Poll: What's your Functional Threshold power?

Just tested it, well, just about, the 20 min interval was actually 19:20 and I had to freewheel at a roundabout, plus three gradual climbs and three gradual descent, so not a great course. power for 20 mins 277 So FTP is 264 Age 52 171 hours on the bike since starting again in April. 190lbs, down from 215 in April, aiming for 170 next spring. Pretty happy with that, I'm aiming to lift it to 300+ over the next 12 months.

 

Just had mine done at Torq, I'm a junior XC racer, racing for 2 years, 1 year properly.

330W FTP, 69 kilo although may well be down to 67ish come summer. My lactate threshold was pretty poor though, at 150W, so I'm putting out some pretty decent anaerobic power for the off season. Recovery was also good, coming down to 110BPM from 190, about a minute after the test.

So if I implement more zone 2 base miles into my training alongside the anaerobic stuff I was doing before, I should be nearing 400W by summer if I put the work in.

 

I just did my first FTP test using TrainerRoad's virtual power with a Tacx Booster. I think the readings might be wrong!

I'm 22, been cycling about a year, 7+ hours a week. I'd consider myself to be quite fit, I average 30km/h on most rides.

TrainerRoad is telling me my FTP is 175. I have to put out a lot of effort just to stay above 200. Maybe I overestimated myself?

 

Trainer Road isn't accurate for absolute numbers. There's too much variation with trainers, tires, tire pressures, tire preload, calculations, etc. It's meant to be a repeatable and consistent RELATIVE reading of power so that you can workout effectively (which is it if you're careful to use the same tire pressure and preload each time). My Trainer Road FTP was 216w at the start of the season and Strava's calculated power had me right in that range too. However, I've never used a real power meter so I can't tell you whether that makes them both accurate for me or both inaccurate. My ex gf's FTP on Trainer Road is 185w and she rides at about that level as well, so it's probably ballpark accurate. However, we're also both riding on the KKRM, which according to Trainer Road gives the most accurate power numbers with their system. YMMY if you're using a different trainer.

 

July 15th

FTP now upto 280 (tested) but indications are that its is now above this, prob 290-300. but I need to test again. Weight is 178lbs. I want this down to 170 by the beginning of next season (my first race season since 1988!!!)

 

Any thoughts on how reliable it would be to calculate an FTP off 2 x 20 or 3 x 20 sessions? Given they were done to failure?

 

By failure, I assume you mean exhaustion. If so, your durations won't be exactly 20mins. Anyway, testing to exhaustion is my preferred way to identify data points on my MP curve. As to extrapolating your FTP (60MP) from any single data point, it's tricky unless you have a good idea of your full MP curve from multiple tests to exhaustion at different durations. This is because the anaerobic work capacity to aerobic capacity relationship varies quite a bit between individuals. My suggestion is to do a couple of other MP tests to exhaustion (e.g., 3min and 8min) and use the Monod Critical Power Model to estimate max sustainable power at any duration. One caveat: note that the Monod Critical Power Model tends to overestimate MP at longer durations. Here's a free Monod Critical Power calculator:
http://www.cyclingpowerlab.com/MonodCriticalPower.aspx

 

Thanks. I have used Monod before, however as i'm much stronger over 15-20 minutes than I am over shorter anaerobic periods, Using the power cure from files I have (3 & 8 Minutes), the estimation of CP value is 308w, which is in line of what GC gives me. It is also the same if i use 20 minute data rather than 8minute.

Given these are files are not done to exhaustion and gained through racing and training, if in my 3 x 20 training session, I am able to hold 305w, 311w & 320w on 10' rec, does the estimated CP60/FTP of 308w give an accurate estimation in your opinion? Obviosuly the only true way to know is testing, which I should do in about a week or 2.

 

Well, it's generally not a good idea to cherry-pick values from your ride files for the Monod CP Model. As to how good the estimate is, it really depends on your purpose for the estimate. If it's to set power targets for training rides, it should be good enough although personally I prefer taking 90% of my recent max power for a given duration, a methodology I use across the full spectrum of the power-duration curve. If it's for the purpose of setting a target power for an individual time trial of an estimated total duration, I'd suggest doing a ride to exhaustion at what the model outputs. I use the Monod CP Model regularly and the primary shortcoming is that it tends to overestimate max sustainable power for long durations. So, I discount estimates > 60mins when I use it. BTW, I think too few cyclists take advantage of testing to exhaustion. It sounds scary, but it's actually not. I feel great within 15 minutes of a test to exhaustion. And, when you use the Monod CP Model, it doesn't matter what the duration to exhaustion is. You get a valid number (in seconds), whatever the number is. You don't need 3mins exactly. 2:48 or 3:27 or 4:08 work just fine.

 

Last test was December 7th last year, probably due for another.

[email protected] 69kgs
FTP est 330ish

CTL at the time was 120, now around 135 after a good solid base period it'll be interesting to see if it's up much. Recovery this week and test on the weekend I'd say.

 

65 years old, not much cycling experience (mostly a runner or couch potato - don't intend to be either any longer).

My best 20 min is 235 and best 8 min is 275W. So call it somewhere in the 220's. All this data was generated on a trainer using Garmin Vector S pedals (one sided - so something of an unknown due to balance, or lack thereof).

dave

 

It's amazing that I now live in an area with an incredibly open block. It's a street called Mariposa I like running up and down the street simply because the way that it is design is so middle-class and so beautiful. It really makes me feel as if I'm somewhere else other than the city that actually live in.

 

FTP 350

77kg

41 years old

5 months ish.

 

FTP 380w. 41 years. training around 6 months. i do have a significant talent for this sort of caper mind, so don't be too agrieved guys.

 

287 at my high. Was in my late 30s and weighed about 160-165 lbs. After a long break, probably down to low 200's now. Have some work to do!

 

I am age 64

A lot of hard work and I am up to .. just 185W
Weight is 66 kg
Heart rate at FTP is 175 (maximum seen 192)

 

Been a while since I've posted to this thread...

55 years, racing/training for 33 years; using power meter (SRM) for 9 years
mFTP 240
Weight 175 lbs

Fighting the decline...

 

Just found the forum,now i have started using a power meter for training.

*STAGES USER*
20MIN TEST 300W
60 MIN TEST 285W

FTP 285W
77KG
5'11
10PB= 23.XX
25PB=1.00.48
50PB=2.10.49.