@##=#<6,C>@##=# If you do not already have a pretty good working knowledge of the terms used in this article we recommend you brush up by reading the computer slaves article

To learn about training with a power meter read Following the Program by super coach Craig Upton.

Here are the profiles of two top professionals:

Lance Armstrong
WEIGHT: 70 kg
Height :180cm
Resting heart rate: 32-34
VO2ml/kg: 83.8
Max power at VO2: 600 watts
Max heart rate: 201
Lactate Threshold HR: 178
Time Trial HR: 188-192
MSS 460-500 (500 divided by 70 = over 7 watts to the kilogram)

Brad McGee
Weight: 72 kg / 159 lbs
HEIGHT:182.5 cm
VO2MAX:89/mmol/min/kg
THRESHOLD:390-410 Watts at 195-205bpm
Average wattage for 4000 meter individual Pursuit: 530+ watts.
(Pursuit world record is 3:30 so that’s a long time to ride over threshold, a unique ability of the Pursuit rider)

To see the slightly more human data of our own Ken Harris take a look at his journal entry
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If you want to win the Tour De France you will need a Power to kilo ratio of at least 7.00 for the mountains. In other words if you can sustain seven watts for each kilo you weigh for about half an hour you can ride the Pyrenees with the elite group. Lance Armstrong weighs about 70 kilos (160 pounds) so he had to put out an average of 490 watts to clock 39 minutes up the Alp D’Huez, 7 watts for each kilo for almost 40 minutes.

Of course watts per kilos became more important as the grade gets steeper. On a flat or a sprint the weight of the rider and bicycle have little effect, aerodynamics become much more important than weight. That’s why time trialists and sprinters use heavier aerodynamic wheels. Damiano Cunego weights 58 kilos – 128 pounds, his anaerobic threshold is 420 watts that gives him a world class power to weight ratio of more than seven watts per kilogram. So he has an advantage in the mountain but it is somewhat neutralized in a flat time trial. In a time trial a rider like Jan Ullrich may not have the power to weight advantage of a ‘pure climber’ but his ability to generate more power still gives him the edge. So to improve you must either lose weight or gain power, usually losing weight is the easier of the two, that’s why most Cat 4s think that if they just dropped enough weight they could join the pro tour. As Homer Simpson says “In theory Communism works too.”
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The same holds true for sprinting. Marty Nothstien weighted 220 pounds or 100 kilos in the 1996 Olympics, it takes a lot of power to get that much weight up to 45+ MPH but with maximum power at over 2200 watts at peak his engine was more than big enough. That’s well above great road sprinters who are comparatively small like Cipollini (1900 watt max) or Pettachi (reported 1700 watts). Conversely Chris Boardman was able to produce over 440 watts for an hour to break the hour record but his top power in a sprint was only 1000 watts, not enough to win a cat 5 sprint at Floyd Bennett Field. With power testing a cyclist quickly realizes what their strengths and weaknesses are.

Okay good for them what about you and me?
The average Cat 4 park racer can produce seven watts per kilogram of body weight for about one minute and around two minutes for a Cat 2. In fact the average racer is much closer to an elite local racer than that elite rider is to a top pro.

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This Rider has cat 1 or 2 power to weight for about 15 seconds but is an average Cat 3 or 4 after just a few minutesThe ‘train your weaknesses, race your strengths’ philosophy would require this rider to train on their aerobic power. Slow it down son!

If you have your own power data, check out these spreadsheets to get a rough idea of where you stand.

Lets say you are considering entering the Cat 4 Bear Mountain race. If you use the River Road climb from the boat basin to the stop sign for the right turn at the sheriff station (aprox 1.25 mile) you can get a pretty good idea of how competitive you will be.

To have a chance of finishing in the top twenty you would need to be able to ride up the hill, just over one mile at a 7.1% grade, in about 6:20 minutes, but about 5:30 to win. Thats 4.6 watts per kilogram to do the hill in 6:00. An average of 350 watts if you weight 170 pounds.

For the Cat 3’s 6:00 for the top twenty and about 5:15 to win. At 5 watts per kilosgram and you will see the sheriff’s staion in just over five painful minutes.

For the Pro 1, 2s under 5:30 to stay with the group and under 5 minutes to the top to win. The winner will be ale to generate more than 6 watts per kilogram and will pass you at about the same speed as a mid sized hatch back.

Of course there are many other variables to consider. For example, bigger riders may be a little slower on the climb but good at latching back on immediately afterward. And if you have poor descending skills you may get dropped or use too much energy catching up before you reach the finishing climb. Also the more difficult categories will require more endurance as the races are longer.

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