Am I the only one who has 3w/kg ftp as a distant dreams.
I listen to the podcast read the forum and all seems to be 3 4 5 w/ kg.
I’m an IM triathlete at 200lb and 241 ftp … I feel week
1 Like
Everyone starts somewhere. Also are you testing on a road bike or tt bike? Ramp test or 20 min or 30 min test? Indoor or outdoor?
Road bike most people tend to push more power there.
You said you’re a triathlete. If you’re doing the ramp test in a tt position on the trainer it’s a whole lot harder then if you’re a crit racer on a road bike. Sustained test might provide a higher number.
241 watts is still pretty phat and very strong on the flats, and you’re also already 2.7 watts per kg so 90% of the way to 3!
3 Likes
Take a look at the distribution by age and gender:
3 Likes
Just to add a bit more info
I train on a watt bike.
I have one A race IM/year
I’ve raced IM since 2006
I used to be 20st
Training Haiku?
7 Likes
Don’t worry about others, FTP is inversely related with someone’s likeliness to mention it on the internet. I believe you’re sitting fairly close to the bell curves middle.
Also especially as an IM athlete W/cda can be much more important than w/kg. You are pushing serious watts. On a flat course and good aerodynamics you’re solid mid pack at least.
Look at it this way. I’ve barely made it to 4w/kg at 270/66kg. If we race Hamburg or Texas or Tallinn together, and assuming we’re somewhat equally aero, you’ll be almost as fast as me. Maybe even faster because my real life TT bike FTP is probably lower anyway. So don’t get hung up on numbers. Focus on progress and being as fast as you can be.
1 Like
Out of interest, what sort of time do you do the IM bike section in, on what type of bike/set up? (TT bike, road bike with tri bars or road bike).
Similar to you, I do HIM (contemplating doing another IM)…as a larger athlete…I’m 190lb. My FTP is a little higher. I generally do HIM bike sections in about 2h50 - on flat courses - hill are not my friends (though they are good training partners). I use a road bike with clip-ons
I’m only asking because I perceive that I should be faster for the power I put out - (based upon flat, prolonged Strava segments) - I suspect that I have the aerodynamics of a brick. I was after some real feedback from another athlete.
Hi
I struggle on the bike, on average I would say I’m about 6:30(ish) for the IM Bike. with a best of 6:10
I hit 3 w/kg after my first year of riding. So 4 w/kg is next up. Distant dreams are what you would like to accomplish. Realistic or not.
My dream is to hit 5w/kg on my tt bike and have a shot a nationals in the Netherlands.
But this is very far away:joy:
1 Like
Not sure where in your training your are, but if you’re not training for a specific event at the moment consider more time on the bike and less swim / run.
I have My A race in 10(ish) days - IM Vichy
I Normaly only ride and Run - (i only swim for a couple of months leading up to the race) as Im a decent swimmer
My training split this year is:
I’m about 185 lbs and targeting 2:50 for my first HIM bike. Also on a road bike with clip ons and aero helmet. My FTP is 260 and my race plan is to be around 80% or 210 watts. I had a test ride this past weekend where I averaged 19.5mph at 215 watts over 35 miles on a rolling hill course. I think the road bike is really holding me back.
I was in your position when I did my first IM. (230FTP and 210lbs). I was a hair over 12 hours and felt pretty good. Then I decided to really push the bike and do structured training and got up over 300W and lost 15lbs.
I thought those numbers were IMPOSSIBLE initially because I could only hold them for a min or two at best, but slowly over time and with work it happened. Trust the process.
1 Like
19.5 mph at 215W (at 185lb) sounds pretty fast to me. I’m currently 190lb, I’m going to go out and do my 10k intervals and see what speed I hold at 215W - I bet I don’t get 19.5 mph. Will report back.