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Going from road bike to tri bike

Coach RichCoach Rich
in General Training Discussions

So...

I'm pretty confident my FTP on the road bike is 300-310w. My goal for the season is > 320w. I've now gone to the tri bike and my FTP on that is...lower than 300-310w

  • I'm pretty shelled right now, carrying a lot of fatigue so don't expect stellar numbers anyway.
  • My body is still early in sorting out the change in positions. Most noticably, my quads start squaking at 285w so my FTP is certainly that or below on the tri bike, but see first bullet = so who really knows?

I'm not very concerned as, like I said, I'm kinda tired right now (Forest Gump voice) and my first time throwing my leg over this bike in 3yrs was Wednesday. I have pretty low expectations right now.

So what are your observations on making the switch from a road bike to tri bike? I'm hoping that once I can get some recovery and absorb the work I've been doing, that will bring things up X watts, then as my quads adapt that will bring it up another Y watts, and that X + Y will equal something in the ballpark of 300-310w.

I've made this change in the past after a similarly long tribike lay over but I don't recall and frankly wasn't paying much attention to it back then. As I basically test weekly with my Tues hill repeats I'll post my observations and results to this thread.

Comments

  • ghernandghernand

    Rich,

    Most of my OS was on the road bike this year.  My goal was to build power on it with a bunch of climbing centuries and riding with you and your group of regulars when not doing centuries.

    My FTP was 235 going into November IMAZ 2010.  I only got a road bike after IMAZ 2010. 

    All of my testing during the 2011 OS hovered around 220-224. 

    My first test of the race prep period for 2011 IMCdA on the tri bike, after not having ridden it all in 4-5months, produced a 241 FTP!!!  sitting up on the TRI bike.

    My interpretation:

    -i needed that 1week transition period to rest.  i had been riding non-stop and all difficult rides.

    -the neuromuscluar memory in my muscles are honed to the steep angle position.  once in that position, my movements are smoother, more coordinated and thus more powerful.  on the road bike, my muscles are still learning how to be smooth and coordinated, since i ha ve not been on a road bike since i started training seriously.

    Since you have been powerful from both seat angles in the past, i suspect that all you need is rest, stretching, and gradual lowering of the stem. 

    By the way...remember that you (we) ain't no spring chicken anymore, so make sure to transition more gradually than you did in the past!!!!

    over and out.

    G

    P.S. posting pics of P3C joule positioning soon.

     

     

     

  • JeremiahJeremiah
    So glad you posted this Rich. I took 2010 off from riding the tri bike. FTP on the road bike for the Jan OS was 289 at my best. Hopped on the tri bike and really had trouble with my quads and being able to handle any serious working sets. Tested on the tri and dropped to 263! Freaked out and hammered every time I went out for about 6 or 7 rides and tested out of the OS with 282 on the tri bike.

    The time off gave me a keen awareness of the differences in position and muscles recruited.
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