Pro-Cyclists Speed

Secteur

OK, I am aware that "average speed" is a useless measure due to the multiple variables involved, but...

For a top level (World Tour) Pro, what would be a "typical" racing speed for the following grades (in mph) assuming full speed ahead and not overly tired (and not sprinting / in an escape etc);

0% (flat)
2-3%
5%
7-8%
>10%

The reason I ask is that I spend a lot of time watching old TdF DVDs and it's almost impossible to gauge the speeds they are doing on the hills, and I would love to know.

I have looked at pro Garmin data, but as Garmin Connect isnt especially useful for this sort of data cross-referencing, I am finding it hard to extract an answer.

Please dont flame, and I'm sorry if it's been asked before, but please try and give an approximate answer based on the above criteria without too much melon twisting, please!

martincashman

Taylor Phinney's GPS data from Milan-San-Remo yesterday. http://app.strava.com/rides/5329389

kayakerchris

search for SKY on trainingpeaks.com They have Flecha's files from last years TdF. He has an FTP of 420W!!!!!!!

A good club rider is probably around 300. In the TTT he averaged 34mph and a cadence between 100-105 all the time.

cje

All I know is that Pantani used to go up mountains faster than I could go down them.

Sunderland Supporter

Pantani rode up the Cols at mind boggling speed whilst in the drops.

okgo

Wasn't he also drugged up to his eyeballs?

Ginjafro

For the last 20 years or so the average speed for the whole TDF has been about 25mph/40kmh. Stunning when you really think about it, over a distance of about 3500kmh (2170miles) and about 90 hours of riding and some seriously big mountains.

thegibdog

I dunno, how about 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10mph respectively. Keeps the numbers nice and round.

Pigeons in flight

okgo wrote:

Wasn't he also drugged up to his eyeballs?

You can't turn a donkey into a thoroughbred....on the juice or not.

I'll get my coat :shock:

cougie

I dont see what the point of the question is.

How do you know the riders are on a 2% gradient ? I've never seen a sign warning of that.
Wind makes more of a difference I think.

And its far easier to ride fast in a bunch - hence why the breakaways are usually caught if the bunch wants them to.

RDB66

In the 2005 TDF Lance won, he did the 2241miles in 86hr 15mins 2 sec...Averaging 25.882 mph !!

He may have been on the Sherbet though !! lol

neeb

My impression is that as a rule of thumb, your average pro is getting on for 50% faster / more powerful than your average well-trained club rider, maybe a bit less. So 20mph = 27-30mph, 275W = 400W etc.

Secteur

neeb wrote:

My impression is that as a rule of thumb, your average pro is getting on for 50% faster / more powerful than your average well-trained club rider, maybe a bit less. So 20mph = 27-30mph, 275W = 400W etc.

Thanks :-)

kamil1891

but I think you seem not to notice the fact that pros ride with 200 pros around them for most of their ride and people like Armstrong had entire team dedicated to them. If any of you had at least 5 as strong as you friends that would push the pace in front of you, you would easily manage about 3-5mph more

okgo

Depends on what they're good at too.

There's one pro on Strava who is slower up most of the Surrey Hills than one of my clubmates, he also averaged under 20 mph for a recent training ride he did. He's still one of the fastest riders out there on the UK scene and smashes TT records left right and center. So they're not always THAT much faster (50% above is probably right for average club rider, but a decent club rider will be a lot closer I reckon)

Zoomer37

Garrans in the post race press conference after the Milan San Remo

“Without question Fabian was the strongest, he was going like a motorbike''

:twisted:

okgo

haha, you know when a pro cyclist is struggling to hold anothers wheel (they say you save 30% drafting?) that FC is really a BEAST.

t5nel

neeb wrote:

My impression is that as a rule of thumb, your average pro is getting on for 50% faster / more powerful than your average well-trained club rider, maybe a bit less. So 20mph = 27-30mph, 275W = 400W etc.

