It is one of the obvious questions for any pursuit rider: if you know roughly how much power you can sustain, how fast should that translate to on the track?
The answer is not quite as simple as converting watts into a time.
Rider position makes a difference. So does the track, the tyres, the drivetrain, the gear being used and how hard the opening 250 metres is ridden. Two riders producing the same power can therefore end up with quite different pursuit times.
That is the idea behind the Velodrome.Shop Pursuit Time Calculator.
The calculator allows riders and coaches to enter the main variables that influence pursuit performance and see how they combine into an estimated finishing time.
Start with the race distance and sustainable power, then add either a known CdA or an estimate based on riding position. From there, the calculator can take account of the velodrome, tyre choice and opening 250 metre target.
It then estimates the likely pursuit time, average speed and lap progression.
The useful part is being able to change one thing at a time.
A rider can see what happens if their aerodynamic position improves, whether a faster tyre makes a measurable difference, or how much a more efficient waxed drivetrain might be worth over the full distance.
The gearing section then converts the predicted speed into cadence, making it easier to see whether the chosen ratio is sensible for the speed being targeted.
That is particularly useful in pursuiting, where the gear has to work during both the acceleration phase and once the rider has settled into race pace.
None of this is intended to replace track testing.
Power varies during a real ride, aerodynamic position changes under fatigue and no calculator can perfectly reproduce what happens in competition.
What it can do is provide a useful estimate and, more importantly, show where time may be gained.
A rider who is already producing good power may find that the biggest opportunity is aerodynamic. Another may discover that their intended opening lap is too ambitious. Somebody else may simply want to know what cadence their current gear will produce at their target speed.
The answer to how fast could you ride a pursuit? therefore depends on considerably more than watts alone.
The calculator gives you a way to put those variables together.