@wonkey_donkey what kind of set up are you running? Virtual power, power meter, or electronic trainer? There definitely could be some variance coming just from your setup, or it may be that you are just more used to the fit/feel of the road bike, in which case just riding your mtb more should bring those numbers back up.

Unfortunately you can’t do this just yet. The current best way to follow a plan is to use the filters to select your plan, and as you work through it, finished workouts will turn green.

This is something we’re working on though and we will have a much more intuitive way to follow/alter training plans once we finish up with some of our current projects, like the improved desktop app.

Check out this page of our website, which will help you figure out exactly what you may need for your specific setup: Equipment Checker

I think I just responded to you on the other thread regarding your trainer, but the equipment checker page is still very useful ;)
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Professional Mtb Racer & Community Manager at TrainerRoad – Cycling’s Most Effective Training Tool

I would imagine the curve is pretty similar to the Fluid 2, but our support crew will know for sure. Shoot them an email at support@trainerroad.com and they’ll give you the go ahead to use that curve, or they may recommend a better one.
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Professional Mtb Racer & Community Manager at TrainerRoad – Cycling’s Most Effective Training Tool

Are you planning on doing the 20 minute or the 2×8 min test? The biggest key to your first FTP test is to not go out too hard, which is especially true on the 2×8 version of the test. Your mind tends to play tricks on you during the first 2 minutes regarding how short/long 8 minutes actually is. You want to start strong, but control your effort so that power doesn’t slowly drop off as you go through the interval.

Regarding Sweet Spot vs Traditional Base, it’s largely up to how your season is laid out and whether or not you have time for the additional block of training. Check out this post on deciding between the two from Coach Chad: Sweet Spot Vs. Traditional Base
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Professional Mtb Racer & Community Manager at TrainerRoad – Cycling’s Most Effective Training Tool

Hmm would you mind emailing us at support@trainerroad.com so we can take a look at your workout file? That certainly doesn’t sound normal.
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Professional Mtb Racer & Community Manager at TrainerRoad – Cycling’s Most Effective Training Tool

I’d be happy to answer any TrainerRoad questions you may have. Your trainer is supported under our Virtual Power, so all you would need is a speed/cadence sensor and then an ANT+ or Bluetooth dongle or key to plug into your iOS device or desktop computer, and you’ll be up and running, training with power. Check out this video for more info: https://www.trainerroad.com/how-it-works

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Professional Mtb Racer & Community Manager at TrainerRoad – Cycling’s Most Effective Training Tool

Do you have time for both, or are you wondering about one or the other? If you have the time, do both. Traditional Base compliments Sweet Spot, just like Sweet Spot compliments the Build plans. They work really well together, but if you only have time for 1 Base phase, I’d recommend Sweet Spot, as it will prepare you much better for the next phase of training in the Build plan. Check out this article for some more info: Sweet Spot Vs Traditional Base

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Professional Mtb Racer & Community Manager at TrainerRoad – Cycling’s Most Effective Training Tool

Here’s a good webinar on the topic, check it out when you get a chance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9eJSnpL5jY

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Professional Mountain Bike Racer & Community Manager at TrainerRoad – Cycling’s Most Effective Training Tool

Here’s the Singletrack thread if you want to take a look: TrainerRoad – STW Approved Sessions

TR has a ton of workouts already made that are under an hour, or you can always build your own. Like jam bo mentioned, the Time Crunch workouts are great, but you may want to tone down the intensity a bit on these ones if you’re looking to avoid ‘hard core’. You can filter in the app though for workouts under 60 min, and you’ll be able to find plenty that fit exactly what you’re looking for. You can check out a bit more on it here: How it Works

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Professional Mountain Bike Racer & Community Manager at TrainerRoad – Cycling’s Most Effective Training Tool

Comparing FTP is always tricky, especially with the variety of tools to measure power out there, as well as the different shapes/sizes of riders. The most important thing is knowing your own number, and measuring it consistently every time you are training. So if you’re using virtual power, you want to make sure you have the right trainer selected each time, the skewer tension is the same, tire/tire pressure is the same, etc.

Coach Chad (our USAC Level 1 coach who writes the plans) just recently posted a great blog on some important techniques to practice during your test, too. Check it out: How to Nail Your Next FTP Test

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Professional Mountain Bike Racer & Community Manager at TrainerRoad – Cycling’s Most Effective Training Tool

Hi Trevor, is there anything out there that does a good job of bridging ANT+ to Bluetooth and would work with TrainerRoad on iOS? Thinking of something like the RFLKT+ with its bridge capability.

We don’t yet support bridging, but that’s also on our to-do list. I would imagine the RFLKT will be one of the first devices supported when this feature comes.

While Trevor is possibly here, can you make sure the android version (presuming it’s coming) can make use of the inbuilt ANT+ receivers on phones? It’s a PITA that none seem to want to work, and I’m not shelling out for a set of Bluetooth sensors when everything else is currently quite happy talking to the gamrin.

I’ll definitely pass this along to the devs. To give you an idea of where things are at, we’re currently working full-force on updating our desktop app. The goal is to get desktop onto the new code base that iOS is built on which will allow us to implement some exciting new features across both platforms going into this fall. Being a pretty small dev shop still, we just don’t have the manpower to dive into development on another platform quite yet. Once we get through this list of to-do’s on our current platforms, we’ll reassess and decide what to build next.

