That’s the big one for me. I’ve pb’d almost every local climb on general riding, and up Box which is the only climb I ever regularly hit hard, I set a new best by 30s recently. I only just missed out again on Saturday by 4s … and that was with 30s stationary behind a line of parked cars near the bottom! So that is all very promising. However, the real test will be seeing how my 5/10/20 minute power gains translate to 4+ hours steady state…
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Yep, Im half way through mid volume build, but was racing IMVR at the same time - unsurprisngly fell apart last week. Im saving race efforts for scheduled, spaced out races from now on!
I may switch to low volume as Im starting work again next week.
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Ramp test this morning, a satisfying result only four weeks after the last one, and Ive spent the last week or two in the 78.somethings so…
Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey…
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What test are you using @joex?
TrainerRoad ramp test.
Although I had more success with the 20min last time than the ramp, i really struggled in week 3 so Im trying to minimise deviations from the sustained power build plan now for the next four weeks.
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Took me ages to scroll back and find this!
So this may be my mini summer project. I’ve got no races or anything, but it’s something to do, and I’m enjoying my riding right now.
I need 286w at current weight. That’s a 13w increase… or an 11w inc with 500g to lose on the belly - scales said body fat is still at 15%. No idea how accurate they are though.
I think that’s doable. I know the final Watts are really hard to come by, and I’m not following a programme or anything. But I feel that with some more consistent riding (of i can hold that), a bit of intensity thrown in, then maybe I can just nip it.
If I did a 20 min test, what would I need? Is it 1.05 x target Watts? Just so I know the figure in my head. I have no idea how to work out what level I’d need to get to on the ramp test to meet it?
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I think more like 1.09 or so, very few people are 95% of their 20 minutes for an hour
I also don’t think you’ll have much problem, these aren’t “the final Watts”, so they aren’t hard to come by, you’ve barely been riding your bike, there’s loads there!
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@JibberJim beat me to it, but yes doesn’t sound like you’re anywhere near plateau. Couple months (if that) focused training and you’ll be there. For context I’m up ~75W in past 2 years since I started.
People tend to use 95% of 20 minutes, but yes it rarely translates to an actual hour power. Given its only a few Watts in it I don’t think it hugely matters at our level. I’ve done a 1 hour test once and wasn’t huge difference. Think main thing is consistency for your own training and comparison.
Plus then you risk going down the rabbit hole that FTP isn’t strictly the same as 1 hour power 
haha, yep!
To be fair i’m just looking for a soft target (as in not fixed/race, i don’t mean an easy target) to keep me honest over the next couple of months. I’m only training like 6hrs a week max, so it’s not like i’m throwing everything into it. But trying my best to keep week on week at 5-6 hrs rather than 0, 6, 2, 5, 1, 6 etc has brought about some pretty swift improvements. My running was the same pre lockdown as i started my build. Just got some consistent 50/60km weeks in, no sessions, yet some of my old strength started to return.
Trouble is, this is only going to end in me wanting to do another 70.3 or IM!! haha
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Yes, back in the game 
We’ll see you at Helvellyn for a warmup.
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i ain’t swimming training though!! No way jose.
It won’t be this year … maybe next year when sprog #2 is a bit older.
But i only have an endurance bike with not a drop of aero kit. And there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY i’m getting a TT bike! haha
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That’s a bit of a steal!
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That’s great work, mate. Well done!
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Cheers, I wasnt expecting that at all as Ive only made around 260 in recent years.
Now all I need is to lose 3kg 
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Well done. Numbers trending up nicely
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Good stuff 
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I’ve had 4 weeks of rather disjointed training owing to holidays and family stuff. Got a new ftp test to look forward to tomorrow and I would have thought that, combined with a fair bit of holiday weight will see my 4.0w/kg in jeopardy.
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Yeah, similar. I tested on Friday. It was still hot, and since the Cotswold Classic I hadn’t done a single structured session. Just a handful of rides outside on the new bike. The heat had really hampered all training to be honest.
I tested 5w down on Friday at 262w. However, compared to my last ramp test, morning weight was down 0.8kg, So w/kg only fell marginally from 3.787 to 3.759.
4.0 still seems like a long way off. If I get back to some diligence with eating habits, then 69kg consistent is achievable (I hit that pre-Cotswold, but eating an entire tub of Ben & Jerry’s on Saturday evening this week is really not what I should be doing), but over 275w just seems a stretch. It’s an entire minute longer on the ramp test, which in theory sounds ok, but in practice is a lot harder!
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