The official TrainerRoad thread

bigaac

can i use the Garmin Edge 705 with a USB ANT+? I also have the Garmin Speed/ cadence sensor and Garmin HRM.

Looking to sign up to TrainerRoad for a little winter training but want to see speed, HR and cadence.

moscowflyer

bigaac wrote:

can i use the Garmin Edge 705 with a USB ANT+? I also have the Garmin Speed/ cadence sensor and Garmin HRM.

Looking to sign up to TrainerRoad for a little winter training but want to see speed, HR and cadence.

Yes, you can. Although HR and cadence are shown on the screen anyway and speed is irrelevant as everything is power based.

markp80

Any thoughts on the new website from anyone yet? It's certainly had a major overhaul.I had a good look around last night on my iPhone, and it's well adapted to a mobile version. The new career pages looked good, also the workout search facility is a lot easier to use.
Unfortunately I'm having a bit of difficulty viewing some of the pages on this PC though, running IE8, quite a lot of the graphics are missing, presumably due to a backwards compatibility issue.
Also, has anyone taken up the offer of the annual subscription? $89 looks like a good deal to me, so I've gone for it, compared to the $10/month plus the £1something my credit card company charges each time.
The guys certainly seem to be active in developing this product. Hopefully as it grows, their support standards will remain as good as they are now.

Cheers,
MarkP

cerv50

Liking the new TR site and have also enrolled for the $89 offer, silly not to really...

manxshred

I quite like the new site, and have also taken up the $89 offer.
Now its time to start working on my goals for this winter. I did a 20 min FTP test last night to set the starting point and I'm hoping to move that up over the winter. http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/399037
I'm also going to start a proper core strength program as my posture, both on and off the bike, it not good.
Also, I do not want my weight to go up as I just lost it all!

bigpikle

Likewise - joined up as well.

Strapped the TT bike to the turbo and going to be using that for most of the indoor work until next season. Not ridden the TT bike for 6 weeks and not used the turbo for 2 years as I've been addicted to my rollers since then, and the 20 min FTP test was a total fail the other day! Got some numbers now but its 50w down on the 20 min AP I managed in my last race in July. Going to take a few weeks of regular sessions to get used to the TT bike on the turbo I think. I'm usually about -20w on my outdoor power numbers when I'm on the rollers on the road bike, so hopefully the gap will close pretty quickly. Still, did Gayley today successfully and will find a tempo session for tomorrow. Racing for the last time on Saturday so just want to do some more TT bike sessions to remind the legs how to peddle in that position and then will start one of the plans...

dw300

Really pushed myself on this latest 20 Min Test, and got from 243W to 260W FTP .. well chuffed. 3.71W/kg now. Would love to get close to 280W @ 150lbs for 4W/kg by next season if possible.

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/399080

Since getting TR 15 months ago I've gone from 211W to 260W - so I'm about 25% stronger. Its great to have a benchmark test like this.

Also subbed to the $89/yr .. no brainer .. brb, still paying equivalent of £4.50/mth in 15 years time when a pint of milk costs that amount.

vdu7x

Sorry if any of this has already been asked.

1. Is it possible to change the averaging on the power reading in TR? I have quite a low cadence and the readings are all over the place. On my Garmin, the 10s averaging field gives me the best data to look at. I've been making sure the Garmin and TR have the same calibration number but it still means looking at 2 screen instead of one.

2. I get occasional complete losses of ANT+ data for 2 to 10 seconds which isn't too much of a problem, but it's quite upsetting watching that white blob drift to the left when I've worked hard to keep it on the line. Anybody else have this problem?

I've using a Tacx fortius set on 3% gradient, a macbook and powertap. I've tried putting the ant+ stick on an extension lead and taping near all the sensors to get a better signal but it still drops out from time to time.

ChrisSA

Nice one DW!

vdu7x, you can set power smoothing in the Profile page of the program. I think there is Off, 3s and 5s.

I've started with the low volume 40km TTTP combined with an easy running program. Need to jig some things around, but the first week has been fairly easy.

vdu7x

Ahhh - found it. Great thanks

cerv50

Been working my way through the intermediate base plan 1 and seem to be doing pretty well. Today's effort saw me with loads in the bag at the end of the session and thought I would put in some extra effort. Is this the right way of using TR plans or should you stick to what they want you to do power wise?

