Trainer Road FTP testing

when you get done with your test, you should wanna throw your bike out the window and hope a semi runs it over. if you still love your bike, you coulda went harder.

So yes, you should be pushing as hard as you can for all 8 minutes and should be ready to crash hard at the end.

FTP is designed to give you a target for your training, so if your FTP is too low, your training will be too easy, i personally don't think your FTP can be too high.

here is a link to the 20min test i did last Thursday

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/28460

as you can see, i was higher than their prescribed level, and still had a little sprint at the end, i wanted to cut my bike up with a hacksaw when i was done, lol

I just went through this not too long ago myself, and learned a few things.  The virtual power can be affected by seemingly little things like your tire pressure, how tight the trainer is to your tire, etc.  The guys at TrainerRoad talk about it here:  http://www.trainerroad.com/virtual-power.

I actually ended up buying a digital tire pressure gauge so I can ensure I'm always consistent with my setup.  I thought I was, but it's amazing how much just a little bit of lost air when removing the pump from the tire can drop the tire pressure.  I also ensure that I tighten the trainer down the same every time and always tighten it down in the same place on the tire (I just use the stem as my reference point).

I hope that helps!

I guess my biggest question is... what lead you to believe that "being a masher" killed your run? I would assume bike (and run) fitness is what killed your run...

... just saying, when I do a FTP test, I certainly can't keep close to a 100rpm cadence and hit my peak power... but ymmv.

Yes, it's all-out 100% effort that can be sustained for the test. But keep in mind if you are doing the 8 minute test your power is supposed to be within 10% for both tests or you didn't pace right.

Last FTP test I did was about 2 weeks ago and I felt like I didn't have another 15 seconds left in me at the end. I just about fell off the bike when it was over.

Thanks all.  I know about tire pressure/trainer tension which I check before each ride.  My issue seems to lie with being a novice biker.  TR has helped me greatly this offseason as before, I would go downstairs and just pedal away with no structure.  I honestly did not know what 6x8' @90% FTP meant until I could see it graphically in TR.  I became a slave to matching the suggested power displayed in the GUI so that's what I did last night.  I knew it was wrong but I couldn't help my self.

Looks like another FTP test is in order!

To explain my "masher" comment, before I really learned about cadence/gearing/power, I would slip into the biggest gear I could push to reach my power levels, even if my cadence was only 60-70.  Now I can hold 90+ on cadence and meet power targets and my legs feel "fresher".  This past Saturday, I did 1.5 hours on TR (Beacon), then went out and did a fast (for me) 3.4 mile run.  In the past, my legs would have been cooked.  I can always improve bike/run fitness.

Bump.Did the FTP test again today and kicked its a$$. Thanks for the advice everyone. I again am most happy I held 95 and 96 for my cadence during the 8 minute tests.

You are the man Nate!

Beginning FTP = 216

6 week early base program

New FTP = 251

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/31880

x2  To get max power for my tests my cadence usually dips to 85-86 rpm.  I burn out if my cadence is too high, and just can't push those extra watts out.  

Rude, you still had enough energy to want to hacksaw your bike and throw it out of a window? You didn't go hard enough. ;-)

OP: Congrats on the big improvements. Some of it may be familiarity with the testing and knowing your limits better, but it also shows that hard work and training unlocks potential. Sometimes it's scary what we're capable of.

-J

npearson99 - 2012-02-25 2:35 PM Holy $h%t!! That's a HUGE improvement, way to go! Don't expect gains like that every FTP test. I'm glad if I go up 5-10 watts! . If you made gains like that every time you'd be on Garmin-Cervelo in no time. Way to go man! We just show you some numbers, you did all the hard work! Can't wait to see how this translates into bike spit times in your races this year. You'll have to keep us updated.

Oh I won't. I think karlaj brought up a good point that familiarity probably played a part too.  My initial FTP might have been low since I am new to training with power.  I am just glad my work paid off with a measureable gain.  My reward is now the workouts get harder.

Bingo. You earned the right to train harder. That new FTP will slap you around for a few weeks, but man, you're going to be a beast come summertime.

j

The TR workouts are terrific.  I'm no expert on cycling training and building a base, but it seems to me that the TR basic plan, which has just 3 workouts per week, with a rest day between each one and a total of only 3:30 per week- is woefully insignificant in volume.

I find that nearly all of their individual workouts are terrific.  At least the one's I've done; but it wouldn't hurt to add some long 3-4 hr rides and more sustained 85-95% LT effort to those 3 interval sessions.

no?

Morey, no doubt some 3-4 hr sweetspot sessions would boost fitness. I don't think any of the programs say "do this and only this", so if you can handle big hrs/wk on the bike, go get 'em tiger. But I think those programs are designed for the beginner-novice. Alot of folks do 3 rides a week, and this gets them good TSS for those 3 rides (somewhere in the 220-300/wk range).

But if you find volume to be specifically limiting, why? I don't really agree/disagree, just wondering the context for your argument. -J