Why Power-To-Weight Is Crucial In Cycling & How To Improve Yours!

[@gcn]

What training do you do to improve power-to-weight? 🚴

[@popeyebouldercreek]

Push away from the table…

[@Jari1973]

Squat, deadlift and power clean 😁

[@Al.2]

Trainerroad, mate. I know they're not the ones you promote in the video but there you go. I've gone from 2,75 to 3,75 W/kg since May last year.

[@twatts4436]

​@@Al.2 that's a pretty good improvement! 👍 Agree with TrainerRoad being great. I'd been stuck around 3.8W/kg for ages. Been training since November and gone up to 4W/kg without adding much more riding time in the week.

[@Al.2]

@@twatts4436 It's so common to be stuck under that 4 W/kg mark, especially if you're around my age that is 45, so that's great that you made that leap. I"m hoping to do it too as I'm still improving, though at a slower rate, and still have some fat to lose.

[@Oggymandias]

I'm a simple man. I see a video with Si in the Thumbnail, I click it.

[@DavidPerrybusinessengineer]

Me too

[@20dpb]

More Si

[@chrismadge7292]

Yep, Si’s videos are worth watching

[@chrisridesbicycles]

You just know it‘s a Si-gnificant topic when it‘s Si.

[@gcn]

@@chrisridesbicycles See what you did there 👀

[@rah4981]

I eat a lot. My downhill rides are incredible fast and powerful now.

[@seattlegrrlie]

Last year, I lost about 12kg and definitely improved my distance, my hill climbs, and have some goals coming into this year. Consistancy really is key, just getting out there and building base ability. That being said, I'm mid-40yr old with a full time job and really just want to stay healthy, happy, and be able to hit those hills to go back down

[@4nz-nl]

If I can give you one additional advice... COMMUTE if you have the chance! I ride at least 3x2 solid trainings every single week. Never miss one because if I do, that means I'm skipping work too :) Very consistent Z2 work and if I feel like I need some intervals, I just plan a training scheme over my office days.

[@crbondur]

I love the reminder that consistency is key, and that to be able to go hard once in awhile, you need to train hard once in awhile.

[@gcn]

It's something that Iñigo San Millán explains really well. If you haven't seen them yet, our deep dives with him are really insightful 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnPFfGBmq81gmpo

[@ketle369]

Polarized training is the key. Easy on easy days. Hard on hard days. Not semi hard all the time like most amateurs. Pros has 80% of their training in zone 2.

[@RhymesWithPorridge]

Ollie is a class act. He did a bike fit for me some years ago. I was impressed with how much time he was willing to spend with a duffer like me, to explain the nuances of my bike fit and how to improve my performance.

[@timosirkka5597]

Maybe some folks here can relate? I love lifting weights and having good upper body strength for various activities but I've also been bitten by cycling bug and want to get fast, very fast. For a 175 cm guy I'm pretty heavy and lean at 75 kg 10% bf so I can't improve P/m ratio by losing any more fat. Pro riders my height tend to weigh only 60kg, 15 kgs less than me and I definitely don't want to be that skinny and I'm just naturally broad and stocky. So I'm just focusing on building bigger engine by doing lots of z2 rides and I'm hoping strong legs will help with intervals and sprinting. I won't be winning any big comps but hey, maybe on somewhat flat routes I can still be a beast one day :D

[@filipe.portes]

Not particularly big, but definitely prefer a weaker Power/weight ratio instead of a pro cyclist upper body 😅

[@serdiezv]

Groenewegen is 177 and 70 kg, so you're not that far from a muscular sprinter's physique. These guys have to optimise the muscle/weight ratio the most, they need the raw power but still have the balance to go up the mountains with the peloton.

[@Jari1973]

I also often forget that road cycling is an endurance sport.. But a track cyclist once said.. if you can squat 250kg with reps.. you are fast 👍

[@GoLongWithJayLong]

Just enjoy the things you like to do!! I compete in triathlon but I still life weights at least twice a week if I stopped I do think I would drop weight but I love to do it so keep it in my training

[@PlanetEchelone]

Up until a climbing accident I combined bouldering and cycling as my 2 sports. I always thought whether each was sapping my ability in the other as I carried muscle somewhere for one that was less useful in the other. At the end of the day I was not actively competing in either so I was happy with being fit top to bottom and doing the sports. Then gravity decided to have its say....

