Power and power-to-weight ratio

Strava shows me numbers, but I don’t really know what they mean (outside of knowing physics) or if they’re any good or not.

On a reasonably steep/long climb, I seem to be producing around 250W.

My “5 min Power” is 269W and “10 min Power” is 257W. I weigh a smidge either side of 70kg. I have kids. I don’t win races.

Could I win a flat XC race? Or a gold at the Olympics? Or Le Tour?

I know my Functional Threshold power is 325w as I was a guinea pig for a free test on the Uni kit, only time i train with power is in the winter because my turbo records it but never really pay attention to what it means.

I weigh 88kgs I don’t win races either

Not much help but reckon we should both get down to Hadleigh farm……………………….to watch

to win the tour you need to be able to produce over 6 watts per kilo or about 420-450 watts

MUST TRY HARDER

I’m guessing you’re looking at Strava estimates rather than figures from a powertap/SRM/other powermeter?

In which case, they’re pretty meaningless.

Take a look at this to get an idea of grand tour rider numbers:
http://teamsky.cyclingnews.com/tech-news/trainingpeaks-analysis-froome-does-the-ride-of-his-life-to-take-vuelta-lead/%5B/url%5D

that means i would need to produce over 875watts to win le tour.
maybe next year . . .

Yes, from what I can remember from Armstrong’s book, the supposed magic figure for a “tour winner” was 6.7 watts per kilo at FTP. That 470 watts for an hour if he’s 70KG.

Peter Sagan topped out at 1200W in his first stage win.

I can get near the front of races but rarely win with 315W for ten minutes* and 348W for 5min.

I still don’t really know what the numbers mean, I do have a few KOM though 😉

many think 6.2 watts per kg is the most you can get without LA magic which is either awesomeness or drugs

Peter Sagan topped out at 1200W in his first stage win.

I can do 1000w without too much troube. IMO Strava numbers are pretty rubbish, I’d not heed that much!

FWIW my FTP is 4.5w/kg, mid pack Expert racer.

IMO Strava numbers are pretty rubbish

I did a climb today that strava said I did at 250w and took 11mins. The bloke at the bottom of the list apparently did it at 270w and took 28mins.
So, either he weighs the best part of 30st or something is a bit funny those power estimates.

until they work out a way of measure the dent i leave in the hills with each superhuman mash of the pedals, there’s no way of accurately measuring how powerful i am.

i’m a natural masher.

My FTP is currently 4.3 w/kg, I’m OK but not much more.

Peter Segan’s last 2 minutes of his stage 1 win equated to 2:20 @ 6.8 w/kg, Jani Brajkovic put out 443W, or 7.3 w/kg:
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/av/HIQP4EPYXBNI67ZPMWBCCZOPHU

Can we have a glute shot, Phil?

Strava estimated I pushed out 200watts average on a 3hr 15min loop.
Yet next time when I did exact same ride 3mins faster, it had me averaging 195watts.

Yep – strava estimates are nonsense.

(not a racer. 168lb 5′ 8″ pot bellied 41yr old)

You can get some idea of where you’d sit from this chart: (http://cozybeehive.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/power-to-weight-ratio.html)

now back to those glutes…(I reckon that guy’s gonna break some toilet seat if he strains)

you have to pay for a glute shot, paypal gift…. emails will be sent via yodel to ensure a timely and secure delivery 😆

Jimification’s link is kinder than WKO – even with a 20 minute power of 4.5 that suggests 1st Cat, WKO reckons its more like 3rd!

Jeesus PhilC ! – is that you

…r lounge carpet ? 😯

lol its not me, but if i stand properly or stretch slightly instead of slumping forward with a bad posture my abs are getting pretty visible, so i must only be a few days away from looking like that yeah? 😆

You can get some idea of where you’d sit from this chart: (http://cozybeehive.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/power-to-weight-ratio.html)

Way too generous numbers IMO, interesting though

The Swedish Chef – Member

Way too generous numbers IMO, interesting though

Just a bit – according to that I should be a div 3 Pro 😆

I doubt strava is accurate. You need to get a ramp test or similar done. Mine is 5.27w/kg but i’ve recently lost a bit of weight and i’m much stronger than i was when i was tested in April so I reckon it’ll have gone up by my next test.

