What does watts mean in cycling

Broker notes that wattage figures measure the work of applying energy to the pedals but not the total physiological energy expended to perform the task. Cyclists are about 21 to 24 percent efficient in converting chemical energy to mechanical energy during cycling, he writes, so a cyclist riding at watts is expending metabolic energy at a rate of nearly 1, watts, or 1 horsepower.

If you ride your standard circuit and average watts where before you only managed , you have gotten stronger, she indicates. To measure your wattage, you warm up and ride for 20 minutes at the highest power you can maintain. You reduce that number by 5 percent to arrive at your lactate threshold power, which is the wattage you can maintain for about an hour.

With your coach, you then set up training zones of varying duration and watts. Nutrition Nutrition Basics Carbs. Warm up again for 10 minutes until you reach your BW. Begin the main workout by completing five minutes of cycling at your BW plus 10 watts, then rest for 60 seconds at a relaxed, easy pace.

Ride for another three minutes at your BW plus 20 watts, then rest for another 60 seconds; follow with 60 seconds at your BW plus 30 watts, and three minutes at an easy pace.

Finish with a 5- to minute cooldown. The max interval training routine can be particularly challenging for your cardiovascular conditioning. Begin the workout with a minute warmup to gradually reach your BW, followed by 5 minutes at your BW. Next, maintain a sprint with an output of as many watts as you can achieve for 60 seconds, followed by two minutes of relaxed, easy movement to catch your breath.

Join Bicycling All Access for more tips and tricks! But, a power meter keeps you honest about how much work you actually did, and how much fuel you actually need to power that workout. For reference, Tour riders will typically produce upwards of 3, kJs of work during a stage.

This is a vital measurement of how much power you can sustainably produce over a one-hour period and is a fundamental metric of fitness. Want to test your own? The protocol is a minute all-out time trial, typically on a steady climb. But pros often do a specific series of tests that ensures better accuracy. After a minute warmup, perform maximal efforts in this order, with full recovery 5 to 10 minutes of very easy soft pedaling in between each effort:.

Your functional threshold power is 95 percent of your minute power number. Neal Henderson, a cycling coach who has worked with Rohan Dennis, Taylor Phinney, and Evelyn Stevens, says that the threshold test must be preceded by the peak aerobic power test, or it will skew high. It will almost always be higher-than-average power because of the coasting aspect.

Average power is still important, but normalized power provides a more accurate measure of the actual physiological demands of a ride. A big rider like Marcel Kittel can generally produce higher watts on flat or rolling terrain than a climber like Nairo Quintana, but since Kittel is much larger, he must produce bigger numbers to keep the same speed. In order to accelerate their mass against gravity, a heavier rider has to generate more watts than a lighter rider who is carrying less muscle and therefore generating fewer watts.

Ok so power seems like a good metric, but how do you get it? Power meters are the key to gathering this data. There are many different types of power meters but they all do essentially the same thing—measure your power output using strain gauges that detect force.

They can look like pedals, cranks, chainring and other formats. The most expensive power meters claim to have the most precise readings and take readings from both your left and right leg.

What you want to avoid with these devices is reading dropouts or power spikes that can mess with your data, so look for that in reviews. Possibly the most common power meters are the crank-based variety.

For those who need more precision, more expensive dual-sided crank based power meters replace the left crank arm and the chainring and give you readings from the left and right side. These devices are quickly gaining popularity.