The official TrainerRoad thread

jotko

fukawitribe wrote:

JGSI wrote:

Can manage back to back today... just going to create scheduling problems with the others to do

Yep - same here. I was winging it, at best, anyway on the scheduling.. i'll try and get a definite ruling with the TrainerRoad/Sufferfest guys before Monday.

I was planning on splitting it up, be good to know if this is allowed.

I am morbidly hungover today after a birthday party yesterday - an hour on the turbo is going to be kill or cure (I am guessing the former).

fukawitribe

jotko wrote:

fukawitribe wrote:

JGSI wrote:

Can manage back to back today... just going to create scheduling problems with the others to do

Yep - same here. I was winging it, at best, anyway on the scheduling.. i'll try and get a definite ruling with the TrainerRoad/Sufferfest guys before Monday.

I was planning on splitting it up, be good to know if this is allowed.

No reply yet - but a little digging around turned up these

http://www.thesufferfest.com/uncategorized/tour-of-sufferlandria-a-look-at-day-3/

From there, things get downright ugly. Forget etiquette, forget being polite, forget letting the heirarchy of the peloton gently take shape. You’re going straight into Fight Club, and no, you can’t take a break and do it sometime later in the day. STRAIGHT INTO FIGHT CLUB

http://www.thesufferfest.com/uncategorized/tour-of-sufferlandria-day-6-preview-the-hardest-day/

And what, exactly is it that is so hard about it? According to course director Grunter Von Agony, it’s simple: “No rest. You get no rest. The race starts. You race like Sufferlandrian Wildebeast chased by Sufferlandrian Raptor chased by Sufferlandrian Minion with very large stick. With nails in it Wrapped in barbed wire. Then you finish. Or are finished. Minion still gets to beat you, though.”

Oh joy...

I am morbidly hungover today after a birthday party yesterday - an hour on the turbo is going to be kill or cure (I am guessing the former).

That truly is suffering - good luck !

CRAIGO5000

Oh for gawds sake. I was the first on the leaderboard to do Extra Shot at 100% FTP this morning so I could take my daughter out for the day and was now just about to go and do Fight Club, and I read this thread thread! C0CKING HELL! This has just ruined it for me.

The instructions haven't been clear from the start (i.e. being allowed to turn down FTP to a percentage which is undisclosed and labelled as "not too much")

By the same standard/comments posted above, you don't race and think, I'll just turn everyone else's efforts down to 85-90% to make it easier for me!?) This makes it all pointless for me to even bother continuing. It's not even clear that if I carry on and do Fight Club tonight whether I'll even be eligible for end of tour prizes?

Maybe this is me spitting my dummy out, but I went in to this with the spirit of doing it all at 100% FTP and with having kids and a full time job, splitting the double session days so getting up at 6am to do one session, COMMUTE 14 miles on my bike to work and then come home and do the other workout in the evening at 100% FTP! (hardly slacking)

Seems a bit double standards in having to do BOTH work outs back to back but you're also allowed to turn down the FTP effort?

I feel like I simply can't be arsed to continue. I've seen my Extra Shot effort on the board so even if I now go out and do them BOTH back to back AGAIN, It probably won't count as my effort from this morning has been uploaded and submitted! The leaderboard has also been amended so I can't even see my effort anymore. :roll:

jgsi

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

Oh for gawds sake. I did Extra Shot at 100% FTP this morning so I could take my daughter out for the day and was about to go and do Fight Club now, and I read this thread! C0CKING HELL!

The instructions haven't been clear from the start (i.e. being allowed to turn down FTP to a percentage which is undisclosed and labelled as "not too much")

By the same standard/comments posted above, you don't race and think, I'll just turn everyone else's efforts down to 85-90% to make it easier for me!?) This makes it all pointless for me to even bother continuing. It's not even clear that if I carry on and do Fight Club tonight whether I'll even be eligible for end of tour prizes?

Maybe this is me spitting my dummy out, but I went in to this with the spirit of doing it all at 100% FTP and with having kids and a full time job, splitting the double session days so getting up at 6am to do one session, COMMUTE 14 miles on my bike to work and then come home and do the other workout in the evening at 100% FTP! (hardly slacking)

Seems a bit double standards in having to do BOTH work outs back to back but you're also allowed to turn down the FTP effort?

