Power/Weight Thread

Soldato
Joined
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Username - BennyC
Age - 26
Height - 5'10"
Weight - 84KG
W/KG - 3.62KG
Coggan Rating - Bottom End Cat3
FTP (60min) -304W
20min -304W
5min - 362W
1min - 447W
5sec - 684W
Gear - Cycleops Mag + Garmin HRM & GSC10 + Trainer Road (Virtual Power(
Info - Adjusted FTP from 20 minute test (a little reserved - current stats & rides https://www.trainerroad.com/career/bennyc). Re-testing in a few weeks :)

Need to actually rest up fully (i.e. not squat & deadlift the day before) and attack the next FTP test with fresh legs. Hoping for a fairly significant jump to over 4W/KG from the 'newbie' effect, improved form & suffering ability.
 
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Soldato
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Added you to the list Benny :)

Golden Cheetah is telling me amazing things based on past 4 weeks of training, but I am not posting figures until I do an FTP test. If it's anywhere near correct and estimating properly, I will be gobsmacked.
 
Soldato
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One hour (almost 59:18) effort from Sunday 248W, and then last night max 20 min power of 274W on a 10 mile TT, weight down to 68.1 KG so 3.64W/KG for 60 minutes or 4.02 for 20 minutes.

Can't actually remember how you were working everything out xdcx!
 
Soldato
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One hour (almost 59:18) effort from Sunday 248W, and then last night max 20 min power of 274W on a 10 mile TT, weight down to 68.1 KG so 3.64W/KG for 60 minutes or 4.02 for 20 minutes.

Can't actually remember how you were working everything out xdcx!

I'll update your stats on the first page man. Very well done, congrats :cool:
W/KG on the stats list for everyone is based off their 20min FTP so your W/KG on the list will be shown as 4.02 as the Coggan category listing we use determines your category based on 20min FT :cool:
 
Soldato
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Update for me also.
Wednesday night I done a 50 miler including a tempo effort over a cat3 climb, I didn't go all out and so was surprised after the ride to see a new 20min AVG power of 262w, up from my actual FTP test where I averaged 250w. So that was welcomed. I also 2nd overall the climb on Strava, fed up of 2nd places :(

So new 20min CP is 262w and 60min FTP is 218w. That's 4.36 for the 20min categorised as mid cat2 on the Coggan chart. Can't help but think that all reads way too high for my actual ability to be honest and based on training the past 2 weeks and my GC estimations my actual 20min CP is going to be a good bit higher than 262w, plan to test this in the coming week and not saying what I think my CP will be in anticipation of disappointment and embrassment haha.
 
Soldato
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I'd say you can estimate your ability based on how much you're riding, going off the people I know this would be fairly accurate.

200km a week CAT4, 275km CAT3, 350km CAT2, 400+ CAT1.

If you're not sure on your PM reading accurately the Strava estimates are fairly close on a constant gradient hill if the weather is calm and your on your own. Should be able to calculate power required easily or an online calculator if you know weight, distance and time.
 
Soldato
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When is your converted back to full on roadie date? I need my training buddy! :cool:

Not sure. I'm physically recovered and ready to ride but cant get my head into it at the moment. Hopefully be out at the chaingang on thursday.

There's 2 options for getting a race licence:
-Provisional licence (comes free with any britishcycling membership). Lets you enter races but you dont score any points. You'll be a 4th cat and cant move up when using a provisional licence.

-Full licence. Costs extra on top of membership - and you need the silver or gold membership to buy one. Lets you enter races and score points.

Tbh, you'd probably be fine with a provisional this season. Usually it's 10 points for winning a race and 15 points required to move up from cat 4 to 3 and starting this late in the season means you're probably unlikely to score enough points anyway. (if you had a full licence your points would be reset to 0 for next season anyway).
It would be frustrating if you did get a provisional and then get a couple of good results which would have scored you enough points if you had a full licence.

You dont need to be a member of a club to enter a race but it would be helpful. We'll probably have 3-4 going through to that race who can help let you know what you should be doing.
 
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Soldato
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Not sure. I'm physically recovered and ready to ride but cant get my head into it at the moment. Hopefully be out at the chaingang on thursday.

There's 2 options for getting a race licence:
-Provisional licence (comes free with any britishcycling membership). Lets you enter races but you dont score any points. You'll be a 4th cat and cant move up when using a provisional licence.

-Full licence. Costs extra on top of membership - and you need the silver or gold membership to buy one. Lets you enter races and score points.

