Carmichael field test

[ChelseaHH]

Isn't the point of the test to establish your highest sustainable HR? If that's the case then it doesn't matter what provides the resistance or how repeatable it is. You're just going as hard as you can for a specific period to see what HR you maintain. Also makes no real difference whether you use time or distance, although time would be better indoors if you really wanted to be true to the test protocol. As you imply, the speed on an indoor trainer will not accurately represent your outdoor speed, which means your distance is meaningless also.

In respect to your last point, when a bike computer is setup, you input the distance the wheel covers in one full revolution. So the computer calculates how frequently the magnet is passing the sensor to determine speed. Why then would speed be inaccurate on and indoor trainer??? Increased resistance from the roller just simulates the gradient of climbing a hill, the wheel still turns the same distance - so slower stroke, slower speed - Am I missing something or just brain fade at 2300 hrs! ( South Australian time)

I will review testing protocol - my main objective is to establish baseline, use this to plan riding program for the Australian winter months ahead and measure program effectiveness.

 

[frenchyge]

In respect to your last point, when a bike computer is setup, you input the distance the wheel covers in one full revolution. So the computer calculates how frequently the magnet is passing the sensor to determine speed. Why then would speed be inaccurate on and indoor trainer??? Increased resistance from the roller just simulates the gradient of climbing a hill, the wheel still turns the same distance - so slower stroke, slower speed - Am I missing something or just brain fade at 2300 hrs! ( South Australian time).

Everything you said here is correct. If the bike computer says the wheel turned 30km, then it did turn 30km. My point was that since the resistance on the trainer doesn't match the resistance while riding outside, the speed of the real wheel on the trainer doesn't really represent what that same effort would get you on the road, and that translates to distance as well. Time is the only factor that is constant between the two.

Depending on the resistance, a hard effort indoors may get you 50kph, whereas outdoors you only get 30kph. If you ride like that for an hour, have you ridden 30km, or 50km? I usually look at time, rather than distance, while riding indoors (unless I'm tracking tire wear... ).