[@FlatSpinMan]

Man! I love this guy. So common sense and realistic. GCN, and especially Si’s recent series, are absolutely killing it on practical,clear advice for improving performance. Do I stick to it? No! But I could if I wanted to. This kind of thing is why I support the channel through GCN +. I like the documentaries, rac8ng honestly kinda bores me outside the one day races, but this stuff is sooooo good.

[@gcn]

Thanks for the kind comments, we're stoked you enjoy what we do! Is there anything else you'd like to see us cover in the future? 🙌

[@ChrisCapoccia]

My plan is having fun rides and random routes with a few Strava segments to work on. No way would I want to be stuck with a regiment, but I'm working on endurance, sprinting off the traffic lights and a variety of hard efforts of different lengths & keeping it interesting by exploring new roads around town

[@chrisridesbicycles]

When I started working with Pav Bryan 1.5 years ago, one of the first things he said was „don‘t focus on the weight for now. First get as powerful as possible, the weight will come down“. He should be right. Also, if you are coming from high weight, you might not see all the progress on the scales because you are loosing fat and building muscle at the same time.

[@gcn]

Pav's insight is always really good for things like this - great advice!

[@4nz-nl]

Scales are stupid, worst case you'll starve your muscles and get less strong. Power output and if you're done there, fat %.

[@br5380]

Best money I ever spent while cycling was a days coaching with Ridelines of Innerlethen. I asked them to enable me to safely get down (almost) any MTB trail. I can get down pretty much any trail I ever come across, and feel safe doing it. Job done.

[@belgravedave]

Hi guys, could you please eliminate or massively lower the background music while Si is talking. Very distracting and massively reduces my enjoyment of your fine productions.

[@jamesdubben3687]

This was one of those "I just ride, mostly flat I don't care but about this topic." But Ollie had such good general knowledge I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks!

[@gcn]

Thanks for watching!

[@silverburn55]

52 years old, living in switzerland. 1.7 metres / 75kg. I lost 2kg, and it allowed me to ride my climbs in 1 gear higher. However, people need to realise - if youre built like a clydesdale, you wont win the grand national. Be realistic with your target weight.

[@chrism5433]

Built like beer keg lol . Only in the legs 😂🍺

[@frankeeeej]

I live in the Netherlands so this is completely irrelevant to me.. Can you do another vid on power to cda? :)

[@ASGundogs]

It’s not totally. More mass usually means worse Aeros too.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@Random vids to a point. But bigger people tend to have a better CDA to weight ratio. So it would still be better to do power to CDA. Although it's impractical because only a fraction of cyclists know their CDA.

[@frankeeeej]

@@veganpotterthevegan I am led to believe Remco Evenepoel should theoretically have a higher power to cdA than Fillipo Ganna and should -theoretically- be able to break the hour record? That's what the experts seem to suggest anyway... cdA to weight being something different than cdA to power obvsly... man this is turning into a weird rock paper scissors kinda cunundrum isnt it

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@frankeeeej @frankeeeej ha, most probably. But there are a lot of factors. The Shiv isn't that fast in the tunnel assuming he'd need to ride that bike. Then you have to factor in Ganna's track experience. It's not so simple as holding your power. You don't ride fully flat power through each lap. And holding your line is very important which is something people do poorly at if they don't have a lot of experience on the track. This is why I think Cancellera wouldn't have gone much over 53m, although he also had different UCI rules for position. I do still think Cancellera would probably still beat everyone now at his peak with the new UCI rules...in a TT on the road. And Wiggins would probably have gone over 57kph with the new rules and the bike Ganna rode. He did his hour on a really slow day in terms of air quality and could have really benefitted from the extra reach riders can get now. Not sure if he'd be a hands in the face guy though.

[@JohnsVintageRoadBikeGarage]

im 57 now. The difference in my ability is huge when my weight is down. I feel a huge difference. down 25lbs and Ill my fightin weight when the seasons starts..

[@geo3802]

The reality is that most novice riders could easily stand to loose 10kg or more. Doing so, of course, benefits much more than riding. Really appreciate the recommendations with regard to diet. Starting at level one and then moving to level three is the answer to health and well being generally with the subject benefit of significant power to weight ratio improvement.

