65 watts does seem a little low for your age, but women do have much lower ftps than men. a couple of my female friends have gotten much too low results with the ramp test. they both ride regularly and have been riding for years, but neither of them really have any kick. they are both long steady rollers with little punching capabilities. one regularly does zwift workouts and she just adds 25 watts to her ramp test ftp to get a number that works with the workouts. i have ridden with her for years and i agree that ftp given to her by the ramp test is too low. my ftp by ramp is about 15 watts less than the one predicted by the 20 min test (i am also female). i do not have a lot of top end power, either. ramp test might just not be a good ftp predictor for you. i like the 20 minute test, but avoiding it is reasonable. i suggest just seeing how the workouts go and increase the ftp manually if needed or you can also just do a few workouts and let the aiftp kick in.
Thank you all for your insights. It’s been good to know how Trainer Road has worked really well for you. I’m going to report back in a few weeks time to let you know how I’m getting on. I didn’t expect to see so many responses, it’s been very informative 
FTP increases are addictive, even if they aren’t our own….update us as it goes. I’d love to see how TR ramps you into your progression.
19 1/2 minutes is the point where you are ahead of your FTP so that’s kinda a thing.
Joe
Hi @Snail, congrats on starting the journey!
From what you’ve written about your test experience, I think @AldridgePrior brought up an important point:
I remember Jonathan saying on the podcast years ago before AI detection of FTP was available, that when FTP test day rolled around his wife made sure there was a bucket handy because his effort was so intense he’d sometimes vomit.
After an FTP test, be it a 1-hour, 20-minute, 2×8-minute, or ramp, you should be absolutely spent, nothing more to give at the moment the test is up. That’s the point, it’s supposed to be a test of your maximum capacity for the set duration. It’s not “oh this is a bit hard now, I don’t like this, I’m going to back off or stop”. 
& I’ve been there. The vast majority of bike interval training with TR will be challenging but not maximal. But testing, by definition, should be a maximal effort.
A couple more thoughts I haven’t seen mentioned here yet:
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Since you’re new to indoor training, check the usual stuff: make sure your cooling, fuelling, & hydration are optimal. (Others will have better ideas; I’m fortunate enough that I can do all my training outside.
) This thread has been an interesting read:
Let's see your paincave! -
Since you do strength training too, make sure you prioritise what your primary focus is (I’m assuming that’s cycling), because fatigue from a strength workout will affect your performance on the bike, & vice versa. And you’ll want at least a few days’ rest after any workouts before you do an FTP test.
So you could take this into account & test again, or as others have suggested just do the workouts, answer the post-workout surveys, & the system will eventually work out your optimal level over the course of a few weeks.
Hey @Snail! Welcome to the forum 
All good feedback here! What I am sensing here, like others is that you just may be finding your way.
I looked at your Ramp Test on the backend and all is connected well, so no issues there. The Ramp Test is however meant to go until failure. More info here on how to complete one: How to Test With the Ramp Test
That said, since you’ve completed 2 in the past 4 days, I would encourage you to start with your training plan with the current FTP you have from your last Ramp Test (81) for the following reasons:
- As you start completing workouts, the system will be able to read if the workouts are too easy at the current FTP and bump the difficulty.
- After completing 10 Indoor TR Workouts, you will be able to unlock AI FTP Detection! So you won’t have to worry to about testing anymore.
As you keep completing workouts that system will lock you in further to match your fitness.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Thank you @roleypup and @Caro.Gomez-Villafane. I’m determined more than ever to get stuck into training with Trainer Road. I’ve been in contact with onboarding (in fact, they reached out to me first this morning after they saw my ramp test) and retook the ramp test again after tweaking the ftp to 100. That helped so I wasn’t spending forever on the ramp test. Right now, my ftp is 81 so the only way is up from there. I’ll trust the process and see how the next few workouts go (2 sweet spots, 1 threshold). My strength training sessions have been designed to help with the cycling so there aren’t too many heavy lower body exercises. I’ll find a way to spread these out and see how I get on. I’ll report back
Not sure your age or recovery skills…just to say: if you feel 3 hard workouts too much for a week, just adjust the plan and set the “masters plan” switch which gives you 2 hard and one endurance ride.
Deleted, apparently I’m wrong.
Enjoy the workouts! Perhaps, it is low but you will have adaptive training. A little low is better than a little high imo.
Keep us posted on your progress.
Great to know about the masters plan. I’ll definitely change to this if i find the 3 hard workouts a week draining. At least there are other options and I’m not stuck with the one plan. I’ll also need to work on sleeping better once im back at work next week, and fuelling properly before and after workouts.
You are wrong
Power = RPM x Torque
A bigger gear will increase flywheel RPM and make the problem worse.
Yes, that is a bizarre recommendation. If power floor is a problem, you need to help the trainer by running as light a gear as possible, i.e. small chainring and a large sprocket.
I think in general you should choose your gearing so it resembles what you’d use outside for the same power.
Apologies if this is mentioned later in the thread (at work so can’t read through), but it might be worth getting some blood tests done at your doctor. Just to rule out underlying health conditions that might cause low energy or breathing problems. Hopefully there’s nothing of that sort but your FTP does seem low bearing in mind you’re not sedentary/totally unfit.
Awesome! Let us know.
So this is my first workout. I’m pleased I managed an hour and the heart rate zone seemed about right. I need to replace the strap as this one is a couple of years old and contacts are cracked in places. I’m hoping there’ll be more workouts to get my pedalling technique correct as well as my form - so far I’m impressed with the way TR is engaging and giving instructions. I was getting confused on when it would ask me to speed up, hence the erratic yellow lines. I guess I’m experimenting with the shifting so I’m spinning fast but then maintaining the target power. I might have started the isolated leg drills a lot later as I wasn’t sure when it prompted me to start those at the beginning of the workout. It’s adapted my next workout to Tunnabora-1 which seems similar to Granite. If there are any resources on ILDs or pedalling techniques, please throw them my way.
Those that have mentioned getting blood work done - I should have mentioned that I have Crohn’s disease and was diagnosed back in 2018 (in the middle of training for London to Paris that year 
). I’ve managed to keep it in remission periodically but I’m due some tests to check for inflammation and iron levels etc. I’ll probably need to consider medication again. I’ve never felt strong when it comes to aerobic sports but hopefully I’ll see improvements over the next few months.
…. keep the updates coming
Tunnabora-1 is similar in profile, but a measured step up in intensity, so it seems the system likes what you did here with Granite.
The pedaling drills can be useful, and I like doing them sometimes, but I’d say you might regard them as secondary and optional if you find them weighing on your mind too much, particularly as you’re getting used to the systems and these structured workouts in particular. Your pedaling will develop somewhat naturally over time as you develop your power and endurance. Though by all means do the drills if you find them useful and fun in the context of the overall workout.
25 mins is pretty long to be doing a ramp test. Sounds like it started too low.
Maybe I misread but just to make sure: You know that you are not supposed to shift gears in ERG mode? (BTW: Did you shift in your ramp tests?)