I feel like I simply can't be arsed to continue. :roll:

I totally agree.. put your feelings up on the TR Facebook page if you can.

CRAIGO5000

Im going to.

fukawitribe

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

Im going to.

It's completely unclear from the main pages, the page index links on the Sufferfest 'uncatergorized' page (with this stuff on) don't work and the only place i've seen the some help linked is via the Sufferfest Facebook page. I'd drop them a line saying what's happened and asking to get it counted until they sort this out - there are still a number of people asking about how to run these - after all, it is intended as something enjoyable (you know what I mean) rather than strictly regulated... i'd hope they would understand it's a complete lack of communication and let it all count.

Be interesting to see what happens if you do Fight Club on the standing - whether it says complete or not... might be a non-issue (annoying it's so hard to find out for sure).

fukawitribe

fukawitribe wrote:

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

Im going to.

...
Be interesting to see what happens if you do Fight Club on the standing - whether it says complete or not... might be a non-issue (annoying it's so hard to find out for sure).

Just seen a reply from TrainerRoad on their Facebook to a question about this.. as follows

TrainerRoad Both : rides just have to be done that day. They will be done as two separate workouts.

..if that's now correct i'm sorry if i've muddied the waters - I did it in an attempt to stop people being disappointed if their rides weren't counted, and were based on what i'd seen on the Sufferfest and TrainerRoad pages. Still finding this bloody confusing, but apologies if i've screwed up peoples enjoyment of it for, what appears now... maybe, no reason.

CRAIGO5000

Arse. My tour is over it would seem. I'm out due to a technicality.

I was going to re-locate my turbo/fan/laptop/music and associated bits to the garage to make a new pain cave and do the last session of the day.
There isn't any point now. Even If I go against what you really should do with this tour and turn down the FTP to something manageable, I don't want to end up even more pee'd off when I spend a further 90 mins gunning for it only to be told it won't upload as my first effort this morning is blocking it. I also don't want to go out now and do Fight club to be told they haven't been done together. It's not like I could immediately then do Extra Shot as then they wouldn't have been completed in the correct order so now I'm totally screwed over even if I go out now and attempt to save my tour by starting the day over again.

Gutted. Back to boring sessions and music for me then. At least I can go on my cub runs this week. I was putting those aside to concentrate on this ToS.

fukawitribe

Craig,

Looks like you've got your reply from TrainerRoad too - it's OK to post the same day at different times. Apologies for believing what was written elsewhere and causing bad blood.

fukawitribe

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

ars*. My tour is over it would seem. I'm out due to a technicality.

You're still in according to their reply - and have a day and 14-something hours to do Fight Club

CRAIGO5000

Phew! Yes, I've just finished Fight Club and checked the board. It's now stating "Completed" for Stage 3. Cheers for the PM.

Sorry to all if I sounded a little wound up in my previous posts. I realise it's all meant to be taken as a bit of fun and it is - I'm having a lot of fun! I guess I just got a little wound up having put in a fair bit of hard graft already and planning my day today around this challenge for it to potentially not count.

Oh and Fight Club was a slog - I'm starting to feel it now, especially as I'm in the mindset of keeping the FTP at 100% throughout. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold that up, especially when we get the Thursdays double event having also commuted to and from work on the bike.

Is doping allowed?

mattshrops

So whats everybodies plans at the end of the tour then?

I'm going to try to finish saturday, have a complete rest sunday, monday do just 20mins zone 1 turbo. Then tues ftp test(obv providing i feel rested by then) Surely all this overload should have an effect?

After that i'm looking at doing some longer tt style intervals in preparation for the new season.It finally is starting to feel a bit closer now

colinsmith123

Anybody on here use the Elite Qubo Hydromag? I bought this new about a week ago. I have a massive disconnect between what my power output should be and what trainerroad.com is showing.

http://www.trainerroad.com/career/colinsmith123

I wish I was putting out those powers but alas I'm way too old to achieve that kind of power. I'd be more than pleased with a 60 minute 200w FTP at the moment.

