I’m still a bit taken aback.

4.5w/kg untrained 20min ftp?

Thst’s on a similar level to someone saying “I deadlift 250kg for reps untrained, y’know, I just went to the gym for the first time” It’s in a similar ballpark. Or…I went to the climbing gym for the first time and flashed a f7b. Coggan’s power tables puts 4.5w/kg in the top end Cat 2 territory, which is several years of training for most people.

Just how good are male pro road cyclists?

Another reference that puts it into perspective.

I started having ridden a bit but never trained at all properly at about 3w/kg and after 3 years am now at about 4.6w/kg.

Got my 3rd cat in my first season in crits and since then have been searching to do better in open road races.

So Continuity – I think/hope you’re right, people don’t just turn up with 4.5w/kg unless they’re on their way to the top somewhat rapidly. You can sit in the bunch with a lot less for sure if it’s not hilly. And you might have a big sprint at the end too.

I’m sure Nath will reply in due course but I think you’ll find Nath did little more than a few thousand miles unstructured road riding for a couple of years beforehand. Perhaps an odd flying lap of Richmond Park.
Getting his body fat down to such a low level probably helped too- he created the right physique.
But yes, as per his original thread, he pretty much had 4.5w/kg ftp off the bat. (336w for 20 mins @ 71kg if I remember rightly??)
And he’s stubborn enough that I have no doubt he could have held 320 for 60 minutes had he wanted to 😆

You two sound like the bitter professor off of Good Will Hunting 😆

Nath talking about 4.5w/kg:

[video]https://youtu.be/mz1siP7pItc[/video]

So you lost 30 kg in 2-3y with training but not bike specific training.

Then you did 2 years of sportives, zwift and unstructured riding/training.

Oct 16-Jan 17 you started training harder on the bike.

Then Jan 17 you tested at 4.5 for 20.

Sounds like good progress – and I congratulate you on your transformation – it’s great to see people working hard and getting fit. I wasn’t far off the mark though – that’s a 6 year progression from “unfit” to 4.5w/kg – not “untrained 4.5w/kg” =].

Maybe I am bitter CH? Or maybe I have a 6w/kg ftp? Who would know – I’m not dick measuring I’m just interested in training in general.

Happy racing and I hope I have more to contribute to this thread next year!

what time period are you generating 5 W/kg for? Is that based on FTP? i.e. 95% of your 20 minute average?

I had been pretty much exclusively a commuter for 15 years (100 miles a week) until last spring when I started ‘training’ in the loosest sense for a London to Paris 24 hour ride. As a result, now doing more weekend rides, park laps and wattbike riding and inevitably starting to feel the competitive urge. like Nath, lost a bit of weight, 95 ish down to 83 today. realistically another 2 or 3 to go.

Starting to think about having a go down at Hillingdon since I live in west london but I’ll be 39 at my next birthday so I’m wondering about sticking to training for now and holding out till the vets.

FTP tests so far have varied wildly from 3.1 to 4.5 w/kg more to do with the different bikes than my performance I think – lower end more realistic. Today’s session was 15 intervals of 30 seconds between 550 and 650 watts followed by 1.5 to 2 mins rest depending on now much the power was dropping.

Posting this partly as a reminder/motivation for myself. Have enjoyed nath, CH and weeksy etc progress and TiRed’s sage advice so far!

@continuity how did you get “6 years from unfit to 4.5w/kg” when nath started his journey in 2013 or did i miss something along with math lessons?

I don’t think Nathb’s story is that startling. I know two lads who went from overweight to absolute beasts on the bike. I think it’s because their legs are used to carting around that extra weight, and are very strong. One guy is easily knocking Out 5 w/kg. Obviously gifted as well, but his first season, with little structured training and he was flying.

Goals for me in 2018, after targeting and gettin cat 3 last year, more structure, more road, no crits. And to retain my club road racing trophy…

It’s impressive though – always good to see what a bit of commitment and practice will get you.

A guy I used to race with – he was mid-pack at best in Sport MTB – spent an entire winter doing couriering and his mileage rocketed. The following year he was top 10 every single time in Sport.

Same sort of thing applies to road racing with the exception that power does not always win the race, it’s quite easy for a tactically smart but weaker person to beat a more powerful but less tactically aware rider.

He sat at the back with me once, giving me the “get on my wheel” signal.

I looked at him and said “I’m ok mate”

3 corners later, I missed a kick and was history!

4.5 Watts/kg won’t win you a race – trust me I know the hard way. It books you a spectator’s ticket to the back of the bunch sprint. What will win you the race is 20 Watts/kg for the last 300 m. Oh if only – I could have been a contender…

Yeah I think that’s a good post mtbtomo. It would be easy to look at other people and wonder what the point is but for me, I knew I wanted to be racing! Out there mixing it for an hour of immersion every week. So everything else ceased to matter. I could hang with the bunch and I had an outside chance of points so crack on 🙂

If I’d had more watts at my disposal and scored 12 points quickly, it wouldn’t have made any real difference. I’d have been doing the same 3/4 race at Hillingdon and clinging on to the 2/3’s at Thruxton for dear life 😉

Just entered the 3/4 race on the 23rd. Last week’s didn’t look much quicker or aggressive than the 4ths only so I quite fancy it.

Training wise, it’s a good slot. I’ll be at the end of my first rest week from Sweetspot Base 1.

In terms of expectations, I’ll keep an open mind. If ten point hungry 3’s turn up then I’ve got little chance anyway.

Having a good handle on my numbers is a double edged sword and makes me realise how few my options are still.
So my three tactics will be-
a) watch who’s attacking and try and find another guy for a long range punt.
b) try and repeat my previous attack but close enough to the finish to hold it. The most I can manage at a fast enough speed is around 10-15minutes I think.
c) unleash a proper sprint!

Of course, the more attempts I have at option ‘a’, the less energy I’ll have for ‘b’ and likewise for ‘c’.
A cold or wet day with everybody hating life and sat cozy in the bunch could work in my favour but the stronger the wind, the closer to the finish option ‘b’ has to become!

It’s so hard to commit when you know the sprint finish is the odds on favourite outcome but these winter races have to be as good a time as any to be brave.

Wow! Sounds brutal indeed!! All part of the gamble though isn’t it, and why most races are so negative.

Nothing ventured nothing gained and a straight forward cruise around in the bunch may have got you a ‘better’ finish but at the expense of any fun and excitement 🙂

Best of luck CH.Shall set some time aside tomorrow to read the report 😉

Good luck CH, hopefully the other riders have over indulged allowing you to coast to victory.

Good luck today. I’m at the in-laws for an early Christmas lunch and bike fitting a nephew. And yes, the 3/4 races look pretty keen!

Bloody good work there CH 🙂