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where is good stretch of road for 20min FTP test ?


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Hi 

 

I'm in the Southern suburbs but happy to trek somewhere to do a proper 20min ftp test - Any suggestions please

 

and no, i'm not interested in using a trainer.

 

shot a lot 

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If you don't mind me asking- why are you not interested in a trainer?

 

Wind, temp, road conditions and other factors can be controlled better surely?

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Im not a overall fan of using 20min @ 95% as your FTP and believe its value is over stated but another good segment is Geneva drive to the cable car in camps bay. Around 15min but more predictable as a value for ftp.

Interesting. What percentage of that 15mins power average would you then use as an FTP?

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Camps Drive is what I meant (not Geneva Dr) and the Glen are normally popular suggestions.

Some would say a controlled, indoor environment rather.

Edited by Thomo
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Two options: Camps Bay Drive from robots to the Cable Car (slightly less steep than Geneva) or Camps Bay robots to top of Suikerbossie. Good mix of flat and uphill so probably more realistic than a straight uphill. around 19min at 240w...so might not be long enough for you...

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Hi 

 

I'm in the Southern suburbs but happy to trek somewhere to do a proper 20min ftp test - Any suggestions please

 

and no, i'm not interested in using a trainer.

 

shot a lot 

so a few things pop up:

 

1. Why would you even want to do an FTP test. Is that not for fitness junkies in tights ? :ph34r:

 

2. Dont you work in some or other country with flat roads, go do that FTP there :excl:  (#jealous)

 

3. Using the words "shot" and having an avatar of a guy with a rifle on a bicycle, ummmm :eek: (ok maybe point 2 is no longer valid so I withdraw) #trollingtrouble

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What is the value of an FTP? I'm not asking because I'm a knob, I'm merely asking because I don't really understand.

I can understand the math behind it and can understand why its something to know when you're in a discussion with a scientist over a coffee or in a lab, but what does the value of your FTP help you when out on a ride?

I mean when I'm going up a climb and I see someone flying past me, do I ask him / her: Hey, what's your FTP for you to be able to ride so much faster than me up his particular climb? 

 

I bet that that person will not even be bothered with FTP  :rolleyes:. All I'm trying to say is that we geek out about all the numbers but sometimes forget that there's sooooooo many variables on the day that have an effect on our performance. 

 

Sure, you use the FTP as a measuring tool to see your progress over a period of time but one need to remember that the purpose of an FTP is to measure your power output in a controlled environment  :thumbup:

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What is the value of an FTP? I'm not asking because I'm a knob, I'm merely asking because I don't really understand.

I can understand the math behind it and can understand why its something to know when you're in a discussion with a scientist over a coffee or in a lab, but what does the value of your FTP help you when out on a ride?

I mean when I'm going up a climb and I see someone flying past me, do I ask him / her: Hey, what's your FTP for you to be able to ride so much faster than me up his particular climb?

 

I bet that that person will not even be bothered with FTP :rolleyes:. All I'm trying to say is that we geek out about all the numbers but sometimes forget that there's sooooooo many variables on the day that have an effect on our performance.

 

Sure, you use the FTP as a measuring tool to see your progress over a period of time but one need to remember that the purpose of an FTP is to measure your power output in a controlled environment :thumbup:

Froomedawg should be able to tell you as he's constantly watching his output and then catching the guys that rode on feel....ai I miss him..????

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What is the value of an FTP? I'm not asking because I'm a knob, I'm merely asking because I don't really understand.

I can understand the math behind it and can understand why its something to know when you're in a discussion with a scientist over a coffee or in a lab, but what does the value of your FTP help you when out on a ride?

I mean when I'm going up a climb and I see someone flying past me, do I ask him / her: Hey, what's your FTP for you to be able to ride so much faster than me up his particular climb? 

 

I bet that that person will not even be bothered with FTP  :rolleyes:. All I'm trying to say is that we geek out about all the numbers but sometimes forget that there's sooooooo many variables on the day that have an effect on our performance. 

 

Sure, you use the FTP as a measuring tool to see your progress over a period of time but one need to remember that the purpose of an FTP is to measure your power output in a controlled environment  :thumbup:

One personal anecdotal story of where my power figures helped me:

 

I eyed a specific event. I knew the route and there was a specific uphill stretch that I earmarked for an attack. I went to my power history profile to know how many Watts I can push for 6mins without bombing out, and memorized that number.

 

Come race day, a break established long before my specific earmarked point on the route, but I wanted to bridge to them and used the same point to launch my bridge attempt and kept to the power I knew I could sustain for that stretch of road.

 

Long story short, I caught them just as that stretch ended with barely anything left in the tank. I then sat on for the next 10kms, catching my breath and then beat the other 3 in the sprint to take the W.

 

My Power Readings helped me guage my effort, not the 1hour FTP specifically, but rather the full history of sustained power levels for different times that I had built up and kept record of.

 

I knew what my body was capable of and stuck to that. If I didn't have the power readings on the bike I might have blown up in the first two minutes or under-powered my attempt and missed them before the descent.

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Im not a overall fan of using 20min @ 95% as your FTP and believe its value is over stated but another good segment is Geneva drive to the cable car in camps bay. Around 15min but more predictable as a value for ftp.

How about a few laps around a track? 8min efforts or even test to failure you recommended in the TSS thread a while back.

 

Wouldn't it help with consistency? Especially if you have to test throughout a training plan.

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Awesome, thank you for taking the time to explain it to me. I knew it had benefits but I've never rode in a peleton or done any road race (other than the 94.7 on the mtb) so my frame of reference has always been a solo riding  :thumbup:

 

 

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