i dont know if i asked this before, but, tubular tyres on a turbo trainer, taper on with Janex stuff,
is this ok?
not bother if it wears out the tyre quicker, read something about some tubs being a rubber belt and delaminating as it where (Vittoria)
seen plenty of TDF riders on a turbo prior to departing
whats the crack?
also, did Rubber Glove, suggestion was to bump FTP from 310 to 418 and LTH from 162 to 172
Tacx Satori, Level 5, Virtual Power using Speed/Cadence
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/887573-Sufferfest-Rubber-Glove
310w to 418w? Wow...thats some jump and thats a pretty hugh FTP anyway.
Looking at your workout (although I'm no expert)...a IF of 0.83 and a TSS of 63 for a 1 hour FTP test seems pretty low. I'd suggest either a problem with your settings or you should be a pretty handy Elite/Cat1 racer
Well, I've definitely seen the benefits of a first winter on the turbo with Trainerroad.
Last summer, I took up XC racing for the first time, in the [url= http://nexcmtb.com/ ]NE MTB series[/url]. I improved through the season, although was still propping up the back of the field with the grand-vets and singlespeeders. So I signed up to TR in November and have completed both Sweet Spot base plans and most of the low volume MTB plan.
The series restarted this Saturday, and we did a 90 min (ish) race round Hamsterley. My average speed last season was 6mph over a 60 minute course very similar to Saturday's ( 😳 ) - it was 9mph over 90 mins on Saturday. Plus, this year, there were other girls to beat as well as the singlespeeders (which I did, yay!).
I'm never going to be a contender for the Olympics, but I definitely feel a lot fitter!
Looking at your workout (although I'm no expert)...a IF of 0.83 and a TSS of 63 for a 1 hour FTP test seems pretty low. I'd suggest either a problem with your settings or you should be a pretty handy Elite/Cat1 racer
IF and TSS will be low because of the amount of time below the original FTP of 310 no? - the only above FTP bit is the 20 minute "test" - unless ive missed something? doesnt even get anywhere near original FTP for 30 minutes?
test was exactly the same setup ive being running, cassette/wheel/bike/HRM/ etc etc, id like to know what went wrong
i did Angels at the suggested FTP a week later, the last "climb" was hard because of the nature of the attacks, i was pushing in 53/12 or 11 for most of it, and buried myself for the last attack, hence the cadence at 130ish
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/902825-Sufferfest-Angels
and here is my original test
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/701363-20-Minute-Test
400W+ FTP is certainly very, very high. You're about 10% quicker on the flat over an hour the Oli Beckensale if we believe the numbers. He's about 2/3 your weight though so it's be a different story on the hills 😀 4.35W/kg is certainly very handy although I suspect the virtual power wouldn't necessarily tie up to real power for the set up if you could record both at the same time.
The jump up from 310W FTP is the strange thing though and takes in to account any offset against real power, as is the ability to complete the latest session with the 418W FTP setting. The most likely answer is the turbo is set at a lower resistance setting than the software but that is almost too obvious 😕 Do you have the speed data to compare this latest 20 minute test to the ~300W FTP one? Are you riding 25% faster for the same resistance setting for example?
speed data
Test 1: Avg 39.3kph during the test
Test 2: Avg 51.1kph during the test
And as a real world piece of data (ignore the HRM data, it was being buggy and was not even turned on for this part of the ride) this is a 24km segment, flat as a pancake, slight back/side wind
So to follow on the theme of Dirty Rider's question... assuming more rides will be outside over the Spring and Summer, what would be the one main Turbo session you'd be looking to maintain?Something LTT or VO2 Max based seems to make sense since these are the hardest to control or maintain for extended periods outside. More Endurance based rides are more easily achieved outside and anaerobic stuff is so short it is easy to fit in to outdoor rides too. Does that sound fair?
Interesting to see Ant White appears to like what appears to be a combined VO2 Max/ LTT session as the go to turbo session which fits with my thinking above.
