The official TrainerRoad thread

gaz047

Hi Tim, its not with thee other cycleops profiles, you have to scroll up to the b's.

tim_wand

Thanks Gaz.

Just noticed some felt coming off the shed roof , so went out there in Jeans , Trainers and a big coat to sort it.

Couldn't resist the temptation of looking for the profile on the turbo again.

Found it as you said in the Beta profiles and put it in devices.

I m dressed in jeans, thick coat and trainers which wont clip in and I can now turn out 400 watts plus for 5 minutes on that profile.

This can't be right!!!!?

The blog you posted the link to, seems to answer critisms of the original beta curve measuring too high and recommends a V2 fix. I am sure the profile I ve plugged in now is that original Beta curve which over measured!

I cant find a V2 but the blog also said it had removed the profiles it found were inaccurate at higher speeds. I was hovering between 21 and 26 mph.

Either that or my speed cadence is wrong. But don't see how, I ve calibrated my CSC10 with GPS on the road and it seems spot on.

gaz047

No worries Tim. Don't forget it takes a good few mins (about 5-10 depending on speed) for the unit to warm up and get the proper resistance. Or maybe jeans, thick coat and trainers is the secret combination needed to unleash turbo power (like Barry Scott!)

Just been back on the blog and read this

Update (2/19/13): We got rid of the deprecated one so now there is only one. Look for (Beta) CycleOps Fluid 2

Hope this helps

tim_wand

Yep that's the profile I m using.

Reckon next time I ll do 10 mins light spinning to get the turbo where it should be. although I would have thought this would increase not decrease speeds.

Theres a guy on the blog feedback comments (REID) who says if you send him your 8 min test profile he'll calibrate it to a 100% accurate power curve/ FTP for you. although when I click on his link its dead (no surprise it was 2011).

I ll do another 8 min test tomorrow if the club run doesn't beast me and see what it comes up with.

I m glad the 139 was wrong , but don't trust the figures I m seeing at the moment.

I know virtual power will never be perfect. and I m still good with Naps Maxim of it is what it is and as long as its consistent I can work with that. But nearly 100 watts out either way doesn't help.

gaz047

Yep resistance increases as the unit warms up. Ambient temp could also effect resistance according to a few posters of this thread (mainly the bottom 2 posts), which would also contribute to high readings

http://support.trainerroad.com/entries/ ... ops-Fluid2

Probably best to do the test where your most likely to use the turbo for the majority of your sessions (in/out) for consistent numbers if temp is a factor.

Gazzer1230

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/468834
angels ... that nearly done me in , i had to slow down at the last climb , enjoyable i guess had the video on as well , computer is bit basic it was struggling to play both and music as well bloody thing , gunna have to get a heart rate strap sorted out i think

Pumpkin Positive

tim wand wrote:

Yep that's the profile I m using.
I know virtual power will never be perfect. and I m still good with Naps Maxim of it is what it is and as long as its consistent I can work with that. But nearly 100 watts out either way doesn't help.

Tim, glad to see you happier with your FTP, your previous of 139 sounded pretty dubious.

If you wanted to know for sure you could ask if any of your club members have a wattbike (or any of your local gyms), set up you laptop and pair with TR and do the 8 min test. It would give you some idea as to whether the figures you're getting from TR are accurate.

stoobydale

Did an 8 min test with TrainerRoad, Power2max, Tacx Cosmos and HR moniter. The Cosmos seemed to track the power quite well but was not consistently over or under. Tomorrow I would like to have a go with the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine but I am unsure as to weather I have to do a coast down test. I don't have any speed sensor fitted so wouldn't know how to do this. What is the best way ot have power displayed in TR. Didn't know if 3s Ave would be a better setting.

dw300

Tim and Gaz ..

didnt i read that Tim didnt fully tighten the wheel because he was getting low numbers? If the numbers are now high it might suggest that tightening as recommended might bring the numbers back in line.

Also .. as you heat a fluid up it becomes less viscous and resistance goes down, not up.

Plus, and I stand to be corrected on this. Warming up a trainer will not 'calibrate' it. If you warm it up it just means your whole workout is easier rather than having more resistance at the start when its cold. The temperature only makes the 'resistance for a given displayed power' change. It could only be fixed by the turbo having a temperature sensor which broadcast to TR and the software would recalculate the curve and hence power.

tim_wand

DW300 im with you on this, have previously teached physics and in my mind a fluid becomes less viscous (resistant at higher temperature).

I will torque the roller up until it clicks on the next test as recommended but currently its only backed off a little bit. Im not expected or wanting something absolute on Virtual power but I would at least like something that would give me something to compare with others.

