Hey

when doing an FTP test I'm under the impression you need to keep power consistent...I have some buddies who will be doing sprints in the test as well using best race 20 mins to calculate FTP.....is this generally accepted??

I think most people try to keep their output as consistent as possible during an FTP test. In fact I think a lot of what "learning to do the test" means is figuring out how to pace yourself for the effort.

In all of my attempts, it's been 15 minutes of trying to be consistent, and 5 minutes of trying to keep the pedals turning without throwing up. I am terrible at regulating at/near threshold. Now Z2? I can peg 135bpm / 170W and just stay there all day.

My last FTP test I got to the 20-minute mark, cooled down, then rode another 20 miles in a loop to get home. So clearly, I had not given it that 100%. I'm not sure I ever have.

Riding at 100% (technically it should have been 105% if you were riding a 20 min test) does not mean that you can't ride after. 100% of threshold is just the power you can sustain continuously for 1ish hour of pedaling. After you finish your threshold work, it would be totally normal to be able to ride below threshold for appreciable periods of time, potentially hours. I once rode from Malibu to Santa Clarita. It was a cool morning, so I decide to ride up Latigo Cyn Rd as a TT interval Rode the first part at threshold- 49 min. Then a 2 min rest on the descent near the top and another 8 min interval at 93%. Then noodled home the remaining 55 miles at a leisurely pace over 4 hours, with a decent amount of climbing and headwind riding. Sure I was tired but I was fully functional.

Two by 20 at 105% is one of the hardest workouts I do, but when I'm in good TT shape I can get them done.

Anaerobic efforts during these FTP tests are generally not repeatable in a 60 minute test, and thus should be left out of the 8 and 20 minute tests.

That sounds absolutely brutal.

Are you sure they aren't doing the sprints before the start of the 20 mins timed section? You are supposed to deplete anaerobic stores with some sprints prior

No.

But people do whatever they want to get whatever number they think they should have.

20 min tests tell you about 20 mins. What that has to do with your FTP is too individually variable to accurately predict.

Go out and do 45 minutes all out and you should have a much better idea of FTP.

What he said - if you want to use an FTP value for training purposes.

Lots of folks just want to cut and paste a high FTP test result into an online posting, thus the sprinting.