The official TrainerRoad thread

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  • rjl6789
    rjl6789 Posts: 31
    Here's a good discussion on the merits on both tests:
    http://blog.trainerroad.com/ask-chad-8- ... nute-test/

    (and here's a nice post that has the "Allen & Coggan Race Category Table" part way down
    http://www.cyclingmusings.com/2011/02/g ... guide.html
    - good for seeing where your FTP sits in the scheme of things. It also contains a good discussion of Golden Cheetah which I find is useful for a bit of extra analysis, if you're that way inclined)
  • markp80
    markp80 Posts: 444
    Strith wrote:
    What are most people doing 8 or 20 min test. Did 8 min test on the weekend:

    http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/257398

    Then failed some of the intervals on matthes two days later, so cranked down a few % for today and all was ok.

    Whats the general consensus, longer test more reliable?
    I personally generally use the 8 min test. I started with this as it was the one listed in the plans, and I've continued with it. I don't know how reliable it is per se, but it certainly seems to set a good benchmark for calibrating the rides in the plans. Matthes is a VO2 max workout, with an IF of 0.93, so it's supposed to be tough!

    Get it back to 100% and stick with it! :D

    Cheers,
    MarkP
    Boardman Road Comp - OK, I went to Halfords
    Tibia plateau fracture - the rehab continues!
  • Strith
    Strith Posts: 541
    Nice one guys, will just carry on and get stuck in for now then.
  • ChrisSA
    ChrisSA Posts: 455
    FWIW I do the 20 minute test, as that is what I started with. I guess most people stick with what they know though the thought of an 8 minute test is somewhat attractive.

    Sufferfest's Fight Club for me tonight. A nice workout - the sprints during the 'hill climb' were hard work; I don't like big gear/low cadence work, more of a TT spinner.
    My Blog!
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  • springtide9
    springtide9 Posts: 1,731
    Bad weather and endless meetings have forced me back on the turbo... although enjoyed this week in a funny sort of way.

    Tuesday
    Local Hero ; http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/261121
    Freeride 90 : http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/261835

    Wednesday
    The Hunted : http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/264232

    Friday
    A Very Dark Place :
    http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/265716

    Local Hero seems to be one of my favs at the moment... although have been turning down the heat a little (90%) to make it more bearable! Managed 'A Very Dark Place' today at 100%, and only seemed to be -2% down at the end - which I was pleased with :-)
    Simon
  • jotko
    jotko Posts: 457
    springtide9 wrote:
    Bad weather and endless meetings have forced me back on the turbo...

    Same for me - not been on it for ages as have been commuting every day and riding at the weekend but it is so grim out I fired up trainerroad tonight.

    Just did Downward Spiral - http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/266190

    Started at 90% and blew up in first proper effort - had to goto 85% to get through it (for shame)

    Got my eye back in though, will have another go on Sunday.
    strava - http://app.strava.com/athletes/1217847
    trainerroad - http://www.trainerroad.com/career/joeh
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Why on earth did I bother with getting Revolver????
    5 and busted.
    (just because it was 30% off)
  • springtide9
    springtide9 Posts: 1,731
    JGSI wrote:
    Why on earth did I bother with getting Revolver????
    5 and busted.
    (just because it was 30% off)

    I quite like Revolver... but you have to be in the mood for it.. (not something to do when a little tired)
    I find it very tough, but the intervals are only a minute long (the longest min of your life, over and over again!)
    Simon
  • jotko
    jotko Posts: 457
    springtide9 wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    Why on earth did I bother with getting Revolver????
    5 and busted.
    (just because it was 30% off)

    I quite like Revolver... but you have to be in the mood for it.. (not something to do when a little tired)
    I find it very tough, but the intervals are only a minute long (the longest min of your life, over and over again!)

    Did revolver last night, downloaded the new one. Got upto the 2nd interval until I realised the new video has a new trainerroad profile and all the timing was wrong :cry:

    Started again with the right profile and managed to crank through it at 90% - http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/267801

    Still working up to 100% on sufferfests at my new FTP, although even at 90% this was the highest NP of anything I have ever done on trainerroad, I actually enjoyed it in an ouch sort of way, the new video is excellent.
    strava - http://app.strava.com/athletes/1217847
    trainerroad - http://www.trainerroad.com/career/joeh
  • manxshred
    manxshred Posts: 295
    Any suggestions for workouts to train for the Marmotte? I'm doing intervals for general strength, but also need to do longer efforts to train for the long climbs.
    I suppose creating my own longer steady workouts might be best.
  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,632
    ManxShred wrote:
    Any suggestions for workouts to train for the Marmotte? I'm doing intervals for general strength, but also need to do longer efforts to train for the long climbs.
    I suppose creating my own longer steady workouts might be best.

