Power Sitting up!
When out riding on my time trial bike and laying in the bars I can hold the prescribed wattages needed, but the thing is when I go to set up my Power seems to go up! Would this be a bike fit issue?
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When out riding on my time trial bike and laying in the bars I can hold the prescribed wattages needed, but the thing is when I go to set up my Power seems to go up! Would this be a bike fit issue?
Comments
Patrick
Thanks again,
Rich
My power dropped 15 watts between ftp tests on my road bike to the tri bike. I am counting on Patrick being right about the decrease in watts is more than offset by the increases due to the better aero position!
I attributed the drop to both the position and my inexperience IN that new position. I am looking forward to the next ftp test next week as I have been riding aero for a month now.
Mark,
Coach P is right. There is no way you can push the same watts in aero that you do sitting up. So now we have indoor watts at FT, roadie watts, TT bike watts sitting up, TT bike watts in aero.
Eventually, you innately know them all and ride accordingly.
As others have noted, the key number we're interested in is NOT our watts produced. It is the TIME it takes to cover 56 or 112 miles, and then, how fast we are able to run 13.1 or 26.2 miles. Speed on the bike and on a subsequent brick run are important variables to consider. Are you willing to, say, race a sprint or an oly sitting up and see how you do compared to riding aero? After dealing with any bike fit issues, there must be a practical way to demonstrate that riding aero in a race is preferable to sitting up despite the differential in power produced.
I hear you that it's about speed and not watts as to what matters on race day. But how do I pace myself? I'm doing IMLP, and will likely be sitting up on the long climbs because 1) I'm more powerful that way; 2) a change of position is always good on a 6 hour ride. So it will be hard to figure out my goal watts and TSS. Would I have separate goal wattages for aero and another for sitting up?
It is about watts on race day not speed. I figured my watts based on my aero wattage and used that as I believe most people do.
Also when you do your RR is when you will be really dialing in your wattage.
@ Keith - I'm not well versed yet in the nuances of racing with power. I can only tell you what I've ended up doing. In the IMs I do, climbs are relatively short, like 300 vertical feet. I do sit up on some of them. When I'm aero, I'm trying to hold 177 watts +/-; when I'm sitting up, I'm trying to hold 200 +/-. I don't know if that's right or makes sense, but at least at CDA, it hasn't gotten me into trouble yet on the run. When I went harder than that, last year in Kona, I had to drop out after 10 miles on the run. In Arizona, there is no sitting up.
Agree with both Al and Scott. Its about watts on race day. I train and test in the aero position as well as measure my baseline fitness. However, on steep climbs, much like Al, I do sit up while being careful to pace my watts when climbing.....
I can't add much that hasn't been said but I too see a drop in watts when aero but I also see a tangible increase in speed. In race build up I will test and train in the aerobars.
To pace on race day you need to figure out your FTP in the bars. You will confirm the number by doing the RR's. You will certainly be sitting up at some points on the LP course. You will still target the same Gear watts from the charts. No reason to over think it. The gears the spreadsheet spits out have taken it into account. The fact that it is easier to hold those watts sitting up will be a good thing and it will not feel all that easy,especially on the second time back from Wilmington.
Al and others got to the key point though, which is even if you are 15 watts lower in the aerobars you more than make up for that in aerodymancis. You don't get anything for putting up X watts on race day or have X FTP... it is your total time that counts.
As for climbing in a race I think if the pace slows enough that sitting up, stretching the back out, getting a drink, getting pressure on a different set of tissues "down under", etc is wise on 70.3 and longer. But for race purposes the "wattage gears" should be based upon FTP testing in the bars.
I also like to do the FTP outdoors as I just can't sit in the aerobars on the trainer.
V
Reason I'm asking is I seem to only hit 90-95% in sprints, although I have to admit I'm less concerned with power and more concerned with speed in that instance.
My notes:
I got my copy of Training and Racing With a Power Meter (2nd Ed.) yesterday. In the first chapter, I found this comment (paraphrasing) " ...with improvements in positioning and equipment a rider should be able to go the same speed with 30 watts less power ..." The point they're making is the same noted by several folks here: why spend 210 watts to go 21 mph sitting up when you could go just as fast with only 180 in the aero position?
Vince
I have found that I can push just about the same watts in the aero as sitting up, unless the hills are getting steep. I've always been under the impression that the rule specificity applies to everything, so I've been on the rollers all winter in the aero bars and have found on the roads that I can push better being down. I'm sure its just a simple matter of aerodynamics, but I just feel much more comfortable down, than if I'm up. And when I'm up, I'm pushing too hard and as others have said, burning matches when I shouldn't be. It has just felt stronger to me this season because I never gave myself another option and my body is used the the angles and the force applied in those angles.