The official TrainerRoad thread

dubcat

I want to follow the time crunched cyclist training plan. I understand this is available on Trainerroad. Does this mean I do not need to bother to buy the book?

t.m.h.n.e.t

Dubcat wrote:

I want to follow the time crunched cyclist training plan. I understand this is available on Trainerroad. Does this mean I do not need to bother to buy the book?

Yep the workouts explain themselves pretty well.

Garryboy

Been using trainer road for a while now, although mainly just using it to make Sufferfest vids more 'enjoyable' (!)
http://www.trainerroad.com/career/garryboy11

Decided to start the intermediate build plan today, starting with the lovely 8 min test:
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/85733

Bit dissapointing as has suggested my FTP down a little (was 171 now 165), but if I'm being honest it's about right as I was doing a lot of the sufferfest vids at 90% intensity.

I found pacing for the test hard, but expect that will improve with practice.

I'm also bad at tinkering with my set up so consistency is tricky, although I now have dedicated (new but cheap) rear wheel. Gears need adjusted as I did have some ghost shifting particulalry during the clearing efforts (that's my excuse!).

Anyway, finding it great fun so far..

Would be interesting to see a joint venture between TR and Strava - strava is great for outdoors but naff for recording indoor sessions and TR is vice versa....be good to have one place to see all your efforts...

dw300

Garryboy wrote:

Anyway, finding it great fun so far..

Would be interesting to see a joint venture between TR and Strava - strava is great for outdoors but naff for recording indoor sessions and TR is vice versa....be good to have one place to see all your efforts...

I just hit the download button at the top right of the ride details page, and upload that to Strava. Means I have a ballpark figure for my total training time and mileage overall. It also uploads the power data from TR, so you have it in the performance tab.

jgsi

ChrisSA wrote:

JGSI wrote:

Has anyone flipped for workouts between FTP and LTHR?
Does it cause any issues?
There are times when I cant use virtual power and want to have a workout logged whilst wearing my Garmin HR.

I have a PowerCal - a pseudo PM in an HR strap, works with Garmin. I use virtual power on TR but also capture everything on the Garmin for analysis in TrainingPeaks. With this if I travel with work I can do a similar workout in the same zones reported by the PowerCal.

For steady state (FTP, longer intervals) the repeatability is good. For low power warmup or RI, then it's shite.

Cheers for that.
I shall stick with my garmin Hr for the mo as I just want to be able to keep logging workouts to achieve the correct weekly TSS and have some 'ballpark' zones to work in.

dubcat

Desperate to try my Trainerroad setup for the first time but legs are absolutely shot after a long (for me) ride on Sat and a long (for me) run on Sun. Today is my rest day.

FTP test will have to wait until tomorrow.. Can't WAIT! I am sure I will be well short of the average but the only way is up!

markp80

dw300 wrote:

I did this workout today guys .. just experimenting with something different .. Peavine

I did the workout near midnight, wanted something about an hour long, but not too intense or with high TSS, as i may well be out on the road tomorrow. So I used the TrainerRoad Rides page to filter the rides .. I do this pretty much every time actually.

Anyway, the workout is basically 3 sets of 3x3mins. The first interval of the set in done at 70-80rpm, the 2nd at 60-70, and the 3rd at 50-60 .. with the target power going up in each. I ended up in 50*17 for the 1st interval, 50*14 for the 2nd, and 50*12 (my top gear) for the 3rd. It designed to test your muscles and connective tissues.

There's also a one legged bit just after the warm up which I feel my entry level road bike doesn't help me with much due to its cheap rear hub .. I've got a big neutral bit at the top of each stroke .. there was a lot of clunking! I also felt like I tweaked my right hamstring a little doing this with a low cadence and big resistance, so perform with care. It's fine now though. Also, there are instructions in this workout.

One thing this workout did give me when I was turning the big gear was that I found a great TT position, sat right on the rivet, elbows on the bars, as you can see from the final interval of the final set I got plenty more power with not that much more perceived effort. Working out on a trainer is a great opportunity to experiment, i think that's why I like it so much. Now I need to get some clip on bars so I can take it out on the road.

That's an interesting looking workout, and it looked as if you still had plenty left in the tank at the end.

Did another today .. Mono

1:30:00 - 24 minutes at FTP. Good for getting a longer ride in, which gives you a manageable amount of time to adjust to a new FTP level. That's my 20th TR ride.

