Tacx FTP test (CP20) gearing

neil h

Apologies if this is a daft question but it's my first time doing a FTP test.

I've got a Tacx flow smart trainer and I'm looking to do the CP20 FTP test on the Tacx cycling app, what I was wondering is just how important is it to follow the reccomended gearing during the test? I only as as I'm doing it on a cyclocross bike so the ratios don't necessarily match up.

Cheers

Vslowpace

Whilst not being familiar with the Tacx software isn't the whole point of a 20 minute FTP that you go as hard as you can for those 20 minutes. This is why when you do the test in something like Trainer Road the software switches the trainer from Erg mode to resistance.

kayakerchris

The gearing is irrelevant. pacing is what is important. divide the 20 minutes into a 5 minute block a 10 minute bloack and a 5 minute block. The first 5 minutes you should be thinking this is too easy and your HR should be constant about 20 below your HR maximum.
The middle 10 minutes should be barely tolerable with your HR drifting upwards towards about 15 below maximum.
the final 5 minutes should be at maximum HR and at the time you finish you should be just about fainting in the saddle and your better half should have dialled the first two 9s.

Then swear you will never do it ever again.
tomorrow put it in your diary for 8 weeks time

AK_jnr

As above, its all about micro management. Can I do another x amount of minutes at this pace? Yes - you could be bang on or possibly going too easy. No is a slight ease off and judge again in another few minutes time. You need to be teetering on the edge of whats possible/too hard.
Do not go too conservative though.

neil h

Cool, that answers that question then. Cheers gents.

supermurph09

To add to the points above, what you need to ensure for any subsequent tests that you try to replicate things as much as possible. Same pressure in tyre, same temperature in your pain cave, same test protocol and be rested as much as you were before. If not results can vary quite wildly.

jollygiant

If you use Zwift you can do a FTP test on the workouts or if you go for a long ride and your FTP changes it tells you and saves the new one!

neil h

Supermurph09 wrote:

To add to the points above, what you need to ensure for any subsequent tests that you try to replicate things as much as possible. Same pressure in tyre, same temperature in your pain cave, same test protocol and be rested as much as you were before. If not results can vary quite wildly.

Yeah at the moment I'm just looking at it as a way to set training zones (given I don't have a HRM but my turbo will do power measurement), rather than as an actual performance metric.