Ramp test was not what I was expecting

Training
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Hello all. I am new to TR and have a quick question.

Should I be using the erg mode or trainer resistance mode on the Cyclops H2?

I just took my first ramp test and expected it to much harder aerobically than it was and am wondering if maybe I did something wrong. First off I am using a H2 trainer in erg mode and did the test in 50 x 16.
What I experienced at the end of the test was being unable to turn the cranks because of my lack of leg strength and not because of my aerobic capacity. I do know that my cadence went from 95 to just about 70 towards the end. I was just starting to breath hard and my heart rate was at 185(max is 194). I guess I was expecting it to be more like a VO2 workout were I feel spent and get close to my max heart rate. With all the texts about how much I was going to suffer, I just thought maybe I have a setting wrong or maybe need to put more effort into keeping the cadence higher, which I think may have been my problem. I don’t know…your thoughts please.
Having said all that…my FTP 235 came in just a little lower than the FTP 240w I got from doing a 20m test a week ago.

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ERG mode is what I believe is recommended as well as what most people use when doing the TR Ramp test

This sounds about right. Failure is usually quite sudden w/the inability to turn the cranks over. Your HR was ~95% max. I would say that is quite high. Maybe it could have been higher, but HR is influenced by a lot of things (time of day, sleep, caffeine, fatigue, sickness, etc…)

Sounds like 235-240W is about right. Pick one and start your plan or workouts. If it seems too high or too low, give it a nudge +/-5W. Remember, FTP is just a number to help you set the appropriate target wattages for your workouts. The number only has meaning to you.:smiley:

4 Likes
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Very good. I definitely would rather do this test than the 20 minute or hour test. Thank you very much.