In cycling, there are different specializations such all rounders, sprinters, climbers or time trialists. It is important to know what kind of rider you are and what kind of races you will most probably excel in, i.e your strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes, what kind of rider you think you are and what kind of rider you really are in reality can be totally different. You'll be surprised! Therefore, with the help of power meter, power profile chart and some testing, you will be able to create a "power profile" of your strengths and weaknesses.
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| Top half of the chart |
The picture above shows only the top half of the chart. These are the typical power profile range for the pro-cyclists. The chart is expressed in terms of power to weight ratio (taking your average power (watts) in the duration over your weight (kg)). If your power profile lies within the range shown in the picture, you are probably capable, or on your way, to signing a pro contract with one of the pro teams!
An all rounder will have a power profile that is generally horizontal across all plots. A sprinter will typically have a distinctly downward sloping plot. A time trialist/climber/steady-state rider will have a distinctly upward sloping plot. And a pursuiter will have a sharply inverted V pattern (an all rounder who hasn't focused on raising his LT may exhibit the same pattern).
Fatigue Profile
Knowing your power profile, unfortunately, does not tell you the whole picture. It only tells you that you are a sprinter. But what kind of sprinter are you? A sprinter that has a snap that no one can beat you in the final 100m dash to the line? Or a sprinter that goes from 350m out and goes so fast that no one could catch you?
To do that, we will expand the range of each physiological training area. For example, at level 7 (Neuromuscular Power), instead of just the best 5 secs, we also find out the best for 10 secs and 20 secs as well. Same goes for the other levels. They can be summarised below:
- Neuromuscular Power (5secs, 10secs, 20secs)
- Anaerobic Capacity (30secs, 1min, 2min)
- VO2 Max (3mins, 5mins, 8mins)
- Lactate Threshold (20mins, 60mins, 90mins)
By discovering whether you have a well-below-average, below-average, average, above-average or well-above-average fatigue resistance, not only can you determine which races might be suited for you and where you might need to focus on improving, it is also crucial when it comes to strategizing your race plan.
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