For all the peloton riders out there, I’m new and looking for a class where I can listen to the instructor exactly, but also stay in the saddle and push 85% - 110% of FTP the entire time. No intense intervals (150-200% FTP) followed by easy recovery. I’m playing that steady state game.
Thanks
Sell your Peloton on craigslist. Get a proper smart trainer and Trainerroad subscription instead.
Matt Wilpers is my favorite. I’ve done an IM and 2 - 70.3 races and only rode on my bike about 10x’s.
I second Matt Wilpers. Most of his classes are based on power zones so you can get some long steady state workouts with his endurance rides.
Thanks, that’s exactly what I needed.
For all the peloton riders out there, I’m new and looking for a class where I can listen to the instructor exactly, but also stay in the saddle and push 85% - 110% of FTP the entire time. No intense intervals (150-200% FTP) followed by easy recovery. I’m playing that steady state game.
I’ll second those who are saying Matt Wilpers. Christine D’Ercole also has some similarly structured classes. I love the 90 minute ones.
Keep in mind you are free to do anything you want: pick whatever work and recovery zones you wish. I do that a lot too.
Enjoy!
-Eric
I have 13 weeks before my second half iron. Weather is still not the best for biking (which is my weakest sport). I’m primarily a runner. I can complete 13 miles. Did a long grueling 50k over December. Haven’t done much serious training lately. I want to use my peloton to start training for my half. I was encouraged at the positive response to using it for training. I do understand the bike trainer option being better but I want to use the peloton as it motivates me more right now. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
Peloton is a very good option. Power zone workouts can be as hard as you want it to be. Depending on weather, available time, motivation, I combine Peloton with outdoor rides and trainer rides.
There is a 2x20 min PZ workout in June 2019 if you filter and scroll. I use it a lot.
Wilpers, as well as the older Christian Van Der Velde classes.
The other PZ instructors aren’t bad–but for whatever reason, I feel like a better student with those two. More adherence their instruction vs just going off and racing the leaderboard.
Peloton is a very good option. Power zone workouts can be as hard as you want it to be. Depending on weather, available time, motivation, I combine Peloton with outdoor rides and trainer rides.
There are some great Vande Velve and Hincapie sessions. Set the filters to PRO CYCLIST and you will see them all. I’m pretty sure though they have removed all the Hincapie sessions though 
I have been having amazing improvements using the power zones classes. I do mostly power zones endurance workouts that are 30 minutes to an hour long 3-4 times a week. These workouts are usually zone 3 efforts with zone 2 recoveries. Make sure you do the 20 minute FTP test and set up your zones. Just doing this I have had this improvement - in October, off of decent bike fitness, my 20 minute power test was 225 watts. This corresponded to exactly what my test was the last time I did one, which was on a computrainer in about 2005. In January, I managed 267 watts average for 20 minutes. I just took it again last week and averaged 290 watts. I’m sure a lot of people will say ‘Peloton is not for real triathletes’, ‘sell it and get a smart trainer’, ‘it;s not accurate’ etc. etc, but my FTP has gone from 3.16 to 3.88 in 5 months and my heart rates in the different power zones are corresponding. Now I am anxious to see if it translates to racing next month.
Everyone will be different. Everyone will have their own opinion. I’ve been on Trainer Road for what feels like a decade. I bought a Peloton for variation and have also enjoyed it. If I do 4 indoor rides a week, 2 or 3 of them are on the Peloton, one on my trainer. Typically my long ride is on the trainer to achieve time in aero position and test my power. I’ve seen gains.
I haven’t raced using this tactic being I got the Peloton during the covid times but will be interested in seeing the results this year. Part of training is enjoying it.
Because I know I’ll get beat up based off the above… done two full distance races. Went 10:02 in texas a few years ago. You do you.
your 20 min power increase sure is good,
But I’d bet Your FTP hasn’t gone up that much…
your 20 min power increase sure is good,
But I’d bet Your FTP hasn’t gone up that much…
I think it’d be nearly impossible to increase 20 min power without increasing FTP by a similar amount.
I’ve always had much easier time raising my 20 min power than my 60
Rarely do I have enough time / focus to train 60 mins … but when I do I see decent gains
95% of 20 min isnt super accurate for me vs a full hour test.
95% of 20 min isnt super accurate for me vs a full hour test.
I’ve never been able to bring myself to do a full hour FTP test. Mental block. Can’t do it. But of the 5-6 40K TT’s I do per year (I have zero issue racing for an hour) , power correlates pretty well with ramp test, 20 min test, mFTP, etc.
I don’t understand why these days anyone would bother with the awful 60min test. So many easier alternatives. Just use WKO mFTP or similar and call it good. But that’s just me.
But people who still like the standalone full-hour FTP test, power to 'em.
your 20 min power increase sure is good,
But I’d bet Your FTP hasn’t gone up that much…
I think it’d be nearly impossible to increase 20 min power without increasing FTP by a similar amount. Unless it is a mental concentration thing over a 60 min test vs a 20 min test, you are bang on. But assuming one could then 60 min power just a percentage degradation of 20 min power.
for the question from the OP, it really does not matter what type of bike you ride…peloton, gravel, road, spin bike with zero metrics, TT bike etc etc etc. Pedaling is pedaling so as long as you increase your fitness pedaling, it will translate fairly quickly to TT position power. Just keep your hip angle on your peloton set up as closed as on your TT bike and it literally will take not much more than 5-10x rides outdoors in the TT position to get set for racing (at least up to a half IM distance…IM distance is another animal due to the long duration of concentration and digesting fuel)
for the question from the OP, it really does not matter what type of bike you ride…
Yeah, I agree there. I no longer judge. Whatever gets you turning the cranks consistently, that’s good training. If it’s Peloton, go all-in with Peloton.
I train similar to you
But someone who’s doing 20-30 min classes on peloton, probably isn’t seeing equivalent 60 min gains like a person properly training for a 40k TT
.