How to Pinpoint Your Cycling Strengths & Weaknesses (using the official numbers) 

can i join you ?...lol

I also need to find a new sport.

hahaha! It's not all about the chart. But very funny comment.

don't do that!

Robert Light that is still only the first step - the data has quantified a weakness, but with training it can turn into an improvement, maybe even a strength.

@@MichaelBoogerd Thanks. I'm working on it!

@@robertlight2370 there is also some technique involved with sprinting using your arms as well as your legs, I got pretty big gains just from working on that. What was your cadence on that effort? for a short effort like that i suggest starting at 100 rpm and just go until you spin out.

@@19KingLloyd Yeah, I've been watching RU-vid videos on sprinting technique and trying to really use my arms more. I also realised that my cadence is too low. I set a new 5s power PR last week concentrating on that, so I think that I can improve it slowly.

lmaooo

Nice one!

Cheers Nigel, appreciate that mate.

Good stuff David, thanks for sharing on the thread

👍

Agreed mate, it's outrageous the numbers the pros and world champs push out!

it is indeed. i've ride with top riders occasionnally and they have fun with me. Sometimes i say its because they have a 10000 dollars bike...well think again..i've switched bike with my friend and he still left me in thte dust !

What benefit does your training program have over swift

@Jangus Roundstone better than no legend at all..

@Jangus Roundstone Haha. I'm sure you are getting stronger and faster. I am too. I was fit throughout my early 20's but fell out of cycling for about 10 years from 2008-2018 and since then I'm way back into it. I'm sure my FTP in Spring 2018 was something pitiful like 130 watts. Last July I peaked 250, this July I peaked at 285 and right now it's 262 watts. Each year I'm getting stronger riding a volume of about 6,000 miles per year. The biggest thing holding me back is that I'm over weight. If I lose the stubborn 25 pounds I need to lose, my power to weight on the chart goes up quite a bit. Problem is, I love all the wrong foods. Work to be done...

Cheers Ash, Cam

Nice!

Cheers mate.

Thanks for sharing on the thread mate Nd good luck with the training 👍

hahah your curve looks like mine. But your numbers are a lot better 5s: (18.33) 1 minute: (7.36) 5 minute: (4.7) FTP: (4.35) My 1 minute and 5minute I've never trained to improved that. I think that is my biggest weakness. I dont have training peaks anymore, but maybe I have numbers for 1 and 5min better than that. Small guy hear, 1.69cm and 69kg. When my preocupation was go big or go home my weight was 78kg. In that time any climb would take hours and hours.

Bernardo Reis yeah nice, tbh id expect your 1 min and 5 min would almost certainly be higher as your FTP is good and quite close to the 5 min. There is something about doing the shorter max efforts that has a different kind of suffering. 1 minute is almost just getting your brain to keep mashing the pedals, and like any other max effort, truly disgusting. 5 minute max efforts imo are the absolute worst to do, as its a sickening mix of being over VO2max wherein your legs are just burning from the anaerobic work and you also spend the last 2 minutes gasping for air.

Great numbers! Thanks for sharing

@@MishMash95 hahah I tried today 5min effort and updated to 5.23 My best results now: 5s: (18.33) 1 minute: (7.36) 5 minute: (5.23) FTP: (4.35) where did u advise to try the 1min effort? Flat or some smooth uphill? The paid Training peaks plan showed all these records in a simple way. Now I'm using the free version and saving the best results in a spreadsheet.

@@bernardinrp That's awesome! Well done :D Nearly a 1w/kg improvement! 120% of FTP is a good amount for 5 minute power. Generally the range is 120-130% for a 5 min max effort, though that assumes after dedicated training, so you are right up there :) For a 1 minute effort, I personally find it is easiest up hill, something with a consistent gradient that can provide resistance. You can do it on the flat, but uphill will almost always be higher as the problem with on the flat is, one, you may need to be seated due to the speed, or alternatively, I find that if you accelerate too fast on the flat, its hard to stay on top of the gear, as you'll likely max out your gear ratios and be riding at a cadence which is too high for a sustained long sprint. I also like a short little climb that I can use to mentally guide me, as the last 15-20s of a 1 minute effort are brutal. For reference, I used to be better at 1 minute power on the flat, but my best 1 minute seated power on the flat is probably around 100-150w lower than out of the saddle on a climb, kind of the same issues as if you were to try and sprint in the saddle. There are also two pacing strategies that can work. #1 is to go hard from the start and just try and hold on for dear life (say you may start at 700-800w, and fade down), then the second is to try for a more even pacing, though with the second, it can be hard to really squeeze out every last watt. Given your 5s is pretty solid, i'd imagine you are more inclined to having a very strong 20-30s and then fading to get your best 1 minute power.

