Team BKool CycleChat

[Mark68]

Does anybody use zone 1 and 2 for training..

I've always just given it full beans and not used any sort of structured training. Just a thought as I have been struggling a little recently with being able to keep the power consistent so have had a go on the other options for training. Found a zone 1 and 2 recovery ride. Was quite good really. Still a good workout but not too knackered afterwards

 

[microkid]

Yes, zone 1 and 2 are very nice as a recovery or long term low intensity training. I do them too. It is not good to be always pushing it, you body also needs recovery and adapt to long-term rides.

 

[shimceltic]

How do you do z1 or z2 rides?

 

[AndyMacca]

How do you do z1 or z2 rides?

By taking the fun away

If your Strava zones are right then your Z1 is up to 112BPM and 148 for Z2.

 

[keithaitch]

How do you do z1 or z2 rides?

slowly

 

[shimceltic]

By taking the fun away

If your Strava zones are right then you're Z1 is up to 112BPM and 148 for Z2.

So just monitor yourself and don't go above? I might need to do a FTP

 

[Randyberlin]

Looks like @Bored Man has hiked down off the mountain and got back on the bike. But @Rod McG has done the opposite.

 

[AndyMacca]

So just monitor yourself and don't go above? I might need to do a FTP

I believe that's all there is to it, I hope so, that's all I did just now. Z2 attempt I just found a ride about right the length to burn up a pizza lunch then set off, weirdly I hit a 50% ramp which just stopped me dead, I expect the person who did the video upload had a GPS issue, anyhow I had to switch to ERG mode to get up it, twice BKOOL asked me if I wanted to quit as it rounded my speed to 0.0kmph and thought I was abandoning it once over that ramp the ride was ok but I left it in ERG mode as the effort is more controllable and so I could get my HR to the top of Z2 (138bpm for me being an old git).
I think an FTP test is a good thing to do anyway to see progress and will definitely feature in a whole world of power and HR zone related things that can be worried about too. I'll leave that to the serious guys to comment on though.

 

[microkid]

FTP is the max power you can sustain for 60 minutes. It is also the max you power you can produce without producing too much lactate. That is why profs use their FTP to ride at their max (take Froome, he's alway looking at his cycling computer). Bkool offers a 5 minute and 20 minute FTP test. You will need a (trainer)bike with power meter, heart rate sensor and cadence sensor. The goal is to produce as much power as you can for the given time period. For 5 minutes, take 80% of your average power. For 20 minutes, 95% will do. This will adjust your results for a 60 minute period.
So, for example, when your average power in 5 minutes is 187W, your FTP is approx 150W.

I have a Garmin 1030 on my bike, and it automatically calculates my FTP based on the best average power of 20 minutes during any ride. So when I improve, the Garmin will notice and adjust my FTP.

If you want to do a proper FTP test, go to a gym where they can perform one. These are mostly done in a controlled environment with heartrate monitor, oxygen/CO2 monitor etc. I do them once a year, because they are very, very hard. It's just going to the max in 30 minutes. The first 20 are fine, but when your heartrate goes > 90%, the suffering starts....

 

[Mark68]

FTP is the max power you can sustain for 60 minutes. It is also the max you power you can produce without producing too much lactate. That is why profs use their FTP to ride at their max (take Froome, he's alway looking at his cycling computer). Bkool offers a 5 minute and 20 minute FTP test. You will need a (trainer)bike with power meter, heart rate sensor and cadence sensor. The goal is to produce as much power as you can for the given time period. For 5 minutes, take 80% of your average power. For 20 minutes, 95% will do. This will adjust your results for a 60 minute period.
So, for example, when your average power in 5 minutes is 187W, your FTP is approx 150W.

I have a Garmin 1030 on my bike, and it automatically calculates my FTP based on the best average power of 20 minutes during any ride. So when I improve, the Garmin will notice and adjust my FTP.

If you want to do a proper FTP test, go to a gym where they can perform one. These are mostly done in a controlled environment with heartrate monitor, oxygen/CO2 monitor etc. I do them once a year, because they are very, very hard. It's just going to the max in 30 minutes. The first 20 are fine, but when your heartrate goes > 90%, the suffering starts....

Very well explained.

I have a screen on my edge 820 set for training zones I think so may give it a go. Should be interesting today as it's still very windy here. I'll see if I can keep in z1 and z2. Think I'll be in the little ring with a high cadence.

I think I have s3en on my Bkool profile that it also shows my FTP. Can't remember what it was, but I thought it was higher than it should be.

 

[keithaitch]

For the moment...

 

[Randyberlin]

For the moment... View attachment 504921

Congratulations!

 

[Randyberlin]

I’m off all day in honor of Elisabeth Peratovich day. (Early civil rights pioneer/ on the US dollar coin). So decided to get better form as I recover. The only bike fit I’ve had never addressed pedal width. I put longer spindles and 0 degree cleats and it felt much more natural. I wouldn’t have noticed my bad form if I hadn’t hit my chain stay with my heel every once in a while.

 

[Heckler]

Upgraded last night to the latest version and it's switched to metric and I can't see any way to switch it back to MPH miles, any ideas?

 

[Randyberlin]

Upgraded last night to the latest version and it's switched to metric and I can't see any way to switch it back to MPH miles, any ideas?

It's on your Bkool page under settings. Weird that it's not on the sim also.