Last week, I performed a Monty Ramp Test, and my FTP saw a huge jump compared to my previous value (242 from a 205 obtained with Full Front test) . I followed the instructions to stop pedaling when I couldn’t go any further up the ramp, but afterwards I ran into a small issue—I wasn’t able to scroll to the end of the ramp on my iPad to start the new section. I ended up restarting soft pedaling a couple of times before finally stopping. Now, I’m wondering if this might have affected the accuracy of the test and led to an overestimation of my FTP.
Following the test, I’ve started a 1-month FTP-focused training block to prepare for a climbing holiday. However, I’ve been really struggling to hit targets in the sessions. For example, during the Angels workout, I couldn’t maintain the desired cadence on the final climb but managed to finish without stopping.
I’d love your thoughts on two questions:
a) Are these workouts designed to push you to your absolute limit, and is it normal to struggle like this?
b) Could the restarts during the ramp test have messed up the FTP evaluation, giving me a number that’s too high for my current fitness?
Hi there. Congratulations on punishing yourself through 2 tests. In response to your questions:
1). The degree to which you are shattered by the workouts is often influenced by your innate strength as a cyclist (eg sprinter, climber, pursuiter, attacker), however, if your targets are accurate then MOST of the workouts will leave you quite tired, but not completely wrecked. Sometimes being over/understated by just 5% is enough to make a huge difference. How “fresh” you feel before doing the workout also makes a big difference.
2). Going from 205 to 242 FTP is a huge jump which would suggest that at least one of the tests didn’t yield an accurate result. Hate to say it, but you might need to try the HM again as a means of validating one of the numbers. At least it’s not as soul crushing as the Full Frontal . If you don’t want to do that, you could try dialling down the targets a bit in the SETTINGS although this might entail some guesswork to get to an appropriate level.
Half Monty sometimes gives inflated results vs FF. It influences some riders more than others. I’m one of those people where the HM gives high FTP sand MAP results. Workouts should be hard, but doable. Some workouts are good tests for different metrics. Others in this forum can give you better ideas, but if you can finish 9 Hammers and it’s tough, but doable then you MAP is probably right.
edit: might be good to redo FF and see what your numbers are.
So far I can make it to the end of the workouts, even if struggling. So, I am tempted to push if I can and take the new HM or FF at the end of the training block. Worst case I can drop down few % on the target during the workout.
I feel that FF underestimated, while HM might have overstimated, the truth might be in the middle
I’d BET ON IT! That’s exactly what I thought when I read this thread yesterday. My experience with HM and FF is exactly that way. I can overperform on HM but FF brings me back to earth again.
And I think a lot of it is how you deal with the mental aspects of each, in addition to the physical difficulty in FF, which is inescapable if you follow the workout properly.
Put me on a ramp test like HM has and I CAN will myself through yet one more ramp that I know has a finite endpoint and a relatively short duration.
But set me on the 20-minute THRESHOLD interval of FF, having already slammed the NM sprints and a 5-minutes of MAP to scour out some of my reserves, and it becomes a much greater test of WILL to SUSTAIN whatever level of pain I THINK I can endure…
I know myself pretty well and I can ALWAYS suffer a little bit more, but FF doesn’t miss opportunities to tell me I’m probably not WILLING to suffer that much more TODAY!
The more I think about it, the more I agree! I can endure pain when knowing it is coming to an end My brain plans accordingly
I start to wonder if the key is not to focus on the absolute numbers, but maybe stick with a type of test and look at % improvement
I agree with this for sure. Over time, I think you’ll develop a sense of how accurate and meaningful the numbers are to you.
I personally like the 4DP test via Full Frontal more than any other method I’ve tried (only FF, HM, and standard 20-minute ramp) because I think the different areas of strength and weakness are more useful than a pure FTP result, and I also think the FTP result via the FF test is more apt to be accurate, for reasons we discussed.
I think the HM test is just a way to feel good about a higher number, but my gut tells me it’s inflated more than my genuine 1 hour power. And I would also say that even the FF test result is potentially inflated but to a lesser degree, simply for the same reason as the HM is: the mental aspect of punishing your body for another minute on the HM ramp vs a full 20 minutes on the FF sustained effort vs actually holding that sustained effort for an hour.
This is not to ignore the obvious physical aspects of all 3 of these types of efforts, but all these tests are just attempts to validate one’s ability to put a number on it. The truth is, it only validates what you did today, and proves nothing about what you will do tomorrow or any other day. It’s just a helpful indicator and may guide you in future attempts, but it can never fully define you.
. If you don’t want to do that, you could try dialling down the targets a bit in the SETTINGS although this might entail some guesswork to get to an appropriate level.