Mine is 5.27w/kg

that’s some serious fitness if that was an FTP value!

that’s some serious fitness if that was an FTP value!

+1, particularly for a girl that’s immense!

If it was a ramp test it’ll be final minute power so probably MAP? Still very good though!

Strava numbers are wildy inaccurate. This is mine

this was in a road race so doesn’t take into account drafting

is there a way of estimating power based on time vs distance?

for exameple, on tuesday evening i commuted home which is 16 miles, took 45mins worth of riding and i didn’t draft anyone, headwind for half of it and wasn’t flat, but any up-hills are of course following by an equal-ish downhill.

is there a way of estimating power based on time vs distance?

Too many variables for it to be accurate, hence this thread on the Strava estimations. The only thing to go by is the Strava power readings with a lightning bolt next to them, as this indicates a PowerTap, SRM, Power2Max etc was used.

I wouldn’t pay any attention to the Strava power numbers. It’s about as reliable as telling you what your HR was with no HR meter.

Mine is 5.27w/kg

Really? Thats nuts!

is there a way of estimating power based on time vs distance?

Negative. Or at least your estimates would be waaay out. If you’re on a pan flat course (literally no incline at all), there’s no wind and you have a consistent road surface, there’s a chance you might get a reasonable number. But there’s so many factors to consider it would be massively unreliable.

dirtygirlonabike – Member
I doubt strava is accurate. You need to get a ramp test or similar done. Mine is 5.27w/kg but i’ve recently lost a bit of weight and i’m much stronger than i was when i was tested in April so I reckon it’ll have gone up by my next test.

Impressive. According to this:
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/archive/349708/how-powerful-are-the-pros.html

“The highest values we could expect in a [hour] world record holder would be about 6.4W/kg over an hour-long race in males and 5.4 W/kg in females”

I think we’ve established that’s not FTP, but that for the final minute of a ramp test.

awwww never mind 😀

i think i like not knowing if i’m good or not, stops me from ever getting competitive with anyone but myself!

philconsequence i think i like not knowing if i’m good or not, stops me from ever getting competitive with anyone but myself!

Maybe people should race with their P/W on the back of their jersey? that way you know if it’s ok to overtake or not… 😛

Interestingly, the top MTB women in the XCO are a similar P/W to the men, yet on average, 12% slower.

i judge overtaking on how many tattoos the person in front has got, its a good indicator of how much pain they can take, be it physical in mashing up the hill, or emotional when i breeze past and disappear off into the distance*

*AKA behind a bush to collapse and try to learn how to breath again.

Strava power estimates are at best a guess.

I’m sure DirtyG will be along to correct me but I think her FTP is calculated as the amount she can sustain for a minute in a ramp test rather than the level she could maintain for an hour as per Froome et al.

Mr Yeti is right, hadn’t had coffee before i read this thread and didn’t read it properly! yup, mine was worked out on a ramp test. Should have been more but i mucked up the gears at the end of the test which ended it a bit early 😕

I participated in a PhD study last year investigating critical power testing in the lab and on the velodrome, with blood tests and VO2max and all that. I was coming back from some months off the bike with a smashed up ankle and was only just fit enough to be a test subject – pleased to say I’m usefully quicker now, especially on my preferred five minute bursts uphill or down. My 60 minute critical power came out as 230W which is 3W/kg. I’m not an XC racer though and the only road bike I’ve ever owned is a Brompton!

I’m quite curious to find out how I’ve progressed since then but tests like this are complicated/expensive if you’re not a voluntary guinea pig and it did take eight separate sessions and quite a lot of pain to get all the measurements. The VO2max test was a bit of a failure because I was on the scientist’s bike for the first time and had the saddle in the wrong place (quads burnt out before the rest of my muscles were going properly – I now know I pedal best seated way forward) and misjudged my best cadence (too slow!) however as I tend to climb standing up nowadays and all these tests required you stay in the saddle I feel there’d be further inaccuracy from that.