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Compare yourself to a pro

Lawrence

Speeding Up
Jul 23, 2011
124
2
Before even looking at that, I am guessing I am going to be slower.

Could be wrong though, those wimps!
 
Seems really conjecture... for example,they aren't accounting for peloton speeds and lots of other factors. Just silly this one. For the most part, the enthusiast rider would be surprised both how well they stood up in a peloton and how poor at the same time.

Pros are pros - they know how to ride efficiently and fast. And recover quickly. Average riders waste so much energy just staying on their bikes it's crazy. And when they're done riding, takes them 3x - 5x longer to recover.

Today's bikes are pretty much same machine as pros ride - except pros don't have to twiddle them on their own and b* with the LBS. The goal of the team is to put all the riders on the best machine possible. Most LBS don't even have a slightest clue what that is.

Training. When you get paid to ride that's what you do. 24/7 . Period. You train, eat, ride, race. Average rider has a job - they don't train. Even if they <think> they are training - it's nothing compared to a pro's schedule. Quit your job, life and everything else and then do NOTHING except ride and train - that's what a real professional rider does. Oh, yeah - you getta couple days off now and then, and maybe a month for some R&R (otherwise known as cross training).

All of this is so you can put out about 15-30% more FTP than an enthusiast rider day in and day out.

Oh yeah - and you have to want it more than anything and anyone else around you. This takes focus and obsession that is borderline psychotic. Nothing else can matter more than you crossing the line ahead of everyone. Except of course if you're the leadout guy or the domestiques given for sacrifice, which you happily endure to see the team champion gain some glory and cash so you can eat properly the next day.
 
A friend (who had a friend that wanted to be a pro) was told that to keep up, go fast, perform like that, etc drugs were needed.
 
Thanks!

Because that report is in terms of wattage (power output) it's a little hard to visualize (for the normal person) though.
 
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