You Power Profile

Age: 23
Category 4
Weight: 142
Years Training: 2
Avg weekly training hours: 8-12

Best power in
5 sec: 733
1 min: 474
5 min: 322 average / 355 normalized (??)
20 min: 285 average / same normalized
60 min: 260 average / 274 normalized

Not a fan of 1 hour tests, so I could probably do better there. Short term numbers are bad, but I'm working on it. Not sure about the 5 min normalized number. I'd be very surprised if I could do that. Seems like a bad NP number.

5 second numbers are in the untrained area. 1 min numbers are Cat 5ish, and the 5 min and 20 min numbers are on the border between Cat 3 / 2. I've only done collegiate races really this season, in the B category. Consistantly survived selections and made it to the end of races. My crit experience is more spotty. Only Cat 4 crit I've done this season I struggled in. The numbers probably explain why.

Category 4
Years trainings: ~2.5
Hours per week: 10-15
Weight: 163 lbs
Power measurement device: PT

5 Sec: 1227
1 Min: 521
5 Min: 368
20 Minute: 323
60 Min: 302

My 5 sec, 5 min, and 60 min numbers are generally cat 3. 1 Minute, cat 5. I have the strength, but need to learn how to race. I am always there at the end, but have a lot of trouble with positioning into the sprint.

Age: 48
Category: 2
Weight in pounds: 148
Years you have been training seriously: >30
Avg weekly training hours: 7

Best power in
5 sec: 930
1 min: 540-580 (depends on how I'm training)
5 min: 355 AP (you shouldn't trust normalized power over such a short duration)
20 min: 320 NP/310 AP
60 min: 312 NP/300 AP

Age : 36
Weight in Kg : 75
Years training : 3 (only the last winter went to power instead of HR)
Weekly hours : 10

5 sec : 1152
1 min : 651
5 min : 517
20 min : 358
1 hour : 298 (but never went all the way for one hour)

This is great stuff. Eventually I will take all of this and put it in a spreadsheet. Thanks for the replies.

Age: 17
Weight: 143 lbs/65 kilos
Yeahs Training: 1.5
Average Weekly Hours: 12? Estimated.

5 Second: 1108
1 Minute: 520? Never really done a 1 minute full effort.
5 Minute: 380
20 Minute: 335 NP/330 AP (no full gas efforts recently. CP model predicts 340)
60 Minutes: 325 Np/N/a for AP, CP-Monod predicts 330

Age: 40
Category: 1
Weight in pounds: 170
Years training: 25
Years racing: 21
Avg Weekly Training hours: 8 - 12

Best power in
5 sec: 1334
1 min: 653
5 min: 400 (AP)
20 min: 321 AP, 344 NP
60 min: 275 AP, 321 NP

All these numbers are from an elevation of 6000 - 7000', in theory the 5-60 minute numbers would be higher at sea level. In 2003 at sea level for example, my 20 minute AP was 349W, or roughly 10% higher.

Also, the 275W AP 60 minute effort is just the highest hour I happen to have done recently. It was during a 30 mile breakaway in the middle of a 4 hour road race. I haven't tested 60M power or done a 40k TT in the last 6 months.

Age: 20
Category: USA Cat 1
Weight in pounds: 167
Years you have been training seriously: (yes that is subjective): 2
Avg weekly training hours: 15-20

Best power in:

5 sec: 1462 watts
1 min: 802 watts
5 min: 495 AP
20 min: 405 AP, 412 NP
60 min: 379 AP, 398 NP

I race halfway decent in flat and rolling road races, crits I'm okay. Time trials and breakaway riding is my favorite though, a good solid day in the saddle. I think Coggan's chart is pretty damn accurate, it places me in the Cat 1 range for 5 and 1 min power, and Cat 2 sprint and FT power.

On another note, someone can do 550+ watts for 5 minutes! That's some serious power, no matter what the weight of the rider. You have some potential for sure.

***Edit: SRM Pro powermeter, calibrated slope and checked 2x this year individually and by SRM service center in CO.

EpicriderGMAC said:

someone can do 550+ watts for 5 minutes! That's some serious power

The highest figure I see above is 517 W, but either way, you're right: that's some serious power (enough to be competitive at the world level in the pursuit, assuming reasonably low drag anyway).

acslater said:

This is great stuff. Eventually I will take all of this and put it in a spreadsheet. Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, all we need now are about 10,000 more responses - and to verify that all of the #s are right, of course - and we'll be able to put together some power profiling charts! 😉

EpicriderGMAC said:

Age: 20
Category: USA Cat 1
Weight in pounds: 167
Years you have been training seriously: (yes that is subjective): 2
Avg weekly training hours: 15-20

Best power in:

5 sec: 1462 watts
1 min: 802 watts
5 min: 495 AP
20 min: 405 AP, 412 NP
60 min: 379 AP, 398 NP

I race halfway decent in flat and rolling road races, crits I'm okay. Time trials and breakaway riding is my favorite though, a good solid day in the saddle. I think Coggan's chart is pretty damn accurate, it places me in the Cat 1 range for 5 and 1 min power, and Cat 2 sprint and FT power.