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/405382

This was after a 70 mile ride Saturday and a 28 miler Sunday morning so thought I would be shot to pieces but everything just came together

MarkP80 suggested I did another test half way through the plan but I wanted to go to the end of the base plan first to see what improvements I have made over the last 6 weeks. Kind of looking forward to doing another test but also scared as to what my FTP will be for base plan 2, this is hard enough, especially the 90 minute sessions.

Regarding FTP tests should I do the same 8 minute test that I initially did or do the 20 minute? I want the results to be comparable so am unsure which is the best way.

bigpikle

do the same test for continuity, but feel free to add in a 20 min test as well on another day - all useful data - but the best data is from the regular repeatable intervals you're able to do week on week.

dw300

Cerv if it's a 1hr workout and its at 1.0 intensity you shouldn't have anything left. Shorter workout could have >1.0, and longer ones will have <1.0. There's probably a curve somewhere which gives you an idea how hard you should be able to go dependant on the time of the workout, so you can get an idea if a workout is above, on, or below your limit.

Progressive overload is what you want .. ideally you'd adjust your FTP every week or so, but the test is tough and probably doesnt fit in with a plan. So if you do a 1.0 hour long workout and have something left, you should manually add 1 or 2% to your workouts.

But almost certainly the plan workouts wont have you at your limit every ride. Some will be endurance rides.

markp80

dw300 wrote:

Since getting TR 15 months ago I've gone from 211W to 260W - so I'm about 25% stronger. Its great to have a benchmark test like this.

Long time no post on this thread - welcome back!
Great progress as well, you must be well pleased with that.

Cheers,
MarkP

cerv50

Thanks guys, I will up the % a few notches to see how far I can go without failure lol Next session is tomorrow so will try a 1% increase first to see how much difference this makes.

markp80

cerv50 wrote:

Thanks guys, I will up the % a few notches to see how far I can go without failure lol Next session is tomorrow so will try a 1% increase first to see how much difference this makes.

Hi there,

I think you might also consider that Intermediate Base I is about building a base of fitness and as such the workouts aren't intended to take you to failure - they'r certainly not meant to be like the FTP tests. Many of the rides are based around sweet spot riding (check out the descriptions in the plan guide), not threshold or VO2max, so they're not intended to have you collapsing off the bike when you've finished. For instance, the ride you link to, Carillon, is a sweet spot ride with an IF of 0.83, and lots of the Base I rides are like this. As the plan is designed to have you working in this region, you might have a think about whether you really do want to increase the %FTP.

Having said that, when I originally did my first FTP test I found that I improved very rapidly - possibly due to increased fitness but potentially due to getting an initial familiarity with riding on the turbo, so I saw a big jump when I did a retest after 4 weeks, which then obviously recalibrated subsequent rides to the intended level.

So, it doesn't surprise me that you aren't collapsing when you get off the bike at the end of the Base I rides, although I would say agian that I recommend you retest your FTP every 4 weeks. What you will notice is when you move on to the Build I plan - this plan really pushes up the Intensity Factor, and I found quite often that I wasn't able to complete some of the rides, which really burst my bubble of Base I & II self-delusion!

Cheers,
MarkP

dw300

MarkP80 wrote:

dw300 wrote:

Since getting TR 15 months ago I've gone from 211W to 260W - so I'm about 25% stronger. Its great to have a benchmark test like this.

Long time no post on this thread - welcome back!
Great progress as well, you must be well pleased with that.

Cheers,
MarkP

Cheers Mark .. been out in the fresh air buddy. It's gettin a bit too fresh again now though.

cerv50

MarkP80 wrote:

cerv50 wrote:

Thanks guys, I will up the % a few notches to see how far I can go without failure lol Next session is tomorrow so will try a 1% increase first to see how much difference this makes.

Hi there,

I think you might also consider that Intermediate Base I is about building a base of fitness and as such the workouts aren't intended to take you to failure - they'r certainly not meant to be like the FTP tests. Many of the rides are based around sweet spot riding (check out the descriptions in the plan guide), not threshold or VO2max, so they're not intended to have you collapsing off the bike when you've finished. For instance, the ride you link to, Carillon, is a sweet spot ride with an IF of 0.83, and lots of the Base I rides are like this. As the plan is designed to have you working in this region, you might have a think about whether you really do want to increase the %FTP.

