Wouldn’t overthink it, work out timings based on when you want to just ride normally and leave the turbo, unless planning to use year round, then pick a succession of plans. I’m really impressed with the mtb one as an indication of being specific.
Think what your weaknesses are and pick a plan to improve them. Have a go at one of the FTP tests to get an indication of current power levels and go from there. There is a lot of help on the site itself with proper advice and direction.

All depends where your starting from fitness wise and what sort of time you want to commit etc. have a read up on the progression ie base, build then speciality. Makes sense when you read a bit more.
For example I’ve only recently started using a turbo but already got a pretty solid base and my first xc mtb race of the year is in March, so I’ve skipped the base and build and gone straight into the MTB plan as that ties in time wise with start of my season.
Good luck whatever you do, it hurts 🙂

Depends how tall she is, my wife’s 5’3 and recently got a trek superfly 15″ in 650b for next seasons xc racing and loves it. Spec and frame budget dependent.

Not good re test, but treat it as 5 weeks rest. Gives you chance to push hard now your rested..
I’ve been a bit slack the last month, riding every day but not at intensity just enjoying being out. However using the turbo has definatley helped, picked bits and pieces of mtb plan to try as new to turbo, 20 minute test on decent road bike this week has seen my ftp remain steady which i was happy about.
New year will be mtb plan proper, bring the pain. Not going to lose any weight so all about the power just need another 10 watts to get me to 4.5w kg min by end Mar, first xc race of the season.

I’m 82kg and use 29er crests for xc racing and sometime trail use but find them quite soft in direction changes (don’t turn that well) but the rims have held up to a fair bit of abuse, use arch for most other riding and would rate them especially as your over 10kg heavier.
However I’m treating myself to a set of American classics races for next year as they are stiff and light, but spendy.

You missing getting heckled at HTN Pete ? Just have a go, better than watching.

Peter and Jane, missing HTN also.

6 yrs ago in our late 30’s wife and I went part time to 3 days a week, missed the ease of just buying stuff for a year or two but never regretted it. No kids, cheap house so easier than some. Converted a van, started racing again, travel around biking and chilling. It’s the life, good luck.

As a vet wouldn’t mind be able to play in other cats but we are considered too old… Funny that if I pretended to be 10yrs younger I could have got a lot more podiums last year in my regional xc series. Just from experiences in that series the actual classes have less entrants than the age related ones, up to 50 in the vets and up to 40 in masters. Maybe time to lose the vets class as well, pretty please.
Just seen that I put numbers as 50 and 40, meant entrants not ages..

379 for 20 mins, 920 for 30 secs. Can do iro 400 watts on rollers but at high cadence so doesn’t work for me for any sort of intervals or even sweet spot.
But I am chunky..

Kickr and trainerroad, you know it makes sense.

I must be very odd but like both those and saw a Look in the flesh a year of two back and wanted one…

Only used carbon road bike once on turbo, looked down and everything was twisting. Got off quickly, old steel 456 used now. As to rollers v turbo, rollers are great for warm ups and cadence work but I can’t get enough watts on them so when need to work I use a turbo (only had one for a month so still a novelty)
It’s a wahoo kickr so not relevant re cost issue… But if I can keep going over winter looking forward to next season.

Normal resting is 38, 44 yrs old, max is 187. Have an asthma check up every yr and if get diff nurse have to explain as they get concerned re low HR. Can only compare resting HR with yourself on a regular basis as everyone is different. As said recovery rate is a better indication of fitness, loads of stuff on the web about how to check that.

Got an Absolute black chain ring as a birthday present a few months ago in a 32, now have another one in 34 for xc race bike. Really rate it for my riding, works especially well at climbing low cadence in slippy conditions. No issue as yet on both a 100 mm FS with a clutch mech and a hardtail without a clutch, not dropped a chain yet.
I felt it is a distraction initially but soon went away and I have no problems swapping onto normal now.
I am fairly low cadence and don’t spin through techy sections more tick tock.

I’ve managed to convince my brother to rest and chill out over winter and promised him a Scotland trip next year if he’s a good boy..
He was exactly the same, thought right I’m fixed now going to get back to where I was, NOW. Unfortunately if takes time, none of us getting any younger without any other issues being taking into account.
Take it easy Tony and hope the New Year brings better health, better to be slightly less fit but healthy.
All the best
Peter

Ton

Sorry to hear not going well but your body has had a right kicking this year, brother is in a similar position having had a double heart bypass at 50 6 months ago. From reading how well you have been doing and getting on a bike so soon, could it just be that you need more rest ? My brother did too much too soon and suffered for it, no real backup re after care about what a fairly fit active cyclist could and should do (his heart issue was virus related).

