Fit Test or Weight Test?

[iRacing.com]

Stick with me for a second and hopefully my math is correct...This is for fun, not an argument for or agianst the validity of the Fit Test as it is, I believe specific for Cycling. (But the Air Force had simular issues with their VO2Max Ramp test done on a stationary cycle) through the 90's.

A 3400 lbs Stock Car with a healthy 850 HP engine has a Watts per Kg score of 410 W/Kg

A 2400 lbs Stock Car with a healthy 850 HP engine has a watts per Kg score of 628 W/Kg

Keep in the mind the two cars are areodynamically equal, only difference is the weight.

So with the same engine the lighter car would appear to be more fit.

Now...Lets use our local pro rider Coach Boyd. For arguments sake he's a little fella at 68 Kg and a FTP of 350. With a score of 5.15 W/kg. Now coach Boyd continues his fitness/training routine, but adds some bulk due to weight training. (up comeing appearance on American Gladiators) hehe; Raised his overall weight to 78 kg, he's bigger and stronger now a FTP of 375, which puts him at now only 4.8 W/kg. Is he now less Fit?

So, is the cycling Fit Test a Fitness Test or a Weight Test? We all now a 98Kg Rider pushing a FTP of 425 isn't going to win any Cycling Races, and Newton's Laws epsecially gravity take a great hold on the 98Kg rider on a 14% Grade; but is he any less fit with a Score of 4.3 W/Kg than the 68Kg Rider with FTP at 350 at 5.15?

[dbrouse]

In my mind, the heavier athlete is less "cycling fit" than she/he was before. Is that person still fit? Of course...but from what I understand Power/Weight ratio is VERY important.

Delane

[lorduintah]

I would expect that a weight gain due to exercise and not an increase in body fat, etc. would show as an increase in Watts/kg if indeed the fitness improved. So I have to agree that the example indicates a loss of fitness with the numbers as demonstrated. Also, Watts/kg is only one measure of fitness and does not define the whole picture of health/fitness - vO2 and other measurements including blood work (not looking for EPO!) are needed to provide an overall picture.

Tom

[jparker]

IMO the power to weight ratio is more for establishing the training range the person needs to train in so they know where they stand and what p/w ratio they're trying to reach. We all know that the lighter rider will climb better than the heavier rider but on a flat windy road the lighter rider will be the who is at a disadvantage. With that being said there are always expections but this is usually the case if the two riders are close to equal fitness just different weight. For example most of your classics winners are heavier larger riders and your tour race winners are ususally the smaller riders, not always but more often than not. What I'm saying is do you think a lighter riders p/w ratio would the same if he did one 20 min. uphill test and one 20 min. test on the flats and the same goes for the heavier rider becasue I'm sure for most people who have done the fitness test both ways have had different results in their p/w ratio. So like Lordunitah stated there alot of factors that go into a true fitness test but for training and improvement of fitness on the bike the ibike is the best all around computer on the market being it calculates your ftp and has a multiple of interval options for the user to access.

[coachboyd]

w/kg is considered to be the true test of cycling strength. This really applies on the hills where you usually see the tiny guys charging away from the bigger stronger (in terms of pure watts) riders. The larger rider has to put out a lot more watts to have the same w/kg and stay with the smaller rider.

On the flats, speed is more about watts per cda. The person with the higher wattage and lower drag coefficient will be faster. This is why many of the top pros go to a wind tunnel to try and squeeze every last bit of aerodynamic advantage (you can use the iBike for this as well). This is also why Fabian Cancellara wins time trials against guys much smaller than him (his 500 watts sustained for half an hour doesn't hurt his cause).

Let's look at a breakdown of Cancellara vs a rider like Levi Leipheimer (who has the lowest cda of any rider in the pro peloton).
For a half hour time trial the two riders are actually going to be fairly similar. Both have won time trials in the Tour de France, Levi has beaten Cancellara at the Tour of California time trial every year. Because of his smaller size, Levi has a lower cda. So even though his watts are lower, his watts per cda is about the same as Cancellara.

But now go to a hill climb, Levi weighs about 135 pounds, Cancellara about 185. Even though Levi is putting out less wattage the Cancellara, Levi walks away from him on the climb. The advantage here obviously goes to Levi. So for overall fitness, the advantage goes to the higher w/kg.

If you are getting into cycling and losing a lot of weight (like most people do), this will make you an overall stronger rider. w/kg is a good way to track your overall fitness and gives you almost a "magic number" to compare previous results. If you are losing weight but maintaining the same wattage, you are going to be faster (on the flats and the climbs). If you gain some weight do to gaining lean muscle mass, and your wattage also goes up, you can compare if the tradeoff of weight vs power was worth it.

[iRacing.com]

Thanks Coach Boyd as well as other folks whom replied.

Yes for me I got into serious cycling in July, although I did ride a little before just as means to get out of the gym and keep areobically fit along with the weight training. I'm 102Kg in the morning, and after my fit test, no, misery ride up Mile Hill rd and Wachusett this past weekend, the NP was 290 Avg 272 with a FTP of 258. I need to figure out a mathmatical equation that would let me ride up hills at negative G. Wonder if inflating my tires with helium would help.

[lorduintah]

Hey -

You could consider riding on the moon. I think cda is very little an issue (near vacuum) and less gravity - both of these counteract the bulky suit you have to wear in order to live and breathe. Now if they would just make that suit a little more flexible.

Over the past three years of riding, I have gone from 2K, 3K to like 5.5K miles cumulative for the year. I am still 180-185 pounds (down from 200+ at the start). I don't ride for competition - gosh I am 62. I could use a little more speed - so for me intervals will have to become more of my training program. Dallas is pretty flat, so hills are not a way to pump it up -

Tom

[iRacing.com]

Not Riding to race either, but then really, anytime you're riding with a group it's a race isn't it?. I'm no young pup, but it's an inner competition to raise FTP and while I'll never beat my coworker at 75kg up Mt Washington, or even Wachusett, at least I'd like have bragging rights on FTP. The smaller guys love having me on the front pulling them along on the flats, there a pretty good vacume behind me, like a sports car riding behind the UPS truck on the interstate.