Highlights
- AI FTP Detection is available to all TrainerRoad subscribers!
- AI FTP Detection is 38% less likely to overestimate your FTP vs. the 20-Minute Test
- AI FTP Detection is 75% less likely to underestimate your FTP vs. the 20-Minute Test
- AI FTP Detection is 40% less likely to underestimate your FTP vs. the Ramp Test
- Powered by a machine learning model tested and improved through 1,200 iterations
- Validated with over 22,000 athletes over 9 months
- Takes into account indoor and outdoor rides
- No need to do an “all-out” effort
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I’m proud to announce that AI FTP Detection is now available to all TrainerRoad athletes!
For those unfamiliar with AI FTP Detection, you simply click a button to get an FTP! Our AI detects your FTP based on your indoor and outdoor rides when you click the button!
The cool part is that you don’t have to do an “all-out” effort to get your FTP. You could even only do endurance work and still have AI FTP Detection predict your FTP.
And then AI FTP Detection, combined with Progression Levels, sets you up for productive training that makes you faster!
It took the team years to get to this point. In fact, we tested over 1,200 iterations of our ML model. This really was a huge effort!
We’re able to do this because of our massive 150,000,000+ ride database.
Over the last nine months, we’ve had over 22,000 athletes sign up for AI FTP Detection. We used this time to find bugs, fix them, and validate our ML (Machine Learning) model(s).
We’re to a point where we can confidently say AI FTP Detection is ready for use, and is the recommended way to get your FTP on TrainerRoad! 
I want to thank everyone on the forum who’s helped make this happen! Y’all helped us test many unique cases and put AI FTP Detection through the wringer! Thank you!!
We’re not stopping here, either! We’re already working on the next batch of improvements to this feature based on the feedback you’ve given on the forum.
If you want to learn more, I wrote a detailed blog post about how we got here and what AI FTP Detection means to TrainerRoad and cycling. You can read that here: FTP Testing is a Thing of the Past: Introducing AI FTP Detection - TrainerRoad Blog
If you’ve found AI FTP Detection helpful, the team would love to hear that! Please post on this thread! I’ll collect them and then post them internally so the entire team can see the outcome of their hard work!!
We also know forum people like to ask questions, so here are some FAQs. If you have any other questions, please post them below.
-Nate
AI FTP Detection FAQ
How is this different from FTP detections on other platforms?
Most other platforms estimate FTP from individual best efforts in your training data. Our model analyzes your training history and personal biometrics for a broader, more nuanced understanding of your abilities than a single effort can reveal.
Is AI FTP Detection just looking at what athletes generally gain in FTP after each block and basing the model on that?
No, we are not estimating FTP based on any static equation. AI FTP Detection uses a model trained on our data set to predict your FTP based on your unique training and biometric data.
Does AI FTP Detection consider rides that aren’t TrainerRoad workouts?
Yes. AI FTP Detection takes into account all rides with power data—indoor or outdoor, structured or unstructured. This can include group rides, races, and even rides on other indoor training apps synced to TrainerRoad.
Will AI FTP Detection consider unstructured outside rides as well?
Yes. AI FTP Detection takes into account all rides with power data, whether they’re indoors or outside, structured or unstructured. This can include group rides, races, and even rides on other indoor training apps synced to TrainerRoad.
What does AI FTP Detection look at to detect my FTP? What types of efforts or workouts does AI FTP Detection consider?
AI FTP Detection looks at your training history and your biometrics to detect your FTP. Because AI FTP Detection considers so much of your training data, it’s very unlikely a single type of effort or workout would substantially sway the model. For example, the model “knows” when you’re doing an easy ride and won’t confuse that for decreased fitness. You also don’t have to do capacitive or all-out efforts for the feature to work. In fact, it works if you only do sweet spot or aerobic riding and never do any high-intensity intervals!
Will AI FTP Detection detect my FTP if I’ve never used TrainerRoad?
AI FTP Detection requires 10 completed indoor TrainerRoad workouts to begin detecting your FTP. Once you reach this minimum, you don’t need to do any additional TrainerRoad workouts. By enabling RideSync, you can import rides with power data from other services and continue detecting your FTP.
