Consider though a climb stage race… (laughs in current situation with Power to the Portal Monthly series…)
0.2w/kg gain for a 75kg rider is a pretty mental gain.
Granted it may be closer to like 0.15, but that’s still absolutely dramatic!
I understand yall may not think a 7w gain in a race is huge for a flat /“normal” race, and I mostly agree, it’s still… certainly potentially enough for some heavier riders to get away on a flat stage and keep away.
For a 90kg rider that could be more like 10-12w savings… Which can certainly turn the tide in a breakaway.
In the bunch, sure; having a good / bad day is more of a make or break situation. However the point stands that a fully upgraded bike is definitely more significant than I think some folks are willing to admit (possibly).
I don’t understand those claiming that the gains are insignificant for racing. Level 5 gets you around 60 seconds per hour saved during climbs (1 sec per min of climbing). That is huge for any races that feature climbs when drafting is a non-factor. If you get dropped from the pack going up a climb, your race is pretty much over.
I’d prefer not to lose 20-25 secs going up epic just because I didn’t cheese my way towards a bike upgrade.
I guess another way of looking at it is to answer the question: Would you sooner have a slightly higher peak power at all durations on your power curve? My answer is “yes” as I need every watt going!
Even “coasting” in the pack, you’re still fatiguing yourself, and anything to slow down the rate of fatigue is a good thing. Two specific race situations I’ve encountered are:
Chasing to get back on after being dropped. An extra 7 watts might make all the difference here. I’ve been ditched several times on the last “power climb” of a race, with a desperate chase (sometimes in vain) to get back on. And even when I get back on, I’m usually too tired to sprint!
Less commonly for me, staying ahead of a chase if you’ve broken away.
Yes, the person without the upgraded bike may save the 7 watts by drafting. And the person with the upgraded bike will also save those 7 watts. On top of the watts from the bike. So you’re still down 7 watts.
You seem to be approaching this as if the draft just equals out everyone’s FTP or wattage, or as if the draft only helps people with lower wattage.
Watt savings are watt savings, a bunch and a draft doesn’t magically erase them.
I stand corrected in that case. I thought steering was possible from the point when the Play Controllers were put into the game in 2023. No idea you could steer before that.
There was a short period back in 2019 where you could strap your phone running the Companion App to the handlebars and run through the Repack Ridge course.
That lasted well past 2019. I didn’t join until a few years after that, and it was still working then. It was hit-or-miss whether it would work, but I got it to go a couple times, up until they took Repack Ridge down entirely.
I have a feeling some of these people might be using the loopholes. Best thing is to ride ADZ and Ventop and see who is doing that.
A British pro rider (with the tick) is using them and is hiding the activities after they were discovered and people started commenting on them (or reporting them).
That’s why neutral bike performance has to happen in all races and events. Show these people that their efforts are pointless.
The difference now is equal to the former difference between the Buffalo and Specialized SWorks Venge… on the flat.
Which is as massive of a jump you could make.
There is no comparison on the climb upgrade; as it’s nearly double the worst from the best; it’s more significant than a Buffalo versus the Aethos was!
And that’s just the variance on ONE frame!
This isn’t frame vs frame, this is purely upgrades alone.
I just watched a rider robopacing with Big Mig, he held on for the full hour I was watching (don’t ask, I was bored), and if his total was correct he was at 250k at that pace. My guess is he’s earning both drops and Tron upgrades
Just google Sterno. It wasn’t much of a joke, to be fair 