3 lap challenege and FTP

birdy247

Would the 3 lap challenge be a good indication of FTP, or would the results be a bit skewed due to the few small hills. I am particularly looking at my HR FTP.

jibberjim

There's almost no-way you can maintain your HR at threshold lapping RP.

Most people who lap RP with power meters seem to have a VI of around 1.05, which is a little high to be an indicator of FTP. But testing is really about consistency of measurement, so it's a useful test if nothing else.

birdy247

jibberjim wrote:

There's almost no-way you can maintain your HR at threshold lapping RP.

Most people who lap RP with power meters seem to have a VI of around 1.05, which is a little high to be an indicator of FTP. But testing is really about consistency of measurement, so it's a useful test if nothing else.

Sorry if I am miss understanding, but when you say you cant hold HR at threshold, do you mean you cant get it high enough or keep it low enough?

If when doing this my average HR is 163, would you suggest a slightly lower HR for my FTP?

Also, what is VI?

Thanks

jibberjim

birdy247 wrote:

Sorry if I am miss understanding, but when you say you cant hold HR at threshold, do you mean you cant get it high enough or keep it low enough?

You can't hold it there, since the downhills and stops are such that you cannot maintain the effort.

You won't be able to get a threshold HR at all from the average of the test, you could look at what your HR is during the effort phases if you record via a garmin etc.