When I first got a power meter I thought would look at HR after but not during, however i do now tend to use both to a degree dependant on what doing. I am about the same weight as op and produce a bit more power, but my aim in training has always been to produce power not lose weight. I just like sprinting..
As stated before if only got HR then spot on re sweetspot training using a known value, yes that may and will change but need to start somewhere. 7-10 hrs is plenty of time if used properly, commute is a perfect way to train. Most of my targeted training has been done during commute over the years as other riding is more social and fun.

As njee20 says it is just numbers unless you get a handle on what it all means, pointless to compare your power to others size, shape, weight and position on bike make a huge difference.
However saying all that my wife and I got stages power meters this year, first time power meter users, with exactly the same intentions as you.
Once you get a base test in the rest can be fairly simple, it’s made road riding more interesting for us as rarely use ave speed and mileage as a measure of a ride, it’s all about the power 😉
There is a lot of information out there which can be confusing but I for one do like to have a power figure to work with, doesn’t matter if tailwind or headwind you know what you are doing and heart rate can be very slow to react if ever do intervals.

My only concern with testing when ill or recovering from illness is that the test is supposed to be a indicator of what you can do when rested or at least not fatigued and as in itself is a stressful exercise and could prolong an illness. Also pretty demoralising to have a poor test, maybe use a prior FTP result with a 5% reduction initially.
I really should not have had to reduce the watts on my ‘ride’ but I rarely rest enough, to easy to forget that rest is when the body repairs itself and makes us stronger..
To that end I’m not doing any riding or turbo tomorrow, first time in a while.

Just done sisters (sounds wrong) as part of the mtb plan, that was hard had to drop it to 90% 3/4 through to make sure finish. Finding my weaknesses, I can sprint no worries and can average a fairly decent power but I do like to vary, keeping a constant effort is killing me. I wouldn’t do an FTP test after being ill, bit of a shock to the system and may be a disappointment…

Just got a wahoo kickr and started using tr, first time turbo user. Works great, tr controls the kickr so no hiding place. So much ‘easier’ to do intervals with no distractions was getting bit dangerous trying to do on road and trail.
Started to look at mtb plan with the aim to start that in the new year ready for xc season, Katahdin was a good workout. FTP test much better to do on a turbo as well. Should have done this years ago…

Yes, everyone’s heart rate is different mainly due to genetics, do a max hr test read up about how to do a proper one. Also have a look into recovery hr as an indicator of fitness. I have an asthma check every year and if I get a different nurse I have to explain about my low heart rate, I have a very wide range between resting and max rate but sometimes I can’t breath so can’t have everything..
Unfortunately there is no quick fix, huge gains can and will be made but it’s the final bit that makes the top guys special. I do ok, occasionally podium and finished 6th vet in a regional xc series this year, but I want to do better next year hence why I’ve recently got a turbo and will be more structured this winter but I am only expecting incremental gains. I do believe that to have a strong top end you need a strong base to build on and that takes time and effort however you do it.
Some of the guys that ride away from you may have been racing crits for years and a lot of it just may be race craft rather than anything else, throw away a race one day and try and chase down every breakaway it will show what you actually can do rather than trying to protect yourself.
The last thing I would say to you would be to train your weakness as your strengths will generally look after themselves on the bike, I enjoy sprinting and short sharp hill climbs hence I can do them or is it because I can do them I enjoy them..
Good luck next season and above all enjoy it.

Depends on background I suppose. I’ve been cycling and racing mountain bikes for over 25 years and ride a bike everyday so I have a base that I can work on dependant on needs and timings. I read somewhere that it can take years to develop as any sort of endurance athlete but let’s be honest we are all doing this to enjoy ourselves so just do what you enjoy. The issue is that you don’t want to peak too early or put your best effort on the trainer and not on the course, sweet spot training is supposed to lift your FTP from below without over stressing.
If don’t do gyms, which I don’t, as someone said use body weight exercises. Push ups, crunches and planks every day for me.

From reading up on this myself recently it appears that the traditional base of just putting loads of miles in the legs can instead be replaced by sweetspot training. However if you have access to trainer road, as I now have, I would strongly recommend following the relevant plan for what you want to achieve. It is all to easy to pick and choose what you might ‘enjoy’ doing rather than attacking your weaknesses.
For strength I’ve always used standing start sprints and hill reps in higher gears as a build, generally strength can take longer to build than fitness. Luckily it seems to take longer to go as well…

Lost a day in Golspie, well I remember none of that one or bits of surrounding days 😉 According to my wife we’d ridden most of it then I decided to launch off the hillside on an easy bit, ride to Inverness leaving bikes with a nice porter in the Golspie hospital. But I walked out, smashed helmet, broken hand and stuck on repeat…

I race a FS 29er in xc races as I find it quicker for me, it’s the traction available when sprinting up climbs that i feel a gain. It’s not losing or gaining watts it’s getting the watts on the ground that matters.. It’s a fairly light FS though, 14lbs lighter than my play bike !

