What is a good power-to-weight ratio for cycling?
Power-to-weight ratios vary across a wide spectrum. Generally, untrained riders have an FTP below 2.0 W/kg for men and 1.5 W/kg for women, while professional racers may be capable of sustaining more than 6.0 W/kg for men and 5.5 for women.
How much difference does weight make in cycling uphill?
On the steeper uphill sections (>4% gradient), the speed increases by almost as much as the weight decreases (5 to 6%). However, such gradients are only experienced on about one eighth of the route (489 km out of 3899 km = 12.5%).
Does climbing make you a stronger cyclist?
Climbs place a lot of stress on your muscles, and although you should be able to ride at 200 watts uphill as long as you can ride 200 watts on flat ground, cyclists often have to apply more power on climbs to maintain momentum and keep their legs moving smoothly through the dead spot at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
How much does weight matter in cycling climbing?
On a hilly loop course, a 20-pound weight difference in bikes yielded a 13.6-percent drop in speed. Extrapolating that to your 12-pound weight difference, you’d be looking at an eight-percent speed loss.
How much difference does 1kg make on a climb?
There is also a “1kg line” for Zwift performance on steep climbs like the Alpe: The difference between the fastest frame/wheel setup on climbs and a basic racing setup (Zwift Aero frame with Zipp 808 wheels) is 52 seconds over an hour climb.
Does losing weight make you a faster cyclist?
If you weigh 180 pounds, you’d average 11.46mph. If you weigh 175 pounds, you’d go 11.65mph. At the top of the climb, you’d have saved 30 seconds. That might not seem like a lot, but if you’ve ever watched someone slowly roll away from you, you know what a difference even a few seconds can make.
What is a good average FTP?
The article claims that a typical fit cyclist might be able to crank out 250 to 300 watts as an average for a 20 minute FTP (functional threshold point) test, while the pros usually average 400 watts.