I used to blow through these DVDs no problem when I had a cheap mag trainer. Then I got the KK Road Machine and found myself struggling to turn over the cranks. “It’s like pedalling in hummus!” - JD from Scrubs. Anyway, a lot of us know the Road Machine has a power curve available on their website, which figures that given the rear wheel speed on the trainer it should be a reasonable approximation of power - I even put this in a handy-dandy automatic excel file here!
After several 2x20min tests, I’ve ballparked my FTP at a room-for-improvement 200 - 205 W (if that seems low to you, just remember to use the standard ST-FTP multiplier, I think it’s 1.5 now but I can’t be sure). Given my hale and healthy weight of 120 lbs, this power profile puts me in the “moderate” category, which I’m comfortable with.
I did the FTP tests at a cadence between 80 - 85 rpm, in a 50x17 gearing. But then these spinervals, Coach Troy wants me to do 90 rpm in 50x15 just for a warm up! And the main “endurance” sets aren’t any easier. Again based off the power curve, it probably puts the main set at over 270 W - over 5 W/kg for me.
So now the questions - did I do my math right in order to defend my pathetic bike performance? Am I just weak, and everyone on that DVD is powerful? HTFU? Should I be adjusting the gearing so I’m not blowing up, even if I need to go a whole chainring down? Am I overly concerned with the numbers, and should just shut up and be happy and train?
(actually, I bet I can answer that last one already!)
I’ve got the same trainer and it is so much more difficult to ride than my old one. I also ride with a PT and find that power curve that they supply to be very close to what my PT says.
At 120 lbs you are doing very well for just over 200 watts, that’s about 3.7 w/Kg. That would be like a 200 lb person putting out 330 watts.
I would dissreguard the gear suggested by Coach Troy and keep the cadence like he suggests. Make the effort comfortably hard untill you know exactly what speed and gear you can go with. You will know if you go too hard or easy. Keep training and keep it fun.
Some people like numbers, I’m one of them, do the math if you want but don’t feel that you have to do it. Your body will tell you if you can go harder.
If you can’t push the gears at the cadence he recommends just drop down until you find a gearing that works for you. If you start at 50x15 and it’s too much, drop down to 50x16 and see if you can get it there. If not, drop down again, etc.
Also, I’ve read that the resistance on the KK varies as the fluid heats up. I can’t confirm or deny that myself though.
As far as your power numbers, they are what they are. Based on what I’ve read about varying resistance, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Just keep doing the DVD’s and you’ll get stronger, no question about it.
Thanks for the tips. I’ll definitely do the workouts - I may be in my 34t when he’s shouting big ring, but I’ll be exhausted all the same in the end.
As for the resistance, I agree that it’s pretty consistent throughout. If there’s any difference as the fluid heats up, I can’t really tell.
I have the Kurt Kinetic trainer and do a lot of Spinervals - I think for anything less than about a 19 tooth cog in the back, you need to be about one gear easier than what he says. So instead of Big/15 it’s Big/17. Oddly enough it seems that once he gets to about the 19 tooth cog in the back, it’s about right. If you look at the gear he wants you in and the cadence he wants you in, and then look at your power chart to see where that would put you, you would need to have a room full of Lance clones riding to match those numbers in the lower gears… Great videos though.
Agree with the above. Choose a gearing that makes you work appropriately for the given set.
When the DVD is telling me big chain ring up front and 15 on the back at 90+ RPM, I’m thinking, “Yeah, right.” My PT tells me that I need to push over 400 watts for that.
Yea, it makes sense to just be working based on your own effort. I just find it surprising that the Road Machine is the trainer of choice for Spinervals, but their recommended gears seem to require Herculean strength. I can hear his exact voice in my head sometimes- “Alright, *big *ring on the front, *fifteen *on the back, I want you over 90rpm!” Suuure, maybe on the road…on a downhill…
Your weight isnt that much of a limitation. Im at 119 lbs and have an FTP of 305, while the really big numbers are hard to reach you could probably hit 270 with the right training and show Coach Troy how its done.
