Bike PB Planning – bestbikesplit.com

If you have a power meter and an upcoming race then read on.

If you’re in good form and want to nail a PB on your favourite local course (and have a power meter) then read on.

I’ve not looked in detail at bestbikesplit.com but the headlines look impressive. I had a little play last night and put in my FTP and a power profile over a local course I created. It could equally be a course created by someone else eg a stage of The Tour or the bike leg of your upcoming tri-qaualifier.

Presumably taking into account grade/gradient it plots your ideal power profile over the course. It takes into account LOTS of factors including the weight of you/bike and the weather temp/wind.

My recent 20 minute grind around my local course was analysed and bestbikesplit.com told me that, in fact, I should be able to do it in 18 minutes based on my FTP. and my recent best was 17:50, so that’s pretty good I reckon.

Of particular benefit to me is to know what power levels to limit myself to up the hills. It’s a bit naïve to say ‘oh for a 60 minute course you just do your FTP power by capping your uphill effort and trying a lot harder going down hill to get the power up’. It’s just not that easy…especially the downhill bits. Well I find it hard anyway.