# What's your peak wattage?



## Guest

At a recent 4/5 crit, a teammate generated 1,132 peak watts. That sounds impressively high to me. I'm wondering how high others have gotten. Thanks!


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## Wookiebiker

According to my Powertap...1605 watts and can hold 1100 for almost 20 seconds.

With that said, I'm a big CAT 3 racer (190 pounds) who spends more time on TT's than sprinting. So even though my peak power is good I run into wind resistance because I have wide shoulders and have more weight to accelerate than others...but I still have a pretty good sprint 

However, at the end of long road races people rarely generate "Peak" wattage. In a race earlier this season I spent a little over 2 hours on a two man break, but lost the wheel of the other guy and ended up drifting back to a chase group of 4 (5 with me in it). At the end of 2.5 hours of hard racing I generated 1342 watts in the field sprint to take second place in a 40+ Masters 1/2/3 race.


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## Argentius

*Not very much...*

You dang sprinters and your big ol' power numbers.

Definitely nothing 4 figures here.


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## MaddSkillz

A friend of mine who weighs 165 lbs has generated 1600 and something watts before... He raced for Mercy cycling for years though and now rides for another team. Trained with Pate and raced with Brad Huff...

The guy is an animal on a bike. It's ridiculous, really.


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## cxwrench

1486 last year, haven't really done anything this year, but hoping for more sooner or later. would like to get down to 11.5-11.6 for the 200, at 11.9 now. not bad for a 47 yr old (5'7" 165) i guess...a guy on my track team (mid 30's sprinter) is over 2000 peak...he's also done a 1.04 kilo...


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## MaddSkillz

cxwrench said:


> 1486 last year, haven't really done anything this year, but hoping for more sooner or later. would like to get down to 11.5-11.6 for the 200, at 11.9 now. not bad for a 47 yr old (5'7" 165) i guess...a guy on my track team (mid 30's sprinter) is over 2000 peak...he's also done a 1.04 kilo...



Very impressive, man!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Gatorback

Too embarrassed to mention it, but it is shy of 4 figures. This is where I subtly try to change the subject and talk about power to weight ratio for 5 minute and functional threshhold power. (I'm just shy of 61 kilos.  ) My power profile suggests I shouldn't get my hopes up on winning a field sprint anytime soon, but I have the potential to be a hell of a climber and really hold my own in a time trial.


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## Infini

Less than 900 watts. I'm 140 lbs. 

So far I've gotten the best results starting my sprint from 800m or so.


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## STARNUT

MaddSkillz said:


> A friend of mine who weighs 165 lbs has generated 1600 and something watts before... He raced for Mercy cycling for years though and now rides for another team. Trained with Pate and raced with Brad Huff...
> 
> The guy is an animal on a bike. It's ridiculous, really.



Who would that be......? One of the Three Muskateers? Dose he ride for Park Place now? I think I know _exactly_ who you're talking about and his wins are not from his peak wattage. Rather, his ability to hold 800 watts for a K. His 5-20 second are pretty low but his 1 min-5min is gnarly.

Starnut


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## Andrea138

929 watts


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## obiwan kenobi

I'm 48 years old, 6'1" down to 195 lbs, been riding since March 2010, got my powertap last week, hit 1001 watts yesterday when I jumped to respond to a sprint on our training ride.


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## thegock

*90% of the board*

...just got 'chicked' by Andrea.:cryin: How'd that feel?


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## waldo425

Who wants to lend me a powermeter so I can find out? I have been told that I am probably putting out some high numbers but I want something concrete and that I can print out and show off. Maybe make it into a sticker.


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## Alex_Simmons/RST

5-sec power:

Before leg amputation ~ 1500W
Post amputation ~ 1150-1200W

Some of my masters sprint buddies are doing ~ 1700W
One big unit was >2kW


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## Gatorback

thegock said:


> ...just got 'chicked' by Andrea.:cryin: How'd that feel?


I'm really close and my first thought was to see if I could jump up a little higher on my ride today. Andrea sounds pretty strong. There are some really great female riders out there and only the very best of us can avoid getting "chicked" every now and then.