On another note, someone can do 550+ watts for 5 minutes! That's some serious power, no matter what the weight of the rider. You have some potential for sure.

it'd be nice for folks to state what PM they are using too. PT vs. SRM will introduce -10W or so. Power-estimators don't count at all .😄

Age: 38
Category: polish masters, age category
Weight in pounds: 172/78kg
Years you have been training seriously: 3
Avg weekly training hours: 12-16

Best power in:

5 sec: 1177 watts
1 min: 645 watts
5 min: 434 watts
20 min: 359 AP, 391 NP
60 min: 314 AP, 368 NP

Never really done steady all-out 60min effort. FTP from Monod = 355W
Edit: PowerTap SL

acoggan said:

The highest figure I see above is 517 W, but either way, you're right: that's some serious power (enough to be competitive at the world level in the pursuit, assuming reasonably low drag anyway).

op's is 566W AP or 522 in case AP/NP were reversed

acoggan said:

The highest figure I see above is 517 W, but either way, you're right: that's some serious power (enough to be competitive at the world level in the pursuit, assuming reasonably low drag anyway).

Andy, your statement is a little unclear. Are you saying that 517 W is enough to be a world level pursuiter (given low drag, etc)?

Age: 46
Category: Road 4, Track 3
Weight in pounds: 152 / 69Kg
Years you have been training seriously: 14 years(83-96 as a NorCal 3, 10 years off, 06-07)
Avg weekly training hours: 10

Best power in:

5 sec: 1169 watts
1 min: 470 watts(haven't really put this one to the test, need some track time)
5 min: 330 watts
20 min: 293 AP, 312 NP
60 min: 285 AP, 287 NP

Measured with a PT-SL torque tested to .98.
License came back downgraded to 4's and currently have no problem finishing rolling road races or fast crits with leaders, can't get away but not worried about getting dropped. Got dropped badly on long climb in RR this past weekend after 12 minute AP = 297, NP = 316 for climb(following half hour of easy pack riding approaching climb) in master's 4/5 race. Finished climb (additional 28 minutes AP = 265, NP = 273) and chased down riders in ones and twos. Got away at end and finished 13th for omnium points.

Sure looks to me like the masters 4's and 5's don't read the power tables 🙂

One observation, the tables list "untrained" and then gets into racing categories. I know an awful lot of weekend club and century riders that are a long way from "untrained" and can finish a century or double at the drop of a hat but couldn't hang in a cat 4/5 race. With the approach of pinning the bottom and top of the charts could it be missing a group or two on the low end like those fast but not quite fast enough club riders? That would tend to compress the numbers as you go up the chart and might explain why folks in lower categories don't trust the charts but folks higher up feel they're accurate.

Just a thought,
-Dave

rr9876 said:

Andy, your statement is a little unclear. Are you saying that 517 W is enough to be a world level pursuiter (given low drag, etc)?

Yes, 517 W for 5 min would be enough to be a world class (male) pursuiter, assuming that your drag is reasonably low. However, you'd have to be able to generate more than that, and/or very aerodynamic, to be in contention for a medal.

FWIW, the nominal characteristics of the riders shown here are based on what it would usually take to win a bronze medal at worlds - IOW, quite clearly "world class", but not necessarily "world beater":

http://www.fixedgearfever.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=18

daveryanwyoming said:

One observation, the tables list "untrained" and then gets into racing categories.

I thought it got into "good...very good...excellent...". 😉

daveryanwyoming said:

I know an awful lot of weekend club and century riders that are a long way from "untrained" and can finish a century or double at the drop of a hat but couldn't hang in a cat 4/5 race. With the approach of pinning the bottom and top of the charts could it be missing a group or two on the low end like those fast but not quite fast enough club riders? That would tend to compress the numbers as you go up the chart and might explain why folks in lower categories don't trust the charts but folks higher up feel they're accurate.

Maybe, but that's partially why I've always said, if you want to know how good you are at bike racing, go race your bike. 😄

Age: 22
Category: Road 2
Weight in pounds: 178lbs
Years you have been training seriously: on/off for last 8 years
Avg weekly training hours: 10-18 when serious

Best power in:

5 sec: 1800w
1 min: 750w
5 min: 470w
20 min: 370w
60 min: 350w

The endurance numbers were early season when training for racing. The sprint numbers were from focusing on sprinting. (That 5 sec number is useless in regards to road racing because I am always way too anaerobic to do it at the finish)

My only race win was on a rolling course with a 1 mile climb to the finish. I suck at TT'ing too.

acoggan said:

...Maybe, but that's partially why I've always said, if you want to know how good you are at bike racing, go race your bike. 😄

No argument there, I've said the same thing in a number of posts and agree nobody cares about your power numbers at the finish line 🙂

I was just trying to explain some of the continual frustration some folks seem to find with the power tables and the category labels(like it or not they still appear in some prominent places like a published book and WKO+) and if I'm not mistaken that was one of the reasons the OP started this thread.

A long time ago before most of us had power meters I realized that there are strong riders in every category. Every once in a while I'd ride in a combined 2,3,4 race and there'd always be one or more of the 4's that could ride at the front and put the hurt to folks in higher categories. I don't think anything has changed except that it's easier to quantify how strong those strong riders are.

In the TT I did over the weekend the winning cat 4/5 time, winning masters 4 time, winning masters 5 time and winning masters 1/2/3 time were all within a minute or so of each other for a roughly 20 minute rolling TT course. Sure all kinds of things like aerodynamics and pacing come into play and I have no idea what their power numbers were, but it was a good reminder that there are some very strong riders in the lower categories.

-Dave