I'd love it if the free rides did away with the arbitrary 10min intervals and let the user trigger their own intervals by tapping the space bar on the keyboard.

Agree. The NP is only calculated for 10 min increments on the even number only, so it is quite limited that way. A 'lap' button feature would be awesome! Nate?

We want people to use our new workout creator to create workouts with the appropriate intervals.

We don't want any interaction with the computer while you workout. That's our thinking.

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

Is anyone using a Jet Black Z1 trainer with trainer road? Opinions/thoughts? Currently trying to save for a road machine - but found a Jet Black for dirt cheap.

Good stuff, and a great value. I did my first workout today.

Since I have years of info on Garmin Connect, I'm going to keep logging info with my Garmin and upload to their servers. Is there a way for my Garmin 910 to record the VirtualPower while using TR software, so I can have the estimated power numbers on both trainerroad.com and garmin.com?


A few of the multi-week plans have credits to there creators(E3 Training Solutions and TrainingBible.com). Just curious where if the other plans were created in house, or if they were pulled from various places.

You can download tcx files of your workout with the virtual power data in it after your workout is over. That way you can get VirtualPower into Garmin Connect. We don't have a way for the 910xt to record virtualpower though.


The E3 plans were created by Jorge Martinez for TrainerRoad. The other time crunched plan is just based on a Friel blog post, and we link to his post.

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

I was thinking of uploading the workout file to Garmin Connect while in the shower, but completely forgot by the time I got to my computer to post the question. Makes me wonder how many other good ideas have been forgotten.

Thanks!

Nate, I do have a CycleOps Fluid trainer that's black (perhaps manufactured in 2004). Is that still considered the '16.- (Beta) CycleOps Fluid 2' or that particular Beta power curve applies to subsequent (more recent) models (think they turned it grey with yellow later? thanks

I'm not really sure. You could e-mail us at support@trainerroad.com? My partner handles all of the trainers. He might know.

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

thanks for your quick reply Nate... i recently tried it but number seemed way low...

forgot to say i read your comments about why the trainer-based power numbers tend to be low... and that's why i started thinking perhaps this black-cycleops-fluid is not really your Beta model...

Yah, they might have changed their resistance unit so you might not even be close :).

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

The workout creator is a nice feature but I'm not really interested in spending time programming something that I already have in my head and then have no flexibility to change it on the fly. Even something as simple as the warm-up can vary depending on how I'm feeling that day. Not requiring any interaction with the computer is fine, that probably works for a lot of people but there are others who would appreciate the flexibility when using the free ride workouts.

That's just my input. I've been a customer for about a year now and if I could mark my own intervals I'd be pretty darn satisfied. It's actually the only reason I'm exploring other options now that TR isn't the only game in town.

Have you thought about just using a Garmin and hitting lap when you want? That might solve it, unless you're using VP.

I think if we outputted VP via ant+ power that might help too.

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

I have been using TR since it was in Beta... so I think I'm qualified to speak on this as well :)

I agree with Nate 100%. The beauty of TR is fact that there is no need to interact with the computer during the ride. Now that the workout creator is in use you can create whatever you want and save for use anytime. The fact that the creator is based on % FTP is also genius as the actual watts will surely change as your FTP increases.


I have created multiple workouts...with intervals of differing lengths and intensities. I know my plan prior to getting on the bike. I change my interval intensity on the fly using the + button the CT. I can't change the duration... but I don't really see a need to during my workouts.

If the poster above wants to mark intervals on the fly... why even use TR or any other software? Just get on your bike.... look at your head unit... and then mark your intervals using the head unit.

Someone wanting to sell as much software as possible might want to think carefully about that question indeed!

Good answers would sell more software.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

+1 to that request.

Many times after a hard run in the morning, an easy effort on the bike during my lunch break helps the legs feel better. Using the Garmin alone is enough, but if VP was available, I'd collect the data.

This sounds kind of flippant, but it's not about selling the most software possible, but making the best software.

I'm not opposed to letting someone push "L" during their free rides to start laps, I just want to make sure I understand fully.

Is it for post ride analysis? Does software suck to auto detect intervals? Is it hard to mark that as an interval post ride? Has Garmin solved the problem already? Is it a good candidate for an iPad/iPhone app?

All of these things go through my head and I wonder what's the best way to solve the problem. First though, I try to understand what the real problem is.

Although sometimes, guys just want a lap button :).

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

We've been meaning to do that. My partner codes the ANT+ stuff so when you see him bug him :).

I'll bug him too. :)

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

The other way in which we are going to solve this is auto push to major sites. The back end is done for this, we just need to code the UI. That way you wouldn't even need the Garmin, the ride would automatically land in your history on your favorite sites.

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

To expound on my thoughts: we are currently using trainerroad at home right now because my wife has to be pretty much indoors only for a few months starting about now.

Normally if we have a structured workout we just have it memorized in our heads, and do it by hitting the new interval button on our little yellow computer and holding the watts. She is a little worse at memorizing the target #s than I am, so for her trainerroad is more of a win than for me.

For me, and quite a few other people, who know our workouts in our head, and might sometimes adjust the power goals or rest periods on the fly based on how we feel, all trainerroad is doing for us is putting the head unit data on the tv. Which is nice, but not something we would ever subscribe to.

So, is there a mode for us that would be better? A few features added to the free ride concept might go a long way for us. Perhaps entirely new features that little head units can't do that would be fun for the 'advanced' user?

I'll be thinking on this as we play with it over the next few weeks and let you know!

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

[quote Nate PearsonI'm not opposed to letting someone push "L" during their free rides to start laps, I just want to make sure I understand fully.[/quote]
Space is better than "L". Closer to the user, less precision needed to hit it.

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The point is, ladies and gentleman, that speed, for lack of a better word, is good. Speed is right, Speed works. Speed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

Space is already used to pause/play a workout.

That's so you can hit it and jump on your bike if you don't have a cadence sensor (so that it auto starts/pause).

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

Hi Nate,
Maybe workout creator will solve the problem for me. I want to be able to look back and see what my NP averages were for certain efforts for varying time durations.
I currently do this using free ride, but with free ride it only looks at NP at 10 min blocks at 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, etc, on the even number. So anything longer or shorter than 10 min on the even number, the NP won't reflect my interval.
2 examples:
I may want to do a 15 min warm up, then do 5-7 x 30 sec-1min hard efforts with 1 min ez between, with a main set of 3 x (8 min at FTP followed by 4 min easy).
Another example is 4 x 15 min at SST, etc, and I want to know my NP for each effort.

I've been a paid subsciber to trainer road since Beta version but I don't see 'workout creator'. How/where do I find it?
Thanks.
Marty

Yah, that should fix it for you.

It's at the bottom of this page: http://www.trainerroad.com/install

It's currently in beta, and we should have another release shortly. It still works well though :). We've had around 3000+ custom workouts made so far. Many more than that completed.

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