[@ViveSemelBeneVivere]

Depends on body shape though. Naturally muscular stocky cyclists find it harder to lose weight because it's muscle rather than fat. Especially cyclists with stocky legs but slim torsos, there's not much scope to lose weight and yet they are still heavy due to those legs.

[@gcn]

Always about doing things in steps. Improvement takes time but with the right approach you can make big training gains!

[@4nz-nl]

Also keep in mind, there's a lower limit too in what is healthy. I'm just over 90 kg now, and with 10+ hours of riding every week, I'm perfectly capable of burning off 5+ kg if I want to. When I did (accidentally, by riding even more in a stressful period and not eating enough to cover the used energy), I got faster but I also suddenly noticed I got ill every other week.

[@galenkehler]

As a track cyclist focused on endurance, it's important to have both more power and more mass. Assuming I can get into the right position, and my belly doesn't impact my breathing, more mass is going to give more momentum and smooth out the effort.

[@jackbenk1029]

"More mass" is not true, you don't want "dead weight", velodrome riding still relates to power/weight ratio. While air resistance is the main concern in a velodrome, mass will still impact rolling resistance and drive chain friction etc. If more mass was beneficial we would see the 24 hour record being performed on 20kg bikes. The higher the mass the higher the impact from non air resistance related forces.

[@4nz-nl]

@@jackbenk1029 At velodrome speeds, rolling resistance is only a tiny part of your problems; at 55 kph, air resistance is roughly 90%. Also, at the same power output, drive train friction doesn't change. However, extra weight will need to be accelerated too. If you can substitute lower weight for aerodynamic advantages in a velodrome, by all means go for it.

[@jackbenk1029]

@@4nz-nl yep, that's what I said👍

[@pj9375]

At 63kg I’m the lightest of my adult years… other major benefit of lightness is bike control manoeuvrability and overall efficiency.

[@An0n_Ym0us_79]

I find it interesting that you say you focus on power but weight is more “delicate.” If a person has a high percentage of fat, they can make very significant gains by getting to a healthier weight while increasing strength and power. Now I get it for someone with a relatively low fat percentage. For example, if my FTP IS 175 and I have an extra 15 kilos of fat, according to your mentioned equation on an 8% climb, dropping the 15 kilos will increase my power by 105 watts! Increasing watts by that much focusing on strength alone is very hard. Ideally, I feel like we should be focusing on making gains on both sides of the equation.

[@magicknight8412]

I am a rugby player build up top and muscular lean legs and heavy with it, power to weight for me is just a non starter as will never be skinny like a pro and when i have lost weight, its not really made much difference. I had a picture with my arm around Alex Dowsett when he was at Movistar and there is nothing to the guy, but what power he can put out on the subsequent group ride! I am happy with being good at sprinting for the occasional KOM :)

[@Northwindbreeze]

I feel you mate. It is however frustrating for me though seeing all the skinny dudes having a great time overtaking me and having a great avg speed while I suck when gaining any elevation 😂

[@martincburns]

🤝 82kg 6ft, muscular build and already very lean. I could probably lose 3-4kg if I really tried but that would definitely involve shedding some muscle mass. Have made peace with the fact i'll never get close to the watt/kg smaller guys can achieve but still good to keep improving and building those watts 🙂

[@picodegallo1959]

Hey Simon! Great discussion. However, I need to ask, how do you build power/ power-to-weight ratio while maintaining muscle mass? It's a big question as it has to do with body composition, lower heart rate training (zone 2) and weightlifting while working with endurance. I've read theories and ideas, but usually from the weightlifter side of things. I'd love to see videos on this from the cycling perspective. Thanks from the OTHER side of the pond.

[@gcn]

Hi, we think this video we did with Iñigo San Millán is really helpful for breaking down zone 2 training from theory into applicable concepts 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnPFfGBmq81gmpo

[@RiazRJ]

amazingly easy to understand, starting my journey on getting my coaching certificates.

[@evanjohn503]

this happened to Steve Ovett (our greatest racer over 1500m/mile) - at the end of his career he kept saying breaking down, he didn't even finish his last Olympic 1500m final as he had a virus brought on due to his fitness level, his training indicated he was in the best shape but when he raced his system broke down

[@sethgriffiths6539]

Love how SI secretly half-wheeled Oli to make him get out of the saddle and try and keep up whilst answering questions....