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## Andrea138

Yeah, but compared to the ladies that are good sprinters, I'm better off sticking in the leadout train for someone else.


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## capt_phun

1457 Watts peak, 5'9" 148 pounds. 
Its more about Watt/Kg than just peak power. Some big dudes can put out 1600+ but they also weigh in the 185lbs or more.


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## MaddSkillz

STARNUT said:


> Who would that be......? One of the Three Muskateers? Dose he ride for Park Place now? I think I know _exactly_ who you're talking about and his wins are not from his peak wattage. Rather, his ability to hold 800 watts for a K. His 5-20 second are pretty low but his 1 min-5min is gnarly.
> 
> Starnut


Yes he does. Yeah, I'm aware of his 3 to 5 minute efforts but was just commenting on his peak wattage.


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## cxwrench

Andrea138 said:


> Yeah, but compared to the ladies that are good sprinters, I'm better off sticking in the leadout train for someone else.


depends on what you weigh...the jr girl(!) that started the leadout for our girls at the ToC womens crit prob weighs @ 125 or so, and is up to about 980 peak...she just pulled away from the field w/ 1 to go (cue Dave Towle audio clip...), only 1 rider could hold her wheel. it did have the desired effect...
also depends on other things, leg speed...jump...over 900w is a bunch of go, for sure!


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## MR_GRUMPY

1350+ peak.
Power/weight= not so good.


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## Andrea138

I don't think I'd be healthy at 125! That peak is actually from last summer when I was at my leanest (about 137 and 15% bodyfat measured w/a DEXA scan). I'm about 5 pounds over that now.


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## tom_h

What are you guys citing for "peak" power ?! An instantaneous flicker on the computer? ;-)

I would have thought "5 second average" power, like Alex Simmons posted above, would be more of an accepted and reproducible protocol ...


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## muscleendurance

9 inches here


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## MaddSkillz

tom_h said:


> What are you guys citing for "peak" power ?! An instantaneous flicker on the computer? ;-)
> 
> I would have thought "5 second average" power, like Alex Simmons posted above, would be more of an accepted and reproducible protocol ...



Ahh, that's a good question... Not having a power-meter I didn't even think of it that way. I wonder how the pros measure their peak power? Cause I heard Andre Greipel hit 1800 and something earlier this year in a sprint. I wonder what the durration was?


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## tom_h

From "Power Profiling" by Andrew Coggan (co-author of "Training and Racing with a Power Meter") 
http://home.trainingpeaks.com/articles/cycling/power-profiling.aspx

" ... _Index efforts of 5 s, 1 min, 5 min, and at functional threshold power (see "What is threshold power?" on this website) were chosen as those best reflecting neuromuscular power, anaerobic capacity, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and lactate threshold (LT), respectively_ ..."

From a number of articles on the subject, 5 seconds seems a good proxy for "peak power", which is somewhat vague.


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## Wookiebiker

tom_h said:


> What are you guys citing for "peak" power ?! An instantaneous flicker on the computer? ;-)
> 
> I would have thought "5 second average" power, like Alex Simmons posted above, would be more of an accepted and reproducible protocol ...


My "Peak" power is from one fleeting moment.

With that said, I qualified my power numbers with being able to hold over 1100 watts for approx. 20 seconds and had a 1342 burst after a 2.5 hour race (the first 2 hours of which were on a two man breakaway...of which the first 20 minutes we averaged 370 watts).

My 5 second number is in the 1400 watt range.

However, max numbers like these are irrelevant for the most part...unless they come at the end of a race, where power is most important. I have never come close to my max sprint numbers at the end of a race...but that hasn't stopped me from winning races.


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## Fixed

*doesn't really matter*



bikracernc said:


> At a recent 4/5 crit, a teammate generated 1,132 peak watts. That sounds impressively high to me. I'm wondering how high others have gotten. Thanks!


Peak numbers don't really matter much on the road. I have made about 1450 watts, but I know another masters racer who has never seen 900 who can kill me in any effort lasting more than about 10 seconds. If we cruise in and sprint to the city limit sign, I can win every time. However, the first hill that lasts over 2 minutes, and he can drop me every time. What really matters is what you can do for 5-10 minutes, IMHO.


