In the last couple of years I’ve become quite an indoor guy, I may say 70/30. (mostly zwift because of bikes to upgrade, points, jerseys etc, but the Sufferfest is still the real thing)
What I’m realising in the last months is that when riding IRW my power is so far from what I do on the trainer.
I have exactly the same thing. The result is the metrics think I’m taking it easy outdoors, so are way out at the moment in terms of fitness and fatigue levels. I put my pedals I use outdoors on my trainer bike and they were pretty much bang on with regards to the power reading from the pedals and trainer matching.
My only thought is that power outside is more spiky compared to ERG mode which is less efficient, so you get a lower average for the same effort.
Another reason for the difference is that riding inside vs. outside creates different adaptations to exercise stress because the demands are different.
The usual case is that outside power is higher, but it has been suggested (and you may be an example of this) that people who do most of their riding indoors have higher numbers inside because that is how their body has adapted.
That might be, but you hold yourself on the bicycle differently, and the bicycle moves differently, so your body adapts differently. Cadence might reflect that or it might not.