[@charljordaan7887]

I was once a good cyclist. I packed it all in for long distance endurance walking. 🙃😘 second best decision of my life. i am 40 yrs of age

[@SniperSnake50BMG]

I love EVs and electric motorcycles and actually the human body is more alike to a battery that an gasoline vehicle. In battery cells you have peak amperage and continuous amperage. For example my battery in my E bike can do 2000w peak and about 900w continuous is the same as what you say turbo or FPT. The deal is that I'm as a road cyclist in light and have good FPT Hill climbing but I need to enhance my top power in sprints that would be small turbo or low peak amps... Nice analogy

[@23neightdog]

Awesome to hear someone not gush over z2 and act like it’s all you need to do to get faster

[@kynasf]

Cut out all refined sugars and snacking and went from 75kg to 69kg. I think most people have a bit of weight to shift which is the easiest win.

[@MTBScotland]

doesn't matter if the sugar (assuming sucrose) is refined or not. Eating fruits with a high sugar content is just as bad as a sweety in terms of sugar intake.

[@kynasf]

@@MTBScotland not heard of many people achieving weight loss by cutting back on their fruit intake 😂 The point is, cakes, sweets, chocolate and other processed foods contain a lot of sugar

[@MTBScotland]

@@kynasf The source of the sugar is irrelevant. There is a reason diabetics are told to avoid certain fruits so as not to spike their blood glucose levels. I fully agree about cutting out the cake and sweets but most people don't realise the amount of sugar in fruits. There is a reason why they are sweet to the taste.

[@dickieblench5001]

​@@kynasf it's not the sugar that's the problem it's the fat and sugar together. Eg cakes Chocolate etc

[@johnarleentaninecz2867]

Great training advice. I have been following a training plan on Zwift. Not sure how well it is working but I am riding more consistently

[@gcn]

If you feel more consistent, it sounds like you're improving! 🙌

[@KenSmith-bv4si]

Awesome video Si and thankx for all the helpful advice Oli. Honestly I'm haven't been on my bike since November 2022, so far I'm keeping my weight down which has made my yoga practice that much better but, its not helping my power, that'll have to wait until it warms up, I'm a fair weather rider.

[@gcn]

Won't be long 🤞

[@asterixinbritainsteve8868]

This was a really useful video. I recently joined Training Peaks after a year out and it’s a great tool. I totally agree that a coach is a good investment of you really want to improve….and of course it’s cheaper than spending thousands on shaving a few grams off the weight of your bike.

[@gcn]

Have you ever got yourself a coach? Super cool to hear that you are enjoying training peaks! A bit of structured training is a game changer 🙌

[@asterixinbritainsteve8868]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I did get a coach for this year and she is making such a difference to my fitness and performance. As well as cycle training, she has added strength training as well, and this is definitely helping me as well.

[@Afrikakorps68]

My uncle's cousin is a member of the UCI Committee. He told me that Si glasses will be soon be banned. On amateurs riding too...

[@grobbosixtyone]

Well it is a French association and the French are all about style and fashion

[@oOoACFREEMANoOo]

Si is the Bar Standard at which GCN videos should be made.

[@lordraiden5398]

At 55 I used to have alot more power now I have to much weight. Working on that.

[@1JOSHEE]

How these two have grown since I first met them !

[@BreakawayB]

🫶It’s always great insight when you bring professional coaches onto the channel.

[@scpromark]

Great video. Thanks Si, Olly and GCN

[@billkallas1762]

Power-To-Weight isn't critical if you live in the flatlands.......Power is.

[@sephardimig8947]

How much does he charge for a training plan?

[@manwithnoname6580]

Well that was easy to understand 😳. Is there a version of this in simple language please?

[@rangersmith4652]

I am 62 years old, 1.8 meters, and 72-73 kilos. My goals are to be able to ride longer, go further, climb 10-12% grades without feeling like I'm going to die. Plus, I want to be able to accelerate quickly and hold speed for a few minutes when the situation warrants it. In Garmin Connect there are a number of "power" stats for each ride, with my 20-minute max average power usually sitting around 165-175W. I can eek out 625W or so at what feels like max effort. Not great, but much improved from just 6 months ago. What stats should I be focusing on?