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## Undecided

Alex_Simmons/RST said:


> 5-sec power:
> 
> Before leg amputation ~ 1500W
> Post amputation ~ 1150-1200W
> 
> Some of my masters sprint buddies are doing ~ 1700W
> One big unit was >2kW


Is the ramp down from your instantaneous peak to 5-second average very different than it was before the amputation?


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## Undecided

Fixed said:


> Peak numbers don't really matter much on the road. I have made about 1450 watts, but I know another masters racer who has never seen 900 who can kill me in any effort lasting more than about 10 seconds. If we cruise in and sprint to the city limit sign, I can win every time. However, the first hill that lasts over 2 minutes, and he can drop me every time. What really matters is what you can do for 5-10 minutes, IMHO.


Sure, until you're sprinting on the flat 50 meters at the summit of a seven-minute climb. The they both feel like they matter. In other words, what matters is only meaningful in the context of any particular race, and knowing how to give yourself the best odds in a particular race.


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## rubbersoul

muscleendurance said:


> 9 inches here



LOL, yea, thats pretty much what I was thinking. A post in whip it out and let's see who's is bigger....
________
Lucil live


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## Alex_Simmons/RST

Wookiebiker said:


> However, max numbers like these are irrelevant for the most part...unless they come at the end of a race, where power is most important. I have never come close to my max sprint numbers at the end of a race...but that hasn't stopped me from winning races.


My personal best 5-sec max power came in the final sprint at end of a criterium race after a hard solo and then 2-man breakaway.


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## obiwan kenobi

Apparently I am more powerful that I thought


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## Wookiebiker

obiwan kenobi said:


> Apparently I am more powerful that I thought


The Force is strong in you young Obiwan


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## Gatorback

Wouldn't that peak power burst be of importance to someone making a move, such as trying to get free from a breakaway towards the end of a race? I would imagine that initial jump, followed by another 10-15 seconds of really high power, would be really important when you are trying to get clear of riders wanting to follow you wheel.


For example, if Fabian Cancellara is in a long breakaway with some other elite cyclists who have made the selection in one of the classics--and wants try to ride away and solo in on flat terrain for say the last 10km because of his time trial strength, then I would think that initial jump might be of importance. A quick acceleration, followed by sprinting level power for 10-15 seconds, then settling into time trial pace may be just what he needs for the winning move.


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## tone12

Well lets see, I finally got a powertap so I've been playing around with the tests. So far, my 5s is 19.21 watts/kg. Yes, I'm a sprinter. Here's the funny part, my 1min, it's at 7.12 watts/kg. That's practically an untrained cyclist! I wish I'd gotten a powermeter sooner as I've been completely missing my weakness.


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## Jay Strongbow

About 500 according to the stationary bike I was hooked up to for my last fitting. 
Either the shops gauge was wrong, we're talking about two different things or some of you guys can sprint around 90mph.


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## tone12

Jay Strongbow said:


> About 500 according to the stationary bike I was hooked up to for my last fitting.
> Either the shops gauge was wrong, we're talking about two different things or some of you guys can sprint around 90mph.


You're saying that your peak 5 second power output was 500? No, that's probably not accurate. You also can't deduce the mph from looking at a power profile.


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## Jay Strongbow

tone12 said:


> You're saying that your peak 5 second power output was 500? No, that's probably not accurate. You also can't deduce the mph from looking at a power profile.


It wasn't specifically a 5 second test but I cranked it up as far as I could and the read out was 500ish. I'm sure I could have done more if my life depended on it but not by much. I don't doubt that it was wrong or perhaps I missunderstood what the number meant.

But anyway, I understand different body weights and aerodynamics mean different power numbers translate to different speeds for different people but if you can't ball park MPH with a power number why do these people even care what that number is? Well not to put words into people's mouth as no one specifically said they care about it but just to keep track of it I'd assume there's some correlation to speed or why bother finding out. And that's not to sound argumentative, I'm just curious.


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## tom_h

Jay Strongbow said:


> ... if you can't ball park MPH with a power number why do these people even care what that number is? Well not to put words into people's mouth as no one specifically said they care about it but just to keep track of it I'd assume there's some correlation to speed or why bother finding out. And that's not to sound argumentative, I'm just curious.


