Seems everyone has higher ramp test results vs the 20 min test.
My indoor ramp test is around 241 - Outdoor 20min test is 290 (before division).
I don’t have a history or have done a lot of v02max work so this is probably why. So I do my v02max workouts indoors at around 250FTP and Sweet Spot at 265FTP. Or maybe I just have an anxiety when it comes to FTP testing and I’ve never properly gotten my results. But I’m very sure I can hold 260-65 outdoors for over an hour as I hold 230 for over 2-3 hours.
Overall, I tend to go with the lower number so I don’t fail workouts. Better than going with the higher number for ego’s sake. Hopefully, when I finish SSBMV2 my v02max will be at a normal level so my ramp tests will be accurate yardstick for all my energy systems.
That’s great. If your perceived effort aligns with the workout then crack on.
The “alarm bells” comment was that you could only hold your 5w less than your FTP for 20 minutes. I recently did a workout that was 3x20 @ ~15w below FTP. I don’t think I could have done that had my best 20 min power been 5w below FTP.
20 minute test on 22 Jan - 266W FTP
Ramp test on 26 Jan - 286W FTP
Average the two = 276W is what Im going with for high volume build. I recommend this (doing both tests and taking the average) as it has been accurate for me through a year of training.
Some subjective notes:
This 276W estimate is 3-5W higher than what I started with for high volume sweet spot base in the gran fondo plan. It makes sense more than the outliers from both tests.
I finished a gran fondo high volume plan in december '20 and went from initially 220W - 289W at the end on a ramp test. Estimated actual FTP at 280W at that peak (3% off from inflated ramp test). I took a 1.5 week break and started the high volume base at 270W.
I have high VO2max and anaerobic capability from 4 years of heavy squatting and HIIT at a local crossfit.
For the same reason I have comparitively (to the awesome athletes here and in cycling, running, plus other endurance sports) poor slow twitch, diesel long term engine performance. This is why I suck at the 20 minute test and take the average of the two.
To me, ftp is just an indicator number but still want to see if it is real my an hour power too.
But to my experience, ramp test result is the number that you can follow the trainerroad plans without fail (of course we will feel the pain and try to learn not give up and that’s the whole point actually).
So if you want to improve yourself, do ramp test and follow the plan. If you really want to learn your an hour power, so do an hour maximum effort (even 20mins can be wrong).
100%, ramp test underestimates me by about 5% compared to 20 min… definitely I am a diesel in terms of physiology and if I use the ramp number, workouts are way too easy…
Just here to share my personal results as I always knew the ramp test resulted in a higher FTP estimation for me, but never actually measured the difference.
I think a few watts of this discrepancy could be due to pacing issues and lack of experience with the amount I should suffer in the first 10-15 minutes of the test. Also, a general lack of experience with sweet spot/treshold intervals. Just starting my first Trainerroad plan so hoping to resolve this over the next few weeks!
Going with the lower FTP estimation (20-minute test results) for now.