- that one looks like a tough one, but I get the impression all the 90min workouts are. Congrats on ride number 20!

Cheers,
MarkP

markp80

Dubcat wrote:

Desperate to try my Trainerroad setup for the first time but legs are absolutely shot after a long (for me) ride on Sat and a long (for me) run on Sun. Today is my rest day.

FTP test will have to wait until tomorrow.. Can't WAIT! I am sure I will be well short of the average but the only way is up!

- I'd say having a rest day before the test is a good idea, because I found it tough. The important thing is to get that baseline assessment to set the levels for your workouts, and of course to see how much you've improved by when you take subsequent tests. It doesn't matter what anyone else's FTP is (and mine is down there at the bottom).

Cheers,
MarkP

dw300

Dubcat wrote:

Desperate to try my Trainerroad setup for the first time but legs are absolutely shot after a long (for me) ride on Sat and a long (for me) run on Sun. Today is my rest day.

FTP test will have to wait until tomorrow.. Can't WAIT! I am sure I will be well short of the average but the only way is up!

Honestly, I think, it's best to be very well rested for the FTP test, like a couple of days off after an easy ride or two previous to that.

Having said that, the motivation to do your first test should get you through it. And I'd do another in a week or two, when you're more familiar with TR, the test structure, the position on the trainer, and pacing. So go for it tomorrow!

markp80

Tunnabora tonight. Felt good after a couple of rest days.

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/85955

Cheers,
MarkP

twotyred

First turbo session of the autumn tonight and first TrainerRoad session as well. Went OK apart from TrainerRoad not pairing with my speed/cadence sensor but had my Garmin on so got cadence from that and I didn't have to look up all the time plus TrainerRoad got cadence data from the power meter anyway.

Started off with the 20 min FTP test. Pretty brutal even considering it was the first turbo session of the autumn/winter. My legs always take a couple of sessions to get used to the unremitting nature of the turbo. FTP down about 7-8 watts from mid summer which is pretty good considering I've done mostly tempo and sweetspot road sessions for the last couple of months just to keep things ticking over. Now I won't be going out on the road midweek I'll mix up some TrainerRoad threshold and VO2 max sessions through the week and stay mostly in endurance/tempo on the road at the weekend. I'm going to save the sufferfest for bad weather winter weekends Looks like TrainerRoad will be a good way of keeping the turbo sessions interesting with a bit of variety and so far the software is easy to use and working reliably.

dubcat

I did it!!!!! And it all worked - first time!!!!

I finally used my trainerroad setup and did the 20 minute test. Very happy about that. It's all downhill from there though Turns out I am weak. VERY weak I did the test on my Rockhopper MTB on TACX Satori Level 7.

Recommended change: FTP 165 LTHR 152. 165? OMG - I am SO weak I am a RELATIVELY new cyclist so I guess I should not have expected too much. Oh well

I can not go all out on my cycle training as my A-race next year is the Virgin London Marathon and running is my priority. However, I plan to do 2 x time crunched cyclist and a 40-50 mile club ride on the weekend or 3 x time crunched cyclist if i can not get out with the club. I hope in 2 months my FTP goes up.

I love the fact that I can measure myself. This is AWESOME. I've never even been able to see my cadence before and that in itself is bloody fantastic. Very pleased.

Now if you will excuse me I am going to get this throwing up out of the way and then consider when exactly I am going to do my 5 mile run for today!

dubcat

Actually looking at the programs I think Intermediate Build Phase 1 is more realistic to fit around the running which I have only just started. I will do the first two sessions on the trainer and replace the third with an outside club ride.

EssexCyclist

Is anyone using Trainer Road with what I believe to be a CycleOps Fluid (Original or version 1) ? Basically I have a CycleOps Fluid but I purchased this about 10 years ago so am wondering if I could use this with TrainerRoad?

dw300

Dubcat wrote:

I did it!!!!! And it all worked - first time!!!!

I finally used my trainerroad setup and did the 20 minute test. Very happy about that. It's all downhill from there though Turns out I am weak. VERY weak I did the test on my Rockhopper MTB on TACX Satori Level 7.

Recommended change: FTP 165 LTHR 152. 165? OMG - I am SO weak I am a RELATIVELY new cyclist so I guess I should not have expected too much. Oh well

I can not go all out on my cycle training as my A-race next year is the Virgin London Marathon and running is my priority. However, I plan to do 2 x time crunched cyclist and a 40-50 mile club ride on the weekend or 3 x time crunched cyclist if i can not get out with the club. I hope in 2 months my FTP goes up.

