according to my results in Zwift (and my races on zwiftpower), my FTP is 5 w/kg. I have done several races on Zwift, I’m in A class (even A+).
I recently did an amateur race on a road bike in real life. It took me 60 minutes to do 11.5 km and 800 meters of elevation gain. Very high heart rate (average: 175 bpm).
Why the difference between my results on Zwift and my results in real life? I am using a TUNTURI E50. Faulty wattmeter on my indoor bike? Position on road bike less favorable than indoor bike?
It could very well be that your power meter is not calibrated properly. Can you please share a link to the power meter you are using? I am not familiar with that brand. If it is using Zpower, your indoor stats are likely not accurate.
Maybe a local bike shop or coach could help you do a power test with your road bike on a known good direct-drive trainer, one of the popular ones that you race against.
I understand that in real life the values are not the same as in the indoor . However, with the same parameters (bike weight, slope, length, elevation gain) the total effort and travel time should be at least similar.
If this is not the case, it means that the watts generated by my exercise bicycle are not correct at all. I can imagine a margin of error of 10 or 15%, but no more than that.
What do you think?
Is it possible that a different position in the bike makes that much difference?
How long does it take you to do 11.5 km and 800 meters of elevation gain in Zwift? That sounds like a decently stiff climb. How did you do in the race?
I’m a slow B on Zwift and I raced in a category 5 criterium irl a few weeks ago. Got my legs ripped off , dropped at 13 minutes (race was 40 minutes). Got 12th place out of 22 so could’ve been worse.
At speeds like that, riding position has practically zero effect on the power needed (but of course it can impact the power you can produce because of biomechanics). Exercise bikes generally deliver notoriously unreliable power numbers so I’d start looking there.
Gio
I’m no expert but my guess is your Tunturi is not calibrated correctly.
Compare your IRL ride with your Alpe Du Zwift rides (approx 1000m and 12km) which you have done in around 46 minutes.
Not sure ride position, CDA, rolling resistance, or any other metric really has much bearing on the difference.
(I’m assuming IRL you are not doing hill climb on racing trike or penny farthing)
I’d work under the assumption that thing is completely unreliable. However, even when it’s not: max watt with thah thing is 350 watts. If your FTP is indeed 350 watt you would want a trainer that can handle more power. Get a ‘normal’ one of which some suggestions have been made. You can only win: Get a reliable number or you can train to bring it beyond your FTP of 350.
It would be possible that your body weight is incorrect, for example if the setting is in pounds but you provided your weight in kg, that would double the w/kg
At 5 w/kg that 11.6km 800m ride should take you less than 40 minutes. You’re probably closer to 3 w/kg at that pace, maybe even less. I regularly do this climb around 3 w/kg in less than an hour:
, dropped at 13 minutes (race was 40 minutes). Got 12th place out of 22 so could’ve been worse.
