Are the ramp instructions not great for N00bs?

TrainerRoad Software
1

So, the first ever ramp I did on TR was on june 2019.
I had no idea what to do. The instructions said to keep going until I couldn’t go any more. I did… almost 40 minutes later I could still “go”. As you may correctly assume, I couldn’t keep power, cadence, or anything resembling that I should continue. But I kept going waiting for the wo to finish. It never did and I ended my misery. After talking to a friend he explain what to do.
Fast forward to yesterday a friend of mine did the exact same thing I did. He kept going for a very long time.
I think better instructions should be given during the wu. I am not sure how to make it clear, but probably there is a better way that what is currently been done.
I mean, it doesn’t matter as much now with the new smart FTP, but for people who are new and doing the first FTP test.

Maybe a search can be done to see how many other people have done this. I suspect is more than us 2

2

The video does a decent job, with the specific mention of “holding target power”:

Not sure if this specific wording is housed in the live test instructions as well?

2 Likes
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I think my friend sent me the video AFTER i did the ramp test…

:man_facepalming:

probably a wording like that would work better…
the fact that someone else repeat my error lead me to believe that instructions could be better.

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I never had this issue when I started out, but 2 friends I turned onto TR both made the exact same mistake you outlined in your original post, so there is probably some room for improved instruction.

Interestingly, TR support somehow flagged and noticed these wonky rides and reached out to both of my friends shortly after they completed the test.

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I haven’t performed a ramp test on TR in some time now as i’ve been relying mainly on AI FTPD to handle that bit for me, so I can’t recall specifically what the WO instructions state inside the RT, but I wonder if maybe TR’s “assumption” these days are users are using smart trainers in ERG mode, which will hold power for you provided you continue pedaling… I assume this is NOT the case,

BUT…

A lot of instructions I see throughout workouts these days is mostly centered around staying within a certain cadence range, with not as many references to holding power targets as I would expect (could be just the particular workouts on my calendar though)… when I think of “holding cadence” I also think ERG mode as the trainer will control the power while the rider focuses on the cadence bit…

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IIRC, the ramp test is the only workout that features those video instructions that @mcneese.chad dropped a link to.