[@Northwindbreeze]

Improve what appeals to your riding style. I.e I don’t like climbs, I am pretty small and too heavy, what I naturally can do is sprinting. I can climb but I won’t ever be able to drop 20 kgs down and become an excellent climber. You can improve your weaknesses until certain point but, cultivate your strength. You seem to have a good physical proportion for TT, ftp high, high vo2. Like the video suggested, improve your endurance and workout on your turbo, but stick to what makes sense you, or, you will be just a all rounder cyclist, nothing bad at all however not a specialist in anything.

[@rangersmith4652]

@@Northwindbreeze Thanks. I don't have any interest in specializing unless flexibility, endurance, and stamina are a specialty. I guess one could say I want to be a diesel, but not a giant, turbocharged diesel, just a reliable little taxi cab or electric generator diesel but with a hidden water-methanol system for extra fun.

[@Northwindbreeze]

@@rangersmith4652 no problem, much respect for you, at this age still fighting!! Endurance and stamina will come with long rides. The ftp will increase with time and will increase faster if you ride near your 1 hour max power. Let's say 165 w/hour, you would ride 3 blocks of 150 watts for 10 minutes each with 5 minutes rest in between. If you feel strong after doing this for 2 weeks 2x times a week (max of 6 weeks:it can be too taxing on your immune system), increase to 3x 12min or 2x 15. Later on, you can bring in 2x 20 min, 2x 25, 1x45, 3x20... variations are there but hardly it is needed more than an hour of work on it. This will increase your ftp, capillarity, the capacity of riding long and climb steadily. Now, on your turbo(anaerobic), then it will be once a week imo/ you will do 4 weeks block (once or twice a week, it is hard to say what, but it has to be according to your fitness level and age) of anaerobic training around 120-130% of your ftp. i.e 5x30 secs with 1 min recovery in between the sets. It has to be workable. Even if you can put down 500 watts, do not it. Keep the probably 260-300 Wattts and increase repetitions like 6 times and very long rest. Another one you can do after you have built a decent aerobic endurance is, 1 minute at around 120% and while keep pedaling, bring it down to ftp for a minute and keep dropping every minute 10 watts for 5 minutes in total. Workouts are endless but it has to fit your age and fitness, so good luck! And do not forget to rest because you want to improve and not strain yourself to sickness and injuries.

[@rangersmith4652]

@@Northwindbreeze Thank you for the detailed advice. I'll strongly consider it as I continue working and thinking through my preparation. I have a 100-mile fondo at the end of May.

[@Northwindbreeze]

@@rangersmith4652 all best. 👍

[@ethangodridge6833]

Very simple to follow. Thanks team.

[@gcn]

Most welcome!

[@envixxsy]

@gcn Would you say that power to weight ratio is important for track riders, or is it just raw power

[@geucamole]

Hmm, let me guess without watching, by increasing power and reducing weight?! WOW!!

[@rbonn3880]

Not sure this totally covers riders like me (85-87 kg) who just are not going to beat the little guys up any hill. Is power going to make me happier on my ride? Or safer?

[@ebayfield]

I have power AND weight. Try and catch me on flats and descents. I do the climbs when no one is looking.

[@bobfoster687]

Fat guys go down hill faster!!!

[@umfilmmaker8253]

Shout out to Hank’s dad! 😊🚴‍♂️

[@letriciabrowder2942]

Please do a video of you guys trying different disciplines, like a xcountry mtb race or doing track?

[@gcn]

We'll see what we can do 🙌

[@letriciabrowder2942]

@@gcn thank you! Whatever you guys crack on with, I'll be here! Love everything you do!

[@tomwarren6174]

Great film!! Really troubled just after 7 minutes by the training peaks 224 unread notifications 😢

[@gcn]

😂

[@shyryTsr2k]

I'm a rather shorter guy being 5'4 and almost 150LBS however having played sports mainly soccer most of my life at 22, I have a lot of power in my legs and tend to average at around 110-120 RPM at a NORMAL pace (on flats I should add) and sprint at 140-145RPM. So my cadence I'm not too troubled by at all however stamina is a huge thing I need to improve upon. I can hold a decent sprint for maybe 15 seconds which I feel is not a lot of time.

[@jenson4710]

Lower your cadence to between 90 and 100rpm on the flats and yky will be much quicker. Your just wasting energy spinning that quick on the flats and not optimising your speed

[@shyryTsr2k]

@@jenson4710 oh I see. I suppose it is sort of a waste to expand so much energy on flats when it could be put to better use on climbs instead however I actually find it kind of difficult to lower my RPM. Though something I'll definitely improve. Thank you! Do you ride as well?

