and bumping my ftp up to 310 watts, so not much of a stretch. Just trying to gauge my potential if I get serious about racing.
As far as power goes, after a several weeks largely spent off the bike I recently gave a 20 min effort a go and was able to avg 5.037 w/kg. Roughly placing my ftp around 4.77 w/kg. I wish I had a power meter on my bike during the Pro Challenge as Jens rode me off his wheel leaving Boulder. Anyway, I would suggest to keep riding, having fun and see what happens.
What is a semi-pro cyclist?
Anyone on an UCI continental team. In the US, conti. teams are called “pros” and they can race with the real pros (Pro-Conti and Pro Tour) at select races but concerning the UCI’s view on the topic, we are still amateurs.
Read ‘pro cycling on $10 a day’ by phil gaimon
gives some interesting details about how much he was being paid when racing as a domestic pro. happened to luck into an $8000 salary with a semi-pro team for his first gig, but for a short time only. got $2500 a year (basically $200 a month) for his first pro contract ( Jelly Belly), then. got around $15,000 a year for a couple of years with Kenda 5-hour. After he won redlands he negotiated $45,000 with Bissell, and apparently Francisco Mancebo is being paid $90,000 at kenda .
He’s now at optum Kelly Benefit after a year with Garmin, so I do think he is getting paid at least some money. Obviously with more results you can negotiate a better salary.
But if you’re just starting out… you’d probably have to slum it with the dogs for awhile.
Unfortunately, for the that same reason, it explains why I have an ever going list in the classifieds. Please, go check it out, donations are also accepted. 
THANKS!
Read ‘pro cycling on $10 a day’ by phil gaimon
gives some interesting details about how much he was being paid when racing as a domestic pro. happened to luck into an $8000 salary with a semi-pro team for his first gig, but for a short time only. got $2500 a year (basically $200 a month) for his first pro contract ( Jelly Belly), then. got around $15,000 a year for a couple of years with Kenda 5-hour. After he won redlands he negotiated $45,000 with Bissell, and apparently Francisco Mancebo is being paid $90,000 at kenda .
He’s now at optum Kelly Benefit after a year with Garmin, so I do think he is getting paid at least some money. Obviously with more results you can negotiate a better salary.
But if you’re just starting out… you’d probably have to slum it with the dogs for awhile.
That’s crazy. I wonder why anyone with less than a 6.5 w/K would even bother, unless they were independently wealthy. For those kind of salaries you are guaranteed to lose money even if it included room and board.
The top domestic (usa) pro women are at around 4.5w/kg+
.
Well, just 6 will get you millions.
Or 5.5 and a sprint
That’s crazy. I wonder why anyone with less than a 6.5 w/K would even bother, unless they were independently wealthy. For those kind of salaries you are guaranteed to lose money even if it included room and board.