144. CRITICAL POWER DIFFERS BETWEEN ROAD AND TIME TRIAL BIKE
In the latest KIW Research Notes we saw that, as of 2026, Critical Power (CP) represent the gold standard for the maximum metabolic stead state (MMSS) and so the 2nd exercise threshold. In other words, it is the metric that best approximates the highest intensity at which a steady state in oxygen consumption and muscle metabolites can still be maintained. So, CP should be preferred over other proxies of the 2nd threshold—such as the second lactate threshold (LT2) or FTP—when defining training intensity zones and planning race pacing strategies. If you would like to learn more about this topic, we suggest this reading.
But is Critical Power on a Road Bike equivalent to that measured on a Time Trial (TT) bike?
A study published by Kordi and Colleagues (English Institute of Sport and British Cycling) in 2018 on European Journal of Sport Science tried to answer this question. (1)
Addressing this question has important practical implications, as it helps determine if CP values obtained on a road bike can also be applied to a TT bike—and vice versa—for training planning and pacing strategies.
