Cyclists love to talk about their FTP, or functional threshold power. It’s supposed to represent the theoretical maximum power you can hold for 60 minutes, but is that actually accurate? We spoke to training guru Professor Louis Passfield to find out. Si & Hank also look at the new Bianchi Oltre & S-Works Diverge, your hacks and bodges, and more!
00:00 Intro
00:44 This Week in Cycling
02:07 Are We Getting FTP Wrong?
13:42 Cycling Shorts
22:04 Hack/Bodge
28:25 Caption Competition
30:01 Comments of the Week
33:16 Coming up on GCN
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How much do you rely on your FTP when training? Let us know in the comments below! 💬
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34 Comments
How much do you rely on your FTP when training?
Brits doin American accents kills me haha
#captioncompetition : Hank wonders in horror "I'm being Marked for life by this odorous tandemic after the arduous pandemic! Aargh!!!
#captioncompetition Mark: “Hey Hank, what do you call a Dutch bike made for two people? …A Laurens tan Dem!”
Hank: …
You know what, smells like teenage anus sugar-gummies with a taste of nuts – jummy chummy 🙂 Do you remember the scene? Never laughed like that on GCN before!!!
those expressos are yet to kick in for hank huh 😉
If you think FTP at 20 min with a factor to relate to an hour is flawed, ride for an hour. Much ado about nothing (but gotta get the views!).
Caption: Take it easy Hank. You'll get him in the sprint.
Hank: Why do they spell ambulance backwards?
#captioncontest: 'After years of succeeding at everything that GCN pranksters could throw at him, Hank's nemesis was an Endurance Ride on a Tandem with a double buttock steel frame'.
FTP is very deceptive. Wouldn't most riders be better off measuring something like "functional aerobic power" – how much power one can reliably produce in the bounds of staying in zone 2? After all that is what would get you through a longer event. I've seen many gravel riders start off at FTP to be at the front of the race, pop and struggle to finish. They would de well to start at a pace that allows refueling and is sustainable for the duration of the event. What Iv'e noticed after the first two years of using a power meter is a real gain. Started at around 160-170 watts at an "all-day" pace and can now do 200-215. It took a lot of base work – some might find it boring.
#CaptionCompetition Hank: "Oh my God, they finally broke Hank…"
I think the main thing that this study illustrates is that the "20 minute power" * 0.95 formula is rubbish. You can hold your FTP for an hour, by definition. Loads of people were just wrong about what their FTP is.
These two are a true dynamic duo of happiness
FTP is to cycling what Max bench is to body building…
#Captions: Hank thinking "Oh, no, this picture might be used in the caption competition."
Why not just set the calculation so it's more accurate and inline with the studies instead of 95%. Then set calculators based upon the user. Amateur , recreational, pro etc instead of ditching the entire concept of ftp.
Brilliant discussion about FTP. Too bad I don't use a power meter.
Can't we just use 90% instead of 95%?
Hack/Bodge 😂 wait if the footage was mirrored wouldn’t all the gcn logos be back to front 🤔
For 14,000 dollars I could travel to some pretty amazing places to ride with my current bike, and since my current bike is probably marginally slower than the high end model I would have a longer time to enjoy the rides when I got there.
There is an endurance variable that is missing with a 20 minute test. Pros have increased endurance leading to them having a time closer to the hour. It is a perfect world theory, thats why zone 2 is so important.
Hi. Could you post the reference to the study you mentioned?
Prof was bloody brilliant 👍🏼
Can l hold my FTP for longer than 44min. the Liz scale. I think l can do it, only to realise that l can't.
A nice hypothesis for research would be then the relation between FTP and VO2max. The better your VO2max, the longer you can hold your FTP.
Caption: Hank mentally drilling a hole in the back of Mark's head
Im only cycling 1 year and i always wondered how something you can do for 20mins multiplied by 0,95 equals what you can sunstain for 1 hour xD finally i know its bullshit like i always suspected.
#captioncompetition Hank: „Mmh, more than two A-Holes on this tandem“
No offense, love you all guys!
Average D rider here… 212 FTP, but near maxed hour ride with Miguel on Zwift was about 160W for the hour. So I guess that sounds about right? Guess I'll see how long I can hang with Maria.
#captioncompetion Hank thinking 'I'd rather get back on the Penny Farthing ' than ride any further on the Tandem.
Caption: Wait. hold up. Is that… a cafe? Expresso mode on!
Caption: Hank: "I swear, if Mark passes gas one more time….. "
It’s not 95% of 20 minute power, it’s 95% of 20 minute power after an all out five minute effort…