I’m thinking of getting some garmin 1/4 turn mounts 3D printed so that at least phones can be mounted on the same mounts (just epoxy the mount to the back of any old cheap case or a lifeproof/otterbox or a spare phone battery cover if it’s removable). Anyone interested?

That’s a great idea. Check out what we’ve been doing: http://blog.trainerroad.com/custom-phone-mount/

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

We don’t have video yet on iOS but it’s high on our to-do list :)

Here’s a good article to help you out with the ANT dongle setup for your device: http://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/201618914-ANT-Connectivity

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

Under the “Devices” tab of the app, make sure Virtual Power is not enabled. A lot of times this will be turned on and TR will try to take your speed, run it against an incorrect power curve, and give you power data from that rather than from your power meter.

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

Check out this article for help on getting the most accurate Virtual Power reading: http://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/201655670-Setup-and-Tips

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

Make sure you clear your filters before searching. Sometimes you can have one checked that you don’t know about which will limit your search results.

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

So it looks like all you’ll need is an ANT+ USB and a speed/cadence sensor. Check out this article for some recommended options of both: http://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/201542504-Minimum-Hardware

While the Garmin is awesome for riding outdoors and simply recording your indoor rides on another platform, you don’t need it in order to us TR. You will connect your speed sensor straight to the app and you’ll be off and running. Oh, and the suggestion above for a fan is a good one :)

Let me know if you have any other questions!

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

Check out this video in regards to your first ride and FTP test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RvmTYEhYWs

We’ve recently launched a new plan structure and have a ton of new plans coming out in the coming weeks. You can check it out more HERE[/url] but the general idea is to follow a Base > Build > Specialty model with your training. Depending on how much time you have until you start racing, getting started with Sweet Spot Base and then moving on to a Build plan would be ideal. We’ll have some really good mtb Specialty plans coming along later this winter which will be perfect for enduro racing.

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

How is your current level of fitness? If you still have a good foundation from 2014, you will be fine just doing Sweet Spot Base, and cutting it down a bit. Perhaps only doing SS Base II. I would recommend doing a Build, and then we’ll have an ultra-endurance Specialty plan out that will be perfect for you. It’s important to remember that you’re going to be extremely fit before the end of the Specialty plan. With several target events like you have, I would even recommend starting racing before you are completely finished with the Specialty plan, as your peak fitness will be challenging to maintain for many weeks beyond this large block of training.

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

That ANT+ USB looks good and that speed/cadence sensor should be fine as well. You actually don’t need the cycling computer in order to use TrainerRoad, but it would of course make a nice addition to your outdoor rides. Check out this article for more info on minimum hardware as well as some recommended devices:

http://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/201542504-Minimum-Hardware

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

Exactly. As long as your computer has native Bluetooth Smart (4.0) you should be good to go without another dongle. Check out the below articles for more info on pairing your Stages and Bluetooth Smart.

http://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/201410350-Stages-Power-Meter

http://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/201377504-Bluetooth-Smart

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

In regards to iOS, unfortunately we do not support bridging at this time. If you have a Bluetooth power meter you can use the native iPad BT or you can get an ANT+ dongle for the iPad (http://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/201618914-ANT-Connectivity). We’re hoping to have the iPad optimized app out soon, but the current iPhone version works great on the iPad as well. Let me know if there are any other questions I can answer for ya!

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

Unfortunately you can’t currently. We only work on Windows, Mac, and now iOS.

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

I know the benefits of these high intensity plans are awesome and a bit addictive, but I would recommend being careful with this type of training if you’re preparing for the spring. “Building” for 5 months is sure to lead to a plateau, whereas working on other areas of your fitness right now and then ramping up into the high intensity as we get later into winter could be a good option. The other areas of fitness that I’m talking about are base/endurance to really boost that aerobic engine, strength training, pedaling efficiency/technique, etc. Putting in the time on things like these now will lead to even bigger gains when you get into the high intensity work later on and keep you from hitting a plateau.

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

Haze, I’d recommend using the amount of time you have until your first 2015 event rather than current fitness level to decide between 1 and 2. Many times, if you have a long gap until you start racing again next year, dialing things down for a few weeks and starting with 1 and then moving to 2 is a great way to just maximize your base and really set you up for some good fitness as you move forward.

Regarding rollers, what model are you using Jonno101? Some can be more difficult than others. Especially as you get into more high-intensity work, some models are just plain sketchy to put down big watts on, but some are great, like Inside Ride for example.

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

You’ll still need a BLED112 dongle. Fortunately, it’s quite a bit cheaper than an ANT+ dongle. Check out this article on the required hardware, depending on your exact setup:

http://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/201377504-Bluetooth-Smart

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

Yep, the skewer can be removed. Wahoo also makes a variety of different adapters and things for any other dropouts you may use with it in the future. It’s hard to beat a Kickr!

-Trevor from TrainerRoad

Hey guys,

Check out the course preview – http://blog.trainerroad.com/8dc-course-preview/%5B/url%5D

Hmm, not sure what this could be. Liz is great with these kinds of technical issues, I’m sure she’ll be able to get things squared away for you. Keep me posted if it doesn’t get resolved.

Trevor

Hey guys,

Trevor DeRuisé here with TrainerRoad. The workout creator has a bug in it where sometimes untouched workouts have a very low intensity factor. The workout around is to just edit an interval and raise the target ftp up and back down. This is just telling the workout to recalculate itself. It will then fix itself.

Sorry about this bug, it’s on our list of things to fix.