I think 20mph at 160W avg is very much possible, especially if he had a tailwind and was very aero.
I averaged 20.2 mph with 170W (180cm and 72kg) and that was on a fairly windy roundtrip with my not so aero Canyon Grail with clip on aero bars. I’m also very much not flexible, so could be much lower on the front.
Definitely! This is why I’m hunting aero while building FTP instead of trying to lose weight. I’ll never win the w/kg contest…at 6’4" I’m just not.
I think you are leaving like 25 watts on the table by riding non-aero wheels and 40mm tires.
How’s the kit? 5 or 6 years ago I started doing the hard hitting group rides again. I was outgunned by age and weight. I went on an aero improvement campaign - wheels, fastest rolling resistance road tires, aero helmet, and race fit jersey. Going by various wind tunnel charts on the net, I figure that was a savings of 30-45 watts at race speeds. It’s significant especially on the flats.
I was hanging with the hard hitters just fine blasting down long sections of flat roads at full tilt and taking my pulls. The skinny climbers and people who showed up with flappy jerseys would get frequently tailed off the back.
I don’t doubt it.
My kit is good, sans helmet, which isn’t aero, opting for more ventilation because it’s always hot in MN in the summer months and I sweat A LOT. Like really affected by sweat getting in my eyes during hard rides and races. I could pick up an aero helmet though. I don’t wear aero socks.
I could also run narrower tires, but I do do a lot of mixed surface riding and don’t fancy to buy a new wheelset for road tires yet. That might be low hanging fruit though.
You can put together a program, but executing it is the hard part when we’re all wired just to spend the time on the bike instead. I always have great plans, but following through on the stretching is tough.
You have to also consider whether a sacrificing a couple of hours riding for a couple of hours of body work will make you slower or faster. It’s a tough call, but I think most of us on this forum would get a greater benefit from more volume.
On my recent bike build, my fork was cut about 10cm too short. I just started riding that position, and now I can do six hours no problem with extended durations with forearms parallel on the bars. Sometimes you just have to give it a go. I’m 46, and my position has only been getting more aggressive in the last 10 years, and my power is up a bit in that time. The trainer is a great place to experiment with this stuff.
I also find that is is easier to get into an aero position when you are leaner. If you were to get into the mid 80kgs, I think you will find that your aero position will improve along with your power to weight. I know that’s an extremely tough ask, though.
I used to refer to my B.O.B. as fuel tank for a sex machine. Now it’s my “Speed Sniffer.”
Yeah, I could see that or @Trix8806 thoughts.
Some mix of tailwind or aero bars or heavy drafting. I just felt that OP’s comparison was a bit misguided, if that’s the right word. I don’t think 160w for 20mph for a long duration is the right comparable.
I think I’m in a similar… position.
I mostly put it down to having broad shoulders. I’d have been better off sticking to rugby!
Regarding those comparisons, I’d suggest that’s a bit of a doom loop. There could be a tailwind, there could be a really smooth road surface, and there could have been other riders ( that you can’t see or just haven’t uploaded to Strava)
I try and work on my plank and using the aero bars on my Wattbike. Very marginal gains for me…
I struggle but I’m trying. The TR workouts sometimes suggest doing it which helps and then I spend as much time as is comfy outdoors doing it. Depends on terrain.
I think I’m aero then I see a photo of myself 
my triceps feel the strain really.
I also think my seat could go back a bit but, I don’t like it and neither does my back really.
Keep thinking about something that one of the aero experts said - there isn’t usually one big thing you can change to be more aero, but there can be an accumulation of small things.
Smaller tyres, deeper wheels, aero helmet, tighter kit, smoother chain, better position, more power, less weight, etc etc, all might only be marginal improvements, but they add up. Outside of professional riders, how many of those you try to address will be some sort of compromise between how much it bothers you, and how many resources you can and want to put in. If money isn’t a problem, buying speed is the easiest way (a second wheelset and an aero helmet is probably the biggest gain). If time isn’t an issue, training to hold a better position, and training for power are the main gains I’d think. But it comes down to how much it bothers you and what you want to throw at it.
Agree. Also it isn’t that Ganna and Tarling are highly aero in absolute terms, but that they are aero for their size and have a massive amount of power. As a tall guy myself I’ve sorted most of the low hanging fruit to improve my efficiency, but still always put out more power than the rest of my group - physics can’t be avoided completely.
Some people joke about the small gains, like aero socks, but you really hit the nail on the head. If you can even get 3 watts from 6 different areas, all of a sudden you’re at +18 watts. Over a 5 hour race, that’s a HUGE improvement. Much larger than just +18 watts to an FTP, as you’re experiencing the benefits for 5x as long.
You can also get free watts by selecting the tyres carefully. The best 40 mm gravel tyres have a rolling resistance of 25-30 watts for a pair. Some widely used tyres have rolling resistance of over 20 watts for a single tyre.
Not a help but I’m the opposite. Overweight, not flexible but almost always aero. Probably due to being on the smaller side (168cm) and gut “fairing” 
I’m 1.97m its near impossible to be aero. Also not very flexible.
Do have to say I did notice considerable difference when I switched from van Rysel Endurance bike to Canyon Aeroad. Even at lower watts its like 1/1.5 km/h difference. The faster I go the more difference.. but in comparisons on strava I can see clear differences. People putting out far smaller watts avg 30kph easily. I actually have to put some effort in to achieve that on the flat even.
I’m 200 cm tall, 83 kg. I’ve gone from being hopeless in the wind and pushing a lot of watts, to now few watts but faster speed.
I simply started stretching, starting to spend most time in aero position to train my body and got a better fitting handlebar that allows me to get aero.
A couple of months ago I did a 120 km solo ride with 30.9 kph avg, with 214 watts. So not big numbers to go with a decent speed.
I’m not super hopeful w/regards to my physiology or ability to achieve a more aero riding position. I just can’t do it unless I really make some changes to my bike fit and run a lot more saddle to bar drop, but that would not be comfortable.
Sure, I could start running different tires, but then I’d not have a bike equipped to do the riding I like to do. Here’s an endurance ride from today. No headwind or tailwind, pan flat. Only 18 mph average @ 211w. I’m just a big wind block.
A big saddle to bar drop doesn’t always translate to a more aerodynamic position. You don’t want to be sitting totally upright, but you don’t need to have your chin on the stem. Try focusing on getting narrower rather than lower and you might be surprised. Consider trying some narrower bars or just pulling in your elbows in an exaggerated way can often make a big difference. Elbows out is great for protecting your position in a tight group, generally terrible for aerodynamics.
For me, I started by adjusting the bars in a 30° position instead of totally flat, and slowly decreased the angle until they were flat over some rides. Not the best safety measure and probably not backed scientifically, also, created drag…but it helped me a bunch 
(Just my personal experience)
