Its hard to say you can maybe achieve slightly a higher FTP outdoors if it was completely smooth, perfect pacing etc but I think you can confidently say you can achieve circa 235w for at least 50 mins. Nice Ride
Taking another angle on that data, there are two times when it looks like you clearly sustained power above threshold: about 40 minutes in for a minute or two, and then the final effort of a couple of minutes. In both cases, your HR went significantly higher than the general level of the effort, so for example the middle part when power was very steady at like 235ish W, your HR leveled off well and stayed more or less the same. Then when you went above that, HR immediately spiked in those couple of instances.
So to me, you’ve got a threshold or slightly sub-threshold effort there in the middle from probably 15-35 minutes, then a couple of clear suprathreshold efforts more toward the end. Generally though I would agree FTP is in the neighborhood of 235W here, without looking at anything else.
This. I’d say your AI FTP is close enough for training. Especially if your training plan has a good feedback loop (adjusts if workouts are too easy or too hard).
So just to revisit this, I went back to Sa Calobra 5 months later and knocked just over 3 mins off with a 252w average for 47:47.
(After 8 consecutive, reasonably hard days on the bike, may I add)
Also did a new 20 min max power of 263w.
Either way, I’m sure that puts my ftp somewhere around the 250w mark?
Chuffed with making progress. My question is, do I wait a couple of weeks for AI FTP update or should I consider upping my ftp for workouts now? It’s currently 241w
If you think your FTP is 250, adjust it. Don’t let some black box algorithm dictate it to you. Real world experience is WAY more valuable.
That said, two other points stand:
- FTP is sometimes lower on the trainer for various reasons.
- Being too low is better than being too high.
Good effort but outdoors power is generally easier to obtain as is uphill and up it you risk burn out inside without that hill resistance I’d stick with your 241w its not far off.
I rarely train on the trainer during the summer if I’m honest, should that influence my decision?
My next three weeks of training will in fact be done on the hills of Mallorca.
Its really up to you. If you really want to try 250w do it, but just be vary for indoors it might be too high. For me the summer’s over unfortunately and its more indoors and I’d err on the side of caution. The occasional time I do get a decent hill I have a circa 10-20w figure above FTP in my head but I leave the FTP alone.
250 is fine if you’ve done it outdoors. If you do train inside, and it feels too hard, back it off. It’s not that big of a deal, my friend.
I think it would be a smart move for TR to stop calling it FTP and rename it something like “Baseline Power.” The fact is that, despite popular misconception, is not your hour power. Also, outside of a lab, measuring your breath & blood, you really don’t have any idea what your FTP is. The value we get from a ramp test, a 20 min test, or the AI detection is probably close to our FTPs, but that’s mostly irrelevant. What’s important is that it sets a baseline for our training workouts, and that this value (along with our PLs and the subjective & objective feedback from previous workouts) lets the AI select workouts that are best suited to progress in our training plans. Perhaps if TR stopped calling it “FTP” and started calling it “baseline power” (or somesuch), we focus on how well it works to plan our workouts, and less on whether or not it matches our theoretical FTP or hour power.
What do you think, @Nate_Pearson?
Also have to ask if there is a different power source on the trainer vs outside.
As a marketing and business exercise, this would be a disaster.
FTP is something to anchor your training, not an exercise in scientific precision. That’s it. Every time I see a thread about it I know the board is about to get wrapped around the axle.
Sorry @Power13 … I took the bait
Thanks all.
I’m less than a year into my structured journey, so still figuring out what’s important and what is not.
It makes total sense that there isn’t a huge difference between them and I can try and adjust.
I guess part of me is just keen to see that increase as that’s been my key measure of progress and 250 was somewhat of a goal.
Fwiw, my pm and trainer power figures are almost identical.
It’s always great to reach your goal - congratulation! If I have to say, your FTP is 250W. But, like many comments pointed out, there is no harm in training a litttle bit lower due the daily variability or even things like motivation - that’s why I also prefer to setting up my FTP a tad lower, not every day is Sa Colobra day, sometimes is plain, boring 4x15 after 10h of work
But in your effort clearly indicated that you can save 250W in your mind as your FTP when it comes power you can hold in your goals/racing days.