I have raised a query ticket with trainerroad but was looking to couch the views of this forum..

Thanks..

Garryboy

I dont have this model, but others that have had same problem solved it by miving their wheel magnet away from rear wheel speed sensor a little. If its too close it can muck up speed/rpm reading. Give it a try!

damov2

I had to pause todays ride because my magnet was to close to speed sensor, so give that a whirl.

Did Ericsson today which was nice and painful as I seem to getting a little pain from the back of knee/bottom of the hamstring area, seems to cure itself if I shuffle forward a little on the saddle.

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/185439

handful

I'm still very new to all this and was wondering if I could trouble one of you guys for some advice. Did the 8 minute test on the weekend and felt that despite my low ftp score I did at the time feel that I had tested myself properly so changed my ftp to the suggested level from the default 200. I decided to do the Base 1 plan and started with gayley this morning on the new lower ftp and found it easier than I was expecting and had some gas in the tank at the end so had a bit of a spurt to finish on.

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/184345

Should I up my ftp level or maybe do the next workout at say 105% or would I be better off doing another test to try and set my ftp at a more realistic level maybe? Or am I missing the point completely and the base plan is designed so that some of the workouts aren't too challenging? Thanks in advance!

Garryboy

handful wrote:

I'm still very new to all this and was wondering if I could trouble one of you guys for some advice. Did the 8 minute test on the weekend and felt that despite my low ftp score I did at the time feel that I had tested myself properly so changed my ftp to the suggested level from the default 200. I decided to do the Base 1 plan and started with gayley this morning on the new lower ftp and found it easier than I was expecting and had some gas in the tank at the end so had a bit of a spurt to finish on.

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/184345

Should I up my ftp level or maybe do the next workout at say 105% or would I be better off doing another test to try and set my ftp at a more realistic level maybe? Or am I missing the point completely and the base plan is designed so that some of the workouts aren't too challenging? Thanks in advance!

A lot of the early base workouts are in the sweetspot zone, so hard but not max efforts. Id leave for now until you try another couple. Also make sure you keep your set up consistent, tyre pressure, turbo set up etc.

handful

Thanks Garryboy, much appreciated.

markp80

Garryboy wrote:

handful wrote:

I decided to do the Base 1 plan and started with gayley this morning on the new lower ftp and found it easier than I was expecting and had some gas in the tank at the end so had a bit of a spurt to finish on.
Should I up my ftp level or maybe do the next workout at say 105% or would I be better off doing another test to try and set my ftp at a more realistic level maybe? Or am I missing the point completely and the base plan is designed so that some of the workouts aren't too challenging? Thanks in advance!

A lot of the early base workouts are in the sweetspot zone, so hard but not max efforts. Id leave for now until you try another couple. Also make sure you keep your set up consistent, tyre pressure, turbo set up etc.

I'd also leave it for now if you feel you did the test correctly. We discussed retests a few pages back and there was some support for doing a retest after 4 weeks, half way through Base I, so maybe give it until then. In the meantime, if you wanted to adjust then I'd agree with adjusting the intensity for the time being.

Cheers,
MarkP

markp80

mattshrops wrote:

So whats everybodies plans at the end of the tour then?

I'm going to try to finish saturday, have a complete rest sunday, monday do just 20mins zone 1 turbo. Then tues ftp test(obv providing i feel rested by then) Surely all this overload should have an effect?

After that i'm looking at doing some longer tt style intervals in preparation for the new season.It finally is starting to feel a bit closer now

Well, I'm half way through Base II so I guess I'll be picking up where I left off. Hope to finish the tour on Sunday so I'll take at least Monday off :roll:
My legs have felt a bit weird this last couple of days - although they've been tired, they do actually feel stronger somehow when I'm off the bike. I guess another test would answer that, but having upped my FTP a few weeks ago for the start of Base II I've been finding things rather tough, so I'm not inclined to test again at this stage. Maybe at the end of the plan.
I don't race or anything (I'm a complete beginner) so I'm only doing this for the fun and the personal challenge, but hopefully I'll see an improvement when I get back out on the road in the spring (I can't get out on a weekend and don't want to go out in the dark so I haven't been on the road since September!).
Cheers,
MarkP

sunburntknees

I was just reading through the blurb for week three of the Intermediate Build I plan and I note it says: "Then, the weekend affords you your first opportunity to match your fitness against any number of other riders via TrainerRoad's online racing!"

