I've not had a proper go at it, just noticed before my workout the other day that the Sufferfest videos were now available to Strava premium members on the PC. I couldn't work out in my half arsed 5 min attempt how to get 'em to sync properly as it seems to just in a YouTube vid stylee?
Right, not sure how that would work if it's streaming it. TrainerRoad expects you to have the file locally, which you do get when you purchase it from Sufferfest. I suspect you'll just have to try and start pedalling and press play at the same time!
May be worth posting something on the TrainerRoad forum, the guys who develop it are good at getting back to you.
Edit: ... Re the sweet spot question. Can be. For me though, generally a sweetspot one will be about 5 to 10 bpm lower but with a similar gradient across the duration of the interval than a similar threshold one. Though I don't really pay it much attention other than as a rough indicator of tiredness and form ( I only really have a rough idea what my HR threshold is, it's not something I bother noting or measuring.)
Aye thought as much, would have been pretty cool if they'd lined up....too tight to buy 'em haha! Cheers, I'll fire 'em an email.
Also, kinda questioning my FTP setting. When you guys are doing sweet spot stuff do you find you're just about touching your heart rate threshold as the workout is coming to a close? Wondering if this is an indication it's just about bang on?
Right time for an update. I've just finished a four week block of training based on doing Gray and Progressively Gray twice a week, along with some running intervals and steady state distance work on the MTB. (Can't believe I'm able to still cycle outside in December over here).
The stats from my first Gray session were 291 then 284 watts with an average H/R of 158 then 165, tonight's session resulted in 293 watts for each 20 minute interval with average H/R of 149 then 153.
Pleased with that as it means I'm starting my January training with my fitness equalling the highest levels I recorded in the racing season.
Now for a block of short sharp intervals and one additional session a week 😮
How does the sufferfest integration work on trainerroad? I've got a few sufferfest videos, what does the trainerroad add to them?
As far as I can see from the website it seems to just have the facility to use the virtual power setting to fine tune the perceived efforts but I expect I'm wrong...
That's pretty much it IvanDobski.
If you set up your bike to integrate with TrainerRoad via Ant+ you can then use your FTP to give you an exact power target for each Sufferfest level. Works really well.
Cool, thanks for that. I might have a play with setting that up instead of finishing this essay then...
It adds a power profile for you to follow based on the structure of the Sufferfest video and your FTP. Do an FTP test in TrainerRoad then just open the appropriate TrainerRoad Sufferfest workout and drag and drop the Sufferfest video into it. If you've done your FTP accurately then the combination of TrainerRoad and Sufferfest will take you to your limit. Apart from that it just provides the usual TrainerRoad radouts of power and cadence and records your TSS.
If you set up your bike to integrate with TrainerRoad via Ant+ you can then use your FTP to give you an exact power target for each Sufferfest level. Works really well.
… and makes it bloody hard 😉 (No slacking off towards the end of a workout when you've got power targets to hit!)
Starr King for me today. First long FTP (3x15) effort in a while and much better than expected given how poor I thought my form was (suspected I'd lost about 10 to 20 watts). PE felt about right for an FTP effort and legs felt good for more at the end too. After a miserable end to the year I'm happy with that 🙂
Does anyone have issues with TR not recording the same speed as the Garmin head unit?
It doesn't always happen but perhaps once a week there is 0.5-1 mph difference between the TR value on screen and that of the Garmin head unit. It is a constant difference for the session and not the case of TR smoothing over x number of seconds I don't think. The trainer resistance setting is also correct.
It seems that TR doesn't get speed directly from the Garmin but uses the raw data in some way. Any ideas? 0.5-1 mph makes a reasonable difference to the power calculated which is why I ask if it is common or an issue which should be fixed.
Ta!
Mr Blobby, just noticed your edit from after I edited into another post that I also edited....or something 😀 Cheers!
It seems that TR doesn't get speed directly from the Garmin but uses the raw data in some way.
I'm not sure what the sample rate is of the ANT+ stick I've got but I know that the Garmin head units use a much lower rate compared to what some of the devices put out. See DC Rainmakers world class site for some really geeky stuff on this.
I always take TR as the master, although haven't noticed any diff between them.
So, having just bought a turbo trainer. And did my first suffer feat vid last night, what do I need for all this trainer road malarkey? I was measuring my effort off my heart rate, but I'd like to have something to compare against in a few weeks time.
It's mostly on the trainer road site, but all you really need is an ant+ USB stick to go into your computer, and a speed/cadence sensor. A power meter is a bonus but if you don't have one then you can use the virtual power feature provided your turbo is supported.
Has anybody managed to get this up and running with an Edge 510? I was just about to order the ANT+ USB but t'interwebz suggests that even the official Garmin stick doesn't work with the Edge 510.
Its not the head unit it needs to be compatible with, but the actual devices, H/R belt, speed/cadance monitor. The head units only receive via ANT+ they do not send data.
So basically the HR monitor and Cadence sensor which came with the 510 will be picked up by the ANT+ USB stick and their data used by trainerroad meaning I can leave the actual head unit turned off?
Yup that's correct, TrainerRoad becomes the head unit. Although I use both so I can log my rides in Strava as well.
Brilliant, ANT+ USB ordered so should be up and running with this next week. Cheers.
Where's the cheapest place for Ant + usb's ? They are not cheap are they !
Also with TrainerRoad, can you start and cancel when you like? Ie use it just for the winter months?
Bought mine on ebay for £20 but that was a while back. Looks like they are almost double that now.
You can *suspend* you membership on TR at anytime.
Your data is still available. But no access to the sessions.
If you *cancel* - your data gets wiped.
