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Why Do Watts Per Kilogram Matter?

Watts per kilogram is an important measurement in determining your cycling potential.  On the surface, it's a simple measurement, but it can give a ton of information about your performance and strengths.  But what exactly can you learn about your cycling by looking at your W/Kg measurements?  In this article you'll learn what W/Kg is, how to use it effectively to plan and execute your training and a couple ways to improve your power to weight ratio.

What is “watts per kilogram” and why does it matter?

Watts per kilogram, often abbreviated W/Kg is a measure of power to weight.  It takes the amount of power you produce at various time periods and divides it by how heavy you are.  Sounds pretty simple, right?  In theory, it is.  But like everything in your cycling training, there's more to it than just a number.  Click through to learn a little bit more and figure out why W/Kg is so important.

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Cycling Coaching Questions and Answers #3

As an online cycling coach, I get a lot of questions emailed to me.  Every so often, I take a sampling of those questions and answer them for the benefit of everyone who listens to the Tailwind Coaching Podcast.

In this Q&A episode, I'll tackle plenty of training and fitness questions.  If you've ever been dropped on a group ride, you'll want to check out what I have to say.  Some others have been confused as to the best way to test functional threshold power or evaluate their performance improvements.  Folks from the southern hemisphere will be pleased to learn about training in the heat.  Beginners get some love with some questions about riding harder vs riding longer and Gran Fondo and long distance racers get some attention with a discussion about long distance training.  Finally, check out a basic power meter setup with a question about the bare minimum you need to start training with power.

Without further ado…

Coaching Questions and Answers

Below you'll find some links and information to expand on what I've covered in this podcast. 464yepvn (more…)

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Don’t Let Your Power Meter Kill Your Performance

A power meter is now a ubiquitous piece of equipment for many cyclists.  With the emergence of affordable power meters more and more riders are training with power.  Training has become more specified and directed.  Coaches have options to evaluate fitness improvements that they never had before.  Athletes are able to build their own training programs and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses with minimal direction.

But for all the benefits, your power meter may be hurting your performance when the chips are down.  Click through the jump to see if you're guilty of any of these performance killing power meter faux pas:

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Evaluating Ride Data and Race Data

With the huge number of electronic gadgets attached to a bike these days, it's inevitable that cyclists will be inundated with data.  From speed, cadence and heart rate to power data (and even new technologies such as muscle oxygenation data), there's a mind-boggling collection of numbers to consider. But why even bother collecting data? Evaluating ride data is one of the biggest reasons most cyclists collect data and it can tell you a lot about your ride if you know how to look at it the right way.

In this video, I'll walk through evaluating ride data from several race performances.  I'll describe what I look for and how you can use that information to improve your training and riding.

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Dura Ace Track Stages Power Meter Install

Power meter options for track bikes are very limited, and the Dura Ace Stages power meter is one of the most reasonably priced and simple to use on the market.  Based on the Dura Ace 7710 Octalink platform, the Stages power meter offers a simple, elegant power measuring solution for fixed gear bikes.  Painstaking refinement has gone into the algorithm used to calculate power to meet the unique demands of a fixed gear bike, improving performance and reliability in data recording.

Check out the video of the installation, re-posted from Periscope.  Throughout the installation, there's a little bit of Q&A about power meters based on questions from live viewers.  Click through the jump to watch the video and check out the video show notes:

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