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Funny you should say that Swedish Chef - the knee that I had a niggle in, I know the cleat is a bit worn, or maybe chipped or something: I can feel it rocking in the pedal but I'm going to wait for post cx season to put new cleats on.
I have a feeling using the turbo means glutes don't get engaged as much so going to do some glute excersizes too
+1 to what Swedish Chef says, you just don't get the chance to ease up on a turbo, those few seconds of coasting/drafting when your mate pulls in front of you and so on.
Did Geiger tonight, tough but not outrageously so - was within a couple of Watts on all the intervals. Could possibly have been a little higher so my FTP certainly isn't far out. Depending on the weather I might do Warlow at the weekend then it's the last week of big efforts of this plan (Sweet Spot mid vol 1) before the recovery week and in to volume 2!
Missed a session last night due to unexpected baby sitting duties, so it's 4 X 12 @ 95% for an hour followed by 30 mins of Z2/active recovery.
Got to earn tonight's curry.
Along the same lines, I reckon TSS is quite stingy on the turbo for long steady sessions. Always feels like a harder ride than it does outdoors and that the TSS would suggest. You don't get those little micro rests, and you don't get the little rises and falls in power help build up a higher NP. Also reckon a turbo is more fatiguing due to inherent characteristics of resistance (it's a bit like always riding into a headwind.) Anyway a custom 2hrs of z2 with 2x20 tempo on top for me, there are nicer ways of racking up 125 TSS.
Can you see others custom sessions? I've created Darwin + Taku 90 mins for tonight.
I also entered the STW TR team so it'll be on display!
I don't think so, its not showing in the TR feed for the STW team.
Not sure if in the App I can then choose to ride it if I stalk your feed.
Trevor?
It does look like there should be an opportunity to see them. There is a folder called workout library under the STW team but it only has 8 workouts in there and they all look like original ones from TR.
Fletcher on a Saturday night whilst my wife is at the pub . What have I become?
It's not what you have become it's what you will be 🙂
Eclipse tonight for me, put the decent bike on with stages to compare again and to have a proper position, unfortunately my Kickr seems to lost the plot a bit. Had thought it was hard last time when I attempted Eclipse, know why now as the intervals needing iro 330 watts was showing more 360 on the stages.
Bit of faffing about mid session with calibrating Kickr then stages, having a go controlling Kickr with stages then just dropping the % to get HR in the right ball park. Not had a problem before so hopefully just a glitch, going to try some steady state stuff tomorrow to try and get a definitive answer, technology bah.
It's not what you have become it's what you will be
on the flip side, I'm having trouble with where i was v where i am now post injury, not fast by any true sense of the word, but fit and happy
but now
zero motivation, reduced work hours meaning i cannot cycle commute in (for now, makes for nice base miles) a wife back in full time work (2/3 x 14 hour shifts) and 3x kids under 5 knackering me out on all fronts
its been 3 weeks since i even threw a leg over the bike, its cold, its windy, a massive dose of mtfu is needed, probably just need to go get dirty in the woods but all my mtbs are in various states of (dis)assembly
meh
mtfu dirtyrider. my motivation to go on a 100k ride with some CX this morning on an MTB - yep max aerobic effort for me - in 1 degrees and frost is avoiding pallisade, which is 3 times 2 x 10 OU's over 90 mins 8)
Dirtyrider, not easy coming back from injury motivation to just get out was the hardest thing for me as just felt so slow. If your fit and happy, fast will come as and when.
No wonder sweetspot training has been pretty hard for me, Kickr definately under reading by 10% now. Tried my wife's stages and was reading exactly the same as mine, which is a relief as worried my stages over reading.
Using the stages to power match the Kickr seems to be the way to go but not happy using decent bike so going to have to bodge an old road frame.
Shame about the kickr, hear that a lot. Wahoo will lend you a calibration kit which might be worth a try. Get the impression that a lot of the accuracy issues are down to the belt drive.
Oh and dirtyrider.. Get on with it! 🙂 Patience and a plan.
After half an hour of Allen key work, fine tuning the belt tension, got what seems to be a calibrated kickr. Legs are too fried to do a decent session after mtb today but it's looking good.
Cheers for the pointer mrblobby, seems the key is to calibrate it through the app then mess with tension until matches a trusted power meter.
The remainder of the sweetspot programme is going to be easier 🙂
Somewhat disappointed to hear all these problems with the Kickr, seems power meters in general are very sensitive (by nature I guess). Pity considering the cost of them.
To be honest I can live with it having a mechanical issue ie belt tension, something I can monitor and adjust if need be. Just glad I'm in a position that I can test against a known value, be a bit stuffed otherwise. The annoying thing is it was fine a month ago when I compared, I have moved it and done a recalibration in the meantime though.
Life was simpler and less frustrating without gadgets but when they work they are great...
Gadgetwise, really hoping Tacx can get it right with the Neo. By design it shouldn't have many of the issues that have troubled the kickr. And it's got real potential for a proper tuneable road feel too.
Somewhat disappointed to hear all these problems with the Kickr, seems power meters in general are very sensitive (by nature I guess). Pity considering the cost of them.
I didn't think the kickr was a proper PM, just does the virtual power thing based on wheel speed and ideal power curves.
Probably a Galena knocked down a few percent for me tonight, or maybe a custom mash up with a couple of long tempo blocks. Not looking forward to it much as knackered after a though weekend with a pair of sick kids 🙁
@mrblobby re the Neo, have a read of the monster comment thread under the DCRainmaker review (if you haven't already). Put me off enough to stick with my old dumb trainer and some power tap P1s.
