power profiling - what's my speciality?

neeb

Ok, I've now got a pretty good idea of my maximum power output over 1hour, 5min and 1min.

I've known my FT for a while, but I hadn't tried 1 min or 5 mins until recently. Just did the 5 min today... I'll avoid actual figures just to keep the subject non-competitive...

I've seen the famous coggan table:
http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/wp-conte ... filing.jpg

..and also some of the "power profile" spreadsheets for various specialities, except I don't seem to fit any of them. I've always thought of myself as a climber and known that I can't sprint. My FT W / kg is not bad, while my 1 minute is crap, a whole 2 categories below my FT category on that table. And I WAS really trying! The thing is, I've just now conformed what I suspected, that my 5min is really quite good in comparison, actually slightly better than my FT on the table (although still in the same category).

I haven't even tried 5s, I know it's unspeakably crap, somewhere near the bottom of the table...

So what does that make me? Not a sprinter obviously, but not a pure climber / time-trialist either? And my good 5min combined with my crap 1min is a bit different from an "all-rounder". Can I deduce anything else from those figures, e.g. relative VO2 max, lactate threshold etc?

Pokerface

Become a 4KM track pursuit specialist. WR is around 4 mins.

neeb

Become a 4KM track pursuit specialist. WR is around 4 mins.

But I'm light, so the good 5min W/kg doesn't translate so well to raw power...

Bronzie

Be aware that the figures for "World Class" at each time frame are just that - the 5 sec power profile includes track sprint specialists (ie Chris Hoy) so most roadies tend to do poorly in that area unless they are above average sprinters.

Your 1 min power will also reflect how much specific training you do for it (ie L6 intervals) - it's the sort of fitness that is quickly lost if you don't use it (hence tends to be the "icing on the cake" as you peak for a target event).

neeb

I'll try practicing the 1min to see if I can improve it then. Although I KNOW I'm not a sprinter...

When I'm riding with others my strength is that I can fly up hills, which certainly fits with the good 5mins, the low weight, and the fact that the hills where I am are never very long. But I think I'm OK on long hills too.

chrisw12

Bronzie wrote:

Be aware that the figures for "World Class" at each time frame are just that - the 5 sec power profile includes track sprint specialists (ie Chris Hoy) so most roadies tend to do poorly in that area unless they are above average sprinters.

Your 1 min power will also reflect how much specific training you do for it (ie L6 intervals) - it's the sort of fitness that is quickly lost if you don't use it (hence tends to be the "icing on the cake" as you peak for a target event).

I absolutely agree with that remark, but doesn't it once again emphasise the importance of event specific training. To me this makes a total mockery of people advocating doing weight training.

As you say to get good 1 min power you have to train 1 min power. Even deviating slightly from that path i.e. longer endurance sets does very little to increase 1 min power, yet people think they will get gains by totally deviating from the path by doing different exercises aka weigh lifting..

Slow1972

I think world class track sprinters do (heavy) weight lifting as part of their training programme well as riding their bikes. Would they be better just by riding their bikes more instead?

(Although personally I agree with your sentiment for a club rider who is TTing or RRing, I'm strong enough in my torso to handle riding a bike because I've developed the muscles I need when riding it etc... but that can of worms has been done to death by others already)

Infamous

neeb wrote:

So what does that make me?

A climber, whether you're a "pure" climber or not depends on how light you are.

Pokerface

chrisw12 wrote:

Bronzie wrote:

Be aware that the figures for "World Class" at each time frame are just that - the 5 sec power profile includes track sprint specialists (ie Chris Hoy) so most roadies tend to do poorly in that area unless they are above average sprinters.

Your 1 min power will also reflect how much specific training you do for it (ie L6 intervals) - it's the sort of fitness that is quickly lost if you don't use it (hence tends to be the "icing on the cake" as you peak for a target event).

I absolutely agree with that remark, but doesn't it once again emphasise the importance of event specific training. To me this makes a total mockery of people advocating doing weight training.

As you say to get good 1 min power you have to train 1 min power. Even deviating slightly from that path i.e. longer endurance sets does very little to increase 1 min power, yet people think they will get gains by totally deviating from the path by doing different exercises aka weigh lifting..

If you want to improve your sprinting power - weight training is actually one of the routes you would use - is it not?

But sprint-specific weights (like squats).

And you would only do this if you were a sprint specialist - not just to improve your sprint power as part of your overall repertoire.

Anonymous

You aren't a sprinter. Don't worry about it!

Play to your strengths.

neeb

Play to your strengths.

It's certainly more satisfying to do that. Difficult to get the psychological motivation to go from being a crap sprinter to a marginally less crap sprinter...

A climber, whether you're a "pure" climber or not depends on how light you are.

5'9" and about 64-65kg at the moment. Can sometimes get down to 61-62 in the summer. My incentive for weight loss is that the less fat I'm carrying, the more I can justify spending money on light stuff for the bike....

Infamous

62kg is definitely a climber. Enter hilly races and attack on the climbs.

Pocket Rocket

Infamous wrote:

62kg is definitely a climber. Enter hilly races and attack on the climbs.

Where do you get this information from?
Whether you're a good climber or not, depends on your w/kg, not how light you are.
I'm only 60kg but struggle with the rest on longer climbs.

Infamous

maybe you're just rubbish.

He said in the thread that he's a decent climber, with a high w/kg @ 5min.

Pocket Rocket

Thanks for that.

I'm just going on your remarks.

A climber, whether you're a "pure" climber or not depends on how light you are.

62kg is definitely a climber. Enter hilly races and attack on the climbs.

Perhaps I am not a good climber, but you can't generalise that being lighter will make you a good climber.

Infamous

He's asking what his strengths are, he says he can't sprint, is not a pursuiter but can drop people on the climbs, he's also quite light therefore a climber.

62kg falls into the category of a climber at club level IMO, of course some people are just rubbish and can't climb no matter how light they are.

Pokerface

Pocket Rocket wrote:

but you can't generalise that being lighter will make you a good climber.

Actually - you can. That's what generalising is all about. :roll:

Bronzie

Infamous wrote:

maybe you're just rubbish.

Having been on the receiving end of Mr Rocket's finishing kick at Welwyn track on several occassions, I can verify he's definitely not rubbish. At least, not at sprinting.