How would you classify this ride?

Since 2001, over 90,000 cyclist's have joined Cycling Forums to discuss topics from general cycling to equipment, training, racing and travel or vacation destinations (especially in europe during the tour de france). We also feature an great deals in our online store, 100's of articles, classifieds and product reviews.

Yesterday, inside again secondary to crummy weather and I couldn't get myself to do any long L4/5 intervals mentally. Ended up doing 1 hour alternating 2 minutes at IF of 0.85 with one minute with IF 1.1. The total ride had an IF of 0.93. My question is how would you classify this ride from a standpoing of expected physiologic benefit? L3 or L4? Is VO2 max worked at all with the harder intervals just being a minute long?
Scott

Yesterday, inside again secondary to crummy weather and I couldn't get myself to do any long L4/5 intervals mentally. Ended up doing 1 hour alternating 2 minutes at IF of 0.85 with one minute with IF 1.1. The total ride had an IF of 0.93. My question is how would you classify this ride from a standpoing of expected physiologic benefit? L3 or L4? Is VO2 max worked at all with the harder intervals just being a minute long?
Scott
For your indoor ride, I'm guess that NP and AP were nearly the same, right? So, an AP of .93xFTP falls within L4.

Keep in mind that the physiological benefits of L3 and L4 are very similar.

French,
It's interesting because the ride seemed a lot easier to me than a 0.93 straight up hour would have been. I also feel stronger for some reason after similar efforts. Just thinking out loud. It's good that the ride is an hour of L4. I "wish" it had some L5 adaptations associated with it. I guess that's just "wishful thinking."