I just finished a big event (~ 200 miles, 15k ft of elevation). It was great to see that I could push sweet spot power on undulating roads after 9-10 hours.
I am now wondering how I can improve my climbing.
My FTP is 3.5 W/Kg.
My question is: to hold with an A group (where I am pulling comfortably) what percent of FTP should I put into climbs of 5 - 35 minutes?
As much as you need to stay with them. And if you’re pulling through, as much as you need to maintain whatever the group was going when you hit the front (assuming constant ish gradient).
Whether that’s a good idea or not depends on your fitness relative to the group and the context of the climb (ie, if there’s another 50 miles of rolling climbs or is the finish line at the top). Just because you can (maybe) ride up a 5 minute climb at 120% FTP doesn’t mean you should.