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FTP Test by Garmin is totally wrong and not the Standard Protocol?

f|33tStA
over 4 years ago

i am not sure, but i think, the Garmin FTP Test is totally wrong and not like the Standard FTP Test Protocols, or?

in the 20min phase, the Garmin Test change the Target of the Power every 4 minutes higher, the first 4 minutes are arround my actual FTP and then Garmin increases the value, after 8 minutes to a value where it's impossible for me, to hold till to 12 minutes, same after the next step, the target is now so high, more ore less 100 Watt over my actual FTP, it's impossible to hold it so long.

Why all other to the FTP testing different, like Zwift, in Zwift you get the message after 10minutes, you have now a average of e.g.210 Watt, try to increase it, so you cqan hold it for the next 10 minutes?

i know, i do cycling for fun and i am near 50 years old, but is this Testing really right?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to jgforrest

    i calculated the % of FTP with your targets, the Garmin Test Target with your FTP of 253 in % of FTP looks like:

    Warm Up till Lap Key
    1st Intervall 4 minutes: 220-240 Watt ( 87 - 95% of FTP)
    2nd Intervall 4 minutes: 245-265 Watt ( 97 - 105% of FTP)
    3rd Intervall 4 minutes: 270-290 Watt (107 - 115% of FTP)
    4th Intervall 4 minutes: 295-315 Watt (117 - 125% of FTP)
    5th Intervall 3 minutes: 320-340 Watt (126 - 134% of FTP)
    Cool down 2 minutes

    and my % of FTP targets in Garmin Test  with FTP of 184.

    Warm Up till Lap Key
    1st Intervall 4 minutes: 180-200 Watt ( 98 - 109% of FTP)
    2nd Intervall 4 minutes: 200-220 Watt (109 - 120% of FTP)
    3rd Intervall 4 minutes: 220-240 Watt (120 - 130% of FTP)
    4th Intervall 4 minutes: 240-260 Watt (130 - 141% of FTP)
    5th Intervall 3 minutes: 260-280 Watt (141 - 152% of FTP)
    Cool down 2 minutes

    You see, there is a big difference in the % of FTP you have to ride and me, thats very interesting and for sure wrong then, or?

    Again thanks a lot, with your values it's really good to compare!

    i pinged you:

    Former Member

    and hope you can help here?

    it looks like the Garmin FTP Test calculate my targets wrong compared to the setup  with different FTP and me!

    i use actual beta 5.31 on Edge 830, but this is wrong since a very long time, last summer i exchanged my Edge 1030 with a Edge 830 and i have the same prob when i used my Edge 1030

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    Unfortunately, I don't think I have any light to shine on your dilemma.

    Test aside, doesn't your device detect your FTP during at least some of your normal rides?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to HermanB

    you wrote something the last days in FR945 thread:

    Good feedback, thanks for all of that mylestomp.

    I'll pass your comments/thoughts/concerns along to our team.

    "Always learning" is a core principle at Firstbeat for a reason. There's literally a poster that says this on the wall. There are always improvements being made based on the feedback we get, like yours. It's in our interest to get it right.

    For my own part, I'll try to be more concrete and specific when I can. It's not always possible, but I'll try. The obvious challenge is to be open and helpful without (even accidentally) divulging anyone's intellectual property. Another, challenge my own appreciation for the complexity of some of these situation and an understanding of how little of the big picture of what matters is actually being communicated in a forum post.

    so i hope you can help/talk with your colleagues and hopefully together with Garmin,
    because not only i have the problems, there are more user outside of this forum (not all are posting here), who have exactly the same situation, for example, my chief in my work have exactly the same and Garmin don't acting since over a half year.

    We buy very expensive products and they didn't work correctly, especially the integration of First Beat metrics is sometimes not correctly implemented, so i think it's up to Firstbeat and Garmin togther to check, not only sell the licence of the metrics to Garmin, or?

    I think it's in the spirit of Firstbeat that Garmin use your metrics the right way, or?

    to your question, the automatic FTP detection didn't work for over a half year and it can be solved by deleting all personal records  on Edge device (longest tour, positive altitude difference, max. avg power (20min) and fastest 40km ride), then you have to set your FTP only on your Edge device to Zero and do a ride and the automatic FTP detection himself comes back.
    Automatic FTP detection works now since a week without any help or support of Garmin nor a note in their manuals!

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    Just curios, is your automatic FTP detection still working after your reset you have described? MY Edge 530 does not detect the FTP automatically since I have been using it (3 month).

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to JFox

    yes, it works now, but only as long as you are able increase your FTP, it's not foreseen to detect a decrease of your FTP!

    in the meanwhile i have 3 open tickets at Garmin, didn't know how long they need now to fix cause of the Covid 19 situation, anyway it's clear the have to protect their employees first!

    1) wrong FTP Test

    2) cycling vo2max not synced from Edge to GC-Ecosystem since a month, detection on Edge himself works

    3) in the meantime, you might try settings the values to zero again until Garmin can provide a permanent fix 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    My 830 auto detected a decrease in FTP when I did my last FTP test.  I don't use the Garmin FTP tests - I do one on Trainerroad and my Garmin is just logging data.

    It was a decrease of 2W so I didn't save the result.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Wongataa

    interesting, because Garmin told me it's not possible Thinking

    i ride with TR too and record TR FTP test only twice with Edge, atm only increase detection

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    Mine regularly detects both increases and decreases.

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    Hi ,

    I have exactly the same problem. My FTP seems to be around 160W and I entered it in Garmin Connect and on my Fenix 6. Both are synched. 160W for FTP are shown in Garmin Connect.

    However, the FTP test on my watch starts with a first interval of 180-200 Watts - which is already above my FTP

    1st Intervall 4 minutes: 180-200 Watt
    2nd Intervall 4 minutes: 200-220 Watt
    3rd Intervall 4 minutes: 220-240 Watt
    4th Intervall 4 minutes: 240-260 Watt
    5th Intervall 3 minutes: 260-280 Watt

    While I manage the 1st interval, I can't continue much longer after that and obviously the test fails and cannot compute a FTP value for me.

    My fenix had an estimated FTP in the system of 236W before I got a power meter. I know now that it was way too high. I corrected it manually to 160W but that didn't help in changing the intervals of the FTP test.

    Any suggestion how I can get a correct FTP value calculated by my watch? or how to correct the intervals of the FTP test?

    thanks!

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 3088613

    no, there isn't any solution yet available, i have now a ticket open for this case, but didn't know how long they need to fix it