Is this a new feature???

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/plans/93

springtide9

fukawitribe wrote:

Just seen a reply from TrainerRoad on their Facebook to a question about this.. as follows

TrainerRoad Both : rides just have to be done that day. They will be done as two separate workouts.

..if that's now correct i'm sorry if i've muddied the waters - I did it in an attempt to stop people being disappointed if their rides weren't counted, and were based on what i'd seen on the Sufferfest and TrainerRoad pages.

I'm personally not talking this too seriously, especially since I missed Sunday's ride (as I went outside!). Besides, the only way I'll be able to fit in the rest of the tour is by a bit of 'creative reordering'... I don't have 2 hr slots for training and also need to end the tour on Saturday!

mattshrops wrote:

So whats everybodies plans at the end of the tour then?

I'm going to try to finish saturday, have a complete rest sunday, monday do just 20mins zone 1 turbo. Then tues ftp test(obv providing i feel rested by then) Surely all this overload should have an effect?

After that i'm looking at doing some longer tt style intervals in preparation for the new season.It finally is starting to feel a bit closer now

I'm going to have an easier week next week (& FTP Test), but the following week thought I'd have a Part 2.

I thought to keep the weekends free, it would be just 5 days (Mon-Fri). Maybe:
- 6x 1 hr seesions to be completed during the week,
- 5x 1 hr sessions to be completed on specific days, but allowing a day either side.
- 1x 1 hr (extra) to be completed on any of the days

Points (but no prizes) ... and to make calculation easy, make it a bit like golf
- FTP required next week (yes I will retest, honest!)
- Baseline is the IF value for the ride, as defined in TR
- 1 point for every 0.01 value above the TR IF Value
- (minus) -1 point for every 0.01 value below the TR IF Value

Person with the highest (most probably negative) value wins. Anyone interested?

fukawitribe

sunburntknees wrote:

I was just reading through the blurb for week three of the Intermediate Build I plan and I note it says: "Then, the weekend affords you your first opportunity to match your fitness against any number of other riders via TrainerRoad's online racing!"

Is this a new feature???

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/plans/93

It's been in the planning stage for a while, e.g. see Nates reply in

https://trainerroad.uservoice.com/forums/131395-general/suggestions/2248345-virtual-competition

...wonder if this means it's ready ?

Wrath Rob

springtide9 wrote:

mattshrops wrote:

So whats everybodies plans at the end of the tour then?

I'm going to try to finish saturday, have a complete rest sunday, monday do just 20mins zone 1 turbo. Then tues ftp test(obv providing i feel rested by then) Surely all this overload should have an effect?

After that i'm looking at doing some longer tt style intervals in preparation for the new season.It finally is starting to feel a bit closer now

I'm going to have an easier week next week (& FTP Test), but the following week thought I'd have a Part 2.

I thought to keep the weekends free, it would be just 5 days (Mon-Fri). Maybe:
- 6x 1 hr seesions to be completed during the week,
- 5x 1 hr sessions to be completed on specific days, but allowing a day either side.
- 1x 1 hr (extra) to be completed on any of the days

Points (but no prizes) ... and to make calculation easy, make it a bit like golf
- FTP required next week (yes I will retest, honest!)
- Baseline is the IF value for the ride, as defined in TR
- 1 point for every 0.01 value above the TR IF Value
- (minus) -1 point for every 0.01 value below the TR IF Value

Person with the highest (most probably negative) value wins. Anyone interested?

Looking at periodisation models for training, e.g. Joe Friel, you'd probably get a better response from having a rest week, then FTP test and immediately continue into the next block. That's assuming you had 2-3 weeks good training before starting the tour. If you had a good rest and then hit the tour, you probably need less rest so adjust for this accordingly.

