In what seems like an admission that the 4DP test just isn’t a realistic test for most riders to perform, sufferfest have introduced a new ramp test. They claim that it is special and different to the ramp tests used by other training software providers, but there’s only so much special that you can do with a ramp test.
The way I see it, FTP / fitness tests of whatever method don’t have to be perfect, they just have to be good enough. It’s more important that they can be done regularly than it is that they give the most perfect numbers - they are setting a baseline which can then be tweaked if necessary. The 4DP test, although it definitely has its strengths, is simply not realistic for most riders to regularly repeat. This feels like sufferfest are backtracking to a more realistic, more repeatable position, even if it is one that might not give quite as good data (in their view).
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6 posts were merged into an existing topic: Sufferfest new FTP test - is it new cycling standard?