typical power loss on a climb in hour 3? or...

[LT Intolerant]

I'm trying to figure out if I'm a slacker or if I'm not accounting for power loss in the 3rd hour of a ride.

I do a group ride that is moderately fast that is 2 hours, w. an IF of .75 and a VI of 1.38. Roughly 20 minutes of this ride are intense where my NP is at 100% of my FTP. The rest is just rotating pace line and some fast, flat sections where one can hide in the group.

In hour 3 we do an intense 18 minute climb, roughly 3 miles w a 7% grade. When I do this climb wt. doing the 2 hrs group ride I can do it in just under 18 mins w an AP of 310.

The best I've done thus far when I've done the climb after the 2 hr group ride is 18:46 with an AP of 303, or a power drop off of roughly 3% from my best.

So my question is this. Am I experiencing typical power loss in the 3rd hour of ride, or should I be able to get closer to my best as I continue to do this ride?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have.

gene r

 

[frenchyge]

What was your FTP when you did the 310w 'best', vs. your FTP when you did the 303w 'best'? Is it possible that you were just fitter at one point than the other?

 

[LT Intolerant]

What was your FTP when you did the 310w 'best', vs. your FTP when you did the 303w 'best'? Is it possible that you were just fitter at one point than the other?

I posted those times and power outputs within a week of each other so I'm guessing that a change in FTP isn't the source of the discrepancy.

 

[swampy1970]

I posted those times and power outputs within a week of each other so I'm guessing that a change in FTP isn't the source of the discrepancy.

Probably just something as simple as fatigue, slight dehydration, lack of food... maybe a little bit of all three. Could be motivational. Could be that your powermeter was measuring a little on the low side.

It could be that the presence of space aliens in earth orbit or recent solar activity caused a harmonic magenetic reasonance that dynamically vibrated the spokes in your wheels which lead to the lower than normal reading...

3% during one ride - I think you're over analysing things a little, IMHO.

 

[LT Intolerant]

Probably just something as simple as fatigue, slight dehydration, lack of food... maybe a little bit of all three. Could be motivational. Could be that your powermeter was measuring a little on the low side.

It could be that the presence of space aliens in earth orbit or recent solar activity caused a harmonic magenetic reasonance that dynamically vibrated the spokes in your wheels which lead to the lower than normal reading...

3% during one ride - I think you're over analysing things a little, IMHO.

That's why I bought a PM in the first place!

 

[Porkyboy]

3% during one ride - I think you're over analysing things a little, IMHO.

+1 A +/-5% day to day variation in achievable power output is perfectly normal I reckon, for me anyway

PBUK

 

[LT Intolerant]

+1 A +/-5% day to day variation in achievable power output is perfectly normal I reckon, for me anyway

PBUK

Agreed that you have your good days and your slightly off days (not to mention bad days), and yes its only 3%.

I guess I was just wondering if I was chasing windmills in hopes that I would equal my time up a climb when "fresh" vs. a time up a climb w 2 hrs of semi-racing in my legs.

I'll be doing this ride for the next few months so will have more data points to consider/over-analyze.

 

[Porkyboy]

Agreed that you have your good days and your slightly off days (not to mention bad days), and yes its only 3%.

I guess I was just wondering if I was chasing windmills in hopes that I would equal my time up a climb when "fresh" vs. a time up a climb w 2 hrs of semi-racing in my legs.

I'll be doing this ride for the next few months so will have more data points to consider/over-analyze.

There's always the possibility that after 2 hours you are just properly getting your physiology going and are actually better prepared for the effort than when "fresh". I always go better after an hour or so!

PBUK

 

[Watoni]

I'm trying to figure out if I'm a slacker or if I'm not accounting for power loss in the 3rd hour of a ride.

I do a group ride that is moderately fast that is 2 hours, w. an IF of .75 and a VI of 1.38. Roughly 20 minutes of this ride are intense where my NP is at 100% of my FTP. The rest is just rotating pace line and some fast, flat sections where one can hide in the group.

In hour 3 we do an intense 18 minute climb, roughly 3 miles w a 7% grade. When I do this climb wt. doing the 2 hrs group ride I can do it in just under 18 mins w an AP of 310.

The best I've done thus far when I've done the climb after the 2 hr group ride is 18:46 with an AP of 303, or a power drop off of roughly 3% from my best.

So my question is this. Am I experiencing typical power loss in the 3rd hour of ride, or should I be able to get closer to my best as I continue to do this ride?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have.

gene r

Seems normal to me. You should my power drop off after I have climbed about 4000 feet and try a 3 mile, 7% climb.

This climb isn't Old La Honda by any chance, is it?

 

[LT Intolerant]

Seems normal to me. You should my power drop off after I have climbed about 4000 feet and try a 3 mile, 7% climb.

This climb isn't Old La Honda by any chance, is it?

Thanks for weighing in. I think it might be a normal hour-3 drop-off thing as well. I guess I'll learn more as I do this ride more in the months to come.

The climb is not OLH, but rather Old San Marcos Road in Santa Barbara. It's very similar to OLH in grade and length (bit more sunny), which I've climbed many times having lived and raced in the Bay Area for 10+ years.