Is 3.3 watts per kilo good or bad?

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Most of the early season A4/junior races here that newbies would be targetting are flat. ie:Phoenix CC Nutts Corner and multiple others that run at The Loup, Moneymore

What club is this? Most have some form of racing oriented run this time of year

 

[Racing roadkill]

I am just trying to gauge my cycling strength, I have a power meter and basically my ftp has come out at around 217 watts. I am 65.7 kilos, so its 3.3 watts per kilo.

I am 15 currently, but do you think I would have enough power to compete in cycling competitions?
Just getting prepared for my first cycling summer season.

Thanks.

Lance Armstrong was putting out about 7 Watts per kilo, when he 'won' the Tour de France in 2005 with an average speed of Close on 26 mph. We know he was a cheating barsteward re drugs, but 7 W/Kg would see you competing at the G.C. end of a grand tour.providing you could do that repeatedly over the whole duration of the race, and be able to recover sufficiently between stages of course.

 

[S-Express]

Lance Armstrong was putting out about 7 Watts per kilo, when he 'won' the Tour de France in 2005 with an average speed of Close on 26 mph. We know he was a cheating barsteward re drugs, but 7 W/Kg would see you competing at the G.C. end of a grand tour.

Lance's data is no longer relevant. Froome's threshold power was around 6w/kg for his last tour win. As I said earlier, w/kg may not be the best way of gauging your fitness, especially if you are riding crits or flat road races.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Lance's data is no longer relevant. Froome's threshold power was around 6w/kg for his last tour win. As I said earlier, w/kg may not be the best way of gauging your fitness, especially if you are riding crits or flat road races.

It pretty much is the best way. As I said, it also depends on your restorative powers and ability to keep the output constant over the duration of an event ( particularly multi stage / multi day events ) but as a recordable metric, power to weight is hard to argue with.

 

[S-Express]

but as a recordable metric, power to weight is hard to argue with.

Not for flat events, it isn't. ie the kind of events like the OP is likely to be riding as a 15yo.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Junior races have restricted gearing as well.

 

[Tin Pot]

Not for flat events, it isn't. ie the kind of events like the OP is likely to be riding as a 15yo.

What other objective measure of 'cycling fitness' would you advise a 15 year old who already has a power meter?

You've made your point, but for a simple answer to encourage the OP, watts/kg is more than adequate.

 

[S-Express]

What other objective measure of 'cycling fitness' would you advise a 15 year old who already has a power meter?

As I alluded to in a previous reply, the best 'objective' measure of cycling fitness is to test yourself in an actual race made up of your peer group.

You've made your point, but for a simple answer to encourage the OP, watts/kg is more than adequate.

As I said, w/kg tells you nothing about how you may fare in a flat crit.

 

[Tin Pot]

As I alluded to in a previous reply, the best 'objective' measure of cycling fitness is to test yourself in an actual race made up of your peer group.



As I said, w/kg tells you nothing about how you may fare in a flat crit.

Well I think I've been clear - you're sending completely the wrong message, by continually emphasising and reinforcing misinformation. It's a shame, and I hope the OP either disregards your posts, or understands they aren't not answering his question.

 

[S-Express]

Well I think I've been clear - you're sending completely the wrong message, by continually emphasising and reinforcing misinformation. It's a shame, and I hope the OP either disregards your posts, or understands they aren't not answering his question.

Not with you, sorry. What are you disagreeing with? Try and be specific, so I can clarify.

 

[S-Express]

Seeing as you've gone quiet, I'll clarify for you.

w/kg is not a good indicator of racing performance, especially on flat events where weight is not really a factor. FTP is not really a guide to race performance either - although obviously the fitter you are, the better your FTP is likely to be.

For circuit races and flatter road races (ie most of them, at amateur level), your critical factors will be numbers like your 1min and 5min power - in other words, your short/medium term efforts, which typify most circuits, crits and RRs. There are few, if any, amateur races which involve the type of long, steady climbing where w/kg is going to be a major concern.

So, for the kind of racing the lad is likely to be doing, w/kg or (to a lesser extent) FTP, should not really be a concern. Which is why I said the best measure is going to be to get out there and try it.

So, if any of that sounds like the 'wrong message' or 'misinformation' to you, I'd like to know why.