I’d popped this in the STW club chat, but thought I’d post here too…

A few people have wondered about a proper FTP test, or been afraid, or done one and need to do another..

So i thought why not kill ourselves all together!

If you’re interested, ping your name below and I’ll create a 75 minute meetup at 0830 tomorrow am (Sat 15th) with elastic band on so we all stay together..

I’ll pick “Beach island loop” as it’s pretty flat, so doesn’t mess with our heads (it’s really hard giving it beans whils your avatar rides DOWNhill!

What you’ll need to do is accept the meetup, but then, whilst waiting in the pens/start, pick the “full FTP test” which is 1hr 13 min long.
Then when the meetup starts, so does your/our/my workout…

There’s a bit of bimbling leading INTO the full 20 min tesst… can chat, panic etc…

So..names below¬!!

DrP

Did the FTP (short) on Tuesday evening, and I am not doing another until the end of the plan I am on.

Good luck, its horrible 🙁 (can’t find a ‘chucking up’ Emoji on here)

One day I’ll be brave enough to do an FTP test 😂

Join tomorrow dude!!
It’s actually not too bad if you have a ruogh estimate of your current.
I.e for Me, my current FTP is 285. I’m in the last week of the build me up, and I feel I should be back at 300.
So.. I’ll aim for an average wattage of 320w for the first 15 min, then push up all i can for the last…

If i was aiming 400w for the first minutes, it’d all go wrong!

DrP

I’ve used ramp tests for the last few I’ve done, as you don’t have to think too much about pacing and just hammer yourself to a stop.
However I do think the zwift ramp test might be a bit optimistic, so have gone back to full 20 minute tests, frankly I’d forgotten how horrible they are (similar to an hour climb on Alp Du Zwift) but i think the result is probably a more accurate representation of my current power.
Either way it’s just a number to set the training load to, but good luck to all taking a test!
Ride on………….

Join tomorrow dude!!

I’d love to, but wife off working and one son to get to a playdate later in the morning which means I get rare time with the eldest on his own to go for a proper MTB ride. Have fun though 😀

yeah go on then

Possibly…

do you follow me on zwift sturdylad?
username?

DrP

EDIT – Dougy-D’man… invite sent

Good luck with the test, but 20 mins isn’t a “full” FTP test.

FTP is by definition what you can hold for an hour. 95% of 20 mins is an approximate estimate.

Not that I’m aware of DrP

John B [Team|CLS] is my user name

It may be a bit ambitious for me to attempt it tomorrow as I hurt my back in the gym yesterday but if I can get up and on it in time I will at least have a go!!

Good luck with the test, but 20 mins isn’t a “full” FTP test.

Yeah, but in zwift there’s a full test, or a shorter test.
I advertised the full test…. sigh…

DrP

John B [Team|CLS] is my user name

Can’t find you…..

If you search “DrP STW” i’ll pop up..

DrP

do you follow me on zwift sturdylad?
username?

DrP

EDIT – Dougy-D’man… invite sent

Just got it DrP – looks like you may have also invited another Douglas D from STW, he’s in for a rude awakening!

I DID!!!!

If he’s a no show we’ll just diss him for 80 minutes eh 😉

DrP

FTP is by definition what you can hold for an hour. 95% of 20 mins is an approximate estimate.

Sorry to be pedantic, but this is a real bugbear of mine. There is no standard definition in the scientific literature that everyone goes off. The best equivalent to FTP is power at Maximal Lactate Steady Stress (pMLSS), which can only be determined via lactate testing in a lab.

Very few riders can actually ride at their FTP for an hour without extensive training. Physiologically everyone should be able to but it’s not as easy as saying that its the power you can hold for an hour.

There’s some good reading here:

Introduction of the New Time to Exhaustion Metric in WKO4

The Myth of Functional Threshold Power (FTP)

I guess although there’s LOADS of ways of measuring power..fitness etc etc..
a 20 min FTP test (or..even just calling it a “20 min maximal effort test then taking 95% of that” is a good way to both rank bodies, and check personal performance measures…

DrP

I tried to ride at 90% of my FTP* around the zwift jungle 8 loop. Thats well under an hour.
Apart from my inability to maintain a constant power over gradient changes its taught me that I have no endurance.