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@shyry if you had a power meter wave HR monitor, you'd see that you can easily hold the same power with a lower cadence but your HR would drop considerably. Some people are stronger a little over 100rpm(not anything close to 120)but unless you're doing an hour effort on the velodrome, you'd be better off not pedaling like that.

[@Northwindbreeze]

If you want endurance you have to train your endurance muscle fibres. I have a leg similar to yours but it won’t let me ride beyond 2 hours with a decent average speed. I could sprint just like in football but then slow down… I finally improved my endurance while at the same time losing some of my sprint power but it has been worth it. Zone 2 for you with cadence around 85-95 rpm.

[@shyryTsr2k]

@@Northwindbreeze Yes I feel like I either go super fast or slow down drastically with very little in between. What would you say helped the most in terms of being consistent and not being in a dead sprint constantly?

[@veganfixie]

What a great video!!!

[@johnconarty3762]

LOL Alpe du Zwift takes me like 1h 45m... this dude talking about an hour haha... now I am a 5'9" 275lb fella down from 300lb where I couldn't even finish it, but clearly I need to work on my power to weight haha.

[@brannmacfinnchad9056]

The magic number you're looking for is 3.2w/kg to get up the Alp in an hour.

[@johnconarty3762]

@@paddymurphy-oconnor8255 haha I am not trying to cheat myself, but I am aware you can game the system.

[@lionden4]

I did alpe du zwift 37x and I did 10 out 37 under an Hour in 3 months, to be honest doing it under an Hour is a lot of effort but doable.. to do it under 1 hr you need 12.2km/hr average the whole ride..

[@oceanedetotes]

@@lionden4 exactly and that's on Zwift, if you try it in real the time won't be the same.

[@ronaldweed6103]

Very awesome video & training 👌 thx

[@Peter-wn3nm]

Good video but is there every not crapy weather. Respect to riding in that horrible weather for the last few months.

[@joeshmoe7967]

UK is famous for poor weather. People take days off of work when the sun comes out. I believe it is why many british are cranky....whole lives with few sunny days. Compare that to my city in Canada, averages 330 sunny days per year

[@yumyumhungry]

I've always thought this is even more important in bikepacking where you are forced to carry significantly more weight with you. I also feel like larger riders have more of an advantage there where the extra weight from gear is less of their overall weight, but they keep the extra power.

[@4nz-nl]

Except for faired recumbents (which is what I ride), we do have significant aero disadvantages though. If you want to bikepack at speed, pack aero too.

[@luukrutten1295]

If you live in the netherlands its all about power to drag.

[@edmundhodgson2572]

Hanks's Dad, Legend

[@nikgracanin6180]

This is what people need to hear. Yes, your weight is usually what's holding you back and no, buying a 10k 6.8 kilo bike won't help much. Shave those kilos off of your body, for free!

[@GaneshD123]

Outstanding!

[@richardmiddleton7770]

Do 3x 20, 20/10's @ 150% and suck down 120g of luminous goo per hour. Do this as soon as you get home from work. Don't forget to keep topped up with carbs throughout the day. Good luck! 👍

[@arjanmartengroen]

"On an 8% Climb, losing 1 kg is equivalent to adding 7 watts" on 4:45 seems exaggerated, unless you have a power to weight ratio of 7 watts/kg. Most amateurs have about 3.5 watts/kg

[@michelleshinn5231]

Totally agree. It's 3.5 W/kg. I wrote to GCN almost 24 hrs ago, but no answer and I can't even find my comment!

[@gcn]

Yes, you're right, this number is more accurate for top level cyclists. Ollie & Alex looked at it in more detail here if you're interested 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2euiKyrrZWjeck

[@michelleshinn5231]

@Global Cycling Network Thank you very much for the reply! That was a good video that I remembered well (both presenters were on Pinarello Dogmas too ❤️). That was also why I was surprised by the claim of 7 W saved. As I am definitely not in the 7 watts/kg range when riding, and Alex and Ollie weren't as well, we are all on the same page. :-)

[@harrie974]

TP is awesome👍

[@millerbiz]

I have my eye on the KOM Taiwan- anyone completed this challenge and if so any pro tips? Thanks

[@petersteadman841]

Absolutely awesome

[@popeyebouldercreek]

I think I need to work on the weight side of the equation…😊

[@gcn]

Conor made this great video a while back about weight loss which you may find useful 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX2yoYaAZ9N7oK8

[@popeyebouldercreek]

@@gcn Yup, saw that one. At my age (68) I find it is two steps forward, one step back. And replacement of fat with muscle doesn’t result in weight loss!

