Weight related performance
The weight- related performance , also mass-related performance or specific performance , is the quotient of performance and body mass . The unit is watt / kg . The expression power-to-weight ratio, which is often incorrectly used instead, denotes the reciprocal of the specific power and has the unit kg / watt .
Importance in cycling
Especially in sport (especially bike races ), the weight-related performance serves as a key figure for the performance of an athlete. It is often determined in cycling in order to make the performance of riders with very different physiques and thus very different weights comparable.
Importance of weight-related performance on the mountain and on the flat
Due to its direct relation to the main resistance force on the mountain, the downhill force , the weight-related performance is an intersubjective measure of the quality of a driver on the mountain.
Since the rolling resistance is also proportional to the weight and the air resistance increases with the body volume of the driver - albeit not proportionally - the weight-related performance is a suitable measure of the performance of a driver that is independent of the physical structure of the driver.
With a few exceptions, taller, more athletic riders can achieve higher average speeds on the flatter profiles of the individual time trials, because in terms of weight-related performance they are almost as strong as their smaller, but above all lighter, mountain specialist colleagues, in terms of being slightly under-proportional increasing air resistance have an advantage.
Marco Pantani's “record” - average values
Marco Pantani achieved the greatest weight- related power determined in competition over a longer distance when he won the stage in L'Alpe d'Huez in 1997 with 7.2 W / kg. In general, one assumes the following requirements for racing cyclists to be successful in competition (the values are approximate values for peak endurance performances of at least half an hour and correspond to the watt performance at the anaerobic threshold ):
| Level of performance | Required weight- related power (ref.time: 1/2 hour) |
|---|---|
| Hobby driver | 2.5-3.5 W / kg |
| C-class driver | 3.5-4.5 W / kg |
| good amateur driver | 4.5-6 W / kg |
| World class professional | 6-7 W / kg |