You CAN estimate steady-state speed based on "typical" parameters, the cyclist's body position (aero drag) is the biggest variable.
Calculator at: http://analyticcycling.com/ForcesSpeed_Page.html


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## Jay Strongbow

tom_h said:


> You CAN estimate steady-state speed based on "typical" parameters, the cyclist's body position (aero drag) is the biggest variable.
> Calculator at: http://analyticcycling.com/ForcesSpeed_Page.html


Thanks. I haven't fully digested it yet but that's going to be a fun link.


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## Poncharelli

Since I have data, I'll post.

1298W peak. 5 sec=1120. Held just over 1000W for 10 seconds. 165 lbs. 43 years old and race Masters Cat 4. 

My AC isn't very good (1min = 498W), and I have too much fear in sprints. So I've never won a race (2 second places, but on short uphill finishes).


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## Gatorback

It is really interesting to see the different variety of power profiles of riders who have power meters. My sprint power is very low, 12.5 watts/kilo for 5s with a peak of just over 900 watts, but my 1 minute is 486 watts and I weigh just 134. My 5 minute power is 333 watts. (I'm not going to win any sprints, but maybe I'd be a good initial lead out man in the last 6 or 8 minutes of a flat road race before the sprinters take over and really put the hammer down). 

I'm testing this coming week and am hoping I've seen some gains. My FTP number is what I'm really hoping has improved.


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## steve_e_f

1200-ish is the highest I've seen but I have to be really really fresh. I've learned that my peak watts can't win races, but if I get sneaky and sprint early or try a break I might get lucky.

brains over brawn is my MO.


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## ridenfish39

My peak 5 sec is only 1180, but I did 394 for 20 minutes, 464 for 5 minutes, and 879 for 30 seconds. I have only had the power tap for 3 months now, I am hoping to see improving numbers. I weigh about 170lbs and only mtb race, so I don't really work on my peak power.


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## Fixed

*specifics*



Undecided said:


> Sure, until you're sprinting on the flat 50 meters at the summit of a seven-minute climb. The they both feel like they matter. In other words, what matters is only meaningful in the context of any particular race, and knowing how to give yourself the best odds in a particular race.


Yes, power at that point will matter, but as for me, I would be no where close to my peak power number at the summit of a 7 minute climb. I'd probably be lucky to make 300-350 watts at the top of a climb, assuming everyone was on the rivet all the way up. If I cruised up the climb at 200 watts, I might make 1200 watts at the top, but that doesn't sound like the kind of racing I've done.


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## Ghost234

My 5 second average is only 770. I am 5'11 and 130 lbs. Although my average is fairly low, I am able to replicate it very often. For example this last ride (58km) I got above 700 watts for more than 5 seconds 32 times. 

Not quite hilly where I am but there are constantly short steep rollers.


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## ljfran2383

Alex_Simmons/RST said:


> 5-sec power:
> 
> Before leg amputation ~ 1500W
> Post amputation ~ 1150-1200W
> 
> Some of my masters sprint buddies are doing ~ 1700W
> One big unit was >2kW


Wow. more than me with both my legs. :thumbsup:


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## Jalap-inya

muscleendurance said:


> 9 inches here


lolololol


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## tone12

Jalap-inya said:


> lolololol


Which, on the web, really means 4! :yikes:


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## ZoSoSwiM

I don't have a powertap but the guy I rode with this past weekend hit 1100watts up a hill with a 20second duration.. I stayed with him the whole time and I weigh 20 pounds more and my bike is a few pounds heavier as well.

Just guessing but I'd say that puts me around 1200 or so as a guesstimate.


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## Alex_Simmons/RST

Jay Strongbow said:


> Either the shops gauge was wrong,


This.


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## T-Doc

1200, but my power to weight sucks...gotta lose more weight, but my other hobby is fine dining...its like a curse.


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## saird

Over 90000


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## Creakyknees

1100 something for 5 secs @ 180 lbs. So, I better be in the top 3 at the last corner if I want a top 10 at the finish.


