Max Power Output...

tomUK said:

I'm certain I'm low on the list but what is the max power people have been able to achieve on their bike? I believe the PowerTap maxs out at 2000W. My largest figure is 1106W. I'm 66kg.

Would be just interested to know - assuming people don't mind posting.
🙂

you've a higher peak (sprint) power than some Euro pros... and my peak power is 842 W (in a seated ergometer sprint, using a 20 strain gauge SRM).

ric

tomUK said:

I'm certain I'm low on the list but what is the max power people have been able to achieve on their bike? I believe the PowerTap maxs out at 2000W. My largest figure is 1106W. I'm 66kg.

Would be just interested to know - assuming people don't mind posting.
🙂

http://www.cyclingpeakssoftware.com/profile.html

tomUK said:

I'm certain I'm low on the list but what is the max power people have been able to achieve on their bike? I believe the PowerTap maxs out at 2000W. My largest figure is 1106W. I'm 66kg.

Would be just interested to know - assuming people don't mind posting.
🙂

One thing to consider that there are artifacts that appear due to the measurement method that are masked when looking at longer periods of time (which is where power meters are more useful) so a max figure should be taken with a small grain of salt.

Having said that, I've done 1250 watts/70kg a few times and can't win anything because my FTP is so low. One of our regional sprint specialists weighs 70kg and his peak is around 1700 watts.

Download the SRM software from the SRM website. It has some example files from MTB pros, track pros, road pros, and is pretty humbling.

ric_stern/RST said:

you've a higher peak (sprint) power than some Euro pros...

I just wish I have the endurance to boot. Recently I read about Floyd Landis's power at the Tour de Georgia - I think on one of the tougher stages he put out an average of 247W. I think it was a 4-5hour stage. Maintaining that output for 30 minutes might be reasonably achievable but 4 hours, no way for me.

tomUK said:

I just wish I have the endurance to boot. Recently I read about Floyd Landis's power at the Tour de Georgia - I think on one of the tougher stages he put out an average of 247W. I think it was a 4-5hour stage. Maintaining that output for 30 minutes might be reasonably achievable but 4 hours, no way for me.

It's also worth bearing in mind that average power can be a little misleading. Most road races involve surges well beyond many riders' performance thresholds meaning that the actual demands of the race are well in excess of a steady TT ridden at the same average power.

L.

ric_stern/RST said:

you've a higher peak (sprint) power than some Euro pros... and my peak power is 842 W (in a seated ergometer sprint, using a 20 strain gauge SRM).

ric

What's with the [FONT=Arial Black]BIG RED LETTERS[/FONT] Ric!??? You gave me a scare!😉

L.

biker-linz said:

What's with the [FONT=Arial Black]BIG RED LETTERS[/FONT] Ric!??? You gave me a scare!😉

L.

it's to help with your dicky eyes...

tomUK said:

I'm certain I'm low on the list but what is the max power people have been able to achieve on their bike? I believe the PowerTap maxs out at 2000W. My largest figure is 1106W. I'm 66kg.

Would be just interested to know - assuming people don't mind posting.
🙂

If you do a search on this forum, I started a thread on this exact subject.

this kind of info is mostly kept "classified" by elite sprinters and their coaches. For some reason these people do not like dispersing such info. All I know is, if I could crack 2500watts, I would NOT be keeping it a secret! (btw, from my digging on this subject, that above figure is about the highest I have ever heard of)

the top of the 5 second column on the power profile is 24w/kg. so take a 95kg track sprinter, that's 2280watts. since absolute peak power is usually ~10% higher than 5 second power, that gives you about ~2500-2600.

Marty Nothstien was stated his peak power was 2300watts, back when he won Olympic gold.

how ironic for this subject to come up today....I did a personal best of 1556watts peak IN the saddle, out on the road today. (powertap)

BTW, my powertap doesn't max out at 1999watts in the downloaded data view. the computer display only goes to 1999, but I have seen 21,856watts after downloading a rainy ride. imagine that power for real! ouch!

ric_stern/RST said:

it's to help with your dicky eyes...

Do you have anything for my dicky brain?? 😄

L.

I read an interview with Zabel who said he can still put out 1200W in a sprint, which is what he did 10 years ago. But he said to win the big sprints today you need to put out 1300W, which is why the younger guys like Petacchi and Boonen are beating him.

My peak is about 1250, so I assume Zabel is talking about a sustained 200 meter effort?

lescor said:

I read an interview with Zabel who said he can still put out 1200W in a sprint, which is what he did 10 years ago. But he said to win the big sprints today you need to put out 1300W, which is why the younger guys like Petacchi and Boonen are beating him.

My peak is about 1250, so I assume Zabel is talking about a sustained 200 meter effort?

I also read in Velonews that Petacchi puts out 1600watts over the last 200 meters.
Cyclosport reported that his max was 1800, so it makes sense.

