In the next week or two I will be doing a CP 30 test. I will be testing on a Computrainer and I will also have my PowerTap on my bike.
The plan will be to do a 15 minute warm up and the do the 30 minute test. In the past when the 30 minute test begins I go all out right out of the gate and then just hang on for what I am worth until the end. So the watts start high and there is this gradual decline.
I would like to see what others approach to this test are for the 30 minutes, I want to put out the highest average watts possible, I am just not sure what the best way to go about doing that is?
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!!!
Didn’t you do this not too long ago and get an average of 320W or something? I would start at 320W for the first 15minutes then go from there.
Minutes Heart Rate Average Watts 0 131 0 1 157 359 2 159 357 3 162 357 4 164 357 5 164 355 6 165 353 7 165 350 8 166 348 9 164 343 10 163 343 11 165 341 12 164 338 13 165 336 14 162 334 15 161 332 16 166 331 17 167 331 18 168 330 19 168 329 20 165 327 21 168 327 22 167 327 23 168 327 24 168 326 25 169 326 26 170 326 27 171 326 28 172 326 29 172 326 30 172 326
326 for 30minute. This is not brain surgery, start around 325W so you don’t start out too hard like before then try to pick it up halfway through if you can.
Yes, last time I averaged 326 watts for 30 minutes.
I just did not know if most people felt like after 15 minutes at 99-100% of their previous test if they could “pick it up a notch”.
Please tell me you weigh over 200lbs!
Yeah, I am a big guy.
I am about 205.
Will say the first time I did that test in March/April of 2008 I did 297 watts
The 326 was done back in Jan. and I have a little over 2,500 miles of cycling so far this year.
I am hoping/shooting for 350ish, but we will see what happens.
try a negative split. 20 @ 325 then crush it with what you’ve got left
Just a thought that 15 minutes is on the shorter side of a good warmup, at least for me. I would think about a longer warmup and then start out near the wattage from your last test, especially since you think you are stronger now. Then as you get into the ride you can increase if you think appropriate.
Coggan suggests a deep warmup followed by 5 minutes at a very high intensity, followed by 15-20 minutes of easy pedaling followed by the test.
When doing my own CP30 test, I did this and then I did the first 4 minutes of the test at 10-15W lower than my target, then I ramped my power up to my OBLA HR and then held on for dear life.
I knew I did it correctly because I had nothing left in the last 5 minutes to hammer it, yet I didn’t drop off. In that regard, my test was “successful” because I didn’t drop off. Did that strategy yield the highest average power? I have no idea, but I felt like I executed the test the best that I could.
I could never do an all out CP30 test on a computrainer. The RPE on a computrainer would make the pain at threshold heart rate more than I could stand. I found a nice stretch of flattish road which happened to have few cars and be into the wind so I could have something to push against and which allowed me to stay aero the whole time.
Jeff
I am going to go with something like that.
I am going to start at 325 watts for the first 5 minutes or so and then try to up my output.
I am going to extend the warm-up to 20 minutes to make sure I am good and ready before I start the test.
I don’t think I could handle the 15-20 minutes of easy pedaling and then test, I will have probably 5 minutes or so of easy pedaling after the warm up and then I will go.
The one thing about this test is if you push hard, after 25 minutes it’s hard to have much left and every time I have ever done it I am just hanging on at the end.
5 minutes? You do remember you only averaged 1 more W for the entire test so to do 25 minutes at a higher output does not seem very feasible unless you are much more rested or something. 15-20m @ 325W is not going to hurt your overall power and will keep you from blowing up and ruining the test
I like to add 4 X 1 min at FTP followed by 1 min of 50% FTP towards the end of my warmup. My legs feel like they’re ready to work.
4 X 1’ 100% / 1 min 50% then a couple mins of spinning and hit it.