FTP and cycle racing.

Daroxtar

A little follow-on from someone else's post earlier. I installed the Xert gadgety thing onto my Garmin that gives your FTP and went for a spin this morning. Seemingly it can give you good accuracy from a two minute flat out effort. I gave a few solid digs on some short climbs, 5minute ish efforts that gave me new PRs, and it came back with a figure of 268. The last FTP figure I got from a test was 258 a couple of months ago and Zwift told me I was 271 a couple of weeks ago after a tough workout so I'd say it's quite close alright. Close enough for me to know my zones for some climbing on holidays in a few weeks anyway. If I could drop from 73 to 70kg I'd be almost bang on 4W/kg.

For a bit of reference re those bstard juniors, I set a PR on Truskmore a few weeks ago of 26.36. I know I could have gone a little harder but I'd say I'd have gained 30 seconds max, maybe a minute if I didn't care about dying on the side of a lonely mountain. The two lads who were strong juniors in our club last year went up it yesterday after already doing 160 km.

23minutes and they lost a minute or so by standing around inside the gate at the start of the segment. I console myself knowing that I was faster on the descent.

Seadin

Daroxtar wrote: »

A little follow-on from someone else's post earlier. I installed the Xert gadgety thing onto my Garmin that gives your FTP and went for a spin this morning. Seemingly it can give you good accuracy from a two minute flat out effort. I gave a few solid digs on some short climbs, 5minute ish efforts that gave me new PRs, and it came back with a figure of 268. The last FTP figure I got from a test was 258 a couple of months ago and Zwift told me I was 271 a couple of weeks ago after a tough workout so I'd say it's quite close alright. Close enough for me to know my zones for some climbing on holidays in a few weeks anyway. If I could drop from 73 to 70kg I'd be almost bang on 4W/kg.

For a bit of reference re those bstard juniors, I set a PR on Truskmore a few weeks ago of 26.36. I know I could have gone a little harder but I'd say I'd have gained 30 seconds max, maybe a minute if I didn't care about dying on the side of a lonely mountain. The two lads who were strong juniors in our club last year went up it yesterday after already doing 160 km.

23minutes and they lost a minute or so by standing around inside the gate at the start of the segment. I console myself knowing that I was faster on the descent.

I installed that xert app onto my garmin. Just wondering can you get it to add to your ride summary at the end of each ride on the garmin 520? I can see the xert ftp data field during the ride but don't have it after the ride.

Thanks

Seadin

Derrydingle

harringtonp wrote:

. Took the voluntary upgrade from A4 to A3 a few years, never got on the board in A4 either.

Can you still do that if your over 50 I emailed CI about it a few weeks ago but never got a reply

harringtonp

Derrydingle wrote: »

Can you still do that if your over 50 I emailed CI about it a few weeks ago but never got a reply

I don't think so. As an over 50 what you can do is opt to stay in A3 even if you have enough points to take you to A2

jinkypolly

Derrydingle wrote: »

Can you still do that if your over 50 I emailed CI about it a few weeks ago but never got a reply

Yes.
From the 2017 Technical Rules;

(c) Masters riders in their 50th or greater year and irrespective of their category may apply, on their
first licence application for the relevant licence year, for an A2 or A3 licence with zero points
brought forward. Such riders are exempt from automatic upgrades during the licence year unless
requested by the rider on reaching the relevant points threshold.

Derrydingle

jinkypolly wrote:

Yes. From the 2017 Technical Rules;

But is that first licence only or would you be still able to self upgrade if you being on a A4 licence

jinkypolly

Derrydingle wrote: »

But is that first licence only or would you be still able to self upgrade if you being on a A4 licence

Your first licence of the year.

StevieGriff

What's the norm for most people here, self-coached or have a paid coach?
It almost seems now that everyone and their grandmother is paying a coach. Been considering trying a coach lately, beginning to feel I've plateaued in what I can achieve with my own limited knowledge/power of google.

dahat

Figures go from €70pm to €150 from what I have been told by lads using coaches.
Ciagala, A1 and a local lad used a couple of clubs.
€150 seems alot but it depends on the person really.

harringtonp

As the thread is called "FTP and cycle racing" it may be worth illustrating how you can occasionally make a very modest FTP work for you, my FTP has been around 280W-290W with a weight of 76-78kg the last few years. The two attachments compare the average power output floating around in the bunch for the best part of two laps and the output from the time I started looking to get off the front to the point where the 2 of us were caught by the 2 juniors at the top of the little hill. A few factors came together to make this work out:

- The bunch had slowed a little come the 3rd lap, the average speed shown for the 2 of us is 39.4 but we were travelling on average at 40km/hr to the bottom of the pull (and back up to it once down the other side)

- I hid for the first 2 laps and there was no real stress so was comparatively fresh (and I suspect most others were too)

- Was lucky in that the guy I was with was quite a bit stronger, two of me would not have stayed away. He reckon I wasn't riding fast enough when at the front so suggested doing a shorter turn than him but trying to ride at a higher intensity. The work split may have been something like 70/30 but it seemed to work quite well.

