I’m currently doing a plan which is fine but in addition I would like to include a one off workout that simulates efforts up a long steep climb where I may be out of the saddle grinding a bit then back on the saddle spinning to remove the lactic then repeat.
I think the term maybe Over Unders?
Basically I’m aiming to find a workout that someone can recommend that has peaks of over FTP then back to FTP and back up again.
Can anyone recommend one?
Thanks
You have the right idea. I will suggest using the filters of the TR Workout catalog to narrow down a list on your own.
Open the Log In to TrainerRoad site or the “Workouts” section of the TR app on your preferred device.
Use the “Zones” filter and select “Threshold”. On the web, you can also add the “Over-Unders” sub-filter.
Add your preferred “Duration” to get just options with the desired length you want.
You can also add “Difficulty” and/or “Workout Level” to get more refinement.
See this single example, but you can really tweak the filters to get into a narrow range that makes picking your workout much easier:
And just to add another consideration, depending on the trainer you have and your bike used on it, you may want to try using lower gearing and related slower flywheel speed to get more of a “low inertia” feel and loading.
I do this on my Kickr, by using the small ring in ERG mode instead of the large ring. This concept can be applied to Resistance, Standard & Level modes by selecting higher settings for those which allows for slower gearing.
This may not even matter in the grand scheme, and is likely into the marginal gains territory if there is any difference to your training at all. But I think it works for my needs at least and is easy to test for yourself to see if you like it and want to apply it in tandem with the workouts you mention.
Thank you for your kind help. I didn’t realise workouts could be filtered like this.
I tend to keep in ERG mode to do my plan but you’ve made me think that may not be quite as realistic for this sort of thing.
Cheers
Darren
Hi again. Just rereading your reply. I was under the impression that it doesn’t matter what gear you’re in in ERG mode the resistance will feel the same irrespective of the gearing chosen? Are you saying that’s not the case?
I’m using a Kickr bike by the way and if I alter the gearing whilst in ERG it momentarily feels harder then the bike adjusts the resistance to match the watts required.
This is notable and essentially means you don’t have the option that I cover below. Smart bikes like yours have a single, fixed gearing. It only alters the feel via “virtual gearing” which is a simple adjustment to the resistance unit with no other impact.
So, all the info I add below is not relevant for your needs or others on smart bikes. This just applies to bike trainers (wheel-on and wheel-off). But I will include it since it may apply to others that read this topic and are unaware of the options.
Sadly, we do not have hard studies showing the impact of gearing and resulting flywheel speed with respect to training effect. All we have is personal experience and anecdotes, so take all I share next with a hefty chunk of salt. This topic got lengthy discussion with opinions that run the full range in a thread from a while ago.
Based upon my experience and that I have read/heard from others here on the forum (including Nate and Jonathon on the podcast), gearing and flywheel speed MAY lead to different riding feeling after periods of training. In short, here is a rule of thumb that I and others consider:
Above all, I recommend that people test a range of gearing (from lowest to highest) and experience the potential difference in feelings for themselves.
In summary, I firmly believe that the old “Gearing doesn’t matter in ERG mode.” idea is not accurate. I’ve personally felt the difference from changes in gearing and seen a significant number of other riders report similar comments. At the very least, I think it’s worth some testing by anyone interested in the topic.
