DFW_Tri wrote:
But it would also help to hear from the creator as to why they think it is accurate.
I can answer that :-D.
We're really lucky now that we're at a large enough scale that we can test things with our users fairly quickly.
With our new Ramp Test we've ran through 900 riders so far. We've got a FB group called "TrainerRoad Beta Group" where people are responding to the test.
Anecdotally, the response has been hugely positive (and you can read people's responses in that group). The goal is to put them at the right training levels as they start a TrainerRoad plan.
People usually fall into the following buckets:
1) This test is bang on what either my 8/20 minute test results were or where I've self adjusted to
This is the vast majority of riders
2) This test produced an FTP higher than what I'm training at...this can't be right...this test overestimates....oh wait, I just did 90 minutes of over unders at this new FTP...boy that was hard...okay so this is what real training feels like?...okay so this test is good.
I really like these responses because I think these people didn't pace well during the 8/20 minute tests and they've entered a whole new level of HTFU.
3) Your test underestimated my FTP. I've been training at X FTP and I know that's my FTP.
I've looked at each one of these people's workouts personally. So far every single one of them who trains at their "higher" FTP either turns down every workout or can't make it through 10 minutes of sweet spot without two back pedal breaks. I suspect in this situation it's a bit EGO of wanting that higher FTP (I've been there too!).
4) I did 90 minutes of sweet spot training at 8pm with my new FTP and it felt great. Then I woke up at 5am, didn't eat breakfast and tried to do 90 minutes over unders and I couldn't make it past 45 minutes. Is my FTP too high?
This is a general bucket of external stressors, workout spacing and nutrition. If you're on a keto diet anything glycolytic is going to hurt more than normal. If you try to do highly glycolytic workouts with low glycogen stores it's going to hurt. If you put two harder workouts close together it's going to hurt. If you're up with a sick kid half the night your next workout will be much more difficult than if you didn't. This makes me think that we can improve education to inform riders how to set themselves up for success on every workout.
For the data side of it we're seeing if we can quantify the improvement. There are many external variables so it might be hard but we're going to do our best to do that.
If you have any other questions let me know.
CEO at TrainerRoad Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast