You will no doubt hear some folks saying that FTP is everything.
Get your FTP (Functional Threshold Power) up.
Then after that worry about weight and the bike and position and the rest.
On the other hand, Specialized use the slogan "Aero is Everything".
So we have
a) FTP is everything
b) Aero is everything
So today, I will be looking at what each of these two statements implies for an amateur cyclist with a limited budget (hey, if you're rich, just pay for a professional coach, and he'll do the thinking for you!).
Get your FTP (Functional Threshold Power) up.
Then after that worry about weight and the bike and position and the rest.
On the other hand, Specialized use the slogan "Aero is Everything".
So we have
a) FTP is everything
b) Aero is everything
So today, I will be looking at what each of these two statements implies for an amateur cyclist with a limited budget (hey, if you're rich, just pay for a professional coach, and he'll do the thinking for you!).
- We are going to use the handy tool Bike Calculator.
- We are going to assume that you have a basic road bike, so it's not going to be that light. We will assume the bike weighs about 11kg (that's about what a Triban 500SE, a popular budget "starter" bike, with a cycling computer and a few sensors, weighs). Feel free to do the same math using your own bike weight if you want.
- we are going to assume a rider weight (including clothes) of 85kg. I know a lot of you weigh less than that, but I know a lot of you weigh more than that, and feel free to do the math with your own weight (dressed), if you want.
- We are going to assume that you are not entering events covered by UCI rules (i.e. you can fit aero bars if you want). My local charity sportive fits into this category, as will many other "non-race" events (Sportives are technically not races, even though many cyclists pretend they are). If you want to have a go at a "real" UCI event, open to novices, then have a look at the Tour of Cambridgeshire, but read their rules about aero bars to avoid misunderstanding! Similar events will exist in most countries, if you live outside the UK.
- To keep things simple, we are going to assume that we are looking at riding on the flat, on a windless day, with the same standard "clincher" tyres each time.
- We are going to assume that the riding is a "perfect" evenly-paced maximum effort for 1 hour (pretty much the definition of FTP!)
- We are going to use FTP power of 100 to 350w, in 50w increments, and look at each riding position for each FTP power.
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| Numbers are in km/h, calculated using an 85kg rider and an 11kg bike, with Bike Calculator |
So there we have it.
While FTP power is a major factor in performance, so is the aerodynamic effect of riding position.
Note that this is for "real" riding, with wind resistance.
If you want to play at Zwift in your living room, then it is all about power.
BUT
If you ride sportives, you can see the effect that wind resistance has.
A weak rider, like me (I'm 52, currently injured, and off work, with a current FTP of just 145w), using aerobars would go pretty much the same speed as a rider with his hands on the tops of the bars, EVEN IF THE OTHER RIDER WAS MAKING 100W (60%) MORE THAN ME!
Similarly a 250w rider using drops would go a tad faster than a 300w rider on the hoods.
50 watts (equivalent) for free!
And, readers, that's why "Pros" do flexibility exercises ...
You hint at it towards the end but while in theory this works (getting in the drops is more aero), in practice other things also come into play.
ReplyDeleteA lower position will often mean you produce lower power output for the same effort, efficiency drops so you can't maintain your ftp. How much lower power is to the gain in aero will determine if it is better for you. It's not that you can necessarily go faster, but you can do the same speed at a lower power output which is important for racing, as it is often more about saving energy.
Flexibility is very important so your actual position on the bike is good. However, so is training in those positions to develop the right muscle recruitment, which is why those that train more in the TT position, generally do better in TTs.
Position in the drops is important too. Arms bent while being on the hoods is better than having straight arms while in the drops. http://road.cc/content/news/133598-want-ride-faster-hunker-down-hoods
Yes, it is definitely something you have to work towards - just the ability to stay low for more than an hour takes quite a bit of practice to build up the arm muscles!
DeleteFTP is a bit misleading for really long events, too.
FTP is just a snapshot of what you can do for an hour.
Two riders with the same FTP are likely to have different power out puts over just a short 5 minute sprint and also different power outputs over an 8+ hour ultra-endurance ride.
No doubt because of my low FTP, I tend to like ultra-endurance events - stuff like pacing and planning allow me to catch up with fitter riders by out-thinking them (handy when I can't out-power them!).
Many amateur riders have a completely false impression of their FTP because they sit bolt upright on a trainer.
A limiting factor on "amateur" FTP is the amount of resstriction on breathing there is from an "aero" position.
An increasingly popular way for TT riders to increase "aero" power output is to use shorter cranks - and I means SERIOUSLY short cranks, not just the "mainstream" "short" 165mm cranks.
I personally have 145mm cranks, and the fact that my knees don't come up as high means that I can stay more aero.
Having said that, I did my most recent 200km (125 mile) ride in a pretty upright position with the 145mm cranks - but then I was just out enjoying myself, not trying to set a fast time - indeed, I took a picnic with me ;-)