I'd be interested to know this as well. I'm on a 6 week break before the next training cycle so if I'm forced indoors by weather or time I've chose to alternate between Gray (traditional 2x20) and Ian Campbell which had sprint intervals for vo2 max and anaerobic and over-unders for threshold.
Plus, this year, there were other girls to beat as well as the singlespeeders (which I did, yay!).I'm never going to be a contender for the Olympics, but I definitely feel a lot fitter!
Great going Legolam! I'm firmly in the "never will be properly fast" camp too but it's incredibly rewarding to see how much difference a bit of thought in the preparation to races can make 😀
I've chose to alternate between Gray (traditional 2x20) and Ian Campbell which had sprint intervals for vo2 max and anaerobic and over-unders for threshold.
Ian Campbell looks like a good session to keep the legs fast and fresh, cheers for the heads up. Are there similar combined VO2 Max/ LTT sessions on TR, they can be quite hard to find...
Can anyone point me to a pre made 2x20 under over session too? I like the idea of under overs for where I'm at at the moment but putting that in to the search doesn't give any hits.
speed data
No idea what is going on dirtyrider! I'd have thought 310W FTP to 418W FTP is not physiologically possible in 2 months as that's a big jump from already high numbers. Even if the numbers are really, really wrong then 25% improvement in 8 weeks also seems at the high end of plausible 😕
Has the wheel circumference setting changed or been incorrectly set in TR? If you did the TR update then this goes back to a default as far as I know so it might have been incorrect since the update. TR seems to use this measurement to calculate speed as when I have it set incorrectly the speed TR displays is different from the speed my Garmin displays (which presumably holds on to the the calibrated wheel circumference taken outside with the same tyre, where the TR wheel circumference has defaulted to an incorrect value).
I think I clearly didn't push enough in the first test, I can replicate the speed of the first test outdoors over 40 minutes instead of the 20 indoors on the trainer
I'm going to check everything tonight, and change the trainer level to 7 and the satori powertap 7 as apparently it's a better match for real world power - don't particularly want to do another FTP test so ill do a workout with the 418 FTP - probably Angels again and see what happens
Check the wheel circumference setting in TR against you tyre's actual circumference.
If you do have a true 418W FTP then you should be racing Elite XC (if you are already not doing it) 😀
Will do that cheers DanW - like you said, my weight kills me in the hills 🙁
Ian Campbell looks like a good session to keep the legs fast and fresh, cheers for the heads up. Are there similar combined VO2 Max/ LTT sessions on TR, they can be quite hard to find...Can anyone point me to a pre made 2x20 under over session too? I like the idea of under overs for where I'm at at the moment but putting that in to the search doesn't give any hits.
I'm no expert but I found mine after using the "workout" menu option and clicking the "threshold" button on the left to filter the workouts.
I've taken a lot of advice else where about raising my FTP in General which results in threshold workouts mainly, plus vo2 max/anaerobic to keep your legs awake if your riding crits (which I am once a week).
That's how I've been searching too Kryton and out of the 157 LTT sessions I can't see 2x20 under overs. Only looking as they were suggested by an experienced XC racer on another forum as more effective as raising FTP (with other sessions of course) than a standard 2x20 session. 3x12 minute under overs is the closest I can find (Scylla)... The custom session option in TR is so easy to use I'll probably just do that 😀
wheel circ was 2070 - not 2096
right, adjusted wheel circ, and changed the trainer to level 7 - double checked there was a difference in resistance throughout the range, which there was, changed trainerroad to Satori Powertap 7 based on this
http://support.trainerroad.com/entries/21382775-Tacx-Satori
started Angels at 418 FTP - was hard, i could have completed the over unders, but would not have been able to complete the "hills" in my opinion
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/915348-Sufferfest-Angels
manually changed the FTP to 350, and restarted Angels, completed the overs/unders, and completed the first hill, pretty certain i could have complete the other 2, however i didnt complete the session as id spanked myself on the 418 Session
here is the 2nd Session
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/915432-Sufferfest-Angels
pushed hard at the end of the first hill, power spike drop was when i stood up
So the wheel circumference setting was the culprit 😀
Sounds like your FTP is around 310W + approximately 5-10% which is a sensible progression. I guess another fun FTP test is on the cards to double check 😀
Even 310w is a pretty impressive FTP in my opinion
I did a custom workout last night where I basically put one of the workouts from 'Training and Racing with a Power Meter' into Trainerroad. 15min WU at 175w then 10min @ 98% FTP (265w), 10min @175w, 20min @ 105% FTP (282w). After that it was straight into 10 x 20sec at >135% FTP with 2min rest intervals. 10min Cool down
It was doable but I was a bit moist afterwards
I've never managed to complete Angles using TrainerRoad's FTP values, it’s the only Sufferfest film I can't do.
Good to see an improvement dirtyrider, anything over 4W/kg is pretty decent if you've a job/family IMO.
I just turned it back on today, the missus is using it too.
I chucked in an old FTP value that I was using a while back and it nearly killed me. Had to give up half way through. I think I'll be doing another 8 minute test this week and hitting reset before starting the MTB plan.
dont't make me do another FTP test 🙁
Jeez - gas hurst and dirty rider. I'm amazed at hose FTP numbers are they virtual power or real power? I did Gray - 2x20 at 183w virtual power last nigh and I was as moist as gazhurst. It was the second time I've done it and much more doable than the first time two weeks ago, my main problem have the focus to complete 20 minutes at Ftp!
Kryton, given the racing and training you do, that does seem a little low. If you are competitive at cat 4 then I'd expect you to be a little higher unless you are a featherweight ([url= http://cyclingtips.com.au/2009/07/just-how-good-are-these-guys/ ]check this[/url].) Having said that I think there's quite a bit of scope for virtual power readings to vary from setup to setup.
I've quite a detailed thread on bikeradar re this so I won't repeat. But according to coggans chart I'm 3.57 2/kg over 5 mins.
I've never done a regimented 5 min balls out interval though, and that's all measures in the mancave on a turbo trainer with virtual power. Every single race average has been well over a "ride" average. I'm average about 220-240 average over the hour.
Vis a vis it's not accurate, only suitable for the TR purpose in the conditions within which I'm using it.
that's all measures in the mancave on a turbo trainer
my main problem have the focus to complete 20 minutes at Ftp!
Reckon churning away at the turbo in the man cave really is as much a mental exercise as a physical one. Been mentally really tired recently (new baby, major lack of sleep) and it's been mostly impossible to do a hard turbo session. The legs are ok but the head frustratingly gives up as soon as it gets hard. Motivation is very different on the road if, say you're half way up a hill, as opposed to halfway through following a line on a graph on a computer screen in a sweaty man cave. Getting better as sleep improves thankfully.
Anyway getting back to what this thread is meant to be about... interesting workouts. Did [url= http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/883041-Cartwright ]Cartwright[/url] a couple of weeks ago. 60 mins, 4x10min intervals. Each starts a little below FTP then about halfway through the interval it gradually ramps up to about 110% FTP. I enjoyed it. Approved!
Oh and...
I've quite a detailed thread on bikeradar
Bikeradar too? Given your volume of posting on here I'm surprised you have the time 😉
I've only posted on bikeradar twice, ever. But good point I need to ween myself off of forums. 🙁
I would be very wary of using Virtual Power as a benchmark for comparison against other people. Comparing virtual to my Powertap was way out - my actual FTP (measured by a calibrated Powertap using Rubber Glove) is 304W. My Virtual Power FTP would need to be around 410W for the same effort.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't use VP as a benchmark for yourself, just that differences in tyre pressure, wheel diameter, and wheel tension can give wildly different results.
For the record - I'm an Expert category MTBer and weigh 72kgs.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't use VP as a benchmark for yourself, just that differences in tyre pressure, wheel diameter, and wheel tension can give wildly different results.
I think I've said this before, but that's what I found too when I had a play with virtual power. Lots of variables. Even how warmed up the turbo is makes a difference. You can eliminate a lot of variables but it would be a faff compared to just using a proper power metre. Having said that, on my turbo (a minoura vr760) with careful setup it was never more than about 20 watts out of what my powertap was reading... but then on some efforts 20 watts can make it a big difference! Though as it's based on wheel speed generally with a big flywheel, it doesn't track small variations in effort that well.
Unless you've had it properly measured in a lab then it's not a valid basis for comparison. The field tests are just rough estimations (you'll probably get different values from an 8 min test and a 20 min test, and you do just get better at doing them without there being any real change in your FTP.) And even with a proper power meter you'd get different values from, say, one at the crank to one at the back wheel.
Having said that it is still a great way to measure where you're at compared with past efforts and to set goals for the turbo. Was reading Faster by Michael Hutchinson and he said that the greatest moment of his cycling career wasn't any race result, but hitting a certain value in a VO2 max test in the lab!
I treat the VP readings simply as a mark on a stick, not comparing too pro's or others but just as a basic training tool, in the 30mins I was on for on the last session the HRM kept dropping out so I ignored it.
I would be very wary of using Virtual Power as a benchmark for comparison against other people. Comparing virtual to my Powertap was way out - my actual FTP (measured by a calibrated Powertap using Rubber Glove) is 304W. My Virtual Power FTP would need to be around 410W for the same effort.
That is how I justify my VP numbers in TR being far from reasonable 😀
As a training tool VP is very, very useful for those of us without real power meters so long as you appreciate the limitations. It has started me browsing for real Power Meters though which is worrying for my bank account...
Did Cartwright a couple of weeks ago. 60 mins, 4x10min intervals. Each starts a little below FTP then about halfway through the interval it gradually ramps up to about 110% FTP. I enjoyed it. Approved!
I've been enjoying a similar type of session that starts under FTP and ramps up but in the traditional 2x20 format and at slightly higher intensities for longer durations. It's referred to as a "climbers 2x20" by a well respected coach on the weightweenies forum.
Warm up
5 minutes @ 95% FTP (95rpm)
5 minutes @ 100% FTP (90rpm)
5 minutes @ 105% FTP (85rpm)
5 minutes @ 110% FTP (80rpm)
5 minutes rest then repeat
Warm down
DanW, sounds pretty good. Is that a custom one? May have to knock one up.
By the way, anyone know if it's possible to create a custom trainer for virtual power? I know TR just request the power at certain wheel speeds to create new trainers, and I'd like one that makes my turbo more closely match my power metre readings.
mrblobby just use your PM readings it can pick up most things
mikewsmith, I always use my PM on the turbo bike. It's just that sometimes I pop other bikes on the turbo and it's a pain to swap the wheels over. Would be nice if I had a slightly more accurate VP I could use for those occasional sessions, just save a bit of hassle.
DanW, sounds pretty good. Is that a custom one? May have to knock one up.
Yep, custom based on the recommendation from some training threads on Weightweenies
I've been trying to make a custom session which is:
Warm up
4x 30s sprint (Was set as 200% FTP, now 160% FTP in the custom TR session)
4x 30s "off"
5 minutes rest
Repeat the 30s "on" 30s "off" set
Warm down
I can physically make the session in the TR custom session maker software but it wouldn't upload to the normal TR software so I can actually ride it. I originally had the "on" interval set at 200% FTP and wondered if it might be too high so TR doesn't allow the session to be created but dropping it to 160% FTP still means I can't upload the custom session. I have made other sessions since then and they upload fine, just something about this 30s "on, 30s "off" session which won't upload. Any ideas?
Possible to take a similar session and edit it maybe? Not really had a play with the custom workout creator yet.
I've tried that (Iron is the closest pre-made session) and also tried cloning and editing on of my custom sessions which uploads fine. No idea why but I can't get this traditional Tabata 30s on, 30 s off session to upload from the custom workout creator software...
The IF for this session is showing up as 0.0091 so there must be something about the content I've created which is really messing up TR
Worth dropping TR an email. They are usually really good at responding to these sorts of questions.
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.
Cool to have TR on STW 😀
None of the normal work arounds seem to fix this issue I'm having in creating the traditional tabata session described above. The IF is always 2 decimal places wrong.
I've been trying to solve this with Liz's help...
