Race day power

I’ve asked this before and can’t remember the answer but if your TT IRL power is higher than your 20min (or 50 min) power for the same period or longer, why doesn’t that become your FTP?

its a bit more complex but basically you will use all available fuel in the Glycolytic pathway within a couple of minutes so you are forced to use the oxidative system towards the end and with some Maffs work out the threshold (MLSS / LT2) and the amount of space you have above that threshold to max. (W)

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I just use my normal 100km ride and go from there.

If I’m solo, then I generally ride 100km at 230W, aiming to finish around 3hrs.

If I do 100miles, I’d aim for 215W finishing in 5hrs.

Both of those are relatively “easy”.
EDIT: that’s on a TT bike in the summer! On a planned, flat route, with all left hand turns or roundabouts.

I rode Outlaw at 210W and Cotswolds at 220W
(but threw up, goose poop! And was unfit after six weeks training!)

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If it was a 25km TT then absolutely, if it was a 10 miler then you could maybe use that to estimate it the way you might with the 20 min.

Just had a look around and Golden Cheetah has CP modelling in there apparently, so knock out a few maximal efforts and there you go. If I were going to use this to help with IM pacing I would obviously test it with some long efforts to see if the model matches my efforts. Also, remember that there is a frigging swim and a run. But with that for hilly courses it could be really useful to set a cap for climbing based on the W’ for the long duration CP values.

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I dream of those numbers but defo not the goose poop.

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2019 113 I’d estimate I was 235W, as that’s what I’d done all my rides at, but my PM died.

That’s my best ever race - to be fair, that’s probably my best ever season. :sob:

Only been back for a year, and managed to run a 1:20:41 HM, then do a 4:27 70.3.

Then got really fit, didn’t work full time from Sep19 to Mar20 and rode my bike a lot, then Covid hit :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:
Got fat, sad, liked beer and crisps :violin:

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Weird how people differ on this. Outside I find that the slowing for corners or slight downhill gradients really hurts my average power. Can be riding along at 250 or 260 and working quite hard, and without any deliberate change in effort I notice suddenly I’m down at 180 or 190. On short uphills I may find I’m doing 270 or 280 but it never seems to compensate enough & so my average power is always lower outside. An average of 220 or 230 outdoors is hard ride for me, whereas indoors it wouldn’t be.

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Exactly same for me @fruit_thief

I think inertia and possibly a difference in torque (or something to do with not having a full pedal stroke) is a contributor for me.
The turbo is smooth, outside is not. Anything that interrupts my fragile legs haemorrhages power.

It’s almost laughable, especially on my commute - when the smallest inclines leave me standing for power way below what would be warm up pace indoors.

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But you’re lighter than an empty Fosters can :wink:
My last 100km road ride, on a 15kg steel bike, with my 85kg weight, was 214W. In January :laughing:

70km at 236W (6th Jan)

Bigger unit = More Watts

I really want power on my gravel bike, as I reckon I’m pushing some decent numbers. But it’s more a “nice to have” than essential.

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Guess the other thing maybe is that you actually ride outside @Poet, whereas I spent most of the last 2 years swaddled in the relative comfort of my attic pain cave :grinning:

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I am the same as @Poet but with running, no idea with a bike as I don’t have a PM anymore. In training I use a treadmill as it is the only way I can get near what I think will be race pace. But as soon as I am in a race the effort for pace is so much easier.

There is a definite knack to maintaining speed on the bike IRL though, not just handling but also over rollers and the like.

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Yup! It’s called “looking ahead” :laughing:
Braking downhill when it’s a Little Dipper you can see down and up the other side pisses me right off - I’m a large guy, so pedal down pretty hard, using the momentum to get me up the other side for little to no effort.
Same with corners - left turns!!! Anti-clockwise routes, avoiding right turns and T-Junctions :+1:t3::white_check_mark:

Longer downhills I’m crap at :laughing::face_with_peeking_eye:

Things like thundering up to junctions at >30kmh isn’t going to help your speed, much better to ease off far away, sit up, start looking, down at 16kmh, then just ease out of the junction - then slowly accelerate away.
No mashing, no un clipping etc.

And FFS. DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON THAT :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:
Why are you attempting to clip in during a right turn across a busy road?
One leg, rest your uncoupled foot on the pedal and clip in properly when up to speed.

EVEN BETTER … practice one leg drills and clipping in on your turbo :white_check_mark:

ALSO … one leg drills to feel what a circle looks
Like. ‘Cos y’all look like you be mashing cider with those squares you be pedalling :laughing:

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“Ride the first lap like you’re trying to get away from those cheating peloton bastards” is what I heard…

:imp:

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This seems to have gained a lot of traction of over recent years but I have never seen anything academic to back it up. Admittedly it is a few years since I had proper access to research on it at Uni. When I did have access the research pointed to the opposite of this. The research back then suggested the best cyclists applied the vast majority of their power between 2 and 4 on a clock face with the best cyclists applying the most power but in the shortest arc compared to less good pro-cyclists.

Whatever power you would use for an 8-9hr ride is the right power for you. Use that over 180km and “it’s time to fly” on the run :slight_smile:

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VI

This is why I said upthread about the virtues of learning pacing outside. The closer you can get Normalised Power to Average Power the “easier” it will be. Indoors you just set power and erg mode and you have a perfect 1 to 1 ratio. Outside I’m probably about 20+W higher on NP.

Like this? It’s always nice to do >1GW for a few seconds on a 10 hour ride
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Did some sprints in this one, as it was a bit slow!
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Then tried again the following week, a bit faster, less power :slight_smile:
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Not really a fan of climbing!!!
image

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So yes but.

Look at AP to NP.

168 to 217, nearly 50W. Even getting NP down to say 197W (for same avg watts) I reckon could save your run.

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Climbing will be a factor in that though. That’s what I was getting it with using the CP and W’ model for lumpy course. It might help provide a cap for the climbing Watts???

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2miles of 1 leg drills is like 4 miles on the road :wink: Even better 1 leg drills whilst running at 1% on a treadmill using a pull buoy and paddles

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