I am following a workplan -which is excellent- and there is this outdoor workout with 30’/20’/10’/5’ in 3h25.
The 30’ are specified explicitely in the workplan as to be done @90% of FTP for this outdoor session.
On the other hand, for the same workout pre-set on the SF app (30/20/10/5 in 3h25) the 30’ are to be done @80% of FTP.
I was wondering if the figure for the outdoor session was a mistake or not, not that it changes soooo much but given what comes next, i wouldn’t mind if it was a mistake :))
You know, now that I think about it I noticed that, too when I did the workout a few weeks ago.
When done inside the 80% is appropriate. But maybe when actually riding outside 90% makes more sense?
There a few little inconsistencies in some other workouts, too. Saturday’s workout for me was outdoor Tempo at High Cadence 5 x 3 for 2:00 hours. The indoor alternative was to do Tempo at High Cadence 4 x 3 and rewind and do the last interval twice. But that no-vid is only 1:00 hour long. So even with rewinding the only way to make the indoor no-vid version 2 hours long is to do the whole video twice (8 x 3!) or rewinding the cool down section a whole bunch of times.
I would imagine it’s intentional. The difference in workout effectiveness between 80-90% of FTP is quite small (I believe), but those are the effort levels where you really start to generate body-heat. Typically this is more easily shed outdoors than in, even with good fans in place, so maybe it’s intentional on the basis that 90% of FTP is “easier” outdoors than in?
@Xtopher,
First, our apologies for the confusion due to the different intensities in the same workout indoor vs. outdoor.
The outdoor version of the Tempo Increasing 30/20/10/5 should be performed at or near the same intensity as the indoor version, so the 30 min effort is at Tempo- 80%. Must have just been a typo since the HR info is right, to stay below 95% LTHR.
Naturally, when riding outdoors your power will vary more than indoors, and your FTP outdoors may also be a little higher so it’s ok if you find yourself riding between 80-90% outdoor to feel like you’re in the tempo range. After all, technically, 90% FTP is still in the tempo zone…but the important thing in this workout is that you perform each successive interval at higher intensities. So if you start at 90% for the 30 minute but can’t hit the 95% and higher efforts after that, then make a note that you need to stay at 80% the next time you do that workout.
Hope this makes sense and helps everyone who may have been a little confused by this!
No need to apologize, you so much rock with all your workouts and plans and ToS that can be used for bike camp at home and strengths session etc., i am a big fan
Your power may measure differently outdoors depending on how you measure power. For example, if you have a KICKR or similar smart trainer, indoor power is measured at the flywheel—after being diminished by drivetrain friction and elasticity. Most people measure power outdoors at the pedals, crank or spider. Since those are closer to your feet, you’d expect measured power to be somewhat higher. I’ve read that is typically 4 to 5%.
Also, because the bike moves under you more naturally outdoors than indoors, most riders get some incremental efficiency outdoors.
And finally, because your ability to sustain power is partly physiological and partly mental, being outdoors increases the mental ability to sustain suffering for many people.
Bottom line: it is common to both appear to and to actually generate more power outdoors. Because amounts vary both by person and equipment, it is hard to be super specific, but you should expect to make modest adjustments to power levels when riding outdoor workouts, usually up by 5 to 10ish%. Because of terrain and traffic, you can’t usually maintain power targets that closely anyhow, so the exact translation doesn’t matter much—but knowing there’s an upward bias might help.
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