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## bmxhacksaw

I have no idea but I have a good initial burst of power. In BMX racing it's all about the "snap" - I could be at top speed five cranks out of the gate. I can put a bike length on all the people I ride with but I fade after about 20 seconds..


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## Alex_Simmons/RST

bmxhacksaw said:


> I have no idea but I have a good initial burst of power. In BMX racing it's all about the "snap" - I could be at top speed five cranks out of the gate. I can put a bike length on all the people I ride with but I fade after about 20 seconds..


Top flight BMX riders have some of the highest 5-sec power to mass ratios of all cyclists.

You might find this item on BMX power analysis of some interest:
http://www.trainingandracingwithapowermeter.com/2010/05/fatigability-and-bmx-performance-at.html


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## Doctor Who

1,162 5s
540 1m
290 1hr

All these records are from within the past month. I weigh about 165 -- and do decent in Cat. 3 CX, pretty well in Expert MTB, and OK on the road.


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## bmxhacksaw

Alex_Simmons/RST said:


> Top flight BMX riders have some of the highest 5-sec power to mass ratios of all cyclists.
> 
> You might find this item on BMX power analysis of some interest:
> http://www.trainingandracingwithapowermeter.com/2010/05/fatigability-and-bmx-performance-at.html


Yeah, I read somewhere that Donny Robinson had the highest power to weight ration that the coaches for USA cycling had ever seen - this includes all road racers and track cyclists. When I first started working at a bike shop the mechanic that took me under his arm was a total tech geek and one time we were racing up a really steep hill on the way to his house with him on his road bike and me on my 20" BMX bike and as I stayed with him pedal for pedal all the way up the block long hill he yelled "You shouldn't be able to do that!" and then when we got to his house he was asking me how long my cranks were and what my gearing was. He was flabbergasted. BMXers are awesome.


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## jonleestrong

1661w with proof not just BS


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## petalpower

1153 @ 145lbs


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## ZoSoSwiM

My peak last season was 1260 for 5 seconds @ 76.2k

Nothing special but I'm not sprinter!


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## sdeeer

I'll play now that I have numbers

I am working on getting my 20min/60 min power up. My snap and sprint are more than good enough if I am moderately fresh at the end of a race.


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## asgelle

jonleestrong said:


> 1661w with proof not just BS


Exceptional claims require exceptional evidence. Where's your calibration?


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## Sonomasnap

50 Years old
172 lbs
Peak Power 1435
1150 for 12 seconds.


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## estone2

asgelle said:


> Exceptional claims require exceptional evidence. Where's your calibration?


Ahah, I love you.


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## PissedOffCil

Yesterday my Powertap gave me a spike at 15000 watts... Great!

My 5 seconds is around 900 @ 73kgs 
Not a sprinter at all!


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## Ghost234

The highest I've ever seen was 1457 on my Quarq, but I'm pretty sure that it was a mistake as it was December and -8c outside. I weighed only 63.5kg and I'm definitely not a sprinter. 

The highest realistic value I've seen to date was 1087 for 5s (16.5 w/kg at the time). I'm more of a TT'er or climber if anything.


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## tjib13

thegock said:


> ...just got 'chicked' by Andrea.:cryin: How'd that feel?



That is not the first time this has happened, but usually occurs in real life on muddy descents around mile 95.


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## wetpaint

At 140 pounds, the highest I've seen with my SRM is 970w with 5 seconds of 900w.

The only time I've gone into 4 digits was with a powertap, ~1015w, 5 seconds of 1000w


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## zach.scofield

So...I've never ever seen my power output before. In another week I'll be able to get back on my bike(surgery) and will be using a compu-trainer at my LBS. How accurate can I expect it to be?


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## QuattroCreep

did my first sprint intervals of the season this weekend, hit 1033. Last season I was doing around 1100. I hope I can up that a little more this year.


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## cjd

zach.scofield said:


> So...I've never ever seen my power output before. In another week I'll be able to get back on my bike(surgery) and will be using a compu-trainer at my LBS. How accurate can I expect it to be?


The guy in my computrainer class with an SRM says the computrainer and his SRM readout are pretty close.


