# First Ramp test - trainer issue **URL:** \ **Category:** Equipment\ **Tags:** trainer\ **Created:** [November 30, 2020, 12:13am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/first-ramp-test-trainer-issue/47705 "2020-11-30T00:13:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@Alan](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Alan)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 12:13am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/first-ramp-test-trainer-issue/47705/1 "2020-11-30T00:13:34Z")
Hi Everyone, im listening to the podcast for a while but am very new to indoor training I done my first ramp this earlier, and had an issue where just as the effort started to bite the trainer resistance seemed to jump drasticaly. It feels like there was a brake or huge resistance being applied to the rear wheel/drum which made my cadance (90-100) plummet to below 60 and basically ended the ramp test I felt I had more in the tank had the resistance/cadance been more progressive I feel like trying the 8 or 20 minute ftp test as the Ramp test was not at all taxing Any advice on my set-up ? Gear: Wahoo Kickr snap 25mm tire - 96.4 psi ERG mode Calibration/spin down done ahead of test Inner chain ring middle of cassette TR esitmated my FTP to be 136 from a intro ride I done This is much lower than what I would expect my actual to be (low 200) Thanks Alan ---
**Author:** ![mcneese.chad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mcneese.chad/32/15056_2.png) [@mcneese.chad](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/mcneese.chad)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/first-ramp-test-trainer-issue/47705/2 "2020-11-30T00:19:47Z")
Can you share a link to your test from the workout on the TR site? Your account will need to be public. If that’s an issue, a decent screen shot is a starting point for review. ---
**Author:** ![Alan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@Alan](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Alan)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 12:31am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/first-ramp-test-trainer-issue/47705/3 "2020-11-30T00:31:04Z")
> **[Get Faster with TrainerRoad](https://www.trainerroad.com/app/career/irish%20alan/rides/95526811-ramp-test)** > > Cycling's most effective training system. Structured indoor and outdoor workouts, proven training plans, and easy-to-use ride analysis tools. ---
**Author:** ![CaptainJack](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/captainjack/32/55319_2.png) [@CaptainJack](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/CaptainJack)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/first-ramp-test-trainer-issue/47705/4 "2020-11-30T00:57:33Z")
Do you have a power meter on your bike and was it connected to your computer as well as the Kickr? If so make sure you disconnect the power meter from TR and just have the Kickr connected. If you want the Kickr to go off your power meter then have that connected through the Kicker app only. Maybe you don’t have a power meter but it was worth me giving it a shot. ---
**Author:** ![mcneese.chad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mcneese.chad/32/15056_2.png) [@mcneese.chad](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/mcneese.chad)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 4:18am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/first-ramp-test-trainer-issue/47705/5 "2020-11-30T04:18:49Z")
His workout shows a Kickr Snap as the other data source, so he doesn’t appear to have a power meter paired. ---
**Author:** ![mcneese.chad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mcneese.chad/32/15056_2.png) [@mcneese.chad](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/mcneese.chad)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/first-ramp-test-trainer-issue/47705/6 "2020-11-30T17:52:57Z")
I have a couple of observations, based on the file: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/original/3X/8/a/8a207949fb917a45a98ec87ee99d454976fd369a.png) 1. Your cadence seems quite variable, and has some notable dips well before the final step that you made. Seems you started having trouble about 13 mins in, had a notable hiccup about 15:45 and finally popped around 16:42. 2. Checking your prior ride to the Ramp, it looks like you had the FTP set at 160w. You finished around 16:42, and got a 136w FTP from this ramp, the “steps” may have been a bit “high” for you. 3. You have the default “Enable Power Smoothing in ERG Mode” active. It’s a setting from Wahoo and one I personally hate. Have a look at the following video and consider turning that setting off, to get more accurate looking power data, than the overly smooth and fake data as shown. 4. What are you using as a basis of your 200+w estimated FTP? ---
**Author:** ![mcneese.chad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mcneese.chad/32/15056_2.png) [@mcneese.chad](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/mcneese.chad)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 6:08pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/first-ramp-test-trainer-issue/47705/8 "2020-11-30T18:08:07Z")
Just to add for reference, here is my latest Ramp test from a few weeks ago. > **[Get Faster with TrainerRoad](https://www.trainerroad.com/app/career/chader09/rides/94696547-ramp-test)** > > Cycling's most effective training system. Structured indoor and outdoor workouts, proven training plans, and easy-to-use ride analysis tools. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/original/3X/9/7/97d920f24eb67472ce315cc38a04f2aeb9db3d7b.png) - Notice how jumpy the power appears from my Kickr, without ERG smoothing applied. - Notice a steady the increase is in my HR. - Notice how smooth my cadence is, as reported from a dedicated cadence sensor. There are not major dips at power steps. See the relatively slow, but real decay in my cadence, as fatigue builds. - There is also more power data fluctuation in the final steps, vs the earlier parts of the test, that show my real fatigue and difficulty pushing to the finish. ---
**Author:** ![mcneese.chad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mcneese.chad/32/15056_2.png) [@mcneese.chad](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/mcneese.chad)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 6:20pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/first-ramp-test-trainer-issue/47705/10 "2020-11-30T18:20:37Z")
Ha, thanks 😃 I try to be very smooth and steady for cadence whenever possible, but especially in ERG mode and testing at the top end. I started with around a 90 rpm average when I got into TR. Working on spin up drills seems to have lead me to about 97 rpm as my preferred cadence any more. In tests, I have to watch it early to make sure I don’t over-spin into triple digits. I’ve done that from inattention in the past, and it seems to smoke me later on in the test. So if I limit on the front end, all I have to do is try to keep it near 95 and hopefully over 90 until I hit the entry to the ragged final 30 seconds or so. I don’t push any cadence for people because it runs the range. However, seeing that much saw-tooth action in a test, especially in the final third seems like an issue one way or another. But I may have unrealistic expectations of what cadence steadiness is practical or acceptable for getting good results. That variability might be fine for some. I just know it would destroy me with that type of up/down cadence variation.