Can I consider myself a climber anymore?

RowanHarley

I'm currently floating around 67/68kg and about 5ft 6". My w/kg is about 3.9/4 but have I gotten to the stage where I should aim for flatter races. Havent really done much racing this year but I've done club leagues, and got dropped a few times going over climbs.

Lumen

When you look down can you see your toes?

RowanHarley

Lumen wrote: »

When you look down can you see your toes?

Never really thought about it. I'd assume so.

ED E

RowanHarley wrote: »

Never really thought about it. I'd assume so.

JimmiesRustled

RowanHarley wrote: »

I'm currently floating around 67/68kg and about 5ft 6". My w/kg is about 3.9/4 but have I gotten to the stage where I should aim for flatter races. Havent really done much racing this year but I've done club leagues, and got dropped a few times going over climbs.

No. At 4w/kg you wouldn't be classified as a climber. You might enjoy climbing more than say sprinting but that wouldn't mean you're one or the other.

I wouldn't limit yourself to only racing in races that you perceive to play to your strengths. Even if you were a climber, Irish racing very rarely has climbs where actual "climbers" can distance bigger more powerful riders.

CramCycle

Despite the responses above, you simply haven't given enough detail. At A4, 4W/kg is more than enough to get you around with the bunch or in front of it, and there is very few hills of note in many club races that would be to blame if you got dropped unless the riders are immensely better than you, in which case, they would do the same on the flats as well.

When you get dropped had you spent much time on the front or had you been clever and rested in the bunch? Where were you positioned? Did you sit up when they pulled away or did you dig in for the few minutes to hold the last mans wheel.

Truth be told, there could be a number of reasons, but the most likely is lack of race experience and training. Go out to every race you can, and either attack, get caught, rest and re do it over and over again, every race. If this is not possible, give everything to hold the last mans wheel until you collapse, repeat again at the next race, until eventually, you don't have to give everything, when this happens, go back to my first suggestion.

I am probably one of the biggest riders in A4, my FTP looks no different than yours, I am not built for climbs and I damn well cannot sprint. On the same note, everyone thinks I can because on every climb, I realise they are short and the suffering will be over in a few minutes so I just dig in and go for it on any short sharp climb. Do the same yourself and you'll find they are no longer dropping you, keep doing it and one day you'll find you are staying away.

letape

RowanHarley wrote: »

I'm currently floating around 67/68kg and about 5ft 6". My w/kg is about 3.9/4 but have I gotten to the stage where I should aim for flatter races. Havent really done much racing this year but I've done club leagues, and got dropped a few times going over climbs.

Obvious question, but why did you consider yourself a climber previously? I know everything is relative but were you successful in hilly races or starva koms?

Miklos

At 4w/kg you flat out shouldn't be getting dropped on climbs in Ireland unless you're going out with Ronan McLaughlin or something.

JimmiesRustled

Miklos wrote: »

At 4w/kg you flat out shouldn't be getting dropped on climbs in Ireland unless you're going out with Ronan McLaughlin or something.

You can have a functional threshold of 5w/kg and still get dropped easily enough. Racing isn't a steady state effort like a TT.

The pace on climbs varies. As previously discussed Irish racing is more about 1, 5 and 8 minute power. No climb in a race, unless it's Mumhan or Ulster or the Rás, tends to last any longer than 8 minutes.

So many riders get hung up on FTP. Yes it's a useful metric by which to determine training zones or pacing a 25 mile TT effort but that's about it.

The OP likely isn't getting dropped because of his FTP. He's likely getting dropped because his 1, 5 and 8 minute power is likely poor.

People look at that w/kg chart and expect to read across it in a straight line.

dahat

Less kilos goes up a hill faster, simples.

4 w/kg at 94kgs against 4 w/kg at 68kgs, who wins? Easy....

magicbastarder

i'm not sure i understand the calculation there. if the power to weight is the same (all other things being equal), surely the climbing is the same?

lennymc

dahat wrote: »

Less kilos goes up a hill faster, simples.

4 w/kg at 94kgs against 4 w/kg at 68kgs, who wins? Easy....

ED E

magicbastarder wrote: »

i'm not sure i understand the calculation there. if the power to weight is the same (all other things being equal), surely the climbing is the same?

If you count the bike the heavier rider is technically faster :pac: