Would anybody else rather have percent of FTP as opposed to watts? Tired of doing math in my head on the bike. This
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Exactly what is the context for this request?
It sounds like you are doing a workout outside. If so, are you using the new Outside workout option? The current text for that gives you the direct Wattage info you need to have in mind.
- In the future, there will be the option to send this workout to a head unit (Garmin first, then Wahoo, not sure after that), so you will have direct workout targets shown on it. So it may reduce the need to track this info close (watts or percents).
If you are just doing a âregularâ inside workout and taking it outside, you can scan the workout on the web or in the app. It will show you the wattage for each interval. You can quickly get the main numbers for any part of the workout and jot them down for the workout outside.
If these donât cover your issue, we need more info to help.
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I canât think of any reason that seeing %FTP would ever be preferable or mean less math than seeing actual Watts.
Agree with Chad that we need some more info here.
This is not specific to me but I have wondered if it would be better for the sake of not comparing your self to others. Also when I am doing say vo2 max stuff and maybe need to turn it down during a workout, so that I can more easily know how low is too low or how high is too high. I have had it go both ways and if I had a range of ftp to stay in it would be a little easier. Not saying to change it permanently, but maybe give us the option.
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This is an interesting idea. I hadnât considered your point that it would help inform you how far you can turn down your workout while still getting the intended benefits.
This feature is not currently on the development roadmap, but I will mention the points youâve made with the team to hear their thoughts 
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Chad discusses percentages of FTP frequently on the podcast. He references that the target for x workout is 120% of FTP, but you can go down to 110% and still yield most of the same benefit. I think it would be a helpful feature.
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I guess that is my main point. Everything gets talked about in terms of percentage of ftp, but the only display we have is watts and watts are different for everybody. It just doesnât make sense to me because if you were to display % then itâs easier to tell what zones you would be in. I also had a thought that the number could change color based on what zone you are in I.e. z1-blue,z2-green, etc. All of this is just stuff that has been in my head and I never thought to put it on here until now. Thought it might be a good discussion.
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I agree with this request. Hereâs an example.
Youâre doing intervals at 120% FTP (for me 326) but itâs too hard so you want to drop to 115% (313). To do this you actually need to reduce intensity not by 5%, but by 4% - because the intensity is measured in absolute watts rather than percentages of FTP. You need to do the maths or just guess.
Itâs especially important because if youâre doing it right, your FTP is going up every 4 weeks or so. How are you supposed to hold the boundaries of your training zones in your head when they change so often? Just have the app display the percentage of FTP youâre doing, and the percentage of FTP you need to achieve. What does it matter whether thatâs 240 or 440 watts?
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Because I was curious about the math and how hard it is (and if it could be reduced to a simple rule)âŚ
- At 110% FTP, every 5% intensity is 5.5% FTP. (91% intensity ~ 100% FTP)
- At 120% FTP, every 5% intensity is 6% FTP. (92% intensity ~ 110% FTP)
- At 130% FTP, every 5% intensity is 6.5% FTP. (92% intensity ~ 120% FTP)
- At 140% FTP, every 5% intensity is 7% FTP. (92% intensity ~ 129% FTP)
- At 150% FTP, every 5% intensity is 7.5% FTP. (93% intensity ~ 140% FTP)
Which means:
- To drop 5% FTP, use 95% (from 110%), 96% (from 120% - 140%) or 97% (from 150% - 170%)
- To drop 10% FTP, use 91% (from 110%), 92% (from 120% - 140%) or 93% (from 150% - 170%).
So, unless youâre way above threshold or below it, set intensity to 96% +/- 1 for 5% down. Subtract 4 more for 10% down.
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When doing workouts outside I prefer looking at %ftp.
If I look at a workout on TR that I want to replicate outdoors, the description always gives the %ftp, so I find itâs just easier.
Itâs just a pity there doesnât seem to be 3/10 second smoothing when looking %ftp
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@mcneese.chad posted this really useful spreadsheet in the meantime:
If you look around a bit, you can find a link to his google doc and can just fill in your values.
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- General Calcs tab is the one with the info on percentages of Intensity adjustment.
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I appreciate the link. I donât know if I will be able to handle anything mentally at the end or during an interval though. 
.
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In an ideal world, perhaps it should just be an option in the settings, or a toggle switch in the app, to display actual watts or %FTP as the rider prefers.
Maybe itâs just my mind, but I like percentages. They feel solid and grounded and stable. Intensity Factor is basically a percentage. As discussed, the whole zone system is based on percentages. I use %maxHR to gauge efforts, e.g. keeping below 75% for easy rides or going above 90% for vo2 max sessions. Percentages rock.
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Frankly, I donât care what my watts are, that number changes throughout the season and when Iâm going really hard, I canât even reason out the difference between 269w and 296w (although maybe thatâs my dyslexia).
Further, if you are going to be adjusting for acclimatization for your outdoor races, % of FTP is the best way to train. First because your targets donât change, 100% FTP is 100% FTP. Second, because it is less depressing than looking at your adjusted watts for hours on end thinking âman I suck up hereâ.
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I will chime in and say that Iâve wanted this feature in TR as well. Iâm mostly used to aiming to hit specific zones based on percentage of FTP, i.e. 5 x 8â at Z3 (75%-90%), 4 x 8â at SS (88%-94%), etc.
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For what itâs worth, the margin of error of your power meter is probably much larger than the difference between the 4% and 5% reduction in the intensity of a VO2 max interval. I promise you that your body is not going to be able to tell a difference.
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For kicks, here is a bit of reference info on tolerances at 300w, with either +/-1.5% or +/-2.0% values:
And here is the range of a 250w FTP at 120% with Intensity adjustments:
+1 for wanting this feature - Iâve long thought it would be great. Itâs one one of the first things I looked for when I started using the app.
When Iâm riding outside the most important part of my Garmin display is %FTP. FTP changes, but the percentages youâre working with to achieve certain things donât. E.g., going for a 2 hour ride and aiming to stay between 70-75% of FTP (which is often assigned to me by my coach - or something like it). Even Chadâs outdoor ride options could say âride for 10 mins at 95-99% FTPâ instead of doing calculations and spitting out numbers that are kinda hard to remember on the fly.
I love the idea of being able to toggle between watts/power number or %FTP depending on what youâd prefer. Fantastic idea.
Iâve lost count of the amount of times Iâve been using trainer road and riding an interval at something like â195 wattsâ only to pull out my phone while pedaling, open the calculator app, and enter â195 divided by 242â to work out what the actual %FTP is. Because I find it super helpful to know. I really enjoying knowing if my recovery intervals are 50% of FTP or something lower/higher - and depending on my (fatigued!) ability to do maths on the spot, I canât often figure it out without using an app.
Thanks for posting the feature request!
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