My current setup is a Jetblack Victory with the Zwift Cog. (I don’t plan on using Zwift).
When i did the 4D Full Frontal, it said to use Level/Slope to simulate ground surface (flat riding). Which i did.
I had a lot of trouble managing the test because it was virtually impossible match the watt asked and the cadence. I typically ride around 90 but i was also trying to manage watts to do what the training asked.
It felt like inwas not doing the test properly (it was still extremely demanding mind you, especially the last all-out 60seconds which nearly killed me.
Overall, are there any suggestions/guidelines about how to use this setup and the app? (Most teainings are on ERag which is fine of course).
Hi @Thisdale welcome to the forum, had you done any rides on SYSTM before thus or did you do the training week which is usually what you do if your just starting. That lets you do a few workouts in Level / Slope mode to get used to it before the 4DP Test. Also what Level were you using Level 0 being the easiest way up to 9 being absolutely nuts lol. Power is really what you should be looking for cadence of course is very individualistic and what works for you might not work me etc etc. Also what gearing were you using on the Jetblack on my Kickr Bike I use a 52/36 with an 11/36. You really want to go all out as much as you can for the 4 parts of it but when you’re resting I change to my little ring to get enough rest and my HR back into recovery. The 1st 4DP test always sucks in fact everyone sucks no matter how many times you do it but you learn how to adapt and work on what your strengths and weaknesses are. Hope this helps.
Because you lack a cassette to change gears, which is typically what you’d do in level mode, you’ll need to manually change the levels to alter the reaistance curve of your trainer. I’m told that this approach, while not perfect, should work when doing Full Frontal or any of the workouts
I figure this might have to be the case, i didn’t as i didn’t want to somehow fuck up the workout. But i oscillated between /lvl2 and 3 a lit to tryband match cadence and power. It seems its mostly about going full rather than try to match ehat is required if you (like the ftp test). I guess ill revise that next time.
Do a flat ride on Zwift while also doing the ride on SYSTM. That allows you to use Zwift to control the virtual gearing while SYSTM is recording your power and HR.
That is the primary usage of the Zwift Cog at the moment. Currently the Zwift app is the only app that allows you to virtually shift gears with your Zwift cog. In all other apps it only works as a single gear that allows you to ride in erg mode.
So if you want a way to virtually shifts gears without switching between slope/level mode, then you would need to be running Zwift side-by-side (or on a different machine at the same time) to allow you to use Zwift to shift the gears for you.
I have a follow-up question. In the case of a Cassette, using the “level/slope” feature (instead of the ERG), is it then expected to shift gears as necessary during ramp-up and full frontal? Because i feel that this would have drastically changed my experience (?). Sorry tonask pergaps skmething very obvious, but its my first time on a trainer system, ive always trained outside before.
Yes, if you had a cassette, you’d change gears just like you would outside. So, you need to get the gear ready as you ramp up your sprint effort to find that gear ratio that for the 5 second test, doesn’t leave you spinning out, or grinding too much at too low a cadence. It’s easier to find the right gear ratio for the 5 min and 20 minute efforts as you’ve got time to find the perfect balance of cadence and effort. It becomes a challenge again for the final 1 minute efforts as you’ll likely sprint/fade/sprint/fade to maximize the effort. It’s horrible. But at that point, the test is all done and it’s all just puppies and kittens.
Pacing FF is a bit of trial and error to find what works best for you.
As others have said there is not a great solution for using SYSTM level mode workouts right now. I would suggest doing the Half Monty ramp test rather than Full Frontal right now. During Half Monty you stay in erg mode during the ramp and pedal as long as you can (you should “fail” before the end). There is another part of that test where we suggest you go to level mode as well, but you could use the up/down arrows on a computer to increase or decrease your power targets while still in erg mode, it’s not perfect but that component of the assessment is less critical than the ramp. But at the end of the day the cog means you won’t be able to use level mode as prescribed in SYSTM workouts.
Can confirm the method of running Wahoo Systm “side by side” with Zwift works. Used Tempus Fugit course in Zwift due to length of the course and lack of grade shifts to ensure minimal impact. All devices used during the test remained connected successfully generating all 4 data points.
Caveats: If you want to further “isolate” yourself so as to have a true clean ride, find a way to turn off all drafting from the other riders in Zwift.
Otherwise. Happy and safe rides to all.
