The problem is when the guys you’re trying to get the separation from all have >400W FTPs as well as less frontal area to push through the air!
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Hello, lately I read this topic a lot, I would just like to share my experiences and numbers.
May / 2019: in an ITT stage I was able to generate 346 watts for 20 min, at the time I was 74kg is best fitness.
4.68 W / KG
November / 2019: Last Sunday and tired of the season, I decided to climb one of the main mountains of my city accompanied by a friend, I thought I’ll climb strong would say about 90%, currently I am 73 kg, for me amazing surprise I made 365 watts per 20 min, I would say that in a good week, I could make 370/375 spending everything I had.
5.00 w / kg
I started cycling about 3 years or less, I don’t know exactly, but I got a big improvement over the last 1 and a half years, with well structured training, never used any supplements or drugs, but I always ate very well, I don’t use of alcoholic beverages.
Thinking about improving, I hired a nutritionist last week, and made a big purchase of supplements, let’s see where I can still go, remembering that I’m horrible in running circuits haha.
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Hi, I’m new to TR and to structured training. Enjoying reading the forum, so am chipping in!
I’ve done road biking (well had a road bike) since 2014, but did embarrassingly paltry miles until mid 2018. I did about 2,300 miles from Jun-Dec and started getting noticeably fitter and a bit competitive on Strava! Also just enjoying my cycling a lot.
In 2019 I’ve done about 6,200 miles so far. I carried on KOM crushing until recently - currently at 348 according to Strava Toolbox. I realise this is a bit uncool/pointless as it’s not proper racing etc… All the same, it got my best 1 minute power in this short space of time up to 750w or 10.13w/kg, which was nice.
I realise that to be a better all-round cyclist for the majority of situations (including races I hope to compete in next year) I really need to bump up my overall fitness rather than just sprinting. So kinda targetting FTP and 5 min power.
I’m currently at an FTP of 312w /74kg = 4.2w/kg according to my plan’s first ramp test. Given that 1.5 years of just random cycling/ segment chasing got me to this point, I’m hoping I might be able to reach 5w/kg at a push with structured training. I’m doing about 7-9 hours per week, but at the lower end of that now winter has set in (SSB1 week 3 at the moment). Just so you know, I’m 33 y/o and about 188cm/6ft 3" so probably not got a load of weight available to lose. Let’s hope I’ve still got noob gains to come!
Thanks
Steve
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Kudos on the fitness achievements you’ve made so far. You’re the same height as me but at 74Kg you’re over 20kg lighter with a near similar FTP (14 years younger too) and I’m guessing you are pretty lean. 5w/kg could be within reach with a full base / build programme. Good luck 
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It might be a matter of time or it might be also impossible. I’ve been running for 3-4 years and did some riding during summers before I bought a power meter in May 2018. I haven’t done proper testing back then but I was about 250 watt FTP and weighed 62 kg. One and a half year and 30 thousand km later I am at 290 watt FTP and 64 kg. Not that I want to lose any weight being 189 cm high. I am actually happy to be stronger even though it means two more kilograms. It is a muscle mass that took 2 years to build in the gym. On the FTP front, the progress could be faster but than again it is never linear. It took a while to get used to the indoor training last winter but I saw some nice gains coupling it with big outdoor camp. During summer the main focus was to increase volume which will bring the fruits later on I hope.
Anyway, I just wanted to say that for me both targets can take long time and depending on your height I would even reconsider shooting for 60 kg. If you are young or new to the sport you could be at 300 W when the spring comes.
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So you’ve already made great gains (I mean losses, err), congrats! Keep at it and you will improve some more.
Wow, you went from 208 to 140ish? That’s huge! I’m around 140 and couldn’t imagine how difficult riding would be at 200+, you must feel like a different person.
At my best a few years ago, I was just over 5w/kg at around 62kg. I’m trying to get there again at 45 years old. I’m now 64kg with an FTP just over 300w. I’ve been able to go from 273w to 301w in around 3 months of structured trained. The gains will likely come easier for me because I’ve been there before, but now that I’m older, I’ve noticed the weight is harder to lose and the watts are harder to gain!
Keep it going!
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64 kg at 189 cm? I get comments on my low weight at 77 kg at 190 cm. I can’t imagine how I look with that weight.
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I think you would look like me 
Prototype ectomorph, very low body fat, hard to gain any muscle.
I also get a lot of comments. Mostly along the lines of eating more. Until they see me eat everything and then some. And I am usually alone in having a second (and third) serving of deserts.