Having said that, when I originally did my first FTP test I found that I improved very rapidly - possibly due to increased fitness but potentially due to getting an initial familiarity with riding on the turbo, so I saw a big jump when I did a retest after 4 weeks, which then obviously recalibrated subsequent rides to the intended level.

So, it doesn't surprise me that you aren't collapsing when you get off the bike at the end of the Base I rides, although I would say agian that I recommend you retest your FTP every 4 weeks. What you will notice is when you move on to the Build I plan - this plan really pushes up the Intensity Factor, and I found quite often that I wasn't able to complete some of the rides, which really burst my bubble of Base I & II self-delusion!

Cheers,
MarkP

Thanks for your comments Mark. I have planned my TR sessions and also road riding to carry out another FTP test on the 6th October so we shall see what improvements have been made. I know the base is for general fitness but surely that's a good enough place to start.

Let me enlighten you why I did it this way round. Back at the end of March I suffered a knee injury where I tore the joint between the muscle and its tendon on my left vastus mediallis, this followed many physio trips with and much hard work. The injury was not necessarily caused from cycling 400 miles over the Easter weekend break but it didn't help matters!. It turned out following a very old back injury from weight training when I was in my later teens I had no flexibility in my left hip which had thrown the rest of my stature out of alignment. This has now been corrected through daily stretching etc. So for me I thought the base plan would be a good idea as it would be a gentler way of getting into some hard training.

I know my fitness and speed cycling has improved as now I am starting to collect top ten place trophies on Strava where I never did before starting TR. Also in myself I feel a lot stronger and can cycle faster for longer so something has definitely improved, by how much I wont know for another week, hence my question earlier in this thread about which FTP test to do, the 8 minute which I did to start with or the 20 minute version.

I did up my FTP by 2% (as suggested by DW300) for my session on Wednesday and am still feeling the after affects now, it was very hard work to complete the full session but I got there. Surely its not a good idea to train to complete exhaustion to the point of collapsing or being unable to complete the TR session as it can not only put you back mentally but also there is a greater risk of injury or failing a training plan? I have a goal for 2014 and wanted to get a head start and work my way through the plans that TR have kindly set up to achieve it.

shortcuts

I am in a similar situation and am now researching which ANT= usb stick to purchase to go with my Garmin GSC10 and HRM in order to do the same as you with TrainerRoad. In a masochistic manner I am looking forward to sorting the hardware issues then download and sign up.

duckson

Hi all,

Signed up to Trainer Road and did the 8 minute test today, very tough as it should be and its set my FTP at 250 (3.58 FTP/kg). I've not ridden in 2 weeks after a partial tear of my AC ligament in my right shoulder so maybe it will improve slightly quicker.
One things for sure i need a fan! Think my parents have one they used in their conservatory so i'll nab that.

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/408815

One question; i think i'm going to do the Intermediate Base I, do i sign up to this somewhere and it tells you which is next or do you have to just follow the program manually? ie from this list http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/plan ... ase-i#Week 1

bigpikle

its all manual sadly - they say a calendaring function is planned but not out yet

ExigeR

Hello all, its that time of year again... :-(

I hold my head in shame to say the last 2 months i have done next to no riding just the odd 10-15 miles on the mtb with some mates every other week. So i need to do some work again now.

Signed up for the 12 months a few days ago so let the hard work start.

Just started to work through the mid 40km TT plan, i haven't retested yet as i know im slower than i was so decided to work a little harder hoping get back up to speed a little quicker (might be a bad idea lol)

dw300

ExigeR wrote:

Hello all, its that time of year again... :-(

I hold my head in shame to say the last 2 months i have done next to no riding just the odd 10-15 miles on the mtb with some mates every other week. So i need to do some work again now.

Signed up for the 12 months a few days ago so let the hard work start.

Just started to work through the mid 40km TT plan, i haven't retested yet as i know im slower than i was so decided to work a little harder hoping get back up to speed a little quicker (might be a bad idea lol)

Do your test. If you're significantly lower than you were you could quite quickly work up a level of fatigue you cant handle and itll mess your plan up.

