Poll: What's your Functional Threshold power?

Lazy Llama

Looks like I screwed up the thread using the "quote" feature. This post should get us back to an "editable" list.

ID FT Wt. W/Kg 10m(16km) 25m(40km)
=========================================
musher 340 64 5.31
BullGod 365 70 5.21
Camoscio 315 62 5.08
gvanwagner 325 64 5.08
musher 318 65 4.89
whoawhoa 290 62 4.68
gonzalovilaseca 310 68 4.56
PSUCycling 305 68 4.48
zaskar 280 63 4.44
joule 266 60 4.43
bikeguy 315 72 4.38 5 km rolling TT, 7:15; standard, no aero bars, after 90k
rouleur 315 72 4.38
Thorman 340 78 4.36
Lazy Llama 286 66 4.33 13.3 mi TT, 30:12
dshep27283 345 80 4.31
postal_bag 325 76 4.28
peterpen 275 65 4.23
mattv2099 314 75 4.19
Stanette 313 75 4.17
yzfrr11 310 75 4.13
Spunout 280 68 4.12
RapDaddyo 325 80 4.06
pledac 280 69 4.06
jbvcoaching 310 77 4.03 21:10 52:17
jack.hutchinson 285 71 4.01
cube 290 73 3.97
Old Junker 250 63 3.97
velomanct 310 79 3.92
BlueJersey 230 60 3.83
robkit 280 75 3.73
sugaken 240 66 3.64
amartinez 242 67 3.61
woodgab 321 89 3.61
Hookyrider 284 80 3.55
bigbevans 250 75 3.33 22:41 59:55
Krazyderek 260 78 3.33
AndROOb 232 71 3.27
spomanski 310 96 3.23
beerco 220 78 2.82
the holster 180 67 2.69

acoggan

What jbv didn't mention is that he lives at significant altitude. That reduces his functional threshold power, but still helps his speed. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's worked very hard on reducing his aerodynamic drag as much as possible!

bigbevans

We still want to know if they are PBs or recent results. I used recent results.

jbvcoaching

Both. The 40k was done in Sept of 2005, on a personal worst (for 40k) power of 3.83W/kg. My Sea level PB for 40k is 54:20 (2001), in 2004 I rode 54:58 on the same course with right around 4.0W/kg and almost exactly the same setup as the 2005 PB (at 6500').

The 10 is from 2004, the last 10 I rode (sea level). For a recent result in the 10 mile range, I did 14.45 miles in 30:58 (28mph avg) at roughly sea level (Phoenix area) in Feb of 2006. I also did 9.2 miles in 18:36 last August at a weeknight TT, again closer to 6500'. That would extrapolate to 20:20 for a 10 miler. All those shorter TTs were done at right around 4.2 - 4.3W/kg.

The point I'm illustrating is the importance of both air density and attention to details in aero positioning for time trials, as acoggan alluded to.

Also, I'm less affected by altitudes up to 8000' than most. My power drop from sea level to that elevation (I live at 7000') is less than 5%. Most people, even acclimated, see 10% or more drop (it's very individual).

I have a slightly faster (5 year old) bike and bars for 2006, and I've tweaked my position a bit more...So I'm hoping to go a bit better on the same power (at age 39 and my 20th season of racing, I'm not expecting a big power increase anytime soon). I've gotten 3 silver medals in state TTs in the last 2 years, so I have to change something if I'm going to win!

bigbevans

Thanks that's helpful and interesting. I am hoping for some more power. I have got FT up to 260 now and expect to get somewhere near 300 by June/July time. I normally put in some sub 21 min 10s around that time of year. I've got the UK national 10 champs in 2 and half weeks, hopefully everyone else is as unfit as me

jbvcoaching

That's a pretty big swing (260 - 300 within a few months). Have you historically been able to come close to 300? How'd you get down to 260, take a big break? Injury?

bigbevans

I have only had a power meter since Christmas so I don't have any historical power data. I only have times to go on and last season I manage 20:47 for 10 and 55:18 for 25 miles(40 km). Maybe I can achieve these on less than 300 watts!