*from a 20 min ramp test

Also seems that I have similar numbers to DrP, yet Sunday’s Gorrick race proved he is good at competitive bike riding and I am not, so its a fairly useless number.

Luckily I’ve got a real life ride planned tomorrow, so I have my excuse. Looking to improve my virtual riding experince now I’m getting the hang of it though.

Can’t do tomorrow sorry* @drp

*Sorry as defined by BJ

I’m up for this, only ever done the Ramp version before and I need to get a fresh FTP figure to judge my ‘gains’ by Easter. It’s also a decent workout in it’s own right and I’ve been lazy this week so need the motivation. I’m already following you @DrP – Neil Daniel (STW) – so you should be able to send me an invite. The Rubber Band works as long as I keep pedalling doesn’t it?!

There’s an 8:30 am on a Saturday?

I think I found you Dr P.

Sadly I’m now a no show for tomorrow, SturdyLad Lad has come home from school with the COVID so we’re all off for PCR at 9am

Will hopefully avoid getting it myself! Come this far without getting it.

Invites sent out!

DrP

Any chance of an invite? New to Zwift and think I didn’t do my first FTP correctly so might give this ago! Just followed you on Zwift DrP 👍🏼. Jody B is my user name but don’t get exited as I’m a hairy assed bloke with a girls name! I do wish all the Zwifters that try and hit on me on the way past would give it a rest tho 😂🙄 Ride on indeed!!

Invite sent 🖐👌

See you in a bit!

DrP

Curating a playlist right now to kick in with some appropriate beats for the main chunk, something tells me this will be painful 😁

I’m the other DouglasD. I’d love to be able to make it but unfortunately I’m out of commission with bloody psoriatic arthritis playing up. Hoping to get in new meds soon, and get back on the bike. It’s saying something that I’d actually WANT to do an FTP test!!

Invite sent 🖐👌

See you in a bit!

Cheers 👍🏼👍🏼

No worries…. Any other Doug D’s wanting to join in??!!!

DrP

Looks like Zwift have rolled out an update overnight so make sure you allow enough time to install it!

Bit late, but best of Luck Guys!

Hope to see lots of updates with success!

Oof… just in the cool down…
That
Was
Hard
🥵🥵🥵🤢🤮

Good work and good company chaps!
FTP gone from 285 -> 312 also 😇🙄😬

DrP

I was stuck on a virtual turbo trainer on the side of the road as you all headed off 😂. Maybe next time but thanks for the invite.

Sorry I missed that. I have literally just got Zwift and a new wahoo, so enjoying (sort of) getting back to proper training not just sloshing sideways through the mud. Next week same time?

That has destroyed me, but then I guess that’s the idea! Struggled a bit as my ideal cadence and power put me between two gears for the 20 minute effort, the joys of 8 speed, so had to sort of do over/under cadence-wise but it didn’t hinder me much. Heart rate was pretty much at Max the whole time though!

It has confirmed that I did lose a chunk of power over the festive season but not as much as I thought. Was expecting to come out with 180w but pleasantly surprised to get 197w. Big thanks to DrP for organising it, I’d probably still be in bed otherwise 🤣

Yeah that was decent, thanks for organising. One of those things I’ve been meaning to do but always find an excuse not to. FTP up from 272 to 305 which I was pleased with

Weol Done All! A good way to start the weekend!
I would have joined you but only did one last weekend before the first race, that wasn’t.

Well done those that did it and got a boost in FTP, can I ask if anyone was following a Zwift training program? I’d almost considered doing this but had already signed up for the Greipel ride. Glad I never as the legs were empty today.

I was following the build me up programme…. i think it’s a really good one.
Will have a week or so off. Then do it again! (with higher FTP… so it’s harder still 😄)

DrP

No, I was using it as a starting point, going to follow a FTB builder programme now with that as the baseline. Though thinking about it, should probably have checked what the programmes involved incase the first one is an FTP test, don’t want to be doing one of those again that quickly!