Carson this afternoon, usually only bother with the Sufferfest vids but started to think I'm missing out on something.
It was quite 'nice', picked it purely because I thought it would be an easier experiment and it was certainly less hectic.
Just a reminder… [url= http://www.trainerroad.com/tour-of-sufferlandria ]Tour of Sufferlandria[/url] coming up. May give it a go this year.
Just ordered this Ant + Stick from Wiggle £27. Hopefully will work with my Garmin.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/suunto-movestick-mini/
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VO2 max intervals for me. 6 * 4 minutes off 3. Hard hard work, first week of a 4 week block , oh goodie.
Chef, they look hard fun 🙂 Do quite a lot of Kaiser but that's only 3 minute intervals and that's hard.
Monitor again for me. Mostly ignored the instructions though and did some low cadence work. Didn't want to do too much as I should be able to get out for some long morning rides over the next couple of days.
Slide Mountain but pushed on a little for the last 10 minutes to just under FTP to see if I could hold it.
Felt reasonably comfortable again so may try something a little tougher next before deciding whether or not to do another 20 minute test (or maybe just an 8).
Did the 8 minute test the other day, was a total disaster frankly, couldn't sustain anything like sensible power, and was really dropping off at the end of each effort - at levels I've sustained for double the length of time recently! Left FTP more or less as was and will try again soon, definitely felt like an off day!
I should have stayed inside today, went out and done a little loop to check my FTP in the real world. Bloody horrendous, got in freeeeeeezing and the Mrs had to help me get undressed, after my shower I sat on the couch struggling to focus....not so good. Hit my estimated FTP in horrible cold and wet conditions though which is higher than the last time I did a proper one hour test so happy with that as I reckon it could be higher in normal operating conditions! I've now managed to lose all the weight I put on in November, not part of the plan.
Got some rollers on order from the Planet X sale. Looking forward to mixing it up with turbo work. Just wondering if some sessions are better than others on the rollers? Was thinking the longer steadier intervals would be good on the rollers.
What's FTP stand for?
Functional threshold power.
I've done about 1/2 of my workouts on rollers. Do they have a resistance unit? I've found it a struggle to do anything useful on mine above about 400-450W on full resistance (Cycleops alu ones) as cadence gets a bit wild but I'm still on the compact gearing the bike came with. Def worth a try though, I think they're good for the longer interval stuff at FTPish level as you're working your core too. I did my original 8 min test on mine plus a 20 min one I deleted after falling off....ahem....
Functional threshold power or pace (FTP) is the highest mean average power or pace you can maintain for one hour.
Normally you use a 20 minute test to determine your FTP as doing a full 100% hour is simply too hard.
You can then divide your FTP by your body weight to allow you to compare values, as 300 watts is very different for someone who is 100 kg than another who is 75 kg.
Low cadence high power workouts are some what difficult on rollers MrBlobby, otherwise I find everything else is fine.
Did DONNER this morning. I seem to be struggling to maintain the levels required for the period of the intervals. I've had to start knocking it down to 90/95% just to get through the sessions.
Maybe my last FTP test was just a one off good one...
gazhurst, field tests do just give you an approximation and you may need to tweak, but it could just be a rest/tiredness thing.
Did Galena today (3x20 sweetspot). That was hard, mostly due to it being off the back of a few days of high TSS. Engine felt fine but legs were very tired towards the end. Day off tomorrow (or an easy Birch if legs feel ok.)
By what amount have all yall raised your FTP since joining trainer road. Anybody raised it by a considerable amount?.
FTP went up by 20% last year. back down to halfway now. Hoping for another decent change in the next couple of months.
I'm halfway into the 20M power accelerator block, hitting the targets quite well. i'm toying with pushing the power up a few % any thoughts on that?
Mine has gone up considerably in the past year (by about 50%) but I did start off having had almost a two year layoff from any proper training due to injury, so probably not the best example, and I'm not back to pre layoff power but am getting there slowly. If you are fit and well trained then you're not going to make huge rapid gains. If you're new to turbo work too, much of those gains are likely just down to getting more comfortable with pushing yourself harder on the field tests.
Thomthumb, you can try knocking it up via the % thing at the bottom of the window and see how you get on with specific workouts.
Thomthumb, you can try knocking it up via the % thing at the bottom of the window and see how you get on with specific workouts.
Thanks, any thoughts on how much though? i was thinking maybe 5% is too much to start with, but then will i actually notice 3%, but maybe that's the point.
I'd probably only bump it up a percentage or two at a time. I'd only be tweaking on those workouts that are meant to leave you spent after the final interval. You can always bump it up a few percent at the start and knock it down during the workout if you think you're going to have trouble completing the session.
Mrblobby - I hear that. I think my problem is my Turbo (not making intentional excuses). I have the Elite Superchrono with 8 varying resistance levels but that exact turbo isn't listed on TrainerRoad so I have used the closest one to it. The one on TrainerRoad has 5 settings so I set it to 2 but had it on 3 on my turbo.
My first FTP test was 70w lower than my current one because I had the resistance on 1.
It sounds so ridiculous when I type it on here but I know what I mean
I do have a Stages Power Meter on my MTB but as it's 12x142 I'm struggling to bolt it to the Turbo
20 * 45 seconds of 15 today, lovely!
Is that 45s on then 15s off? Looks horrible 🙂 Another Starr King today for me.
Edit: got my new rollers yesterday. From a quick little comedy spin I think it's going to take a bit of practice before I can get any decent work done on them!
sorry off 15. Yes.
Looked like this:
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/595733-Aktivitus-45-15
Didn't program the session quite right so rode each interval at about 10w too low.
Rollers rock, keep at it.