Cipo has said his max is 2000

velomanct said:

I have seen 21,856watts after downloading a rainy ride. imagine that power for real! ouch!

Well it is a little less than 30hp, so imagine your avg off-road motorcycle and there you go. It always makes me feel pathetic when I think about how my 1200 watt sprint is only a little over 1.5 HP, I think my pushmower is rated higher :o

wilmar13 said:

Well it is a little less than 30hp, so imagine your avg off-road motorcycle and there you go. It always makes me feel pathetic when I think about how my 1200 watt sprint is only a little over 1.5 HP, I think my pushmower is rated higher :o

you can't really make that comparison though. If you put 30hp to the back wheel of a road bike, you would accelerate A LOT faster that any off-road motorcycle. okay, lets see... It takes me about 3 seconds to go from 20 to 30mph, and that's with exactly 2hp going to the back wheel. Multiply that by 15 and you got some SERIOUS acceleration, the kind of power that would probally keep you up with a real fast car in a drag race, until maybe 60mph.

also, combustion engines are not that efficient. In a 30hp motorbike, 20hp might get to the back wheel.

I'm looking at a kilometer race file of an elite track racer (from the downloads on the SRM site, download the SRM software, the file is in it) The guy goes 0-33mph in 9 seconds, with a peak wattage of 2008. That's about the same acceleration of normal auto traffic.

velomanct said:

you can't really make that comparison though. If you put 30hp to the back wheel of a road bike, you would accelerate A LOT faster that any off-road motorcycle. okay, lets see... It takes me about 3 seconds to go from 20 to 30mph, and that's with exactly 2hp going to the back wheel. Multiply that by 15 and you got some SERIOUS acceleration, the kind of power that would probally keep you up with a real fast car in a drag race, until maybe 60mph.

also, combustion engines are not that efficient. In a 30hp motorbike, 20hp might get to the back wheel.

I'm looking at a kilometer race file of an elite track racer (from the downloads on the SRM site, download the SRM software, the file is in it) The guy goes 0-33mph in 9 seconds, with a peak wattage of 2008. That's about the same acceleration of normal auto traffic.

Yeah you got my point in that even with that kind of power a fast car would beat you after you got up to speeds where wind resistance is significant (over 60mph). On a bicycle that would be really cool, but still any chump with 8K in his pocket can go buy something that has 6 times as much power that goes that fast with no effort... still though it would be really cool to even be able to generate 4hp with your legs and lungs... as for me I would like to just be able to get to your 2hp 😉

wilmar13 said:

Yeah you got my point in that even with that kind of power a fast car would beat you after you got up to speeds where wind resistance is significant (over 60mph). On a bicycle that would be really cool, but still any chump with 8K in his pocket can go buy something that has 6 times as much power that goes that fast with no effort... still though it would be really cool to even be able to generate 4hp with your legs and lungs... as for me I would like to just be able to get to your 2hp 😉

that is my ultimate goal, huge power. that is what all my training is around right now.

if you want to improve your sprint you have to make a big effort in concentrating to hit those pedals harder than you ever imagined. I think most road cylists rarely ever do a real maximal sprint. just practicing sprints in itself makes you more aware of how much capacity you have to generate more power.
i just love sprinting. I dream about inhuman power on the bike, racing cars from lights, lol.

lescor said:

I read an interview with Zabel who said he can still put out 1200W in a sprint, which is what he did 10 years ago. But he said to win the big sprints today you need to put out 1300W, which is why the younger guys like Petacchi and Boonen are beating him.

My peak is about 1250, so I assume Zabel is talking about a sustained 200 meter effort?

I cant believe Zabel only puts out 1200, I can crack>1500w peak in most of my standing start sprints and wind up to >1200 in a seated 53.11 stomp.

Maybe he's talkng about the avarages over the whole sprint

tuney said:

I cant believe Zabel only puts out 1200, I can crack>1500w peak in most of my standing start sprints and wind up to >1200 in a seated 53.11 stomp.

Maybe he's talkng about the avarages over the whole sprint

Yeah but Zabel is a little guy too, how much do you weigh?

tuney said:

I cant believe Zabel only puts out 1200, I can crack>1500w peak in most of my standing start sprints and wind up to >1200 in a seated 53.11 stomp.

Maybe he's talkng about the avarages over the whole sprint

but even then, 1200watts over 10-15 seconds is peanuts compared to Boonen or Pettachi. (see my above post)

i thought zabel was at least average size or the typical 'big' sprinter

wilmar13 said:

Yeah but Zabel is a little guy too, how much do you weigh?

74kg, race weight is about 70+-3kg, gives me a p/w of around 21w/kg for 5sec.

I think the key to these sprints is keeping the power >1200 watts for extended periods of time(10-30 seconds), as well as having the ability to move around to position yourself. The top guys can really handle their bikes as well as push on the pedals @ >65kmh.

I rarely get about 1450 in a road sprint @ the end of a race, so endurance is key as well.