The workout was published with an excellent internet connection whilst having both the workout creator open and the normal Trainerroad software open. What I have created shows fine in the workout creator but when clicking refresh in the Trainerroad software the message in the bottom right reads "upload error on submission". It doesn't do this with any session I've created besides this high %FTP "30s on, 30s off" session. I've tried starting from scratch, starting by cloning another existing session which uploaded fine, modified another session which uploaded fine, modified the existing "Iron" session and none of these approaches get in to the Trainerroad software to be able to ride.
All of this makes me think there is something about the content of the session which the software doesn't like although I've no idea what this might be!
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
anyone got any tips on replicating turbo work on the road?
i have a 22 mile commute now the weather is better and might as well make use of this time (i do 14 hour days so cannot do anything else in these days i work, 3x a week) more or less flat 528ft climbing (theres one steep hill that accounts for 1/4 of the elevation)
anyone got any tips on replicating turbo work on the road?
The tricky thing is the intensity. If you have a power metre then it's easy, if not then maybe use HR or PE but it's not as good. If you can get intensity right then it's easy enough to do timed intervals. I'd just get a power metre.
ive got a grand sat behind the counter at the lbs - however they cannot get me a Stages for ages (even though i can get one mail order tomorrow)
i dont really want a Powertap as it means only being on one wheel, although i could almost buy 2 for the grand
and ive got a Cannondale with Hollowgrams, so the Quarq is an option but the Cannondale Spider is £1400, and i dont really want to swap out the Hollowgrams for Red Quarq arms
oh the dilemmas
Get your LBS to make an angry call to Saddleback (Stages distributor in the UK) telling them that loads of places seem to have no problems getting stock and that they are losing sales. I've seen my LBS do that a few times and as if by magic an out of stock product will turn up the next day 🙂
To anyone doing a TR session today... good luck!
It's 28C in my turbo room, probably not the best decision to go for some hard intervals 😕
Terrible weather and mrs under pregnancy house arrest means the turbo was out today,
manual adjustment of FTP to 322 (based on issues with FTP test above)
Sufferfest - The Hunted
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/976906-Sufferfest-The-Hunted
now have a powermeter on the road bike (Powertap G3) - was going to do a turbo FTP test, however at 6pm the sun was out and was quite humid so sacked that off and went off on a couple of hour hammer round - the rain was torrential for the last 30 minutes
[URL= http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y394/dansipods2/ScreenShot2014-06-03at221850_zpsf4bfc1ea.pn g" target="_blank">
http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y394/dansipods2/ScreenShot2014-06-03at221850_zpsf4bfc1ea.pn g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
Is the Powertap in addition to the Stages PM Dan? Any thoughts on either of these for MTB? Both seem to be around £500 at the moment which although is a lot of money is significantly less than the competition....
Stages is on the MTB - cheapest easiest solution
Powertap is on the Road Bike as Evans more or less gave it away
i bought the Cycleops ENVE 65 Clinchers with G3 Powertap Hubs for £1066 delivered, i think they were 70% off (i already have ENVE 45 Tubs on Tune Hubs, so should break even when i sell them) - ive put 25mm Schwalbe Ones on
they still have a 32h G3C hub for £450
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cycleops/powertap-g3c-shimano-sram-hub-ec035999
and the front hubs are £24
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cycleops/powertap-front-hub-ec036007
and a wee pic of my bike fitted with the above
[URL= http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y394/dansipods2/ScreenShot2014-06-02at194918_zps4a90f30a.pn g" target="_blank">
http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y394/dansipods2/ScreenShot2014-06-02at194918_zps4a90f30a.pn g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
Nice set up dirtyrider!
Also thinking about a Stages for the MTB.
TrainerRoad works as I won a 30KM club TT last night!
Indeed, nice bike!
Great result there Chef 🙂 Got the TT bike back on the turbo again here and knocked up some sessions for it using the excellent workout creator. Can't wait to get racing again as form is finally getting back on track, though getting the time to train let alone race is really tricky enough with a toddler and a 4 month old.
By the way, anyone get their ANT+ dropping out? The other night it was really bad with HR, cadence and power dropping out with signal going from bad one minute to excellent the next. Suspect something was interfering with it but I've no idea what. Not happened since.
Anyone have an opinion on not finishing a session?
My FTP has gone up considerably in the last few months and the last 8min session I really, really tried very hard. But my workouts seem very tough to the point I couldn't finish Starr yesterday. Is it mor valuable to back off my FTP so I can finish the session during the final interval or keep plugging away to the point of failure?1
To add to this the new FTP has me riding "between" gears so I'm not that comfortable - I'm either working hard like I'm going uphill, or not hard enough on the near gear up. So the above could be symptomatic? Note all setup is constant.
First few hard workouts after an FTP hike are always bloody hard. I'd stick with it for a few weeks and see if it comes good. Sometimes helps to knock it down a few percent (that percentage box at the bottom) for the first few and gradually increase it back to 100% over a few sessions.
The 8/20 min tests are just estimates though, and you do get better at doing the tests the more you do regardless of any fitness change (and you may get quite different values between 8 and 20 tests.) Your FTP is meant to be the max you can sustain for an hour. You should have a fairly good idea if the test is giving you a value that is too high or low.
Also you may also find you're better at the short intense stuff than the longer stuff for example, just tweak the individual workouts up and down to suit.
Edit: if you are struggling with Starr then it is probably too high as that's not too hard (though over/under ones are often harder than they look), or you may just be tired?
Usually over unders are my forte. I'd raced Xc on Wednesday but as I train every 2 days anyway I don't see this as an issue. Otherwise I've slept well and no drinking.
I'm doing Devils Crag - 3x12 at 95-99% FTP on Monday so that will tell me if I'm overdoing it I guess. I wondering whether the gearing issue is having an impact - I did try to get through it and the problem wasn't aerobic but leg pain.
Have a look here http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/1019538-Starr
You can see I struggled to finish the third one, recomposed myself for the 4th then died after the first "over". I wasn't far off finishing hence perhaps I'm wondering if I should battle through it - no point in training being easy but then again no point min completimg 3/4 or a session either...
I'll see how Monday goes.
Anyone else still turboing? About to get going and just checked the thermometer in my turbo room...
Session wise, pretty much only using ones I've knocked up using the workout creator now, with the exception of the occasional Starr King. Workout creator really is excellent (though a bit more cut and paste functionality would be good.)
I sacked off my subscription a while ago, just to hot in the house. Will pick it back up again when the nights draw in.
Ooft no. It's been so nice I've even ditched my recovery ride on the rollers for a spin on the cycle path instead!
Subs on hold till the cross season ends.
Having too much fun on the road at the moment.
Top effort though!
Well that was sweaty, even with a massive fan about an inch from my face. A few low cadence reps on the TT bike, nothing too strenuous. Would have loved to have gotten out for a ride but have baby monitors to monitor!
Feel your pain, my youngest are 3 & 4 so no baby monitors just more don't touch that...
Anyone happen to know if it's possible to chose between multiple power meters on TrainerRoad? I've two fitted to the bike currently and when you click on "search" it seems pot luck as to which comes up.
Well, I just sweated my way through the last of my Turbo sessions before the RideLondon100 next week, which is my last "event" before the August family holiday and a 3 week or so break from biking.
It was the 20 minute test. FTP up again, and LTHR down so thats 23% up in power since Feb. why is it after these i feel REALLY good and that I could have added a bit more effort, even though the TR profile shows me ramping up the power steadily over the 20?
😀
3 week or so break from biking.
😯
It was the 20 minute test. FTP up again, and LTHR down so thats 23% up in power since Feb.
FTP probably is improving, but mostly you're just getting better at doing the test 😉
Sure. I think thats my first 20 min though, I usually do the 8 min test.
Why the 😯 at the 3 week break? Everyone needs a rest?
Why the at the 3 week break? Everyone needs a rest?
