Last ramp test my FTP was suggested to be 230w. This was over an hour effort but seeing that FTP is often cited as your best power over an hour this is my best!! Should this be my FTP?? My max HR is around 160 and I am 68.
I rode up Alpe Du Zwift yesterday and these were my power numbers/HR average. This is the best I have ever done a climb virtual or outside. This ride broke 299 of my records!
I had no intention at the beginning to do the full climb but I felt really good yesterday so just continued up without a break originally thinking I would just do four threshold efforts (12min) at around 200w to 210w.
I think going with the Ramp Test result of 230 is still the way to go. The 219 watts is you averaged for an hour that you did not plan to do, and it’s possible you went out too hard, or had moments where your effort was above or below FTP. 219 watts is still over 95% of your measured FTP, which is a great performance – especially for an impromptu ride. Also, a Ramp Test yields an FTP that’s still an estimate, and your ride yesterday shows that it probably gives you a fairly accurate number. It also might suggest that your FTP has risen a little since your Ramp Test that gave you the 230 watts number – I would bet that you’re a few watts higher now. If I were in your position, I would not change my FTP to 219. Nice work!
My ramp test FTP is always higher than the power I can produce in a 25m TT - probably an overestimate plus the fact that I lose a few watts in my TT position. That said I have always found that the ramp test scales pretty well with making TR workouts manageable at the various intensities so I spend less time worrying about whether it’s my true FTP and just use it as a metric for measuring fitness gains and adjusting workout intensities.
Like the others, I very much doubt your hour power is your theoretical maximum power for one hour. Holding your FTP for one hour is really, really tough mentally. So I’d rather look at your 20- or 30-minute power for guidance. 230–235 W or even a little higher looks to be realistic IMHO.
If I were you, I’d stick to the number suggested by the ramp test and see how you are faring on sweetspot and threshold workouts. If they feel easy, I’d bump up your FTP by 5 W or so and try again. One easy way to try this is by using scaling the workout to 102 %. If you really want to be sure, try a harder VO2max workout.
I don’t know about you but going up a long climb I have a confidence FTP of around 210w which allows for unexpected, constant gradient changes etc and mis pacing. But I’ve actually managed 248w on Unicorn -1 on Christmas Eve and train of 260w based on 92% of a 40mins version of a 20mins test.
I’d keep the 230w for training (assuming your managing the work outs) but keep in the 219w in the back of my head. Occasionally its good to know that when you start to struggle a value that you have definitely done
Your hour power is only (kind of) your FTP if it was a constant power for the full hour and you are toast at the end of the effort (feel like there’s nothing left).
Since your 20 minute power was much higher, you clearly didn’t keep a constant effort. I am guessing your 5 minute power was even higher.
Just use the ramp test results and see if it works for you. If not, then do the 20 minute test a few times (on different days) to get your pacing right. But for most people the ramp test is fine.