Been racing years and still get nervous. Don’t forget you’ve paid the same as everyone else, ride your own race, be aware of faster riders but that doesn’t mean you dive off into the undergrowth ! Fast guys will always be able to overtake safely. Above all enjoy, we are all amateurs no matter what some think..

Would only use tubeless ready on the road bike, they do seem to have a lot tighter beads and more substantial carcasses. Not that a normal tyre would blow off the rim but if there is a loss of air before sealed by the sealant would have a much greater impact on pressures than a more volume mtb tyre therefore could easily roll off the rim. Causing face Tarmac issues..
For me there is a huge difference riding tubeless on the road, close to tubs feel but a lot less hassle.

Wife’s just got a 27.5 trek superfly, very happy. 5’3 on a 15 inch frame.

Recently got a trainer and being going round in circles as there is so much information about, settled on sweetspot training. Riding intervals of x minutes at an effort that you feel is hard but could maintain then have a lower level of effort for the same time to recover, then repeat for 3 times to begin. My own training is slightly more focused as I have power meters, heart rate and am training for racing but the principles should be same.
For me I wanted to choose one method over winter, but this will just apply to the turbo as I generally ride daily anyway which will give me more variation.
Good luck but remember take advantage of the weather and get out when you can, there will be plenty of time to sit indoors..

Mines got a lot of post showing as well but as you say everything else is spot on, glad you like as I was one of the ones that recommended…
Like the paragon sliders, tempted as would like to run a through axle. Only for ease of swapping wheels between bikes.

Going tubeless made a big difference to mine, but now got a trek madone and the comfort and feel is in another league. However if I did decide to do a few crits next year it will be on my Planet X as it feels fast and wouldn’t be as big an issue if I crash. It’s a cheap carbon frame that does the job, but is not a comfy bike at all.

Wahoo kickr arrived today. 🙂
Thanks for all the suggestions, un boxed and sweating to bits in no time at all. Power reading a bit higher than a stages crank but might just be inept calibration or settling it in.
Really like setting a watts figure and no hiding place. My wife’s currently testing that while I sit in a comfy chair altering the watts 😉

I miss my 525 🙁 slicks and tweaked, loved super bike baiting..

Kickr looks like the winner, seems to do everything that I would want. The added bonus is with all the extras that it can do should help alleviate the boredom, sad that I am I like the strava link, seems amazing that can alter resistance to match a mountain climb. Don’t get many of them round me…

Thanks for all the suggestions, like the look of the fluid style the best. Then I will do a proper FTP 😉

Didn’t want to start anything re watts, only put in as wanted recommendations re a turbo that I could push hard on. I get carried away with numbers and comparisons. When looked at pwr figures I am highish cat 2, so hardly pro levels…
Do ok mtb racing and trade starva segments with a local cat 1 roadie, but could I do that after 100 miles ? Could I chuff.
The cav comparison is pointless, he has never tested high and he’s a bit smaller, I’m 6’2 82kg and a bit wider..
The hour discrepancy is probably down to fitness, asthma and doing it on a commute home with towns and junctions.
Thanks for the link, I’ll do some digging.

Sorry for any confusion. I was looking at the wattbike and saw that they listed watts against cadence for different resistance and didnt seem to match what I would need. Thought was odd and didn’t know if other turbos would be the same.
I’m 82kg and the FTP of 379 is for 20 mins, best I’ve done for the hour is 329 but both done on the road with junctions etc. fancy having a proper test but with my asthma not sure anyone would test me.
Sure about the peak as have had a go at power comps at events and done ok. Peak is actually 1605, 5 secs is 1451 so drops pretty rapidly !
All done on stages crank but have used a powertap in the past and got similar results.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

I can spin if needed but a slow cadence has kept me right for a good few years, undiagnosed asthma meant I just used my legs instead of lungs. Getting too old too change 😉
Re bigger gear, never used a turbo only rollers so wasn’t sure how much resistance they can give.

Must have been strapped to the top tube. Shows what a sad b I am when I could describe the bike but not the bloke ! No bell but work are going to get me an air horn 😉 Anyway what loon brings a golf club to a fight ? Going to take a broom handle for jousting tomorrow.