Heart rate is a physiological response to the effort. Power is the effort. Like lifting weights at the gym, you know what you're lifting! Cam

Yes, it's not something mentioned in this and something I actually included in the original cut but edited out to keep things more brief. You could measure the drop off from your hour to three hours and also monitor your heart rate drift when pedalling at an aerobic rate. If you can maintain a steady heart rate for 3-4 hours at an aerobic level, you have solid muscular endurance conditioning.

Yes you raise a good point Paul and that was something I considered discussing, but another rabbit hole! I think 12 months is best assuming you've done the relevant efforts. For me, I haven't done that much racing this year or last, so taking 4-5 years was what I used for this. Some of the PB's were this year, some 2018, and some 2015. I also know some older athletes in their 50s that are PB'ing their power numbers from their 20's. So there's some grey in there, but if you've done the efforts then12 months makes sense to me. Cam

Be consistent and train with some structure and you will get there Andrew. Cam

Don't be, it's not all about the power tow weight.

You can and some do, but most get there numbers under conditions where they’re likely to be pushed. Race, hard bunch ride etc.

Cheers mate, and thanks for sharing on the thread.

@@CamNicholls Thanks mate, love your videos. Please keep them coming, I have been learning heaps. I'm still a triathlete at heart but I do enjoy my cycling.

It's general, so don't feel bad Dennis. You're not fully developed yet!

Yes, agreed Stephen. I don't have that info unfortunately.

Age is just a number ;) doesn't take under consideration the lifestyle and experience in this sport or as an athlet in general...especially in cycling where you see many 40/50 year olds getting fitter than they have ever been.

Have a look at intervals.icu, which feeds off Strava and includes age group information about your performance compared with others in your age group subscribed to the app (it's free, donations welcomed). I'm one of 26 in the 70+ group and there's a chart showing your performance compared with the others. It has eFTP in place of the one hour metric (estimated from shorter efforts) and all the other three metrics, as well as a ton of other information including as the name suggests your performance over various intervals of time. I find it very useful and enhances the approach Cam suggests because there is no way a 75 year old like me is going to compete with people a third of his age. I'm happy to sit in the upper middle of my cohort rather than way down as a novice in that big table! I think there are separate age groups for women. Run by David Tinker and uses calculations from Fast Fitness Tips.

Pogacar didn't use power meter on the climb.

GARMIN VIRB. Cam

Thanks for sharing mate, you will need to wait to MONSTER it at the end of the race! Lovely!

@@CamNicholls unfortunately, positioning is a very important factor and I'm not really good at it. Also, that minute power, I can only produce in an uphill sprint. Same goes for the 2 minute effort. I get beaten all the time by riders who spend less energy in the pack and who position well

Looks that way! Thanks for sharing Nathan.

In a flat sprint weight wont matter as much compared to raw power and aerodynamic

Mejar Tomlinson yea I guess that’s my point, because the chart only uses w/kg it kind of feels like it’s punishing heavier people. But maybe I’m just making excuses 😅

You won’t, i did discuss the use of skills and race nous as examples of external parameters that are hard to measure towards the end of the video. This is only a ‘numbers’ example, where we can be slightly more definitive. Conscious there’s a lot more to cycling for sure.

@@CamNicholls ok what should a climber and a descender number's should be round also how would you improve climbing and descending to go faster and get stronger thanks cam

haha, all good mate, thanks for sharing on the thread!

I'll take that 😏

@@brianmessemer2973 i guess its never enough :D need to improve ftp, 1 min power, 5 min power..the easiest way would be to lose some kg`s but somehow its also the most frustrating way :D

@@cfau6290 Losing weight to improve power to weight the "easiest yet most frustrating way" - truer words were never spoken.

Good points, thanks for sharing Chris.

No, sorry I don't.

ive got two, one on the tri bike and one on roadie, they are great. Pedal based power meters are great too.

I use VIRB and don't have that issue! Not sure why you would experience that. Good luck with it. Cam

Finally figured it out 👍🏾

Short answer, weigh less and/or push harder on the pedals :D Long answer...train a LOT

About the time just before an event when they stop sharing their data. That's when they start blood doping.

Yep 79. Good stuff mate and thanks for sharing. Well done on the FTP too!

Don't feel bad. Moderate / good is solid in my opinion Christine! Cam

I'll take a look, thanks for sharing. Cam

Very solid Vince, thanks for sharing. Cam

Yes

Good stuff mate! Solid. Thanks for sharing. Cam

haha!

Probably why I didn't mysteriously bulk up at 17 is others steroid use. Beaten before finishing tt on record course time. No drug testing for that level of competition. Really obvious though.