watts per kilo

just bodyweight. Although i think a flaw with this method is that it favours heavier riders; eg a guy at 80kg and another at 60kg. If both do 5w/kg, the 80kg guy will win every time, even when climbing.

stdudz not sure I follow what you are saying there? Are you sayong 'ftp' is more important? For what events? If I take someone like Chris Boardman who had a great p/W ratio and the hour record dont think he ever got anywhere near any of the tour riders even though his P/W and 'max ustainable' watts was superior. Indurain was heavier produced a better watts/kg ratio yet couldn't beat Boardman in the hour - think it might be a bit more complex than you suggest!!??

Interested in the debate.......

TL.

Posted by: TheLung

stdudz not sure I follow what you are saying there? Are you sayong 'ftp' is more important? For what events? If I take someone like Chris Boardman who had a great p/W ratio and the hour record dont think he ever got anywhere near any of the tour riders even though his P/W and 'max ustainable' watts was superior. Indurain was heavier produced a better watts/kg ratio yet couldn't beat Boardman in the hour - think it might be a bit more complex than you suggest!!??

Interested in the debate.......

TL.

Watts per kilo at threshold is what wins grand tours due to the climbing. In flatish TT's total power trumps watts per kilo(Indurain) but not by much. In a short flatish TT the smaller guy has no chance....re: less total power and usually lower anaerobic work capacity.

If two riders have a 5 watt per kilo FTP and one guy weighs 60 kilo's and the other 80 then the heavier guy will loose in long climbs for sure..re: more total energy loss and muscular fatigue. He will win short climbs though due to having a higher anaerobic work capacity(usually higher but not always). He will usually beat the smaller man in a crit re: often higher awc power as above, and usually a better sprint....and he will usually win a flatish TT if he can get aero enough.

Boardman did not have the watts per kilo at FTP of Indurain, Riis, Ulrich, Pantani or Armstrong.

re: anaerobic work capacity and size>>>>>if the lighter man above is short then he may have as good or better awc than the taller man. But in my experience the really light guys are stick men and no stick man that I have ever seen has good anaerobic work capacity.

NOTE: AWC power is the LEAST important "type" of power in road racing and that includes crits.

Sprinters with good FTP, tactical ability, good bike handling skills and good help from team mates win crits.
Guys with very high FTP per kilo win grand tours.
Guys with very high watts per kilo at FTP, very high power period ,and great aero win TT's.

The only reason that Indurain could not beat Boardman was because of aero....Indurain was a bloody Spinnaker compared to Boardman on a track with no hills or other things that compromise a super aero position in road TT's .
Indurain produced more power at threshold and more total power. In fact nobody has ever produced the watge at FTP of Indurain.
Too bad he was such a "stove" compared to the smaller riders.

My .02

RG Last edited by Realgains on 06-01-2008 at 12:49 AM

Let me add that team power is a HUGE factor.

Cycling is not running...in running 10 K and up FTP per kilo is the only thing that matters.

RG