I have no power on my tri bike!
Take a look at these two ride summaries. One is a race, and the other is a training ride. My FTP is 235 as measured outside on my road bike about a month ago.
Entire workout (171 watts):
Guess which one is the olympic-distance race on my tri bike and which is the 2+ hour training ride the next day on my road bike? That's right, I held 171 watts for 70 minutes on the tri bike, and the next day I averaged 200 for 100 minutes on the road bike, and 188 over 130 minutes. (The reported numbers include some stopped time at lights and such on the second ride, which is why they're below what I saw on the computer during the actual ride.) During the race I felt fine after the swim, so that's not the problem. I had a great retul bike fit done by one of the best fitters in the DC area about a month ago. The position feels fine. I wasn't uncomfortable, I just can't hold any power.
Is this a fit issue? An acclimation issue? I did most of my intervals on the road bike over the winter, but I've been out for some long rides on the aero bars this spring on the new tri bike. I had stomach issues on the bike/run during the race. Does anyone else feel that when they're in aero position, but feel fine a little more upright?
What should I be doing here? I'm tempted to do the road bike for IMLP because I feel better on it and I think the increased power makes up for the reduced aerodynamics. I averaged 21 mph on an Olympic race last fall on the road bike with clip on bars, and after a winter of working my ass off, averaged 20 mph on the tri bike with an 808 front wheel and disk cover that I didn't have last fall. Arrrghhh.
Comments
Sounds like fit. Would you call your set up "aggressive" ? I think a lot of really good fits don't account for an individuals hip flexibility and glute/ ham strength and flex. It's why road bikes tend to feel much more comfortable to most. But spend all day in the drops on the road bike. It's different.
In a misguided effort to be more Spartacus like last year, I added more drop and created a more aggressive set up. I was doing only tt's and nothing longer than a half distance tri so it seemed to make sense. However, in the process I gave away leverage. I've refitted (up and back more) and its more comfortable as well as more powerful. And probably not much less aero overall as the position allows me to spend more time climbing comfortably in the aerobars.
Yesterday in the substantial wind we had I noticed that my watts were lower through certain familiar stretches of road at comparable speeds an cadences as I would hold on the road bike. This is simply more efficient. I like it. I don't want to have to push the watts I push when sitting up like a spinnaker. So lower watts is kind of the point. You get speed through cadence and aero not just pushing. How did your speeds compare on those two rides? I wouldn't fixate on your watts- it is a balancing act. I say start with comfort. Maybe refit a little higher then work your way down?
Good luck.
I've been trying to stretch out my hamstrings and hips as I'm definitely flexibility limited. It's not coming as fast as I would have hoped.
As to comparing speeds, the courses were so different it's impossible to do. The race was pretty flat, but windy, and the training ride was all hills.
Keith,
There are several factors I see here:
1) Is this OLY bike a proper indicator of your fitness.... the stomach issues - Do you have an idea how much this slowed you down?
2) 'most of the intervals on the road bike... only some long rides on the aero bars' - I remember Coach Rich saying that when he gets in to race season he rides the tri bike more exculsively for 2-3 months? Sorry can't remember the exact time he mentioned. As has been discussed perhaps you need to adjustments to the position as well as more time in the tri saddle.
3) As Chris mentioned don't fixate on the watts too much. Having said this a .78 IF on an OLY is low so something need to be looked at here.
4) The only other consideration that you need to asses is how you run off the tri vs road bike. Getting those extra watt sand having a much slower run may not be a good trade off. However saving 20 minutes on the bike and running 10 slower could be worth it. How you asses this at the IM distances will be the challenge
Gordon
1) The stomach issues didn't bother me on the bike. I may have had less Infinit than I would have liked, but I definitely wasn't anywhere near a bonk and my stomach didn't feel bad until I started running.
4) As to the run, I ran a 42 flat 10k off the road bike last fall, which I did at 21 mph using the clip-ons on my road bike with regular wheels. Saturday, I ran 45:xx on a slightly slower course on a cooler day, having ridden 20 mph on the tri bike with aero wheels. Overall, my run fitness is slightly better than it was last fall.
I would not draw too many conclusions based on only looking at those 2 files. First, I assume you used the same PM on both bikes? Assuming so I think that you should ride the tri bike exclusively for a month or so and then check back. For the first time this winter I did all of the OS work on my road bike. When I dusted off the tri bike a few weeks ago I felt like I could not hold anything and found myself sitting up to hit the power numbers I was looking for/used to. After 5-6 rides it was starting to feel more natural to me. However, this weekend I was outside on the road bike and will admit that I felt like I could sit on big watts all day on the thing.
Moral of the story is that you will adapt. Give it time. I can not make any comment on your position as I have never seen it. I will mention however that with a steep tri bike which is fitted properly any loss in watts will be made up in speed. I am at least a mile an hour faster on the tri bike that then road bike, maybe more. If you are comfortable on it chances are you are not too low, especially after having been fit recently. Most of the time that people end up "too low" is when they tinker with the fit themselves after spending too much time on ST.
Using the road bike for LP is not a good decision if your goal is to run around half the oval as early in the day as possible
More thoughts:
1. Your "Olympic Distance" ride was 23.662 mph. Standard 40K=24.8 miles. Was the course short, or was the cyclometer tire circumference inaccurate for your tri bike? Might make a difference in the watts if you actually were riding faster than the PM thinks you were.
2. It would be good to know your average mph excluding time stopped on each ride. I suspect you are actually more efficient on the tri bike (compare speeds differences and watt difference between the rides), and the issue is partially one of race effort and execution, as well as fit and lack of time in the TT saddle.