Although I don't tend to do much training and seem to get faster as the season goes on. I normally get beaten by lots of people early that I easily beat come June/July time.

Hookyrider

My results are two months old now - I am due to retest. Very excited as the data indicates I should be up for yet another improvement. Will post after testing.

HR

whoawhoa

ID FT Wt. W/Kg 10m(16km) 25m(40km)
=========================================
musher 340 64 5.31
BullGod 365 70 5.21
Camoscio 315 62 5.08
gvanwagner 325 64 5.08
musher 318 65 4.89
whoawhoa 300 62 4.84 22:10 (in training)
gonzalovilaseca 310 68 4.56
PSUCycling 305 68 4.48
zaskar 280 63 4.44
joule 266 60 4.43
bikeguy 315 72 4.38 5 km rolling TT, 7:15; standard, no aero bars, after 90k
rouleur 315 72 4.38
Thorman 340 78 4.36
Lazy Llama 286 66 4.33 13.3 mi TT, 30:12
dshep27283 345 80 4.31
postal_bag 325 76 4.28
peterpen 275 65 4.23
mattv2099 314 75 4.19
Stanette 313 75 4.17
yzfrr11 310 75 4.13
Spunout 280 68 4.12
RapDaddyo 325 80 4.06
pledac 280 69 4.06
jbvcoaching 310 77 4.03 21:10 52:17
jack.hutchinson 285 71 4.01
cube 290 73 3.97
Old Junker 250 63 3.97
velomanct 310 79 3.92
BlueJersey 230 60 3.83
robkit 280 75 3.73
sugaken 240 66 3.64
amartinez 242 67 3.61
woodgab 321 89 3.61
Hookyrider 284 80 3.55
bigbevans 250 75 3.33 22:41 59:55
Krazyderek 260 78 3.33
AndROOb 232 71 3.27
spomanski 310 96 3.23
beerco 220 78 2.82
the holster 180 67 2.69

bigbevans

When you say in training, was it on a 10 course you know and what sort of bike/setup were you using?

otb4evr

What is the big deal, BBE?

You are sweating everyone...

We all know, for *most* time trials, that aero trumps wattage.

What are you trying to prove by being a bully?

whoawhoa

It was just a local ten mile stretch of road...measured by a few different cyclocomputers, we use it occasionally for unsanctioned local tt's. It was with clip on's in a pretty agressive tt position but on a road bike with 32 spoke training wheels. For a race I would just put on a different set of wheels, but still not really aero or anything. I'm hoping to borrow some tri spokes for Nationals, that would probably give me a few more seconds (although nat's is 22k, not a 16k).

bigbevans

ID FT Wt. W/Kg 10m(16km) 25m(40km)
=========================================
bigbevans 250 75 3.33 22:41 56:44(today, no power meter though used my disc for the first time this year.) I did a MAP test last week and my MAP is up from 356(end of Jan) to 380 watts. I'd estimate my FT to be 265-270 watts now.

Hookyrider

"My results are two months old now - I am due to retest. Very excited as the data indicates I should be up for yet another improvement. Will post after testing." -- Crow tastes great! --

Just completed my FTP – and have experienced a HUGE disappointment. I think it has more to do with I should have been better rested… 12 minutes in I thought my legs were going to just stop, by 14 minutes I was seriously doubting my ability to complete, at 15:30 it was all I could do to make my legs turn the cranks, by 16:30 just staying on the bike was an act of will, I did manage a strong last minute as a measure of some self respect. The goal was to simply nail 300 watts for 20 minutes, and near the end creep it up, to maybe hew a modest gain. The new “magic number” is 261, which just doesn’t seem to ring true with the ride/training data collected. Last formal test for the record was 12/18/05 – thought it was more current. Tested in march, but in my “fog” I deleted the workout instead of adding a marker – proud moment.

I’ve probably got the most psychotic power profile, but it’s looking better all the time, needs to be formally retested as well. These results are a composite of the last 12 days; 5 Sec:15.07, 1 Min: 6.9, 5 Min 4.20, 20 Min 3.4. the Tanita says 180.2 Lbs (81.9Kg) and 11.4%...



HR