What Type Of Rider Are You & What Does It Mean For Your Training?

Strengths vs weaknesses. It’s a tough debate when planning your training. It’s easier to train your strengths but working on your weaknesses makes you a better all-round cyclist. Conor, Hank & Manon took on the Wahoo SYSTM Four-Dimensional Power (4DP) test to find out what kind of cyclist they are and what training they should be doing to become stronger riders!

00:00 Intro
00:28 Four-Dimensional Power Profile
01:44 Wahoo SYSTM 4DP Test
04:13 Results
05:35 Analysis with Neal Henderson
05:55 How are the metrics linked?
06:49 Do short efforts help build FTP?
07:56 Why do we focus on our strengths?
08:46 Performance gains by training weaknesses?
09:28 Training sessions based on 4DP Test?
10:21 Weakness training

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What type of rider are you and how much time do you spend training your weaknesses? 🚴👇 Let us know in the comments below! 💬

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[gcn]

What type of rider are you and how much time do you spend training your weaknesses? 🚴👇

[shellypalumbo]

I’m 70 this year.
Speed is no long possible, however, I love to do 50+ mile daily rides both solo and in my women’s cycling groups. My longest strava ride is 80 miles. I’m planning to do several centuries once the weather improves in the states.
My average speed is only 11-12 mph with a fair amount of wind and climbing.
I routinely do 20mph+ HIIT sessions when out riding solo to improve my avg speed
I just purchased a new Canyon Endurace. Thanks GCN!!
This bike is perfect for me and has added greatly to my improved stats.

[derf]

One more The Cake connoisseur. Speed's up towards cafe stops.

[Planet]

I only weigh 53kg. Climbing used to be my weakness. Surprised?! I do have the w/kg of a climber but I seldom did hills so I wasn't comfortable at climbing and my power output drops whenever I hit the climbs. Working on that weakness is quite simple really. I simply did more climbing! I took on routes with big climbs until my technique got better and I became comfortable at climbing. Else, I'm actually fast in flat terrain despite my little weight. I can sprint too. So now I'm a bit of an all-rounder with climbing, sprinting, and endurance.

[robertnobles]

Train your weakness, race your strength!

[brannmacfinnchad]

When I took the 4DP test back in late winter (about the same time as doing the Zwift Academy test) both of them claimed I was a Pursuiter. Since then, been playing around with Zwift races and found I did best in British style hill climb races (i.e VO2 to Anaerobic efforts which I don't have to repeat), which also means I enjoy them.

When I started cycling I never ever would have thought that would be my strength. I'm still attempting to focus on training endurance though, since that is what I enjoy riding outside. Might switch focus to Crit training in late Summer/Fall for the winter season.

[glenborch]

I was a Sprinter with the 4DP. Changed the pedals to Flat Pedals, that are faster for me on the road, and whilst max power was lower (but the bike was bouncing and steering tube had an unusual crack, as I found out after, but carbon tube is being replaced under warranty. ), I have now tested as an attacker. Incidentally I've found the same in running, where my HR lowers much faster after a big effort, and I can do more. Training is working I guess. 😊

[twatson]

Awesome video guys, my wife’ has been struggling with long Covid as we have just found out this week. I am going to get checked out as well as my cycling vo2 max has declined somewhat since last October according to my Apple Watch data.
Would love to have some help on getting my fitness moving back - I am 62 years old - here’s the reply to a suggested video for your older viewers. Once again thank you for your channel- awesome :)

[overcookit]

I (50 years this year) already know since 17 years that for me weight training is a key for getting faster on the bike, as I am a hardgainer. Although from my data (1.77m/60-62kg) I should be a beast uphill, that is where I tend to struggle, which occured the last years. I am pretty good on middle distance time trials (40-60km), beyond that, I have to decide whether I do some more kilometers with a decreasing average speed, or keep (or even still increase) the speed and ride directly home. Actually, I am working three days a week (monday, wednesday and friday) with a leg press, and on tuesday, wednesday, saturday and sunday I am riding outdoors or indoors - up to now this rhythm seems quite promising. I am looking forward my first hill climb, it should be far better than the last years, and I also hope my favourite descend will be faster than in the past two years, and hopefully will be able to exceed 60 mph. Due to covid-vaccination, I had some trouble with my heart, which now seems to be well again, so my maximum heartrate is nearly normal again, I hope this will also help increase my speed uphill.

[robertnobles]

For me it is less enjoying a type of effort because I am already good at. It’s that I got good at it because I already enjoyed it and spent time doing it.

What I enjoyed was the long scenic rides, getting into the countryside. I wasn’t good at it at the start, but over a few years I got good at the long steady efforts because that was the bulk of my riding.

[LLewis-vuqf]

What type of cyclist am I? Basically an old, retired rider 😅.

I ride for fun and exercise. Am physically unable to ride a bike, but I do ride a tricycle. It's not built for speed so I don't work on how fast I can go. I concentrate on maintaining cadence and riding for distance. Because the trike is inherently slow, going for a 'long' ride is a bit relative. In the year I've been using my trike, my longest ride has been 18 miles. I ride several times a week for 1 to 2.5 hours at a time. So I guess you could call me sort of an endurance rider. 🚴‍♀️🚵‍♀️

[patrickstoddard]

Oof! I've got Full Frontal on my training schedule for tomorrow. Now looking forward to it.

[kaltonian]

yeah it's all good stuff and super beneficial for the serious rider, we all know were we are weakest but when you see the numbers it does strike home were and what is required to better our all round performance and how we would fit in a team.

[KNURKonesur]

My type is the one who takes their bike out in every weather and explores the world with it, bikepacks, hike-a-bikes, rides for fun, for groceries, to work, to meet friends. No turbo trainer, no account on Strava, no power meter, no being afraid the paint will scratch. Just cycling, anywhere, anytime, but always outside.

[carlmullender]

#askgcntech Should older riders ( 68 ) change training routines to allow for the fact we are trying to maintain our power and strength ? or should we be trying to increase it, and if we can increase it - do we need to do stuff differently ?

[lucasmaronas]

GREAT EFFORT WELL DONE. 20 min test on trainer after 5min. That’s torture and maybe understates FTP

[newoldsteel]

I’m a steel vintage bike rider, the bike does nothing perfect, have to adapt in the most inefficient way when climbing/sprinting due to gearing/weight, but oh my is it satisfying 😂

[leissp]

You should point out to do this "Test" in level mode ERG just doesn't respond to short sprints very well at all.

[mimi_micha]

Great insights! I would love to know what type I am and would love to hear that I'm a true sprinter and time trialist.
Yet I am also into triathlon and need long endurance time trialing, so I don't care what I am and do what is asked of me?

[johnandrews]

I was a good climber/time trials in my 20s/30s when I raced but as I've aged I've improved my sprint and really become a classic Passista or Rouleur type rider. Jack of all trades, master of none. At at 58 with an FTP of 375ish in-season... I just go out and hammer and have fun.