[@christopherblair5260]

I'm not sure how to even ask this question. How does improving power-to-weight interact with maximum age-related heart rate? Having passed age 65, my maximum heart rate by general calculations (220 minus age) is now 154. [Aside One: Altho some presenters are passing milestones, they are only middling ages, considering the universe of cyclists. Some older age bracket discussions would be helpful.] So, I want to obey that max HR; I need to do so. But, generalizations would put Zone 2 at 92-108bpm and that seems much too easy a level of riding effort for me, less than merely holding a conversation. Q1: Is there some difference of opinions on how the HR zones ranges may change (e.g., compress or expand) with aging? Also, the Zwift on-screen zones doe not appear to track with my Zwift Companion app HR distribution data. [Aside Two: Doing a Zone 2 workout (by my recommended HR), on-screen I am almost fully in the grey - Zone 1, while the Companion data seems to track age appropriate Zones 2, 3, 4, and 5.] Q2: Building "turbo power" will be limited by my maximum HR, but is my endurance base being built up if estimated Zone 2 is not challenging enough? CBlair

[@michelleshinn5231]

The maximum heart rate equation you are quoting is out of date. If you are logging heart rate (HR) on every ride, you can see what the peaks are, they should cluster in a narrow range. I'm 66 and my max HR is 175 bpm. For the purpose of setting zones its a bit more complicated. You need to see where your HR levels out at when you ride a 20 minute FTP test. That let's you set your lactate threshold. I think you'll then find your zones more reasonable.

[@pirminborer625]

I can't figure out what's going on with my numbers. Basically dropped in FTP based on 20min test, but I'm able to climb 3x 50mins at FTP now. So FTP has dropped but actual power numbers on long efforts are increasing, this with less training. How does one explain that?

[@ViveSemelBeneVivere]

Body shape aka physique is omitted from this discussion and yet is an influencing factor. Cyclists with most of their weight in their naturally muscular stocky legs will find it very difficult to shed weight there because it's muscle rather than fat. Yes they can train to be yet stronger but they won't shed much weight. I mean, with that physique and if one is 80+ or 90+ kg it's very unlikely one can shed weight to the magical 60+-70+ kg range. One can eat less or better food and they will shed weight, but from their upper body rather than their lower body. Lean and wirey cyclists fare far better attaining ideal power-to-weight. Evidence? GCN's The Anatomy Of The Perfect Climber - Andrew Feather.

[@uritaub5441]

Si, how does this advise coincide with the videos on level2 training?

[@dtmateo]

Why is everyone seem to be avoiding the FACT that body weight also adds an enormous amount of power?

[@Warmeater]

Loosing weight to bmi under 25 is crucial and u will get free power from loosing fat too.

[@brannmacfinnchad9056]

Great video.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

You guys have such a huge following, you should really make sure your videos are captioned before you post them. Not excusable with having millions of subscribers and a production team.

[@TheGlutes]

@@aaronmiaullis6627 😂😂

[@TheGlutes]

Think you owe them an apology for the public admonishment.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@@TheGlutes no thanks, you're just another person that doesn't know how this works. Aaron didn't know either but he's not an idiot.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@Aaron Miaullis you don't know how this works. Those captions come hours later. That's why I said they should caption before posting🤦 Also, letting KZbin do it isn't always accurate, especially if there are hard to discern(for the software) or in some cases, background noise.

[@galenkehler]

​@@veganpottertheveganlol or British accents 🤣

[@benkrege2135]

man… makes me feel so conflicted and confused hearing them say to train in tempo when there’s also so much promotion around z2… what to do and how much of it? should i be doing FTP intervals? tempo rides? z2? so much faith based recommendation and so little concrete data. 😰

[@JamesEvans-w7w]

So a mid ride coffee/breakfast at McD's is a bad idea? Asking for a friend :-)

[@oceanedetotes]

To improve power to weight you have to improve your power by riding long and sometime intensely and decrease your weight

[@cathalmccionnaith8268]

And above all Oli doesn't wear nonsense cycling shades!! He's cycling not skiing 👌

[@anthonyward5329]

Surely 1kg is only equivalent to 7 watts on a climb if you’re climbing at 7 watts/kg. For most of us it’s probably more like 3.