Yes, need to catch up with that thread. I think it'll likely take them a bit of time to sort out the issues and get the firmware right, but in terms of technology and potential it's way ahead of the Kickr.
I was supposed to be doing palisade on Saturday but I did The Beast at Coed y Brenin and then Snowdon this weekend instead.
That makes up for it right?
Only if you did all of it at VO2max 😉
Keeler needle for me tonight. It took a bit of concentration to stay steady on the ever increasing power on my dumb trainer but got the hang of it. Didn't hurt too much either which has me considering another FTP test 😕
Tunnabora done tonight, after Kickr tension adjustment only 3 watts ave difference, nice to have a proper sweetspot session as I was struggling on previous ones with the extra 10% loading !
Something going to have to keep an eye on but know easy enough to sort.
Carillon tonight - forty minutes in the sweet spot zone. I thought that with the single minute of recovery between sets 1 & 2 then again between 3 & 4 I'd struggle as with threshold intervals often needing five minutes recovery but it wasn't as bad as I expected. At least it's just Taku next 😆
A very dark place done tonight, very nearly killed me and the last interval was below target power, but wow you just know that something that uncomfortable must be doing you so much good. 8)
Taku for me also, but nearly all - 22 mins done - in the TT position which was good.
A very dark place just looks evil 😯
Jepson for me, 3 weeks into Sweet Spot 2 and my first few workouts with Stages.
Turns out I might be a bit of a stomper as I'm having a hard time keeping my power stable.
Guess it help with technique?!
Tallac this morning (yes morning!) Didn't realise it had such a short warm-up so struggled with the last effort and needed to drop the power a little.
@Haze - if you feel you are a stomper then find some workouts that address your pedalling technique, it doesn't take long to get you pedalling smoothly and not bouncing around on the bike.
Don't know how everyone else is feeling but I'm definitely glad of the rest week next week! The last few minutes of Tallac last night was an exercise in grim determination.
Haze - I've been using a Stages ofor a while now and used TR quite a bit without too. The Stages will always be a bit more erratic than the Virtual Power and it does jump around a fair bit. Even with 3sec smoothing on I still find it does it.
For that reason, I have Lap Normalised Power on my head unit and press the lap button at the start of each phase. I've found it marries up perfectly with the target bar at the top of the screen!
Cheers, to be honest I expect it to jump around a bit but when I really focus on smoothing things out I can hold it reasonably well, even notice a fair jump in output.
Guess it's emphasising flaws in my natural technique, I'm not bouncing but seems I'm heavy on the down stroke and neglecting the rest.
Opportunities for improvement!
@everyone - that's what I was like this morning 😳 Two minutes in to the last effort I needed to drop the power as I wouldn't have made it to the end otherwise. With the poor weather forecast for tomorrow I might actually do a weekend turbo session, in this case Pallisade.
Guess it's emphasising flaws in my natural technique, I'm not bouncing but seems I'm heavy on the down stroke and neglecting the rest.
Also, dont forget the PM will only register on the left so there is bound to be a spike on every reveloution.
This was evidenced when I did Bald Knob on Tuesday with some single leg efforts...I was putting out 290w with my left leg but only about 80w with my right (not fully unclipped on the trailing leg, rather 90%/10%)
Haven't figured out how to get through the ILT's yet, probably just get on with it, ignore the zero power reading from the right leg and focus on eliminating the knock.
I really benefited from training with virtual power, but the power meter is telling me a lot more of what's actually going on...
.I was putting out 290w
You were putting out 290w on a 70% FTP effort? And I know you aren't a big chap....
Balls, as I know your coming into Vets next year I have work to do....
It took me a good few sessions to get ILTs sorted so don't worry about it too much. The hardest part for me since I'm using Look pedals is reclipping at each transition.
Haven't figured out how to get through the ILT's yet, probably just get on with it, ignore the zero power reading from the right leg and focus on eliminating the knock.
Thats a good reason for using NP really, it balances it out
You were putting out 290w on a 70% FTP effort? And I know you aren't a big chap....Balls, as I know your coming into Vets next year I have work to do....
Ha....that was only trying to keep a steady cadence while pedalling predominantly with my left leg. When balancing it out it was only at 70% FTP
Plus, as much wattage as I can put out (i'm essentially a sprinter) for 6 secs or so, I certainly can't hold it for long....I'm a bit of a 1 lap wonder hahaha
You were putting out 290w on a 70% FTP effort? And I know you aren't a big chap....
Actually, it might have been closer to the 250w rather than 290
Thats a good reason for using NP really, it balances it out
Cheers Gaz, I'd stopped using my head unit on the turbo but will look into it.
(i'm essentially a sprinter) for 6 secs or so, I certainly can't hold it for long....I'm a bit of a 1 lap wonder
Thanks for that bit of strategic info 8) 😀
Thats a good reason for using NP really, it balances it out
Yep.
I find my NP is much higher in races - over 20% higher - than on the Turbo no matter how hard the session, but I guess thats only to be expected...
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Thanks for that bit of strategic info
Ha....work in progress 😛
Yep.I find my NP is much higher in races - over 20% higher - than on the Turbo no matter how hard the session, but I guess thats only to be expected...
I'm inclined to say thats just the Turbo effect...hot room, lack of adrenalin etc