You cannot equate power AND speed like that as they are not directly proportional.

All else being equal to maintain twice the speed (on the flat) you would need to put in 8 times the power (it is a cube law). I agree that a true elite rider might be about 50% more powerful than a handy club rider. However their solo speeds would be much closer.

This relationship is why it is SO much more difficult to find the extra speed.

xpc316e

Double the speed requires eight times more power.

rake

i concur. the veyron needs 1000 hp to crack 240mph, but 120 can be done in an 140 bhp car. roughly 8 times power for 2 speed.
i suppose pro average about 25 drafting thats probably 21-22 solo. most folks can probably crack 500w for a short burst quite easily.

ShutUpLegs

rake wrote:

i concur. the veyron needs 1000 hp to crack 240mph, but 120 can be done in an 140 bhp car. roughly 8 times power for 2 speed.
i suppose pro average about 25 drafting thats probably 21-22 solo. most folks can probably crack 500w for a short burst quite easily.

How much slower were you than Chris Hoy?

Rigged

Interesting read. Not heard of power/speed being a cube law but it's certainly something I'll remember

rake

allegedly just under a second over 200m from static start. never saw him but his time was recorded to aim for supposedly, it was at a merida bike stall. im sceptical but i did top the scores.

neeb

t5nel wrote:

neeb wrote:

My impression is that as a rule of thumb, your average pro is getting on for 50% faster / more powerful than your average well-trained club rider, maybe a bit less. So 20mph = 27-30mph, 275W = 400W etc.

You cannot equate power AND speed like that as they are not directly proportional.

All else being equal to maintain twice the speed (on the flat) you would need to put in 8 times the power (it is a cube law). I agree that a true elite rider might be about 50% more powerful than a handy club rider. However their solo speeds would be much closer.

This relationship is why it is SO much more difficult to find the extra speed.

Yes, you're right of course for a flat route - 50% more powerful, but only 50% faster when drafting in the peloton as opposed to training solo..

On a steep climb, however, solo speed will be much closer to 50% faster. One hour is a good time for Alpe d'Huez for a decent club rider, but a good pro climber can do it in 40mins.

okgo wrote:

There's one pro on Strava who is slower up most of the Surrey Hills than one of my clubmates, he also averaged under 20 mph for a recent training ride he did. He's still one of the fastest riders out there on the UK scene and smashes TT records left right and center. So they're not always THAT much faster (50% above is probably right for average club rider, but a decent club rider will be a lot closer I reckon)

A lot of pro training is at fairly low intensity though, because they need to do so much of it to get a solid base fitness. Probably he could average a lot more than that if he wanted..

okgo

http://app.strava.com/rides/5252645

I think he was trying, I agree he could go faster, though.

t5nel

neeb wrote:

neeb wrote:

t5nel wrote:

neeb wrote:

My impression is that as a rule of thumb, your average pro is getting on for 50% faster / more powerful than your average well-trained club rider, maybe a bit less. So 20mph = 27-30mph, 275W = 400W etc.

You cannot equate power AND speed like that as they are not directly proportional.

All else being equal to maintain twice the speed (on the flat) you would need to put in 8 times the power (it is a cube law). I agree that a true elite rider might be about 50% more powerful than a handy club rider. However their solo speeds would be much closer.

This relationship is why it is SO much more difficult to find the extra speed.

Yes, you're right of course for a flat route - 50% more powerful, but only 50% faster when drafting in the peloton as opposed to training solo..

On a steep climb, however, solo speed will be much closer to 50% faster. One hour is a good time for Alpe d'Huez for a decent club rider, but a good pro climber can do it in 40mins.

Yes that makes more sense. Once the work that is being done by the cyclists 'watts' is more about adding potential energy through ascent then I would expect the speed difference (expressed in % terms) to increase between the two riders. Also I think your 50% faster aboves assumes a perfectly uniform peloton of negligible mass in a vacuum :P