[@michelleshinn5231]

Exactly. When you model it, it's 3.5 W.

[@johnb5482]

We need to see more of Hank’s Dad.

[@bobfoster687]

Drinking game: every time Si says yeah! Even Lloydy would have trouble with that one!

[@gcn]

🤣

[@LukeGJPotter]

Best of luck to Ben in the Alps.

[@markricketts6957]

I'd like to introduce 'Ben' to my friends, Mr Wall, Mr Table and Mr Door.

[@nozomi_miyaki4388]

Hello im new to cycling and im using road bike and i want to use light gear on the crank chainring can i use the 34-39t?

[@LukeGJPotter]

You can ask for, what is called a "Sub-Compact", I think it's a 32-48T. The big ring on a CycloCross chainset is a 46T, but the inner ring is a 36T. So you might need to buy the chainrings yourself and mix and match.

[@joules2936]

Get a sub compact crankset 48/32 or similar, or even go for a gravel/super compact crankset which are 46/30. Alternatively, or even as well, you might be able to change the cassette at the back to one with a larger big sprocket.

[@stuntmane100]

Im 245 pounds. I was going to buy a nicer bike, but really i just need to lost 20 pounds before spending 4k on a new bike

[@batporio]

How many times did Si say "YA"

[@Alan_Hans__]

Ultimate Performance Enhancer - EPO for short ;)

[@iangichohi97]

oh! He's the Kudo coach guy!! So he's real ? 🤣🤣🤣

[@simoncummins2305]

How can we improve without spending a fortune on coaches, power meters, head units, subscriptions etc?

[@johannesepping7746]

IMHO: close KZbin and ride up a hill - that is for free 😅

[@leburgh8242]

Also watch some Dylan Johnson content. the TDLR I got from him and personal experience is simply ride your bike more often and for longer (doesnt have to be fast), and then 20% of your total riding make hard training, and you should see your results go through the roof. My personal experience this winter i started commuting to work easy 45min there 25min home every day and added a 1hr really hard spin session per week. EDIT: i dont know if running is simply an older or simpler sport but any running coach will straight away just tell you to increase volume and include some speed work, not sure why its taken so long to come to that conclusion in cycling

[@Jeppelelle]

Like with everything T.I.T.S (time in the saddle) is what gets you better, no matter what the subject is, doesn't need go be super scientific to improve, super scientific is for the last 2-5% performance improvement (not sure amateur riders should bother with that though)

[@markricketts6957]

But separating people from as much money as possible is what cycling is all about.

[@brianmarshall4742]

Golden cheetah. Its like a free-software superpower once you get a handle on yourself and your goals and learn a few things about the metrics it lets you track. For a one-time cost, you could also get a (used) power meter and the book "Training and racing with a power meter" to really turbocharge your training!

[@lorenzodestefano4043]

1 kg 7 watts... huge difference, so a 6.8 6.5 rim brake bike is more efficient than this disc gravel 8kgs bike you advertise...

[@downlaw]

Would the gear setup make you faster? kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmexp3uthLSZlZI

[@davideldridge8781]

I was following the video closely and then I saw those ankles on the scale and completely lost focus.

[@DJWolves97]

“I think I think I think I think” I think you should take everything this guy says with a grain of salt

[@Richarddraper]

Well that was a nice advert. Nobody except prefessionals need coaching. If someone has too much money and is looking for something to waste it on then why not I suppose.

[@fxstsbfxdbs747]

I barfed @9:15 when I saw all of the poo on Simon's bike.

[@baribari600]

Most people have way more than a kilo to lose lol (I am trying to lose another ten…)

[@toshman696969]

watt / kg. drop some lbs and bike more ta ding.

[@noName-kn1lx]

I guess thats why elite cyclists look so emaciated and lacking in upper body muscle and strength to achieve this ideal

[@bigyin2794]

Surely only chairlift propelled downhillers would want more weight.

[@garywebber3228]

why where you half wheeling him most the time si ??

[@garywebber3228]

bet you dont have many training partners !!?? lol

[@74amills]

Too many cyclists are to hung up on weight, verging on compulsive.