Taking FTP from non-FTP tests (eg races)

cgfw201
cgfw201 Posts: 674
edited June 2017 in Indoor training and turbo forum
Think I know what the answer is, but just checking.

I've done a load of FTP tests in the last few years, usually showing an increase on whatever platform I'm doing it on.

However since I started racing, both on Zwift and IRL, I've been smashing my previous best watts and max HR.

Is there any reason not to take what Garmin(/Training Peaks) interprets to be my new FTP based on race data from a 30/60m race effort?

Zwift races have a more tt-like even power distribution, whilst crits have more peaks and troughs, but both are spitting out FTP numbers a fair bit higher than what I get when I do a 20m test indoors.

Or should FTP only be calculated from the set 20m test setup?

Cheers

(Edit. NB I do realise that now I know I have more watts than I thought I did, I could probably to the FTP test and get a nearer number to what I get in races, but suspect the lack of adrenalin and competition would still see it come up lower.)

Comments

  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,702
    FTP is the max power you can hold for an hour - the 20 minute test is generally used because sitting on a dumb turbo for an hour at max effort is banned by the Geneva Convention. If the Zwift effort is fairly even, I'd take that as your new FTP.
  • jmm434
    jmm434 Posts: 18
    Have you noticed higher power numbers on the road compared to the trainer? I think that can be the case for many people. Something also to consider..
  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 4,021
    An event like a 10 mile TT (~20min) and a 25 mile TT (~1 hour) might be appropriate, but for a crits and RRs and the constant surging/lulling of both i'd personally not use them.
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

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  • angry_bird
    angry_bird Posts: 3,786
    ShockedSoShocked wrote:
    An event like a 10 mile TT (~20min) and a 25 mile TT (~1 hour) might be appropriate, but for a crits and RRs and the constant surging/lulling of both i'd personally not use them.


    At the end of crits where I've attacked like a loon for an hour to the point of exhaustion I've found normalised power to be within a couple of watts of my FTP based on 1 hour tests... although, if I'm still not sure whether I'd use them instead of a proper test.
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  • AK_jnr
    AK_jnr Posts: 717
    I personally wouldnt use normalised power from a race to set zones even though during my last crit it happened to match my conventional FTP result.

    I only tried to do an indoor FTP test a few times and it was nearly 20 watts lower than outside. I had two sets of zones just in case I was ever on the turbo, which wasnt often to be fair.

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