+1 for setting

Yes and Yes

Yes, we can control the Kickr SNAP via your quarq. You could also put in a constant offset against your trainer if you'd like.

GPS has been on our list for a while. We're about halfway done with our desktop revamp. Once that's done we'll be able to crank out more feature like riding GPS courses.

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CEO at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

Okay, great! I'll put it on the list of things to add. We'll probably make this a setting on the actual trainer.

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CEO at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

So, i've got two questions....Nate/Chad probably don't need to answer them, everyone else can.

1) Can you upload/save incomplete workouts to your 'career'? Mary Austin tossed me around with ease this AM.....

2) Is it normal for someone who is JUST starting to use any type of power measurements to have some fluctuations? I end up moving on the saddle, power goes down. I adjust my 'boys' and have to stop peddling for 1/2 second, power goes down. I try to get a read on the correct cadence/gearing for a set, and my numbers are off. I sense this is very normal at first and will work itself out, but just want to be sure.

Thanks, and Happy July 4!

On the PC version that little circle with an arrow that comes up next to the play/pause button will save a partial workout.

related slightly if you stop a workout and want to pickup where you left off you can click on the screen and the yellow progress bar will move to that point, you can then start a workout from there. I had some PC issues the first month I was using it and a few times had to reboot, so i would just pause the first workout, save it, reboot and then restart the second workout at the point I left off.


If you don't want to see the drastic power fluctuations you can change the reading to say a 3sec avg, that should smooth it out a bit. You will still see a drop in the situations you mentioned it just might not go to 0. Personally I like the instant power the slow response of 3sec avg annoys me both in trainer road and outside on my Garmin, others love it so just personal preference there. What you are seeing is normal though, stop pedaling and power goes down doesn't matter your experience.

Thanks, A LOT. I was tempted to click that 'circle', but was worried that the workout would restart....and that wasn't something I was interested in.

The instant power vs 3 sec ave....I'll try the 3sec option. For me, I hate seeing such a massive drop; kind of deflating. So, if I have to play some jedi-mind tricks on myself to feel like the workout was successful, I'm going to do it and see how I like it.

Two new questions:
1) Is "Volunteer" similar to a recovery workout? I had my long run this AM, and wouldn't mind an easy spin to loosen up the legs. It LOOKS like it could be used as recovery....just want to be sure.

2) Is it THAT big of a deal if I switch the Saturday/Sunday rides? I need my long ride to be Saturdays, the other to be Sunday.

Thanks.

Another +1 for a setting. I really notice the early ramp up/ramp down of the power on my Computrainer.

Just to further complicate things, I don't particularly mind the power starting to ramp up early so that I'm at the target power at the beginning of an interval but it bugs me that it starts to ramp down early thereby shortening the interval by a few seconds. So *I'd* love to see a setting where the early ramping only occurs when the required power is going to go up but waits until the current interval reaches 0 remaining time if the power is going to go down. Perhaps as two separate settings such as:

Interval start time lead-in: XX seconds (user could set to "2")
Interval end time lead-in: XX seconds (user could set to "0")

But I fully admit that this is more than likely too complicated and is most certainly not that user-friendly.

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"I eased off a bit. It never feels like you are easing off. More like you just stake out your place in the pain cave and sit there rather than venturing deeper inside..." -- Rappstar

1) yes it can

2) Not a big deal at all and totally OK.

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CEO at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

Thanks, this is good feedback too.

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CEO at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

Sorry, another question. Hope some others have an answer on this. I use RunningAhead as my training log (probably should change this), and I can upload the tcx files to RA from TR. But no power data (virtual power) comes over in the transfer.

Anyone using RA have a solution to getting all this data into their system?

This is probably has to do with how RA reads files.

TCX doesn't actually have a place for watts. We have to add an extension namespace to XML so it can be read in. Some smaller sites didn't handle it correctly when we first launched.

I'm going to have my support team contact RA with a TCX on it and see if we can work with them to get power read in.

Thanks for reporting this! :)

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CEO at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

My FTP has been stagnant for the longest time. I can't seem to break the 300w threshold.

I'm doing (loosely following) the oly-mid volume plan, but damn. How in the hell do you expect someone to complete "wilhelm"? I did the 5x5'@108% one week, hit my targets. I did the 6x5@108% the next, was really tough. How in the world could someone do 7x5@108%? Maybe I'm sore from running. or maybe I'm just weak. hah. Jeeze.

I'm on a 2/1 build/rest cycle instead of your prescribed 3/1 build/rest. This is week 4 and while it's your rest, it's a build for me so I went back to try red lake. I hit my first two intervals fine, the third was tough, but I managed. The fourth got harder and by the fifth I was down 20watts... Should I keep pushing forward and just go as hard as I can to try and hit the numbers?

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Try logging out of the app and logging in again. That worked for me.