Might have to go for that Loughborough lab test to give me a FTP baseline after all.

moscowflyer

Following a period of around 10 weeks where training went right downhill and weight went up by some 7lbs, I finally decided to do a new 20 minute test today. My previous FTP test was 306 back at the end of August, although I found myself still using the 297 I got in my first test two weeks before that so have been working off this figure on TR workouts since then.

Having struggled with recent workouts, I was sure my FTP would be some 15-20w lower so I was surprised to hit 300 after today's test. The five minute blast before the test was really hard and it was only in the second ten of the actual test that I settled on a lower cadence and bigger gear and managed to keep grinding it out. No fun was had on that bike today!

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/ride ... inute-Test

bigwheels80

Does anyone have the elite crono hydro mag with 5 settings as my power seems too high anyone else having similar results?
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/439086

moscowflyer

TR now allows for teams where you can keep an eye on what others are doing. I've created a BR team if anyone fancies joining up.

http://www.trainerroad.com/teams/16-bikeradar

Pumpkin Positive

MoscowFlyer wrote:

TR now allows for teams where you can keep an eye on what others are doing. I've created a BR team if anyone fancies joining up.

http://www.trainerroad.com/teams/16-bikeradar

I'm in. Username "joncrawf" Thanks for the heads up.

dw300

MoscowFlyer wrote:

TR now allows for teams where you can keep an eye on what others are doing. I've created a BR team if anyone fancies joining up.

http://www.trainerroad.com/teams/16-bikeradar

Came here expecting someone to have set one up ..

.. wasnt disappointed!

In!

stoobydale

What does the team thing do? Doesn't seem to be a lot of info on it on the TR website.

moscowflyer

stoobydale wrote:

What does the team thing do? Doesn't seem to be a lot of info on it on the TR website.

Not a lot really, bit like the Strava 'clubs' whereby you can just get a feed of what everyone else has been up to.

handful

I'm in!

chricycle147 on TR if anyone's interested.

napoleond

You won't find me bothering with any of that.

stoobydale

Not a lot really, bit like the Strava 'clubs' whereby you can just get a feed of what everyone else has been up to.

thanks for the reply.

cerv50

NapoleonD wrote:

You won't find me bothering with any of that.

With you on this NapoleonD, will stick to posting them on here if anything impressive happens with my training

cerv50

Here's a question that I am not sure what the replies will be...

You trained one day and rested the next but have had a tough day at work (manual labour) on the third and get home exhausted, do you?

a) Do TR anyway and suffer the consequences
or
b) Rest another day till you feel you have more energy

This happened to me yesterday and I went with a). Today I feel OK (I suppose), legs are aching but that's usual when pushing hard. Reason for asking is just to see what the general consensus is. I have found I struggle to TR after dinner even when waiting for an hour or so for it to go down so usually try and do it before.

Also I'm finding it hard to train just drinking water so use SiS energy drink these days to help me through the hour. Is this wrong? I don't eat what I used to as am trying to lose the extra weight I don't need to be carrying around so would say I have a calorie deficit every day. In light of this I'm finding it hard to get and stay at 11st. I did get there briefly but only for a week or so then it went back up to 11st 4lbs. The Mrs says the extra weight I'm now carrying is leg muscle but I'm not so sure.

meesterbond

Did 'The Wretched' using TR the other day, the one where you're coming back from a few bad seasons to try and win a stage of the Tour and I couldn't shake this thought in the back of my mind that if I win the KOMs and the stage on the after so many bad results, it'll look really suspicious.

Probably shouldn't spend so long in the Pro Race sub-forum.

napoleond

Cerv50, try just having squash with a pinch of salt.

DaveL

cerv50 wrote:

Here's a question that I am not sure what the replies will be...

You trained one day and rested the next but have had a tough day at work (manual labour) on the third and get home exhausted, do you?

a) Do TR anyway and suffer the consequences
or
b) Rest another day till you feel you have more energy

This happened to me yesterday and I went with a). Today I feel OK (I suppose), legs are aching but that's usual when pushing hard. Reason for asking is just to see what the general consensus is. I have found I struggle to TR after dinner even when waiting for an hour or so for it to go down so usually try and do it before.

Also I'm finding it hard to train just drinking water so use SiS energy drink these days to help me through the hour. Is this wrong? I don't eat what I used to as am trying to lose the extra weight I don't need to be carrying around so would say I have a calorie deficit every day. In light of this I'm finding it hard to get and stay at 11st. I did get there briefly but only for a week or so then it went back up to 11st 4lbs. The Mrs says the extra weight I'm now carrying is leg muscle but I'm not so sure.

Cerv, only you can make the decision on how you feel, and if your going to do a workout. Having said that, all your workouts don't have to be done balls out, if your feeling knackered do a recovery ride, there's a few on TR. I too struggle doing a workout after food and tend to avoid it wherever possible.
I'm working through a training plan at the moment, but haven't done any of it for nearly 2 weeks, because I have been riding in the great outdoors, and mainly using TR for recovery, but when the weather gets really bad, I will pick up the training plan where I left off. What I'm saying is do what you feel is right for you at the time, and not stick to anything rigidly.

Dave

dw300

cerv50 wrote:

Here's a question that I am not sure what the replies will be...

You trained one day and rested the next but have had a tough day at work (manual labour) on the third and get home exhausted, do you?

a) Do TR anyway and suffer the consequences
or
b) Rest another day till you feel you have more energy

This happened to me yesterday and I went with a). Today I feel OK (I suppose), legs are aching but that's usual when pushing hard. Reason for asking is just to see what the general consensus is. I have found I struggle to TR after dinner even when waiting for an hour or so for it to go down so usually try and do it before.

Also I'm finding it hard to train just drinking water so use SiS energy drink these days to help me through the hour. Is this wrong? I don't eat what I used to as am trying to lose the extra weight I don't need to be carrying around so would say I have a calorie deficit every day. In light of this I'm finding it hard to get and stay at 11st. I did get there briefly but only for a week or so then it went back up to 11st 4lbs. The Mrs says the extra weight I'm now carrying is leg muscle but I'm not so sure.

Jump on the bike for 10 minutes and soft pedal, try and get in a mindset for a good workout, you'll either feel up to it after that, or know you're not.

Chances are that if you felt good last workout that you're just being soft. But if it happens on 2 - 3 - 4 consecutive workouts, and your performance isn't great, then you're probably too fatigued to do a decent session.

Also, a natural (no gear) bodybuilder would do well to put on 5-6 lbs of muscle in a year .. over his entire body .. in a calorie excess. You're training wrong and eating wrong to gain mass, and only working half your body, so you won't have gained significant muscle mass. You may look bigger from being more cut, but that's a visual thing .. when your waist gets smaller and you're more cut, everything else looks bigger.

nathancom

Not sure the point of teams as it is really just vs yourself but have joined.

Am really getting into the trainer, doing the sweetspot intermediate 1 training plan and it isn't too bad to be honest. I did the 8 minute test to set my FTP and I am extremely dubious how accurate it is since being able to bury yourself for the final 60-90 secs distorts your average power over the 8 minutes.

Anyway it is fun and even a few sessions have produced a felt improvement on the bike, i guess you are rarely pedalling for 8-10 minute blocks on the road.

kostya416

DaveL wrote:

A question on sufferfest, are they worth the money and do they make a big difference to a session? The link I posted for veloreality, I tried it today, and it's not for me, maybe with a bit more R&D, it might be worth revisiting in the future

Hi Dave. We are releasing bunch of new features very soon. Among those are: exchange/sharing of workouts. Also if you rode any segment of our videos you will be able to save/share that segment over the internet so other users can either compete against it or use it as a workout (just riding with the same speed as the leader). If those are added what else do you think "is not for you" ? Mind you we only charge for videos.

cerv50

Cheers chaps for the info. I will try juice and a little salt next time to see what that's like.

Here is the session I did on Thursday, it was hard after the day I had done but once completed I felt good mentally as I needed to overcome the "tired" hurdle. Same thing used to happen to me years ago when I used to weight train, start your exercise feeling down because of tiredness then once the adrenalin kicks in you have a pretty good workout.

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/478898-Darwin

I don't get the time to ride during the week so only ride once on a weekend but always make the most of it when I do. TR is my life saver and as its always there and only usually an hour out of my life, (or should I say an hour away from the Mrs who insists cycling has taken over (my) OUR life)

dw300

nathancom wrote:

I did the 8 minute test to set my FTP and I am extremely dubious how accurate it is since being able to bury yourself for the final 60-90 secs distorts your average power over the 8 minutes.

Doing 1 minute at 500W probably won't raise the average that much when measuring for 15 other minutes at 300W. Plus if you can push at the end you haven't been going as hard as you could for the first 15 minutes, so you should expect to be able to raise the final number if you've been riding below your limit to early in the interval.

You'd actually probably get a higher number (your best number) by riding right on the limit and not being able to lift it at the end. It's like a TT, if you have any energy left at the end then you blew your chance of getting the numbers/time you're capable of.

Like Boardman said when talking about pacing, "You want to be asking yourself, can I keep this effort up until the end? And the answer you want to be giving is, Maybe."

Anyway, I'd strongly suggest people use the 20 minute test instead of the 8 min, it's far easier to gauge your your pacing, especially if you're not used to riding 8-10 minute intervals at 110-115% FTP, which I'd say a fair amount of riders who are riding for enjoyment and weight loss/fitness probably dont. Some newbies (to training) that ride club runs for fun might be strong riding at 60-80% and not bad at 80-100%, but almost never train to develop power over 100% FTP. So they'd ride a 20 min test well, but show lower numbers in an 8 min test.