I love the fact that I can measure myself. This is AWESOME. I've never even been able to see my cadence before and that in itself is bloody fantastic. Very pleased.

Now if you will excuse me I am going to get this throwing up out of the way and then consider when exactly I am going to do my 5 mile run for today!

You might well have a lower FTP on a MTB than a road bike due to position, and everyone seems to shoot low scores if they've never ridden the test before. Also, the level you used .. is that 7 out of 10, or 7 out of 7, or something else? Did is possibly provide too much resistance to get a good cadence going? I'd say you'll go much better next time you try even if everything was set up right.

EssexCyclist wrote:

Is anyone using Trainer Road with what I believe to be a CycleOps Fluid (Original or version 1) ? Basically I have a CycleOps Fluid but I purchased this about 10 years ago so am wondering if I could use this with TrainerRoad?

I don't think it's in the list .. you can request that they program a power curve for it, for you. http://www.trainerroad.com/virtual-power

dubcat

DW300 thanks for that. I'm definitely going to persevere. Having a number to chase during training really helps me. The level was 7/10. I was able to change gears to get the cadence I wanted - I just felt more comfortable around 80 so chose a gear that I could sustain 80-85 at. If I had gone up a gear I could not sustain that cadence so I knew I was in the right gear.

Definitely looking forward to the next session - just need to decide what plan to follow.

dw300

Did you post a link to your workout?

Just FYI, during my 20min interval of the FTP test my average cadence was 104rpm. I don't think I could last 20 minutes grinding a gear big enough to hit the same power at 85rpm .. my legs would be shot. My average cadence is about 85-90, so I was 15-20 more than that during the test interval.

As far as plans .. I don't really use one of the preset ones as luckily I have more time than they take. I just make sure a get a misture of short intense (1.0+IF), long lower intensity (0.7IF), high cadence - easy gear, and low cadence - hard gear work. Let your body tell you what you're capable of, and choose based on that.

I've also found that cycling 3 successive days then taking a day or two off is helping me a lot. I think that's better in terms of over-reaching yourself than day-on, day off .. although it may not be as good if you're trying to peak for an event as the intensity isn't quite as high .. but it is the off season, so that's not so important right now.

dubcat

I find it hard to spin at a cadence of higher than 90.. really hard. Here is my ride: http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/86157

See anything odd in there?

markp80

Recommended change: FTP 165 LTHR 152. 165? OMG - I am SO weak I am a RELATIVELY new cyclist so I guess I should not have expected too much. Oh well

- OMG, my FTP was 167 and that's on my road bike :oops: :shock:
Ah well.

Actually looking at the programs I think Intermediate Build Phase 1 is more realistic to fit around the running which I have only just started. I will do the first two sessions on the trainer and replace the third with an outside club ride.

- that's what I'm following. It would be a shame for you to miss the third session as that is the 90 min session. I find that a real tough one and felt it actually contributes a lot to the overall progress.

Just FYI, during my 20min interval of the FTP test my average cadence was 104rpm. I don't think I could last 20 minutes grinding a gear big enough to hit the same power at 85rpm .. my legs would be shot. My average cadence is about 85-90, so I was 15-20 more than that during the test interval

- dw, interesting that you class 85rpm as grinding a big gear, because that's a pretty quick cadence for me. I started off with a natural cadence in the low 60s and have gradually been trying to lift it and I reckon my natural is now around 78-82. Much quicker than that and I'm really blowing and I start to lose good form. I presume it's the balance between muscle power and aerobic capacity. I'm trying to work on it though. I found Eclipse a really good workout to experiment with this, as the on-screen instructions encourage you to try different cadences for the different intervals.

Cheers,
MarkP

dubcat

MarkP I don't think being on a mountain bike makes much difference other than the riding position so your 167 and my 165 are pretty similar. Do you think the 90 min session would be harder than a road ride of 40 miles with 1500-2500 feet of climbing? That is roughly what the club ride looks like. I can't do both because i am running 4 days a week and am thinking of increasing this to 5.

markp80

I reckon you should do whichever you fancy to be honest. If you get the chance to go out for a ride with your mates then that must be a better option than sitting on your own on a turbo. Maybe go for the turbo option when it's lashing down?
40 miles would probably take me 2 1/2 hours so it's a lot longer session and probably less intense. I'm no expert but that is probably more suited to your intention of doing a marathon.