That is true, and most would probably benefit from it. I'd find it difficult not to sneak a bike along though. I'm already laying the foundations for taking the turbo on our family holiday 🙂
Never actually done the 20 min test on the turbo. Just feel I'd find it difficult to pace, no idea why though as it's about the same as a 10 mile TT effort. It'd be interesting to do the 8 min test and the 20 min one say a week apart and compare the results to see which you think gives you the most realistic value (it is meant to be the max you can sustain for an hour.)
My coach told be to take 3 weeks off at the end of my season last year. He then told me I did his head in pestering him to let me ride 🙂 I find it hard at the end of the season to take a break like that, I love riding my bike & if I wasn't doing that then id be doing something else active & so not resting.
Also he wasn't really up for me doing my FTP on the turbo either, he said the results would be out by a certain % but I can't remember what. Would hate to do it on the turbo too, bad enough outside!
My summer training seems to have mostly consisted of vo2 TT efforts. Yuck!!
Ah! Well, my break coincides with kids home from school, and taking the Turbo to Ibiza with the family would incur excess baggage.
This is the end of my "year" for me. 1st week September I need to plan next years "A" races starting with a winter crits series starting in Feb, which probably means a plan involving sweet spot base Nov, Dec, then Novice Race Jan/Feb. Next years aim is to stay with "the pack", and if possible gain some BC points.
I will do club rides, MTB pootling and the occasional sportive while the weather is good though.
It'd be interesting to do the 8 min test and the 20 min one say a week apart and compare the results to see which you think gives you the most realistic value (it is meant to be the max you can sustain for an hour.)
I always thought of it as 1 hour power + your body's capacity for accumulating lactic acid + a spurt at the end, so either could be better depending on how diproportionately better your shorter intervals are. i.e. someone with a crap FTP but a really good 5 minute power could really mess up an 8 minute test and get a really good result, but someone who had no more to give than their FTP (Mr Wiggins for example) would suffer at both tests as he'd be closer to the hour pace throughout and the correction factor would make it appear worse.
[url= http://www.trainerroad.com/ios?utm_source=TrainerRoad+Users&utm_campaign=2afcdc5cc3-iOS_Beta_Sign_Up8_11_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_822b723c06-2afcdc5cc3-309096485 ]Link [/url] to iOS beta program in case anyone is interested in signing up.
If anyone is in the market for a rear wheel speed sensor then the new Garmin hub mounted speed sensor is a nice solution. I just have this on my turbo wheel and rely on GPS for speed outdoors. Don't use speed for anything when out on a ride so the inaccuracies of GPS from time to time don't bother me. The main attraction for a bike used inside and outside with the new hub speed sensor is nothing on the NDS chainstay and no wheel magnets anymore which is nice.
My old combined cadence/ speed sensor is available if anyone wants it 😀
DanW, see any problem sticking it on the front wheel?
It is just an accelerometer as far as I know so as long as the front wheel is moving then it should be fine. The built in rubber strap is very stretchy so I'm sure it would fit 99% of hubs. Are you thinking of using the front wheel for roller use? Why not the rear wheel out of curiosity?
Disc wheel. Front hub is quite skinny so just wondering how big it is really.
Ah ha, makes sense. The width of the rear hub I have (measured as the flat section) is around 35mm and the diameter of the hub approximately 30mm and I had to stretch the band a fair amount to get it around. I think the sensor itself is 40mm at its widest (so about 40mm x 30mm) but is has rounded edges so sits nicely against the hub flanges. I bought mine directly from Garmin and it arrived within 24hrs for the cheapest delivery option (UPS tracked.) Hope that helps!
Thanks. Front hub diameter is probably less than 20mm so just wondering if it'd fit. Shall check out the garmin site.
the DC Rainmaker review, he used it on the front as the G3 in the pic was giving "strange" results"
Yep. Didn't look like anything majorly wrong on a PT hub but just some interference from time to time. Works really nicely on my normal rear hub. I'm not sure I buy it for outdoor MTB use as my rear hub shell usually gets caked in mud... but having said that the previous speed/ cadence combined sensor was incredibly weatherproof so it would most likely be fine.
......why do you have one on your turbo wheel?
iOS app is coming as well, got an email today to sign up for beta interest, quite looking forward to some structured workouts over winter



