Stuck in isolation so been pissing about on my turbo. I've always been someone who just rides rather than trains, but I do like numbers so looking at power is passing the time. Problem is all my zones and training load bobbins is done by FTP and it keeps bloody changing. I got given a free month on trainer road so did an FTP test, it wasnt fun, started too hard, backed off too much and then raised it at end a bit, can out with FTP of 234w. Did a race on RGT cycling, 5 times up Paterberg, got dropped by three at start as they were at 400w for the gun, I wasnt!! Got stuck between groups so sat up to wait for second group for a lap but they didnt catch up, so did a TT to end and caught one rider. RGT updates its FTP to 253w. This morning, I look at the training zones for that ride on Strava and for some reason it estimates my FTP at 261w.
I can set ftp on RGT easy enough, but how do I do it on strava? I would imagine the Trainer Road one is the best guess, albeit I could improve my test technique to make it a bit higher.
What should be the next steps for a Indoor training with power plan. I am not doing those trainer road plans, even now I dont have the time. Whats the best bang per buck for you average nodder?
Also I may enter the local clubs hill climb for next sunday which is the day after release, any tips to peak using indoor training. I weigh ~70kg so ftp per kg is 3.3-3.7w/kg depending on who you believe.
PS I feel dirty just typing all this bollocks but in my defence I'm bored!!
Under your Strava profile avatar...
"Settings"
"My Performance"
Heart rate zones* and FTP
* Simply using your max heart rate will give poor zones, my max this year is ~185bpm but using www.crickles.org , my Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (very crudely, what you can sustain for 20mins, which is zone 4) is currently 171bpm. Simply using max heart rate would use 185 as my zone 4 ceiling, which is bobbins.
https://power-meter.cc/home nicely shows you your best 5sec/1min/5min/20min power from the last six weeks with a free account, they recently introduced a subscription "Pro" version that shows all-time data.
https://thomaschampagne.github.io/elevate/#/landing currently integrates with Strava and gives you plenty more data once set up (prevviously known as Stravistix).
Your FTP and LTHR are dynamic, you should be testing to get new figures that reflect your current fitness at least every ~6 weeks.
Until you do regular Z3+ intervals on your turbo for 2-3 weeks, your figures will likely be much lower than outdoors, due to heat stress and lack of adaption.
TrainerRoad now use a Ramp Test to estimate FTP so not sure how you started too hard, backed off, raised it a bit at the end, you just keep pushing harder and harder every minute until you blow up.
Generally estimated values of FTP don't transfer well between programs, even in TrainerRoad I find I have to adjust my Ramp Test FTP because it's essentially a MAP/VO2max test and therefore more suited to those type of riders, it estimates your FTP as 75% of your MAP (Maximum Aerobic Power). I'm more a diesel so my FTP is closer to my MAP than that, typically 2-3%.
The TR plans do work - I saw a 10% increase in my FTP in four months. The low volume plans are roughly 3 1/2hrs per week, not exactly a lot and probably the minimum you could do and still see improvements unless you were totally unfit (unlikely with your quoted figures). Why do you say you aren't going to do the TR plans?
Basically if you want to improve you have to put the work in.
TrainerRoad now use a Ramp Test to estimate FTP
I did the 20min test, surely I would need a baseline FTP to do a ramp test?
Under your Strava profile avatar…
“Settings”
“My Performance”
Heart rate zones* and FTP
Is that on web page rather than app??
No longer recommended for the reasons you found out, you need to know how to pace for that length of time and it takes at least two or three goes at it to get that right. The Ramp Test has been their preferred testing protocol for at least 18 months now but as I noted it's not 100% accurate for everyone and you have to be prepared to tweek it if necessary.
Yep web page.
I find ramp tests decent enough for a crude initial FTP setting, because it's easy to get the pacing all wrong on early manual tests. But I find the Zwift ramp test over-estimates my ability, because the formula simply sets FTP as 75% of my best 1min during the ramps.
Zwift ramp test starts at 100W and increases by 20W every minute.
I've not tried it recently, but before C19, I'd expect to at least be attempting the 400W interval and I've never had a 95% of 20mins effort FTP estimate of 300W (a random goal of mine).
Whitestone, I edit my post, surely you need a baseline FTP to do a ramp test?
Sort of yes and no for all tests but more so for the 8min and 20min tests as to "improve" you need to ride at 10% (from memory) above your current value so if you don't know that how do you improve?
The ramp test starts with an assumption that your FTP is 2W/kg and starts at 50% of that so even if it isn't 2W/kg it's likely to be close for most untrained riders. Once you get to 19m30s on the Ramp Test you will get a bigger FTP.
Like any test you can "game" it but then what's the point?
Yeh I would do a TrainerRoad ramp test now you have a ballpark ftp anyway. Set your ftp at 250 in TrainerRoad and give it a shot. Sounds like you have plenty of time to try it! You can recover quick from a ramp test as well.
OK I'll put a ramp test on the list for monday. I was surprised how easily I recovered from the 20min test tbh, after that maybe some 5min intervals wednesday to get ready for hill climb on sunday.
Gonna need a bigger fan!!!
Whats the best bang per buck for you average nodder?
You could try TodaysPlan, which allows you to buy semi personalised short plans - 6-weeks - for a fiver or similar with no subscriptions. Longer & event driven plans are available, you also get more numbers from it.
Trainerroad is as cheap as chips for a semi personalised and adaptive plan. The ramp test is flawed btw, as it majors on threshold and above threshold work. If - like me - you aren’t strong at threshold your going to get a lower figure. If you are strong you’ll get a high figure, but endurance workouts at higher watts may prove tough for you.
The best way is an hour test which is long and very hard, hence the 20 minute test was invented. Everyone messes up a 20 min test, it’s not easy to judge it. But it’s a combination of threshold and muscular endurance and other than 4ko (rabbit hole alert) which is better than the ramp test.
Trainerroad has not defaulted to ramp tests at all, they just advocate it a lot. You can still choose the 20 or 8 minutes tests and a bit of searching on their blog page will find you a post where coach Chad explains which test and why may be better for some over others.
TLDR, Pick one and stick with it, gain the experience. I do a 20min and 1hr test 3 times a year now with my numbers pretty close on both.
Don’t look at Strava ftp calculations, it’s nothing more than a relatively inaccurate algorithm.
edit :
Gonna need a bigger fan!!!
Just get this and never look at another fan again: Screwfix fan
Possibly daft queation op, but if you are in isolation because your wife got a positive test then presumably you may have it as well.
Is it a great idea to be smashing out hard efforts on the turbo, even if asymptomatic right now? I'm no doctor, but I would have thought it would lower your bodies resistance especially if it's already fighting the bug.
Thanks for the advice all and an interesting discussion has whiled away a bit more time!!
Is it a great idea to be smashing out hard efforts on the turbo, even if asymptomatic right now
Probably not!