Road bike in OS v Tri Bike when switching to outdoors

Joseph Lombardi

 In the OS guide you talk about the difference in Power measurements from indoor to outdoo and you state that if you are riding your road bike indoors during the OS you can expect to see lower power numbers when you shift to outdoors...but on the Tri Bike you can expect higher numbers....can you explain the difference?

Keith Wick

I think what they mean is you'll see lower numbers indoors than outdoors. You'll also see lower numbers on the tri bike compared to the road bike. If you switch from from road bike indoors to tri bike outdoors you might still see larger numbers depending on your road vs tri bike set up.

Joseph Lombardi

 Heres the passage I found confusing/curious;  it is from the OS Faq in the Wiki-

Road bike or Tri bike in the Winter? Aerobars vs hoods?

Whether or not you choose to ride your road bicycle or your triathlon bicycle in the winter is a function of personal preference. Simply know that by riding your road bike, you will have higher numbers during the winter and you will need to adjust when you transition back to your tri bike in the summer. Similarly, if you ride your triathlon bike during the winter, you will have lower numbers than you have experienced outdoors.

Keith Wick

ok, what they are saying is that if you go from riding your tri bike in the summer, which is assumed to be outside, then when you put that same tri bike on the trainer for your winter training (inside) you will see lower numbers.

Joseph Lombardi

 Okay I get that...but what struck me as odd is that they imply if I'm rididng my Road bike inside...those numbers will be Higher...than Tribike outside...and I was curious why? Do you tend to pull higher Watts on a road bike than a tri bike?  or is that some typo transmorgaphacation thing....

Keith Wick

you tend to pull higher watts on a road bike than tri bike due to the more open position on the road bike. I'm not sure if your road bike inside will be higher or lower than tri bike outside....although I tend to think road bike will still push more watts in that situation. other members may have more data on that than I have.

Coach Patrick

Yea, road bike is higher interval watts than tri bike (inside and out). If you go from tri bike outside to tri bike inside, you'll drop watts. But if you go from tri bike outside to road bike inside, the watts tend to stay closer. REGARDLESS, the point of the OS is to pick it and stick it. Pick a bike, test it, use those numbers and make them go up. When you get outside, test and repeat!

As Rich notes, and I agree, my tri bike, as sexy as it is, is for WORK. I don't start riding it until Memorial Day (even for a June half)...I just love my road bike that much! YMMV, of course

jhbinsc

And I'm the exact opposite of P. I love my tri bike and want to do all my work on it during OS. After all #workworks right P?

I believe I'm adapting to my aero position and can stay aero for basically the full 112 except for stretching or aid stations due to spending pretty much the whole year in the bars. Plus my muscles are adapted to doing FTP and VO2 and Z3 workouts in the aero position alll year and there is no transition time to go from one bike to another. IMHO.

I'd rather have lower FTP and higher speed when it counts...on race day! Really watts and even watts/kg are academic, what matters is time to complete the course as efficiently as possible and set up the run.

Jump4Joy19

I'm with Jeff, and several different wrist/hand/elbow injuries have made my tri bike so much more comfortable for me to ride. I simply can't stay more than 10 - 15 minutes on the road bike bars without discomfort. So I can't wait to get on my tri bike outside! And I also agree that years of riding aero-only I think are an advantage out on the long course when core muscle fatigue begins to count against your final time, whether or not you can push more watts.

jhbinsc

 Well said!

John Withrow

btw, I personally think there is a common misconception on "Outside" vs "Inside" watts. I think it should be "free form" vs "fixed" watts. My inside watts on a fixed trainer (Fluid 2 or Computrainer) are about 5-8% lower than my watts outside. I think it's because I can literally hear the strain on my frame as I try to put power into the pedals without my bike drifting at all. HOWEVER, my inside Watts on my Rollers (Inside Ride rollers with resistance) are also ~5-8% higher than an inside fixed trainer (Fluid 2 or CT). My inside Roller Watts are almost identical to outside Watts (maybe even 1-2% higher on the rollers than outside). I agree that road bike Watts are a bit higher than tri-bike Watts. I spend last OS on my road bike, but had a heck of a time getting acclimated back to my tri-bike when I went outside. I'm trying this OS on my tri bike even though I can only spend about half of the time on my aerobars during 100% or 120% efforts.

Coach Rich

John, I'd say that your experience with watts on the rollers is unusual. Most people experience lower watts on the rollers vs trainer because they have to apply some focus to not riding the rollers (ie, not falling down) vs grinding it out on the trainer.

Our bottomline: in the OS we want you riding on the bike + venue/trainer tool + position that yields the highest watts at the lowest mental cost. We then, as a team, have a long history of then transitioning those watts over to the tri bike in the aerobars.

I'm right with Patrick: the tri bike is my business suit. It's only as comfortable as it needs to be -- in the bars for 5-5:15 at 23-24mph. No doubt it's fast and all that but, mentally, I associate it with going to work and getting very serious. My road bike is more like business casual.

Or a mullet? Business in the front, party in the rear? :-)

Joseph Lombardi

 Great feedback...and Rich...as usual you put it all back into meaningful perspective for me!