If your registration was confirmed via email, then we’ve held your spot for Session 1 of our coached progressive power training on the CompuTrainer. Our first class is your Functional Threshold Power Test. The data we collect from this test will help us determine your riding goals and intensities for the duration of the session. Please arrive at Wheel & Sprocket at least 15 minutes before your class begins to pump your tires and attach your bike to the CompuTrainer.
Note: Make a trip to Wheel & Sprocket before the first day of class to ensure your bike is ready to ride on test day. For your safety and the accuracy of the data, you must purchase both a rear training tire and appropriate rear skewer for the CompuTrainer. To maximize your experience, get the most out of your training time and limit your frustration, we recommend you have your bike looked over by a mechanic to ensure it is working optimally.
What to Bring
- bike – checked-over by W&S staff, with compatible rear skewer and installed rear training tire
- 2 large water bottles
- riding clothing for the warm indoor environment
- towels – you will sweat! please bring enough to stay comfortable and to wipe down your station
- heart rate monitor (optional, *details below)
- motivation to work hard!
FTP Test Day Breakdown
- 10 minute warm-up
- 3 x 1 minute spin-ups
- 5 minutes easy
- 5 minutes all-out
- 10 minutes easy
- 20-minute test
- 10-20 minute cool-down
Total ride time: 75 min
About the Equipment and Facility
The CompuTrainer set-up at Wheel & Sprocket is bar none. From the platforms for each bike to the available accessories, giant screens and fans, they have it all. New this season, we will be riding in the upper-level studio, overlooking the showroom below. If your bike is equipped with a cadence-sensing computer, we can set it up to display on-screen with the rest of the CompuTrainer data. The same is true for your Polar heart rate monitor. Sensors for tracking these data are available for purchase. Speak to a Wheel & Sprocket representative in the days leading up to November 12th.
More about Functional Threshold Power and Your Benchmark Test.
Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is the maximum average power (watts) a cyclist can maintain over a one-hour effort. We use it as a measureable marker for performance and improvement in the sport. After the test, we will use your FTP number in watts to establish your training zones for use throughout the session. Please see Tables 1 and 2 for more information on training zones. *In addition to tracking your power in watts, we can also establish threshold values and training zones based on your heart rate for use on all your training. If you have a heart rate monitor, please wear it during the test and set it to record an average heart rate (bpm) for the 20-min duration of the test. After the test, please provide us with the average heart rate value. If you use a Polar monitor, the CompuTrainer will record the data.
FTP is a measure of 60-minute max power and our test is 20 minutes in duration. To account for the body’s ability to maintain a higher average power for 20 minutes versus 60, we will estimate your FTP as a factor of 95% of the average power from the 20-minute power test.
Please prepare for this test as you would for a race or prioritized ride. Don’t perform a hard workout the day of or the day before your test and ensure proper sleep and nutrition. We’ll try to control for all variables within the test as you should within your sleep/hydration/nutrition/rest scenario to keep them repeatable over time and any additional testing. If you are committed to all three winter session, you will repeat the test at the beginning of each block.
For additional explanation of what is ahead, please see the FAQs.
Feel free to contact us with any questions leading up to the start of our session.
