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Us vs. Them

This is always fun: Bicycling Mag has a piece up comparing the habits of an amateur shlub (I'm looking at YOU Sui Juris) to a TdF-level pro. Suffice to say that the results aren't pretty. That said, I would like to add in my own version. On da fleep:

YOU  TDF Rider PdC Comments
Average speed on flat terrain     17–18 mph     25–28 mph     The You number seems a tad low, unless we factor in the six hours thing
Average speed on mountainous terrain     9–10 mph     21–25 mph     Hm, can we include the descents in this figure?
Estimated average watts at threshold3     170–220     405–450     Feh! I'm all about wattage. If wattage meters have taught me anything, it's all about wattage. Per-kilogram denominators be damned!
Calories consumed on a ride     200–450     4,000–5,000     200 calories? Who am I, the Buddha? My energy drink has more than that, let alone the mid-ride latte.
Bottles of water consumed during a ride/stage     2–3
(on a 3-hour ride)
    4–20     This assumes the rider remembers to drink. My next Garmin will have a built-in alarm reminder.
Cost of a race bike     $2,000–$7,000     $9,000–$14,000+     $7000... why?
Chain replacements     Maybe once a season     2–3 per Tour     Is that what that weird noise is?

 

Check out Bicycling for the rest of the table.