I have found the real issue is when doing short high power reps. EG 30secs on 30secs off at @150%. Or hard starts at 150% for 1 min then settling into 100% for 5mins. For me 150% is 480W. The power just never gets there in time to meet the aim of the efforts. Usually ending up 100w lower than target. I find it at it most problematic under1 min. The slower ramp is not at all an issue when doing longer reps like 5/10/15/20mins.

So even with it starting the ramp early it is not really explosive. I understand there is a fine line, because if it comes on instantaneously it is pretty unrideable. But perhaps some trial and error in the Trainer Road shed could help resolve this for shorter intervals.

Of course this should not really be a problem if training for triathlon where longer reps are usually prescribed.

What kind of trainer do you have? Is it a power beam pro? Those can take a long time to change the power. Something like a Kickr should lock you in pretty quickly.

This is another example of why we should have a setting to adjust the time. You want the intensity to come in even EARLIER than what J_R is asking for. Maybe we could have an "advanced settings" area that people could open with some of this knobs to turn.

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CEO at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

If you can rule out the possibility of being too far overreached, you're very likely dealing with something close to my heart which is the matter of riders who have either a very accurately assessed FTP or an FTP that falls at a high percentage of their power at VO2max; possibly both.

It's not entirely necessary for us to understand which reason or combination of reasons are making these 105-108% intervals so difficult for you (and riders like us), but you fall in with that subset of riders who are really pushing the boundaries of their fitness and because of this, intervals that are only reasonably challenging for others are supremely challenging for you.

And since the objective with most suprathreshold interval workouts is to find that balance between high yet sustainable (and repeatable) power, minimal necessary recovery time & productively achievable workloads, you probably need a slight reduction in the interval intensity. Often enough, a 2-3% reduction makes these workouts fall more in line with the 3 objectives I just listed and it does this without compromising the value or intended effect of the workout(s).

Nutshell: reduce the watts a little and complete all of the intervals...well. This is necessary not only for the physiological component, but arguably more importantly, the psychological one because not too many riders will subject themselves to painful disappointment and keep coming back for more of it!

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Head Coach at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

Thanks for the response! In theory it makes sense. My FTP is "officially" 296, but my race results would certainly back that up -- holding ~300w for sprint splits.

Would there be a benefit to stepping away from my focus on the VO2max intervals like I have been and focus more on base or maybe sprints? My sprint power is absolutely awful, but I'm okay with it as I'm not a bike racer (for now). Or would the best way to continue to grow my power is what you suggested?

Thanks again.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Really good question. My experience has been pretty predictable (both with my own training as well as that of riders I've coached) in that when FTP starts to level out, it's time to hit the VO2max work again, depending on where you are in your season of course, i.e. probably not during your base conditioning.

One of the best ways I've seen it illustrated is that your power at VO2max is the "roof" of your fitness, your FTP is the "ceiling" below it making the "attic" the margin between the two. When you've pushed your FTP/ceiling as close to your VO2max/roof as you can get and minimized your attic space, the only way to elevate FTP further is to first create more space by raising your VO2max/roof and then returning to some muscle endurance work to lift your FTP a bit more, though probably only marginally if you are, in fact, nearing your fitness potential.

Sounds tidy, but it's actually really effective for riders who are pushing really close to their genetic & trainable potentials which sounds like it might be your situation. I'm pretty sure sprint training isn't going to be very useful if you're not planning to exploit that anaerobic power in racing, but might very well benefit from some VO2max training with a temporary reduction in/hiatus from the more draining muscle endurance work like those 105-108% jobbers.

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Head Coach at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

Okay so barring the idea that I'm overreaching/overtrained, how should I approach these next few weeks before AG Nationals (August 8th)? Basically I've been doing the VO2 max sessions Wed/Friday with an occasional easy ride Saturday and 3.5 hours in Z2 on Sundays w/ 3x20' at 85% thrown in. I don't feel overtrained, but I certainly don't feel great.

Thanks for all your input -- it's huge to a self-coached person like myself.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

With only 4 weeks to go and considering that one of them is best dedicated to tapering, I'm not sure I'd recommend revisiting VO2max work right now but instead waiting until after Nationals (assuming that's not the end of your season) to shift your focus.

Just dial back the intensity of the workouts that are burying you and/or consider integrating a bit more rest between your more demanding workouts such that each of those harder workouts maintains most of its quality.

You might also find you can last out the intervals if you redesign them with longer recoveries between intervals - forgot to mention this earlier. Alternatively, you can just pause the workout for a couple minutes during the recovery valleys and see how each subsequent interval goes, might surprise yourself. ;)

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Head Coach at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

Hi. I have a Cycle ops 400 stationary bike.

That has the same resistance unit as the power beam pro. It takes FOREVER to change. I wish we could make it go faster :(.

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CEO at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

No worries. It works well for longer efforts (over 2mins). I prefer a dedicated stationary bike to a direct drive mounted bike.

Edit: Do you know if their latest version of stationary bike responds better?