I made a mistake today and stood a fair bit during the last 2-3 intervals of the ramp test (erg mode on smart trainer). I know this was wrong. What should I do: (1) retest in two days (2) discount my result by 5% or so or (3) use the value I earned today.
Thanks.
The main question is probably âhow was your result?â If you smashed what you were expecting then I wouldnât train with that number. Personally if I got a result where I was expecting I would just âcrack onâ and see how the next workouts go. Next time just remember not to stand 
Biggest concern would be the final minute. And it would only be a concern if standing significantly increased your power average for that final minute since that is used to calculate the FTP. If you maintained your power and didnât spike it, probably not a real concern. There are other ways this can affect the calculation, but assuming the first part is not an issue, you are probably okay.
I definitely stood for part of the final minute as one can probably tell from this image:
yeah, looks like a pretty large spike above what it was calling for. Iâd think that could have you over by a quite a few watts.
I vote retest in a couple of days
Iâd keep it, see how the next few workouts go and adjust your FTP based on that. If you are really struggling to complete the workouts or fail, then Iâd drop the FTP a few points. I hate doing ramp tests though, so Iâm never eager to do them more than I have to.
You have been a very naughty boy (or girl) and should stop training immediately. You have to buy several bottles of beer for coach Chad to atone for your sins and must reflect on your actions. But weâll consider letting you off with a warning this time 
Or perhaps try some workouts on the new setting and see how it goes. Adjust if needed.
Canât really tell from this. Can you post another screengrab zoomed into the last 3 minutes?
I would compare what the target for that last minute was to what you actually did. Then either take the result from the target or split the difference.
Also, Iâm pretty sure that TR has a bit of math built in to account for spikes above target during the last several minutes so it might have already been considered by the system.
Shame! Shame!
I would probably keep the result and see how the next couple workouts go. Knock it down a few watts if it seems too high.
Why is standing a no? Because of the potential for variability in your power output or some other reason?
The aim of the test is a controlled increase in resistance with a steady load and result of the rider âpoppingâ when they canât maintain power.
Standing to sprint or rally effort is counter to the intent and can skew the results. This test is different, but in a way has the same intent as something like the 20 minute FTP test, where you want to have steady and predictable power production.
Avoiding kicks at the end is beneficial in that test (because it likely shows you didnât push as hard as you should have done prior in the test time), and that kind of applies here, even those this is a âstep/rampâ approach. Power spikes or kicks are not part of a proper FTP test.
@QuittingBikes, here you go (also donât judge the low numbers Iâm a 54kg female and my cadence is always insanely slow (working on that)):
I would drop my ftp a percent or two and carry on. If youâre failing workouts, drop a bit more. As a new rider who is still learning the ropes, your training will not be meaningfully impacted by dropping a few percent.
I would absolutely focus on improving your cadence though. The amount of suffering you can endure will really improve with an additional 20-30 bpm.
Have fun and enjoy the process!
I see your point.
However, you would think that erg mode on the smart trainer, adjusting resistance relative to cadence, would make sitting or standing a mute point. Either âwatts are wattsâ or they arenât. Standing on a bike isnât necessarily sprinting or an uncontrolled effort.
I can see how without erg mode it can make a difference, but then again a ramp test isnât much of a ramp testing without erg mode anyways
Ramp test protocols say not to stand other than for brief sit bone breaks. I canât explain why, but I do know those are the ârulesâ.
As good as ERG mode, itâs not instantaneous. Itâs possible to hit spikes on that depending on what the rider does. Itâs not like there is an absolute direct, 1:1 that standing equals a bad Ramp test. But considering the way and reasons that people stand in most instances, those would lead to potential issues with this specific objective.
Sure, itâs possible to stand and ERG can work to balance a bit. But the reality that if you stand and pedal at the current cadence (say 90rpm in a typical case), it is quite fast and âspintyâ feeling compared to a typical standing cadence around 60-70rpm. Or you drop cadence (either by slowing and letting ERG adjust resistance, or manually shift the gears to get a more appropriate cadence without the ERG lag issue) and get a more typical cadence.
Or, as it appears above, the rider was already way down on cadence (mid 60âs) and stood, presumably to overcome mounting fatigue, and we see a big spike. In any event, I donât consider ERG as some preventative measure here. Not everyone has or uses it for one thing. And itâs not a cure all that locks people into âperfectâ power like many assume.
Essentially, I think itâs fair to state that standing should be avoided as itâs not what the test designers had in mind. Simple as that.
I agree with @mcneese.chad but at the end of the day I wouldnât sweat it. I accidentally sat up during a test in aero position, giving me a boost but I donât think my training has suffered.
Yeah, by no means am I claiming it will blow up the test each and every time. It may have no impact whatsoever depending on how itâs done.
But WRT the question of âwhyâ behind the prohibition, there are potentially good reasons it to minimize it whenever possible.