    You could do something like 4x 1h with 1h rest between intervals using: Epic Beartooth Pass :!: :
    image600x400.jpg

    Realistically the Marmotte is primarily about the 4x sub-threshold 1hr (ish) efforts as you climb Glandon, Telegraphe, Galibier & AdH - linked by descents. Therefore you want to focus on training your threshold power (which turbos are great for); adding longer rides so that you build endurance to meet the demands of an 8hr event.

    I am doing an event with similar demands and am doing 60-90min sessions with 8min intervals (I find these more interesting than long intervals at this time of year). I will increase to 10-12min intervals in April, 12-15mins in May & 15+ in June. (Weekend riding - when there is no snow - is longer 2-6hr rides)
    Rich
  • Garryboy
    Garryboy Posts: 344
    Have been doing most of my sessions on the rollers the last couple of weeks, adds a little variety and certainly sharpens your concentration!

    Im using cyclops alu rollers with the magnetic resistance set to 5 (highest) - seems to give a similar workout / effort to my jet fluid pro.

    Did sufferfest Blender this morning on the rollers, completely knackered near the end. Think I need a bigger fan!

    http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/268190
  • markp80
    markp80 Posts: 444
    I'm a couple of weeks into Intermediate Build I now, and so far I'm finding this plan rather testing, certainly more intense than the two previous Base plans.
    Last night was Tyndall, with 4 x 8min sets of 15s on/15s off (150%/50% FTP). 15s doesn't seem like a long time, I thought. However, I can tell you that by the end of the session I was definitely blowing a bit!

    http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/270250
    All good fun though!

    On Sufferfest, I don't think I've yet managed to complete one on 100%. I might psyche myself up for one and give it a go. TBH, I've tended to steer clear of them recently, brings back too many memories of that Tour!

    Cheers,
    MarkP
    Boardman Road Comp - OK, I went to Halfords
    Tibia plateau fracture - the rehab continues!
  • KateF
    KateF Posts: 86
    A question (sorry if this has been covered before):

    Do people build up to the target power before the interval starts or just start going hard once the interval starts. I find impossible to jump directly from a recovery of 90-100 Watts to a target of, like, 330 Watts instantaneously, so it seems I have to either
    a) shorten the recovery - build up to the target power so that I'm on the target Watts from the first 'beep' of the interval, or
    b) shorten the interval - build up as fast as possible once the interval has started.

    Its not really a problem when its threshold intervals, as a few extra seconds at the beginning doesnt really matter, but tagging a 10-15 second build onto a 2/1/0.5 minute interval seems quite a lot and sometimes I end up missing the last 5-10 seconds of the interval.

    Hope that makes sense, just wondering what others do?
    Winter bike - Verenti Kilmeston
    Fair weather bike - Ribble Stealth
  • Hollow-legs
    Hollow-legs Posts: 142
    Personally i use a 10 second countdown on the timer...especially if i have to hit high wattage for the next interval, i am nowhere near 330 watts though,yet!
    My target for the end of base 1 is to increase my FTP to 200 ,at the moment i am a weakly 150 :?
  • KateF
    KateF Posts: 86
    Hollow-legs wrote:
    Personally i use a 10 second countdown on the timer...especially if i have to hit high wattage for the next interval, i am nowhere near 330 watts though,yet!
    My target for the end of base 1 is to increase my FTP to 200 ,at the moment i am a weakly 150 :?

    Cool, thanks. I just struggle to know what to do when it shows such a sudden jump which takes me a while to ramp up to

    330 is a 1-2 min interval, not FTP! If I had an FTP of 330 at 61kg I'd be going a bit faster than I do at the moment :lol:
    Winter bike - Verenti Kilmeston
    Fair weather bike - Ribble Stealth
  • ChrisSA
    ChrisSA Posts: 455
    :)

    If it's coming from a rest period to an interval I might ramp gently then hit it. If it is a spike within an interval I'll just hit it and likely overshoot a tad.
    My Blog!
    Twitter
  • Roubaixsl3
    Roubaixsl3 Posts: 48
    What is the best method for ultimately increasing your average speed over a 100 mile run ?. I've been on the turbo now for the whole winter (still here) doing a variety of workouts. My aerobic fitness/endurance is not the problem, it's the legs just filling up after 40/50 miles causing me to have to back off and hence reduce average speed. Is it best to keep on doing threshold intervals (eg. Starr King, 2 x 20 @ FTP) or is this completely the wrong approach ?. Tried some of the endurance workouts but found them just too low on intensity and not helping the problem at all.
  • Scrumple
    Scrumple Posts: 2,665
    Paying nearly seven quid a month for this and feel like u am missing something...

    Just using the on screen workouts and Mainly the simple hour long threshold ones.

    Are the videos extra cash? Or part of the subs price??