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## asgelle

cjd said:


> The guy in my computrainer class with an SRM says the computrainer and his SRM readout are pretty close.


That's really just a lucky coincidence. It's certainly true that a well calibrated computrainer is close to as accurate as a power meter, but the problem is there's no way to know whether a particular computrainer is calibrated or not.


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## cjd

asgelle said:


> That's really just a lucky coincidence. It's certainly true that a well calibrated computrainer is close to as accurate as a power meter, but the problem is there's no way to know whether a particular computrainer is calibrated or not.


How is it lucky coincidence?



asgelle said:


> but the problem is there's no way to know whether a particular computrainer is calibrated or not.


Couldn't you verify the accuracy of a computrainer by using an independent source? Like, say, an SRM powermeter?


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## asgelle

cjd said:


> How is it lucky coincidence?


Because there was no way to know a priori if that particular computrainer was in calibration or not.


cjd said:


> Couldn't you verify the accuracy of a computrainer by using an independent source? Like, say, an SRM powermeter?


You mean if you checked it's calibration then you would have it's calibration. I think that's obvious.


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## Alex_Simmons/RST

cjd said:


> How is it lucky coincidence?
> 
> 
> 
> Couldn't you verify the accuracy of a computrainer by using an independent source? Like, say, an SRM powermeter?


The answer as you know, is yes.

I use calibrated SRM on our Computrainers (we have 12). Here are a couple of examples:
http://www.turbostudio.com.au/faq_power_data.pdf

I run regular Maximal Aerobic Power tests as well on clients that have power meters. On the weekend one client with a Quarq registered 418W for his MAP, and the CT file said 421W.

Nevertheless, CTs that are out of spec are known. It is possible to adjust it with fractional turn of a potentiometer in the load controller.


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## zach.scofield

Went to my LBS this morning and used the computrainer for 30 minutes. Thats all I can sit on my bike for right now as I am recovering from surgery. This is the first time I've seen my spin in 15 years and was glad to see how even and circular it was. It was also my first time EVER seeing my power output.

967 peak watts, I was skipping pretty badly on the first few pedal strokes of the sprints so I think the peak wattage was off a little. The next time we'll bump from 2.0 to around 2.7 or 3 to see if the skipping stops.

I was between 530 - 590 watts on some of the climbs and 161 watts avg over 30 minutes/ 8.2 miles. Nothing spectacular but I've been off the bike since mid Oct. and still have an open wound in my groin so my numbers were suffering a little bit to say the least.


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## IAmSpecialized

My peak is 1187 watts, I'm 152 pounds. My FTP is 232 watts (based on an actual 60 minute time trial).


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## Gooders1973

1976watts on watt bike. 
Flying 500 in 27.02 
And can peak out at 44mph on my cube bike after 3.5 hour races

And I smoke!


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## curlymaple42

5500. If shut everything off in the house i can run my 3hp table saw. Other than that it runs everything pretty well as long as the well pump and hot water heater aren't running at the same time.

Oh wait...


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## vetboy

curlymaple42 said:


> 5500. If shut everything off in the house i can run my 3hp table saw. Other than that it runs everything pretty well as long as the well pump and hot water heater aren't running at the same time.
> 
> Oh wait...


I like to keep it under 1440 watts - anything more and I'd need to run a second circuit


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## mjengstrom

Since my focus has mostly been triathlons, I havent really spent a lot of time training peak power for under 1 min. The numbers everyone is posting are crazy though - I can only dream of getting numbers over 1000. Even in one of the crits I do occasionally, I rarely hit a peak wattage over 850. I guess that is why I rarely win sprint points. Usually in top 5-10 overall though (field of 50+). For reference, I weigh 71 kg and here is the rest of my profile (not very impressive though):

2 sec: 912
5 sec: 825
1 min: 528
5 min: 330
20 min: 280
60 min: 240


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## Local Hero

I've never really used a powermeter. But a bike at gym has power. 

Rumor is that this machine needs to be calibrated: 














I'm sure the 191 cadence is correct. But the watts!? 

I've sprinted to victory on the velodrome and in crits -- I like to think that I have some power. 

This can't be right!!!


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