Can anyone suggest any specific training to help improve my on the flat power?
I am a very strong hill climber and can put out a lot of power standing, or indeed seated provided I’m going uphill. According to intervals.icu, my current FTP is 453w (I’m 101kg), based on 7 minutes at 524w. I was feeling a bit rough too, and suspect my true 8 min max is around 535-540w.
However, I struggle to hold much more than 425w for extended periods on the flat. Most recently I did a 23 minute TT at 426w.
It seems a bit like holding an aero position restricts my power output.
For reference, I’m comfortable at up to 335w in zone 2. The issue is literally power generation, not cardiovascular capacity.
Bike fit. You’re likely right in that the aero position is restricting your power output. If you watch the pros, some of them now TT with very high hands/elbows, probably for similar reasons. Crank length can also play a role, shorter cranks = hip angle more open.
When climbing, you probably sit more upright, so don’t run into the same limitations.
The other thing is - practice. If you’re used to doing a ton of climbing, the less-angled position on the flat might feel unfamiliar. More high-power rides on the flat might help.
Bike fit is always a tricky one for me, as with being 203 cm tall, a normal bike is probably too small for me anyway. And that is even considering the fact that I ride 2xl Canyon frames.
I absolutely love hill climbing and generally avoid properly flat rides, so you probably have a good point there!
Cant offer any advice for those kind of sizes and power figures, assuming the obvious that you have had a bike fit done given your power numbers & w/kg
But I have never seen a 101kg rider who personally favours the hills, so chapeau for that
I haven’t had a bike fit yet, but I’ll definitely invest in one this year.
I grew up in a hilly part of England and have always loved climbing. I am in the fortunate position that I can hold 500w plus for quite a long time (when going uphill) so provided it’s not too steep, I can keep up with most people.
And then on the downhill…I have a lot of weight to open up a gap
Yea, I get the feeling you’ll be a nightmare to keep up with on flat TT’s aswell lol
Nice 10 mile TT next Wednesday around Croft racing circuit if it is at all close. Great test bed for trying different positions & setups without worrying about cars
I love a ten mile TT. I’m over in Sweden, but I did one in the UK last week in Leicestershire (my first in the UK for 25 years ). 23:00 and 426w on my gravel bike with road tyres. I’ve got an Aeroad promised to me, so might go a bit faster on an actual road bike!
Impressive numbers For me that’d be 6.9w/kg, my last TT in Lincolshire (near Leicestshire) on the road bike was just 3.6 w/kg for just under 28.5 minutes and even the road bike winner that night did something like a 27mins and tt bike winner a 25min. Its a pretty flat course (too flat for me), just 84ft in 10miles (PCC TT (2026 Course) | Strava Ride Segment in South Kesteven, England); You’d have blown everyone away.
In listening to old TR podcasts where they were doing tests and discussing 40k TT, aero gains vs power loss in position… a couple things that come to mind.
With your power examples… i would play with less aero w/more power tests… vs aero w/less power, save power/energy/matches for later where you can use your power better (climb/sprints)
BestBikesplit could help compared to some of your recent (or new test) rides on flat could help you fine tune CDA and rolling resistance inputs. Then you could model it vs having to ride/test on consistent days. Could test with raised bars and more comfortable upright config (if you can) vs your typical setup.