If in doubt, test and then retest after 3-4 weeks.

neal1984

Hi All,

In the winter months last year I pretty much just stopped cycling. This year I plan to do as much as I can and then start some indoor sessions. My goals are not race oriantated just for fitness and weight loss. I've been toying with the idea of a turbo trainer for a few months and what really puts me off is my short attention span and I think I'll just get bored. Having read several threads I now think rollers are a better idea to keep me focused. I've only just discovered the TR site and it looks great. A couple of questions I have if anyone could answer I'd appritiate it:

1) I get the impression that TR is more suited to turbo work as opposed to rollers. Can I make good use of TR with the Elite Arion Rollers (No resistance setting) or should I rethink my requirments? i.e. resistance rollers (more than my budget really) or a turbo?

2) I am not a good climber partly due to being 13 st 7 lbs and also due to lack of hill work. With the rollers I mentioned could I make meaningfull gains through the winter in improving my 'virtual' power output thus improving my climbing abilities?

Thanks for any replies.

Neal

Garryboy

Neal1984 wrote:

1) I get the impression that TR is more suited to turbo work as opposed to rollers. Can I make good use of TR with the Elite Arion Rollers (No resistance setting) or should I rethink my requirments? i.e. resistance rollers (more than my budget really) or a turbo?

Hi,

I use TR with rollers (sportcrafters with and without resistance) and a turbo (Jetfluid Pro).
It's fine with both, although I don't pay a lot of attention to the power numbers when using the rollers, as I don't think the curve/data in TR is accurate for my rollers (or set up).

I think the TR power numbers are very dependant on your weight and tyre pressure when using rollers, more so than on a turbo (although there are factors which effect that too).

So, I use the power numbers on TR when on the turbo, when on the rollers, I really jsut use it to monitor & record heart rate.

On the hill climbing question, the best thing to do is to actually cycle up hills, as I find it hard to replicate the effort needed indoors. If you can't, then I suppose it depends on what kind of hills - short and steep, do intense intervals on the turbo (like 1 min on full, 2 min rest, repeat). If longer, then I've found 2x20 workouts quite good (there is one in TR called eichorn I do quite a bit). Either way, I think a turbo is better than rollers for hill training stuff.

neal1984

Thanks for the reply. I'm guessing the heartrate based training sessions would prob provide me enough of a workout and improve my fitness so maybe I'll start there. I did start to go out looking for hills but I know in the winter I am unlikely to go out just for the sake of riding but i'm sure I'll be able to train indoors (providing I don't keep falling off and get the hump with the rollers). I've ordered the Arion rollers now so I'll spend a week getting used to them (hopefully long enough) and then I'll sign up with TR. I'm quite looking forward to seeing how good it is!

shortcuts

I got myself a turbo last week. Now have the ANT+ stick (thanks' to guys on here for advice sorting that one ) and just joined TrainerRoad. Hoping to do the threshold test later today and then consider which programme to follow.
All new to me but being unable to ride outside atm due to a shoulder op I have been told I can now use the turbo. Have to do something or else I will be a mess by the time I'm allowed out again and I wasn't ever so fit before the op!
Problem for me is once the shoulder settles down in a couple of months or so, the other one is going to be operated on so turbo it is for a while for me :roll:
As a novice to turbo training and TrainerRoad any advice as to which of the programmes to follow, after completing the threshold, to get me going would be appreciated please.

neal1984

shortcuts: I need to order my ANT+ Usb in the next day or so. I haven't seen much info on these. Which one did yyou order? I see the Garmin one on Amazon for about £33 and on Wiggle for £37 but the picture is completly diffrent. I can't work out if it's a diffrent product or just the picture. Any idea? Which one did you order? Thanks

shortcuts

Neal1984 wrote:

shortcuts: I need to order my ANT+ Usb in the next day or so. I haven't seen much info on these. Which one did yyou order? I see the Garmin one on Amazon for about £33 and on Wiggle for £37 but the picture is completly diffrent. I can't work out if it's a diffrent product or just the picture. Any idea? Which one did you order? Thanks

Got mine from Wiggle.
To pair with a Garmin GSC10 and Garmin HRM strap.
Suunto movestick mini.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/suunto-movestick-mini/

Hope that helps.

duckson

Garmin ANT+ USB stick from ebay (new) for £20 inc P&P :- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390657948452? ... 371wt_1255