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Raced on zwift last night : 5.2w/kg for 20 min and 5 w/kg for over 50 min. I am currently at 61 kg and 171 cm and possibly can lose some more weight.
Did a lot of riding this winter, starting Oct 19: followed Trad base 1/2/3, then Gen Build HV and now on modified RR HV, averaging 15+hr a week.
What worked for me is riding in small chainring (low inertia) and adding endurance ride at the end of each workout. Also, doing a long ride on zwift on Sunday +4 hr at maximum trainer difficulty and lots of climbing.
Its worth noting that I started racing at the age of 12 then quit at 18 followed by doing nothing for 10 years and started training again in 2018. There is definitely advantage from riding at a very young age.
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So I’ve been using Trainerroad for about a month now, I tested at the beginning with a 294 ftp and weigh about 126lbs or 57 kg (5.16 watt/kg) and am 15 years old. I have been riding mtb and racing NICA for about a year and feel like this is a little high. I’m on a regular trainer (Giant Cyclotron Mag) with a Wahoo blue. Is it possible that my calculated power is way off? (Also if there is a better thread for this question please direct me to it.) Thanks!
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I’d say with an ftp of 294 unless your at the very top of your age category it probably is overestimating.
I’m not sure exactly where I am compared to others, because last year I was racing in a lower level (JV2) where I placed 1st-2nd, but this year I will be racing Varsity. So my equipment is overestimating it?
From Australia so have no idea about junior racing categories over there, here its just U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19 and I would say for the U15’s to be at the very pointy end of races it would be 4.5+ w/kg and for U17 4.9+ at like 300 Ftp. So using that guide you could maybe use that as a gauge.
I guess only way to find out would be to get a proper power meter which are getting cheaper and would be around 300 Aud which is like 200 USD for a second hand one.
JULY 2019 - 4.0w/kg (280w), estimated with a cp20 of 299w, 3 months after starting to ride seriously (but unstructured).
SEP 2019 - 4.2w/kg (295w), estimated with a cp20 of 315w, end of season
NOV 2019 - 3.4w/kg (245w), test done by coach - begin of disappointing structured training
DEC 2019 - 3.8w/kg (275w), test done on zwift - begin of serious structured training
MAR 2019 - 4.3w/kg (300w), test done by coach, CP60 of 309w, CP20 of 330w
2018 - My first year, very casual riding + running + strength training.
2019 - 417hours of which 85% unstructured training
2020 - Currently at 123hours of training in 2020, 4.9% bodyfat (plicometry), haven’t done much work above FTP yet.
Hoping to get as close to the infamous target as possible, still carrying a bit of excess muscle from upper body strength training (5’10ish, 26y)
Plan is to do road races around 120-140km with 2000-3000m of elevation.
Any insight on some possible margin of improvement?
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Just an idea, but maybe you could ‘borrow’ a friend or LBS bike with a power meter and do either a 20 minute effort or the 2x8 minute efforts needed to give you an FTP test.
Ok so there are plenty of threads on here that dig deep into the respective benefits and pitfalls of these two protocols but as a ‘guide’ it will give you an idea of where you sit.
If your FTP comes out at within +- a few Watts of your 294 and you felt good and ‘on it’ for the test time period then you can can have some degree of confidence on your power number and your W/kg
On the other hand, if it differs significantly either up or down then you will be better informed on where you actually are and will also have an idea of the offset your current indoor trainer setup has which can be helpful.
Good luck and well done on reaching a pretty impressive power and fitness level at such an early age 
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I’m surprised by the number of people here claiming they are 5w/kg because that’s what they did over 20 minutes. I thought, when quoting w/kg, (unless otherwise stated) we’re talking about FTP and therefore either 1hr power or at least a percentage of 20 min power. Or am I missing something?
Incredible all the same, it just seems to be at odds to the general consensus. Otherwise, this is a super interesting thread!
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According to Friel even CP60 is higher than actual FTP.
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It always depends on the test method - you can weigh yourself - I weigh 60.5kg but then it is all about the FTP calculation. I have a ramp test recently which gave me 298W - so close ish - and I think I could maybe do a bit better now I have nearly finished SPB - BUT I think the Ramp over estimates my hour power as the most I have ever got out in a 25mile tt is 261W - but then that is on my Exocet 3 tt bike where as my ramp is on my road bike. So who knows - although I am doing a road bike tt next Saturday so that could be revealing (21 hilly miles). So I guess we can measure it different ways - still I’m over 4W/kg and closer to 5 at the age of 51 with only 2 years of just cycling after doing tri/marathon running so I’m happy ….I was 58kg though last year for a month but that was just after the flu so it probably doesn’t count! 
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