Whatever you do, stick to the same test protocols for each FTP test otherwise you'll get different results. For example, if your last test was preceded by 3 weeks hard training but you only took 2 days off before the test, try and stick with that same protocol otherwise they won't be directly comparable. Having said that, I'm in the process of changing my training plan so I'm finishing this week (hardest week out of 3 weeks), next week will be an easy week and then I'll do an FTP test. Because my previous test didn't include a weeks rest I'm expecting a bigger jump in FTP. The next workouts might be a bit tough, but I'll be sticking with the new protocol from then on so any future FTP tests will be comparable.

FELTZ95

Is anyone successfully using an Elite Volare Fluid trainer successfully with trainerroad? I've just done the FTP tests and the FTP values are completely out. I'm a relative novice and my power values were ridiculously high ( e.g FTP advised 352) whereas I would have been pleased with 170 or thereabouts. All the speed / cadence and HR is being correctly received by my laptop but as soon as I start spinning the power reading goes through the roof. Trainerroad support havn't been of any help so far, but if this can't be sorted I'll have to ask for a refund as the virtual power training was the main attraction. All advice gratefully received.

fukawitribe

FELTZ95 wrote:

Is anyone successfully using an Elite Volare Fluid trainer successfully with trainerroad? I've just done the FTP tests and the FTP values are completely out. I'm a relative novice and my power values were ridiculously high ( e.g FTP advised 352) whereas I would have been pleased with 170 or thereabouts. All the speed / cadence and HR is being correctly received by my laptop but as soon as I start spinning the power reading goes through the roof. Trainerroad support havn't been of any help so far, but if this can't be sorted I'll have to ask for a refund as the virtual power training was the main attraction. All advice gratefully received.

The only suggestion I can make is to ensure you have the Elite model exactly right in TrainerRoad e.g. the 'Elite Volare Fluid' (currently listed at number 178 in the supported trainer list) and not one of the 'Elite Volare Mag.....' ones in the beta list (around the mid-60s). Very similar confusion has got me with the Elite stuff on TR, and I think i'm not alone.

jotko

fukawitribe wrote:

FELTZ95 wrote:

Is anyone successfully using an Elite Volare Fluid trainer successfully with trainerroad? I've just done the FTP tests and the FTP values are completely out. I'm a relative novice and my power values were ridiculously high ( e.g FTP advised 352) whereas I would have been pleased with 170 or thereabouts. All the speed / cadence and HR is being correctly received by my laptop but as soon as I start spinning the power reading goes through the roof. Trainerroad support havn't been of any help so far, but if this can't be sorted I'll have to ask for a refund as the virtual power training was the main attraction. All advice gratefully received.

The only suggestion I can make is to ensure you have the Elite model exactly right in TrainerRoad e.g. the 'Elite Volare Fluid' (currently listed at number 178 in the supported trainer list) and not one of the 'Elite Volare Mag.....' ones in the beta list (around the mid-60s). Very similar confusion has got me with the Elite stuff on TR, and I think i'm not alone.

There are a lot of Elite trainers listed! I have an Elite Supercrono Power Fluid (number 177) and my FTP numbers came out roughly as I would expect accoring to my level of fitness. For what its worth my FTP after an 8 min test came out as 204. I always inflate my tyre to 120psi before each workout, I seem to be getting a consistent level of workout and power readings.

FELTZ95

Thanks for the suggestion, but it's definetly no 178 "Elite Volare Fluid" that I've got selected. I've also tried "Elite Fluid Alu AKA Chrono Fluid Elastogel" just in case it worked better, but the result was the same unfortunately.

ChrisSA

Half Dome tonight, as part of my taper.
I should have done every second interval in the end. And there is no way that Half Dome is a VO2 workout...

FELT - can you choose the resistance on the Elites you are looking up? I have a Mag Alu and use Elite Volare Mag Alu 4 (where 4 is the level of resistance).

mattshrops

Springtide- I'm in for the ftp test err test Hopefully tues for me.

Felt- I think some people have had an issue with the magnet on the wheel being too close to the sensor.I have no idea why tho'. But maybe give it a try moving the sensor slightly further away from the magnet.

Mark- I can't believe you haven't been out since Sept. wow. I guess you're looking forward to some lighter nights.

Haven't heard about this online racing before. hmm....