power/watts

[maillotpois]

So would the 5 sec. value be say your max power, and the 20 min one be more the standard "power to weight" value? Those 5 sec numbers look more like max power outputs - I remember reading about how all the TdF riders were trying to get over a 7 power to weight threshold, so it looks like either the 5 or 20 minutes translate to that absolute number they reference.

Interesting chart.

[velogirl]

Most likely you're trying to compare FTP (functional threshold power). To determine FTP, you'd perform a 20-minute TT effort (preferably doing this more than once with a full recovery between efforts, then taking the average of the efforts) Your FTP is 95% of your 20-minute power. Then you can just calculate your power-to-weight ratio. You can also test the other durations to compare your strengths or model your potential (ie are you a time trialist, a sprinter, an all-arounder, a fatt-butt, etc).

I don't encourage folks to compare themselves to anyone else. However, that's the purpose of this chart.

[Eden]

I printed out that nifty chart this morning and my husband told me that he had something better... if your CompuTrainer came with Cycling Peaks WKO + software you can analyse your workouts and it will show you where you lie in the scheme of things (cat 5/4/3 etc... ). This program is a bit more harsh than the chart above though

The software is not terribly intuitive though...... to get a workout in you have to drag the file onto the desktop icon for WKO+, then I had to close and save my athlete file and reopen it before the workout showed up, then there is a little magenta icon at the top of the screen that shows you your workout v/s the chart (blue of boys, change it to girls and its pink....)