Does TrainerRoad recommend I use AI FTP Detection or do an FTP test?
AI FTP Detection delivers the training benchmarks you need to progress your fitness and allows you to complete a productive workout in place of testing. Because AI FTP Detection gives you productive training stress without the unnecessary psychological and physical stress of an FTP test, we recommend using AI FTP Detection. That said, you always have the option to test!
Can I still complete an FTP Test?
Of course! You can still take a Ramp Test or other FTP test whenever you like. We just don’t know why you’d want to. 
How often will AI FTP Detection give me a new FTP?
Depending on your current fitness, FTP generally takes several weeks to meaningfully change, so AI FTP Detection generally won’t detect a new FTP more often than this. For now, this is why AI FTP Detection isn’t available more often than every 28 days.
What if my Abilities Change Within 28 Days?
FTP is not the only measure of your fitness. Between AI FTP Detections, your Progression Levels monitor your progress and track subtle changes in your abilities from day to day, even when your FTP doesn’t meaningfully change.
Progression Levels track your capacity to express your current FTP in different training zones at any given time. For example, increasing your ability to hold steady power within your VO2 Max training zone from one minute to three minutes at the same FTP demonstrates significant progress and is reflected by changes in your Progression Levels.
Simply put, your abilities will change between AI FTP Detections in ways FTP alone can’t accurately reflect. Progression Levels have you covered, working hand-in-hand with AI FTP Detection to track every change in your fitness, whether big or small, up or down.
I Didn’t Accept my recent AI FTP Detection. Can I Get a New Detection Sooner Than 28 Days?
If you keep your current FTP instead of accepting AI FTP Detection’s results, the newly-detected FTP will still be available for you to accept at any time during the next 28 days. Simply click the AI FTP Button from your Account Settings or from any FTP Test, and you’ll again be presented with the option to accept it, along with a countdown to when your next detection will be available.
If you haven’t accepted your newly detected FTP and something happens to significantly decrease your fitness within 28 days (for example, if you take extended time off the bike), AI FTP Detection will automatically adjust your still-available prediction downwards to make sure you get the right workouts and power targets. This will prevent you from accepting a too-high FTP, and it won’t affect the 28-day countdown until your next detection is available.
Does AI FTP Detection predict my hour power or expected Ramp Test result?
AI FTP Detection isn’t meant to predict the results of any individual effort, because all-out efforts can be affected by nutrition, fatigue, and other subjective factors. Instead, it’s designed to give you a training benchmark (FTP) that represents the full scope of your abilities, so you get the most productive training possible.
Isn’t AI FTP Detection just making training easier, and is that not the point of training?
A typical FTP test requires an all-out effort, but due to short durations and high resulting fatigue, these tests don’t generally contribute as much useful training stress as a productive workout. AI FTP Detection lets you replace your FTP test with a beneficial workout and avoid a stressful, less productive effort.
How can AI FTP Detection be accurate if I’m coming back from an offseason or more than one week off the bike?
AI FTP Detection was trained on an enormous data set and can predict decreases in FTP even after long (weeks to months) training interruptions.
How Do I Know AI FTP Detection is Accurate?
The machine learning model powering AI FTP Detection was trained on a dataset with more than 150 million workouts and hundreds of thousands of FTP changes, including athletes of all different ages, abilities, and experience levels. But the best way to validate AI FTP Detection’s accuracy is to try it for yourself! Accept your detected FTP and try some productive workouts. We think you’ll be amazed at the results.
now for the next step, are there any plans to recommend certain types of workouts and schedule to an athlete which would maximise their FTP growth (instead of the fixed training blocks)?
) I’ve always struggled with the Ramp Test, especially at the beginning of the plan when switch to indoor training. Workouts have always felt too easy. E.g. I never understood the fuzz about O/Us being so hard. This season AIFTP has given me an ATH FTP for season start. Ego feels good, but the legs hurt 
And now I finally DO understand the fuzz about O/Us…