    Cheers
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Scrumple wrote:
    Paying nearly seven quid a month for this and feel like u am missing something...

    Just using the on screen workouts and Mainly the simple hour long threshold ones.

    Are the videos extra cash? Or part of the subs price??

    Cheers

    The videos are extra... however if you feel like it is not vfm then perhaps you just need to think if you need structured training? it can be a pita and if you are simply just wanting 'to ride' faster' then maybe you could save that £7 a month.
    For me, without having to go to hassle and expense of owning a Powertap and the like, I get some kind of feedback from using Virtual Power that far outweighs the expense.... but then again I do race.
  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215
    Scrumple wrote:
    Paying nearly seven quid a month for this and feel like u am missing something...

    Just using the on screen workouts and Mainly the simple hour long threshold ones.

    Are the videos extra cash? Or part of the subs price??

    Cheers
    If you don't want to pay £7 per month then you could try Peripedal. The core concept is similar to TR, but it's a much simpler program all together. It's currently free to download and use while in beta testing phase. If you do wish purchase a licence then it's a one off fee instead of a subscription. Use the money you save to buy some Sufferfest videos!
  • Strith
    Strith Posts: 541
    Scrumple wrote:
    Paying nearly seven quid a month for this and feel like u am missing something...

    Just using the on screen workouts and Mainly the simple hour long threshold ones.

    Are the videos extra cash? Or part of the subs price??

    Cheers

    I agree with the others. If you are training to race I find it's quite a useful tool, especially if you dont have a powermeter.

    If I was just riding sportives and the like I probably wouldn't bother, or maybe just subscribe over a few of the winter months and sack it off if the weather ever improves.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Number 200!
    BLENDER
    C0oOXDL.jpg
    My favourite Sufferfest at the moment.. the intervals seem to be bang on for being a real workout but achievable.
    The soundtrack is pretty spot on as well.
  • Hollow-legs
    Hollow-legs Posts: 142
    Does anyone here know if TR has distance cycled data ,do any of the workouts have that data hidden somewhere,,DISTANCE ,AVERAGE SPEED ,or do i need to switch on my garmin..for this ?

    I know johnstonefitness always lists the distance in his notes of his latest workout!
    While i am on the subject it would great to have distance total cycled in your career,,so i could know how many miles i have done on the turbo !

    Probadly exsists somewhere in the menu! I cannot find it?
  • Garryboy
    Garryboy Posts: 344
    Hollow-legs wrote:
    Does anyone here know if TR has distance cycled data ,do any of the workouts have that data hidden somewhere,,DISTANCE ,AVERAGE SPEED ,or do i need to switch on my garmin..for this ?

    I know johnstonefitness always lists the distance in his notes of his latest workout!
    While i am on the subject it would great to have distance total cycled in your career,,so i could know how many miles i have done on the turbo !

    Probadly exsists somewhere in the menu! I cannot find it?


    Thats easy, miles cycled on turbo = 0. :-)

    Havent seen it on TR, but youre right, it must be in there somewhere as they know/record your 'speed' and time (esp if you have auto pause/start on).
  • Garryboy
    Garryboy Posts: 344
    JGSI wrote:
    Number 200!
    BLENDER
    C0oOXDL.jpg
    My favourite Sufferfest at the moment.. the intervals seem to be bang on for being a real workout but achievable.
    The soundtrack is pretty spot on as well.


    Sweet, did blender on the rollers last sunday, was fun but hard to concentrate on anything else like the soundtrack. Did you keep it at 100%?
  • Bokoshoko
    Bokoshoko Posts: 20
    Hollow-legs wrote:
    Does anyone here know if TR has distance cycled data ,do any of the workouts have that data hidden somewhere,,DISTANCE ,AVERAGE SPEED ,or do i need to switch on my garmin..for this ?

    I know johnstonefitness always lists the distance in his notes of his latest workout!
    While i am on the subject it would great to have distance total cycled in your career,,so i could know how many miles i have done on the turbo !

    Probadly exsists somewhere in the menu! I cannot find it?

    If you click on a ride in the client you can see your avg speed for the workout and any intervals - you can only do this on the client, the data is not surfaced on the web pages.

    For distance download the workout as a TCX file and upload it to Strava - then you'll get both speed and distance.
  • Hollow-legs
    Hollow-legs Posts: 142
    Erh! What do you mean by cilent????? :?
  • Garryboy
    Garryboy Posts: 344
    Hollow-legs wrote:
    Erh! What do you mean by cilent????? :?

    The software on you pc/laptop, rather than the website.

    Load up TR on your pc/laptop, click on career, then double click the ride you want to view.....boom!
  • Hollow-legs
    Hollow-legs Posts: 142
    Doh! Thanks garryboy,,sorted :P

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