Smallguy

how flat does the TT route need to be for outdoor testing?

I tested my FTP when I first got my quarq and test at 260 (rounded up) and have been following a training plan ssetup for someone with an FTP of 270 (there was no 260 plan so it was recommended I over reach).

I find the testing indoors really hard even with a fan on me so I was thinking I'll test outdoors to see how the numbers are now.

the best route I can find locally will have a few short 10-seconds tops decent and maybe a small punchy climb or 2.... will this type of route be detrimental to ftp testing?

unfortunately there are no 20 minute climbs anywhere near me or completely flat sections either.

so how flat does it have to be?

echappist

detrimental? i thought they were when i was in denial that my FTP was lower than expected.

The local loop (Central Park) has 4 sections of prolonged descents (one of which is a S-bend) and a few bumps here and there. When i couldn't do ZCI at 265W, i blamed the course for not being ideal and wanted to use the NP number for what i got each interval. Now that i can average 290W for 35' without going all out, i think it's an ideal place to do the test. That S-bend is still annoying as the only way to carry through power at full-bore is to cut across two lanes, but it's not bad when i do my intervals at night.

more importantly, the only thing the course needs is that you don't have to stop for anything. learn how to produce power on the downhills and meter yourself on the shorter punches. A histogram of the 35' shows that >80% of the time was spent between 260 and 330W.

Smallguy

thank you

pushing out power in the downhills is a weakness of mine since I'm over 200 I'm used to coasting with smaller riders and still being on the brakes.

But realistically I would doubt that a few pushing out 200 watts instead of 300 is really going to kill me.

maybe I will go out and play on this route some day and see how much power I can average.. it won't be a formal test but I'll have an idea of where I'm losing power and practice putting it down on the hills

brian416

It takes a bit of practice to keep you power up in rolling hills, I've done testing on rolling terrain just fine. You really have to keep on top of gear changes.

waterrockets 

It's not clear, but if speed is the problem, just use your brakes to get your speed where it needs to be, and never let up on the power.

echappist

thanks for the suggestion. Will probably do that in the future unless i'm trying to break 25mph laps in Central Park

waterrockets 

Yep. Just keep in mind that average speed and interval workouts at odds with each other when it comes to building form unless interval duration ~= lap time.

shovelhd

Use the whole cassette. Vary your cadence. Anticipate.

A good way to practice this is when the plan calls for 1-2hrs at endurance pace. If you overshoot or undershoot it won't hurt.

Bronze Potato

5 months ago my FTP was 318.

For 5 months I've been very 'active' from an pedestrian standpoint [think walking 6-10 miles a day] but off the bike [uninjured!].

Not really wanting to kick off my return to cycling with a FTP test, I've been guessing my current FTP at about 270. I was going to train based off that number for a month and then kick it in the guts with a 20 minute test to see the sad truth.

Zat seem about right based on who knows what?

waterrockets 

Just getting back into it, I'd spend six weeks riding low-tempo/high endurance. That will get your legs under you. A good pace-check is nose-breathing. If I can't close my mouth and get enough air, I'm going too hard. Right up against that limit is good for base.

After that, you can do some testing and develop a plan. Before that, things will change so fast that your targets will be invalidated weekly by power zone increases.

Bronze Potato

Thanks for the opinion. My patience is that of a 4 year old and I currently have 2 weeks back on the bike doing just as you suggested but it's killing me.

Jancouver

This article is for all those power geeks ... 6.63 W/Kg and its a chick!

"In recent tests with her new Rabobank team Vos was reportedly recorded as having a VO2Max [the capacity of the body to transport and use oxygen] of 72.8ml/kg/min; she was also able to produce a maximum of 6.63 Watts per kilo, which is more than many of her male teammates, including Giro d’Italia stage winner Pieter Weening."


Read more: https://www.velonation.com/News/ID/10...ens-races.aspx

echappist

you might find this useful

specifically, it recommends one FTP test per week during base. 40-50 minutes in duration. I'm a big believer in the whole testing is training (& vice versa). Only time i don't see it being possible is when i test for 5' and the anaerobic ewangs. And those tests hurt!
for clarification that's more along the lines of P@VO2max or 5' power. No one does 6.63 for an hour, male or female.

though it's interesting that there are non sprinter pros with a relatively low P@VO2max

shovelhd

Learning patience will make you a better, more successful racer.

shovelhd

Not surprisingly, I am not a big believer in testing is training, slicing and dicing numbers every day to determine my capabilities. There's nothing wrong with doing that, it's just different. I am an engineer, you are a scientist. I view my capabilities from a theoretical perspective, you approach them from an analytical perspective. As long as there is some basis of reality underneath it all, either way works.

Bronze Potato

Good link... interesting stuff.


All the patience in the world can't help my power/weight ratio. It suck and unless I hack off a leg it ain't never gunna change to the point my P/W ratio is decent.

shovelhd

That's not a winning attitude.

echappist

haha, that's way more analytical than how i view my preference

i think it has more to do with the fact that tests leave me really drained than anything else. And that i might not always be as freshly rested when i test, so i take it as it comes, and it also has less mental stress on me
bingo. my weight went down 2.5 kg (was as much as 3.5) and my power went up 30 watts since mid October. steady training, even if it averages to be 8-9hrs/week will yield results.

Bronze Potato

Yeah, it's a whining attitude but it's also just a fact. At < 10% body fat I'm still 230 lbs. That's a lot of beef to climb or do repeated acceleration with.

I belong on a track. [or in a zoo]

waterrockets 

incorrect

It's not just the weight. It's the power too. Build up the patience to complete a solid foundation for your threshold training. My 6-week recommendation is really on the low side. 12 weeks would be better. The more patience you exercise now, the higher you'll be able to bump your threshold.

Bronze Potato

Of course you're are correct, my FTP has really improved but even at 318 FTP I don't believe I was over 2.6 W/kg for longer efforts. I need to move to FL and just race TT. Really, thanks for the input.

colobrio

My only power-measuring device is a (very) old Computrainer Pro NES. It has the ability to do tests across a set virtual distance, and give average and peak powers for the entire session. It cannot break the session into parts, for example, to look for the five seconds that showed the highest power.

For the first time, I'm trying to use it to measure my power profile. It's easy enough to do the 20, 5, and 1 minute tests by setting a distance that will take me very close to the specified time to complete (e.g., .4 miles from a standing start took 50-some seconds). I cannot come up with any way to do a 5 second test, though.

Which leads to my question - does max power bear any reliable relation to 5s power? If so, I can just test to see what peak power reading I can generate, and do whatever conversion I need to. If not - does anyone have another idea for how to get an approximate measure of 5s power?

ridethecliche

I was more intrigued by this comment:

“Riding in some smaller men’s races could make her stay motivated on the one hand, but could also make her continue to make progress,” he explained. “Because I think she can get much better, the men could ride her to the next level.''

HMF

My average wattages for my intervals today are higher in GC than they were on the head unit while I was doing them. Why is that? xPower more closely matches what my head unit was telling me.

waterrockets 

I jump in what feels like the sweet spot. It depends on the conditions (starting speed). Try a few different starting cadences. You should be able to get a few good tests in before they start to fade.