Tbh, you'd probably be fine with a provisional this season. Usually it's 10 points for winning a race and 15 points required to move up from cat 4 to 3 and starting this late in the season means you're probably unlikely to score enough points anyway. (if you had a full licence your points would be reset to 0 for next season anyway).
It would be frustrating if you did get a provisional and then get a couple of good results which would have scored you enough points if you had a full licence.

You dont need to be a member of a club to enter a race but it would be helpful. We'll probably have 3-4 going through to that race who can help let you know what you should be doing.

Thanks very much for the info! That helps me a lot. Looks about £100 /year for membership silver and a race license. However, license is half price July onwards, so that very well might be a shout, just take the plunge but be as well leaving it 3 weeks and getting it 50% cheaper for remainder of the season?

I am out every night as you know and all weekend, so just give me a shout any time at all if you just want to get out for an easy one and get your head into it again. Tomorrow weather wise looks horrendous :mad: Let me see how the week pans out, I very well may come to chain gang, I'm like you with the club rides, can't get my head into it! Purely because I am stubborn and love finishing work at 4 and being out training at 4:40 everyday, OCD routine I need to snap out of it.
 
Soldato
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Not sure. I'm physically recovered and ready to ride but cant get my head into it at the moment. Hopefully be out at the chaingang on thursday.

There's 2 options for getting a race licence:
-Provisional licence (comes free with any britishcycling membership). Lets you enter races but you dont score any points. You'll be a 4th cat and cant move up when using a provisional licence.

-Full licence. Costs extra on top of membership - and you need the silver or gold membership to buy one. Lets you enter races and score points.

Tbh, you'd probably be fine with a provisional this season. Usually it's 10 points for winning a race and 15 points required to move up from cat 4 to 3 and starting this late in the season means you're probably unlikely to score enough points anyway. (if you had a full licence your points would be reset to 0 for next season anyway).
It would be frustrating if you did get a provisional and then get a couple of good results which would have scored you enough points if you had a full licence.

You dont need to be a member of a club to enter a race but it would be helpful. We'll probably have 3-4 going through to that race who can help let you know what you should be doing.

Would say you're just as likely to score points, any decent 4th cat will have been promoted by now. If you're pushing 2nd Cat power you'll take a 4th Cat race apart.
 
Soldato
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I think even if stats wise I should be competitve at CAT4, experience of racing is just as important as said power figures so I just need to get involved and get that experience and see where I fair.

July 1st onwards is 50% off full race license. Silver membership with a race license is therefore £59 which I think is OK. So just going to wait until July 1st and then get my membership and license :)
 
Soldato
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experience of racing is just as important as said power figures so I just need to get involved and get that experience and see where I fair.

Think this is the thing that catches out most of the guys that start racing in my club locally, the way the races pan out, and when and how you need to put in the effort, even in the Cat 4s, you could easily outpace them, but if you're not prepared for the moves, then you won't have a hope, but you'll soon learn. Before I do any racing I will go and try to watch some to get an idea of what I need to do before jumping in at the deep end! :D
 
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I'd say you can estimate your ability based on how much you're riding, going off the people I know this would be fairly accurate.

200km a week CAT4, 275km CAT3, 350km CAT2, 400+ CAT1.

If you're not sure on your PM reading accurately the Strava estimates are fairly close on a constant gradient hill if the weather is calm and your on your own. Should be able to calculate power required easily or an online calculator if you know weight, distance and time.

If only this were true. I'd be pushing cat1 :p

(I know you're not saying it's as simple as that really)
 
Soldato
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6.5 degree's, flooded road and torrential rain. January weather = not ideal for a wee FTP test, neither was it ideal the day after a 100k ride. Rule #5 smeared on big time and reckon feeling like an absolute hard man in that weather made me push harder like some sort of wild beast..... yeah. GRRRRR.

20mins @ 282w
60.30kg on the scales before it
4.67w/kg
 
Soldato
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Wow, that's a big increase isn't it? Congrats.

I'm considering doing an FTP test now I've got a PM. Do you think doing a 60min session on the turbo with my normal tyre will cause considerable wear? I really can't be bothered to put the turbo tyre on for a single session! Such faff.
 
Soldato
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Wow, that's a big increase isn't it? Congrats.

I'm considering doing an FTP test now I've got a PM. Do you think doing a 60min session on the turbo with my normal tyre will cause considerable wear? I really can't be bothered to put the turbo tyre on for a single session! Such faff.

Unfortunately yes!

My power to weight has gone to pot after another stag do! a whole 5kg heavier than I was 5 days ago :( (although probably mostly water weight) but suspect I'm 2kg heavier once I settle down in a couple of days time.
 
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