AI 速览
- The power profile curve: plot your best power for each duration (5 sec, 1 min, 5 min, 20 min, 60 min). The shape reveals your rider type — sprinter (high 5-sec/1-min), puncher (high 1–5 min), time-trialist (high 20–60 min), or climber (high power-to-weight at 20+ min)
- The Critical Power model: your sustainable power decreases predictably with duration. Plotting power vs time reveals your CP (critical power ≈ FTP) and W' (the finite energy reserve above CP — your anaerobic capacity)
- Tracking fitness: monitor CTL (upward during build), TSB (peak at +5 to +15 before events), and the power profile (if your 20-min power rises, FTP is improving). Test FTP every 4–6 weeks
- The key analysis question after every ride: 'Did I hit my targets?' If the interval power matched the plan, good. If not, adjust next time. This feedback loop is what turns riding into training
/ 01
The power profile curve
The power profile is the fingerprint of your cycling ability. Plot your best-ever power at each duration — 5 seconds (sprint), 1 minute (anaerobic), 5 minutes (VO2), 20 minutes (threshold), and 60 minutes (endurance) — and the SHAPE of the curve reveals your rider type.
Sprinter: very high 5-second and 1-minute power, lower 20-minute power. The curve drops steeply after 1 minute. These riders win field sprints but suffer on climbs.
Puncher / attacker: high 1–5 minute power. These riders can attack repeatedly over short climbs — the classics specialists and breakaway artists.
Time-trialist / rouleur: high 20–60 minute power, lower 1-minute power. Flat and steady — these riders excel in TTs and on flat stages.
Climber: high power-to-weight at 20+ minutes, lower sprint power. These riders win on summit finishes.
/ 02
Reading a single ride file
After each ride, check three things: (1) Did you hit the planned targets? If the workout was 3×10 min at FTP, was each interval at FTP (or within 5%)? Missed targets indicate either the workout was too hard, or your FTP is set wrong.
(2) Heart rate drift: compare heart rate in the first and second half of the ride (at the same power). If HR rose more than 10 bpm, you experienced cardiovascular drift — caused by heat, dehydration, or accumulated fatigue. More than 15 bpm drift suggests the ride was too hard for the conditions.
(3) Variability Index: for an interval session, VI should be 1.15–1.25 (variable). For an endurance ride, VI should be 1.0–1.1 (steady). If your endurance ride has a VI of 1.2, you were riding too hard — surging instead of staying steady.
/ 03
Critical Power and W'
Think of CP as your aerobic engine (sustainable forever) and W' as a battery above it (finite, depletes when you go above CP, recharges when you go below). In a race: every time you attack, close a gap, or sprint over a climb, you deplete W'. When W' is empty, you can only ride at CP — no more attacks, no more surges. Training increases both CP (raise the ceiling) and W' (increase the battery size).
The Critical Power model. CP ≈ FTP; W' is your anaerobic reserve above CP.
| Parameter | What it is | Typical value (70 kg rider) | How to improve |
|---|---|---|---|
| CP (Critical Power) | The power you can sustain indefinitely (≈ FTP) | 250–300 W | Threshold and sweet-spot training |
| W' (W-prime) | The finite energy above CP (anaerobic reserve) | 15–25 kJ | VO2 and anaerobic intervals |
/ 04
Tracking fitness over time
Test FTP every 4–6 weeks: a 20-minute best effort, take 95% as your FTP. If it rises, your training is working. If it plateaus or drops, you need to change something (more recovery, different intensity, new stimulus).
Watch the power profile: re-test your 5-sec, 1-min, 5-min, and 20-min bests periodically. If your threshold improved but your sprint didn't, you've been doing too much endurance and not enough sprint work. Balance your training based on what the data shows is lagging.
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