You can certainly do an FTP test with just your trainer and Garmin. Using TrainerRoad, PerfPRO, etc. makes it a little bit easier, but you don't need them. You've got the equipment, you just need to follow the testing protocol. I don't know if you're familiar with that, but here's what I would do in your situation:

1. Pair up your Garmin to read power from your Tacx (you probably have already done this). If you have a heart rate monitor, pair that up, too.

2. Do the test. Start your Garmin. Warm up for about 30 minutes, which would be 10 minutes of easy, a few 1 minute intervals approaching threshold, a 5 minute interval at about 110% of threshold, and 5 minutes of easy. The next 20 minutes should then be pretty much the worst 20 minutes of your life, trying to hold on to around 108% of threshold. Then cool down for 10 minutes and save your file to Garmin connect.

3. In Garmin Connect, you should be able to figure out the highest average wattage for a 20 minute period (it's been a while since I've been in there, so I hope you can do this). That should correspond to the "worst 20 minutes of your life" section you did during the test. This will give you a 20 minute average - that is not your FTP, just your 20 minute power.

4. Take your 20 minute power and multiply that by .95. That's your FTP. Your average heart rate for the 20 minutes will be your lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR).

You might know most of that already, but I hope that helps!

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Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador

I have not paired my Garmin to my Tacx ... didn't know I could. I am so not using my Garmin to it's fullest capacity. Thank you, I'll dig around on the Garmin manual and try to get this paired up.

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Dan Hollingsworth

Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up interest wrinkles the soul." - Douglas MacArthur