I only get target power, power, cadence, heart rate.
Is there a way to get your NP, time in zones, target cadence…
are there workouts or settings where the resistance would adjust so that you have to meet your target cadence for the target power?
additionally what do users do when they do TR workouts. DO they just look at the screen with the data and workout profile or is there a way to put a cycling video in the background. Even if its like a youtube video…
Do u essentially need two screens?
No, there is no user customization possible on the TR display. They take a “less is more” approach and leave it at that.
You can potentially use a second device (like a Garmin/Wahoo head unit) to read and report that data, if your setup allows multiple connections.
I should add that the stats you request are available, but after completing the workout in the full workout review on the website.
ERG mode will set and match the target power. Nothing in TR works directly on cadence. There are a variety of workouts that list general cadence ranges and drills, but they are option and not automatic in any way.
That depends entirely on your setup and available devices. There is a “Minimal” mode if you are using TR on a PC or Mac device. It changes to a thin ribbon on the bottom (by default, and can be moved anywhere on screen) that is small enough to watch movies and such behind it.
You can also run TR on just about any mobile device, so that is easy and allows regular use of another device for entertainment with no interaction between them.
I suspect one of the reasons that the desktop version has less info is because of minimal mode. There really isn’t much room in that bar since the two graphs take up most of the screen. I usually run TR on the PC in minimal with a TV show or movie for entertainment. I could use a second device except that I prefer not to have to look in multiple places. Also, the info on the phone is too small for me to read without glasses. Which would be covered in sweat.
Mobile is essentially as restricted for space, if not more so. The fact that it takes a swipe to switch pages could be replicated one way or another on PC/Mac. Nothing is impossible, but would take some planning and programming to make it happen.
Its ok to say minimalist is the design option but people should have the option of being able to see as much or as less of the data as they wish…
I am sure there are many riders who would like to have their hands on as much data as possible while training, I am one and don’t like to be restricted because somebody else thinks we don’t need to see that piece of data. eg I know there are TrainerRoad riders who despise distance/speed but I want to see it. I also like to see the TSS unfolding, NP, IF etc.
The more the better and if there are check boxes where you can check to see or what not to see everybody is happy.
Why do you want the extra fields? Because the data is there isn’t a reason. What decision are you going to make during a planned workout based on any of the fields they don’t show?
They are designing software to accomplish a goal. They give you the information to accomplish that goal. There is motivation for everything on the screen. Give them motivation to add complexity beyond ‘you could’.
They could make flappy bird, that would not improve our indoor training.
wow thanks all for the replies. This forum is so active.
My assumption was that the data screen would be customizable. I would have thought that a target cadence for a workout was a given. The person who created the workout would have had this in mind depending on what the workout was aimed for, no?
So my next workout, i’ll connect my trainer to iphone (and attach to quad lock on my stem) and use the app, and turn on a cycling motivation video on my macbook.
The workout screen shows you your cadence and the workout text coaches you through the recommended cadences for each interval as well as suggesting cadence drills you can conduct throughout some of the workouts or sections of workouts. It’s very clear from the workout text that Coach Chad believes that cadence is a critical skill and needs to be trained. But it is secondary to power as a metric for guiding and controlling workouts.
I think the reason that Coach Chad and the TR team don’t use any specified “targets” for cadence is that unlike power, cadence doesn’t scale. 65% of FTP or 100% of FTP or 130% of FTP is scaled to each individual’s fitness and gives them optimal stress to obtain the desired adaptations. But 85 RPM or 95 RPM or 105 RPM is objectively the same for everyone and is not always comfortable or achievable by everyone across all the ranges of power required.
TR is all about training to target power, and forcing people to ride at specific cadences could very well compromise different individuals’ ability to achieve the power targets and thus confuse the objective of the workout.
Everything they take the time and money to put into the software means other stuff has to be left out.
The team at TR is very clear and open that their focus is on things that make riders faster. Options like creating a customizable interface that displays extraneous data (“nice to have” or “I just like to see it”) but that doesn’t substantially improve training or contribute to increased fitness is likely viewed as a waste of their resources.
Just like they don’t spend time or energy into gamification or entertainment.
They’re not ignoring customers or being difficult. They’re catering to exactly the customer base that they intend to satisfy: people who don’t care about extraneous things and just want to train effectively and get faster.
It’s a question of product design, strategic focus, resource management, and basic economics.
This may sound condescending but please know that it is definitely NOT my intent when I answer thusly:
People who think they want more data than what is currently available on the screen are the type of people that probably don’t understand what that data is for. To use your example, distance and speed mean literally nothing on an indoor trainer during a TR workout. There is absolutely no reason to have it and would only generate a multitude of support requests from people saying “My friend Bill traveled 50km during Baxter but I can only go 20km”. I’d much prefer TR be able to troubleshoot my connection issue straight away rather than wasting time dealing with useless data.
TSS unfolding, fair enough, but I believe you might even be able to get that on the mobile version. You can also just look at the TSS before you select a workout. NP, again, fair enough but the interval is what it is. If you’re modifying a workout because of the NP then you’re not really using TR properly at that point. IF also doesn’t make any sense to see in real time.
I’m the first one to be critical of bad TR design, but the data available at the moment isn’t just “good enough” it’s literally all there is.
I understand limited resources etc, but it’s frustrating having some features from the mobile app in the desktop version, especially more data fields. Surely they’ll have numbers showing that most people use a phone/tablet, but still.
Frankly I would turn off HR most of the time and cadence some of the time. I would also try turning off the preview of what is coming. HR because I don’t need it. Cadence due to trying different ones and I know pretty well what my cadence is. Preview as it messes w the mind (mental toughness).
@Nate_Pearson has mentioned in the pastvthat they’re aware that the mac app lags behind in some ways and they’re going to remedy that. Not sure if this specific thing is something they’re going to address.
For me? TSS unfolding and other data that is not an interval countdown, cadence, or power is information I can’t process when going hard and information that’s too boring when I’m going easy.
Less is often more. A trite saying I know but relevant.
Take TSS as an example. I do like to know what TSS the workout will deliver. However in reality when I plug my Garmin in to use BT whilst TR is on the laptop ANT then the TSS display is not that helpful. Avg power again is not that helpful and can be easily approximated whilst doing the session.
I would agree with one point raised here.
If a facility, such as swipe left for more data fields, is available on mobile then it should be backported to desktop wherever possible.