Cheers,
MarkP

jgsi

Dubcat wrote:

I find it hard to spin at a cadence of higher than 90.. really hard. Here is my ride: http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/86157

See anything odd in there?

My Sartori is set to resistance 5... I started out with it on 4 back in July
It now gives me as close as it gonna get to a road feeling and I wont need to change it in a hurry.

Just a thought.

dubcat

That is extremely useful info! I never thought of trying to make it feel like a road ride

I figure I will have to spin like a lunatic to get any kind of power at level 5 but I will give it a try.

jgsi

Dubcat wrote:

That is extremely useful info! I never thought of trying to make it feel like a road ride

I figure I will have to spin like a lunatic to get any kind of power at level 5 but I will give it a try.

Yup, at least try it out... and post up your ride annotated with the gearings you have used.

if the power target is set at 220 for example, pick your gear and sustainable cadence for that interval, try and stick at it.
but dont blow up trying to prove a point to yourself!
Here's my 20min test back in July
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/67985
You are actually more stable than I was.

burtie

Well I've made a start http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/85819 the 20 min test was fun. I'll be following the Intermediate Base I program and still getting out on the road 2-3 times a week hopefully.
I've been cycling since may 2011 so I thought my numbers would be higher, but I've lost a lot of training this year with ITB syndrome. Gayley tomorrow.

dw300

Dubcat wrote:

I find it hard to spin at a cadence of higher than 90.. really hard. Here is my ride: http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/86157

See anything odd in there?

I just notice the low cadence and your heart rate. I wouldn't worry about it though. First time I did the test my heart rate peak in the mid 160s .. in subsequent test having gotten used to riding the trainer in 25° heat, I've got used to pushing my heart rate up further. You won't really get near your peak power until you can get you HR and breathing up high. The high cadence helps put the pressure on your CV system. I'd say you've got 200W in you now .. just a matter of finding it.

PS. Did you do it without cycling shorts?!

PPS. As JGSI just said, he's putting out 270W+ on level 5 on that trainer. That could be why you struggle to get the cadence up.

MarkP80 wrote:

Just FYI, during my 20min interval of the FTP test my average cadence was 104rpm. I don't think I could last 20 minutes grinding a gear big enough to hit the same power at 85rpm .. my legs would be shot. My average cadence is about 85-90, so I was 15-20 more than that during the test interval

- dw, interesting that you class 85rpm as grinding a big gear, because that's a pretty quick cadence for me. I started off with a natural cadence in the low 60s and have gradually been trying to lift it and I reckon my natural is now around 78-82. Much quicker than that and I'm really blowing and I start to lose good form. I presume it's the balance between muscle power and aerobic capacity. I'm trying to work on it though. I found Eclipse a really good workout to experiment with this, as the on-screen instructions encourage you to try different cadences for the different intervals.

Cheers,
MarkP

Maybe I mis-spoke a bit there. I'd grind at about 70-75rpm. I just meant that it would be 'a grind' to ride at my FTP in a gear that's a sprocket or 2 bigger than the gear I actually did it in.

dubcat

I did it in cycling shorts. Well, I wore the liner from my mtb shorts. I will wear my bib shorts next time. I'm really intrigued by what you said. I am definitely going to try it at level 5 next time.

dw300

I ventured out on the road today to try a little 10k TT Strava segment that I use to test my progress. Busted my best by 41 seconds! I'm really pretty poor on the flat and in the wind at 150lbs (10st 10lbs), so I'm working at my weak points.

http://app.strava.com/rides/24572447#439312365

You probably can't see all my results, but for anyone interested they are as follows ..

1 David Williamson Oct 10, 2012 20.8mi/h 17:46
2 David Williamson Jul 26, 2012 20.0mi/h 18:27
3 David Williamson Jul 04, 2012 19.4mi/h 19:03
4 David Williamson Jun 20, 2012 19.3mi/h 19:06

Well chuffed! Been using Trainer Road since the start of August if that's of any relevance..

dubcat

Fantastic! Well done! Really encouraging to see the impact TrainerRoad is having for you.

ChrisSA

So here is my 20 minuter from a few weeks back. I'd unlinked the turbo as the source, so didn't have a power trace and did it by RPE. TR re-ran the data for me to get the result.
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/79190

Here's tonight's Monitor sweetspot ride. A very different beast to the TP stuff I've been doing so far.
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/86826