Probably been done before but…

Why on earth does 200 watts on a turbo feel like 250 on the road. I’m using the same bike, and a stages power meter so they should surely be consistent.

No microbreaks on the turbo.
And nothing (scenery, potholes, corners, traffic) to take your mind off the pain.

what type of turbo?
mine is magnetic and feel much more realistic on easy resistance+ big gear than high resistance low gear.

Mrblobby (who I’m sure will be along soon) can link to an article explaining all. Heat / cooling makes a big difference to.

Wheel/ tyre resistance is general greater, you have no momentum either.

Here you go:

http://alex-cycle.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/turbocharged-training.html

Are you matching cadence? Even though watts are watts and power never lies and all that, I find that grinding out the watts at low cadence is harder, or the perceived effort seems more, than the same power output at a higher cadence.

Mrblobby (who I’m sure will be along soon) can link to an article explaining all.

Beaten to it by Kryton 🙂

Why on earth does 200 watts on a turbo feel like 250 on the road.

Because it’s different, loads of reasons why. And for some people it’s that way around, other people would say the exact opposite. I’d also add that 250 watts on the road can feel very different under different conditions. E.g. you might find 250 watts up a slope feels easier than 250 watts on the flat, or tailwind feels easier than headwind, or vice versa.

Some discussion on it on over on the PM thread.