- The average power for me for the 36 mins was 276W (golden cheethah shows normalised power of 289W for 41 minutes), however when I was on the front would have went into a low tuck forearms on bar position. I lose 20+ watts like this on what I can put out on the drops but it is still faster. Shaved legs/arms and a kask infinity helmet with the shield down probably helped a little too (though shallow wheels would have been a let down here)

Daroxtar

Anyone have any figures for two and three hour and FTP? I have a few big days on holidays in the mountains coming up and I got a bit caught out going on heart rate last year.

Macy0161

Daroxtar wrote: »

Anyone have any figures for two and three hour and FTP? I have a few big days on holidays in the mountains coming up and I got a bit caught out going on heart rate last year.

Haven't used it (no power meter on bike), but isn't this the type of thing best bike split does?

Chips Lovell

Daroxtar wrote: »

Anyone have any figures for two and three hour and FTP? I have a few big days on holidays in the mountains coming up and I got a bit caught out going on heart rate last year.

I did a 50 mile TT last year for the first time, so working out beforehand what kind of power I should be doing for a two hour effort was a bit of a shot in the dark. At the time my FTP was 370w and the power curve on Golden Cheetah suggested that 90% FTP may be possible. So I went out aiming to hold 330w. That was grand for the first three quarters but I was swinging in the final quarter and ended up doing 320w. So, for me at least, 85% for two hours and probably a bit less for three.

Lumen

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

I did a 50 mile TT last year ...At the time my FTP was 370w

I feel a bit better about your Cruagh Road PB now.

RobFowl

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

I did a 50 mile TT last year for the first time, so working out beforehand what kind of power I should be doing for a two hour effort was a bit of a shot in the dark. At the time my FTP was 370w and the power curve on Golden Cheetah suggested that 90% FTP may be possible. So I went out aiming to hold 330w. That was grand for the first three quarters but I was swinging in the final quarter and ended up doing 320w. So, for me at least, 85% for two hours and probably a bit less for three.

what time did you do?

Chips Lovell

Lumen wrote: »

I feel a bit better about your Cruagh Road PB now.

You'd be faster than me now though

RobFowl wrote: »

what time did you do?

1:57

buffalo

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

1:57

That's a long time to be climbing Cruagh... :pac:

dahat

One for the Lenister lads here, any races for A4 till season end that aren't regarded as crash fests?
Looking to sneak 2pts by season end.

Miklos

dahat wrote: »

One for the Lenister lads here, any races for A4 till season end that aren't regarded as crash fests?
Looking to sneak 2pts by season end.

Laragh Classic on Saturday the 2nd Sept is a tough circuit, that'd be a good one to aim for.

dahat

Miklos wrote: »

Laragh Classic on Saturday the 2nd Sept is a tough circuit, that'd be a good one to aim for.

That looks testing alright and one the same weekend as Charleville so that may take a few good A4's away.It doesn't look exactly ideal for me but at season end i can't be choosy.

Any knowledge of the Dundalk Cycle Traders Cup?

LCD

Traders Cup in September. Before was an out & back course, this year I think it will be laps, though not 100%. Finish is on a wide road

timbel

dahat wrote: »

That looks testing alright and one the same weekend as Charleville so that may take a few good A4's away.It doesn't look exactly ideal for me but at season end i can't be choosy.

Any knowledge of the Dundalk Cycle Traders Cup?

Traders Cup is generally fast and flat - you can draw your own conclusions from that.

CramCycle

Miklos wrote: »

Laragh Classic on Saturday the 2nd Sept is a tough circuit, that'd be a good one to aim for.

No A4 in the Laragh Classic this year AFAIK

calistro

Oldcastle GP - Sunday of August Bank Holiday

crazy_kenny

calistro wrote: »

Oldcastle GP - Sunday of August Bank Holiday

Even the ladies doing longer distance than the A4's, some joke!

sullzz

crazy_kenny wrote: »

Even the ladies doing longer distance than the A4's, some joke!

Youre not sexist at all no ?

RobFowl

crazy_kenny wrote: »

Even the ladies doing longer distance than the A4's, some joke!

Cos wimmins aren't capable of doing that !

Bring back downtube shifters, hairnet helmets and woolly jerseys..

Derrydingle

crazy_kenny wrote:

Even the ladies doing longer distance than the A4's, some joke!

Just goes to show you what clubs think of A4 racing

Derrydingle

CramCycle wrote:

No A4 in the Laragh Classic this year AFAIK

Are you sure?

dahat

Derrydingle wrote: »

Just goes to show you what clubs think of A4 racing

No problem taking our cash though.