Starting some time in late May or in June, the TrainerRoad algorithm seems to have concluded that Pioneer -3 is the best 1-hour endurance workout for me. I don’t think this is a bug, per se, but it’s definitely strange. At least I generally know how I’ll be passing my Thursday workouts. Is anything…

Pioneer -3 is technically the “hardest” or highest-level 60-minute endurance workout that doesn’t have sprints included, which is likely why you’re seeing it so often. The only way to get a higher-level workout is to increase the duration. Other athletes have had the same issue with the workout Jam…

True. Same conversation has been had about James. Now, if only I could get TN to recommend me a Z2 workout longer than 2½h. :pleading_face:

[image] Chop_Stick: wift pacer group and have TR running on my phone, this gives me a bit more stimulation via the pacer group and terrain and then I have the workout done in TR. I have the trainer connected to Zwift and disabled in TR for these sorts of workouts. An hours endurance is an hours …

I think there is a lot of benefit riding high zone 2 / low tempo that mimics Pioneer and James and keeping your cadence high (above 85). Even Alex Wild on a TR podcast referenced this earlier this year that he does a ton of these rides. I would typically push my James workouts to two hours but got…

[image] Bbt67: plays a significant factor in this, and how trainne Coggan Power Zones for Endurance are 56-75% of FTP so 0.65 mentioned above is right in the middle of this range. Riding all your 3+ hours long rides at 0.75 may be too taxing and affect your recovery for next 2 days since mo…

[image] Bbt67: Equally 0.60 IF for an hour might be totally pointless for many and the point where a day off might be a better option, except for keeping training regularity. (Note the ranges were derived from outside ‘real world’ riding and are calculated from NP, an ride of 0.60 means lots of …

Man, I hate that some people’s takeaway from Coggan’s posts was that unless you’re pushing Zone 3, your easy rides are worthless. My personal experience is exactly the opposite.

[image] Bbt67: Im not sure anyone has said low Z2 or even Z1 is “worthless.” [image] Bbt67: Equally 0.60 IF for an hour might be totally pointless for many [image] JoPage: The issue of ‘should I bother to train’ for an hour’s z2 is a good point. It often feels a bit pointless Ma…

Everyone was having a lovely time untill Coggan got mentioned

More volume is more volume, even if it’s an extra hour it’s more stimulus than doing zero riding. Even if the ride is very easy you will benefit from the extra volume in the long term. For my training and my athletes I don’t assign a target % of ftp, it’s more RPE based. So while the ride during th…

All roads lead to Pioneer -3

TrainerRoad Software

roleypup October 16, 2025, 9:48am 33

I win.

Topic		Replies	Views
Are Progression Levels for Endurance Rides Nonsensical? Training	85	4316	February 18, 2025
Alan Couzens - 1/hr rides are not enough to improve unless coming off the couch Training	172	13058	November 10, 2023
TR killing my endurance? Training	87	2140	May 12, 2026
TR says 4 hours a week training for a 164k & 2,100m elevation gran fondo? Training	122	4726	September 15, 2025
Endurance rides feel absolutely useless Training	266	11120	February 8, 2024

All roads lead to Pioneer -3

Related topics