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

f|33tStA
over 5 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 5 years ago in reply to aweatherall

    i think, the HR Zones are correct, i use %HFR instead of %LTHR (because %LTHR in cycling change the Lactate Threshold Overview for running to wrong statistic), but think thats not the problem, now i tried to change my FTP value to 100, then to 150, then to 250, but the target Power in the FTP test himself isn't changing, that means the target isn't calculated by the % of your FTP.

    My colleague have double checked on his 830 and the same result, you can change your FTP to every kind of value, the target don't change in the FTP-Test himself.

    So i am sure, it is a bug, or?

    EDITH: if it is really more or less a ramp Test that originally increase every minute the %FTP with a value of 20 Watt then it haven't to give you a message "FTP Test failed", or?

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Jordan249

    thx, i will try it, but for me the topic isn't solved with it!

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    Try changing the LTHR value. I think this drives the FTP test.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to aweatherall

    i already tried, no change :-\

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    I did see someone from Firstbeat comment on one of the other threads. Let me see if I can find them and add them to this.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to aweatherall

    thx, you mean HermanB? we can ping him?

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    I'm not quite sure what the problem or concern is here. It does seem strange, at least to me, to expect different methods with different inputs to follow the same protocol. 

    Regarding what Firstbeat is doing and what our analytics engine is looking for/working with... most everything you need can be found right here- https://www.firstbeat.com/en/consumer-feature/functional-threshold-power-ftp/

    tl;dr version. You need HR (from a chest belt) and Power. You need to have been using your device long and often enough to have your VO2max dialed in properly. You need enough HR data across a variety of ranges. This includes ranges above and below your FTP. 

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to HermanB

    i do a consequent Duathlon training, arround 7-8hours a week, splitted in running and cycling, think i have enough hr (chest belt), power data (Vector 3) and vo2max reading himself.

    how i have to adjust my HR then, my FTP is identified, when i read this sentence?
    ....Once your FTP has been identified, you can use it to adjust heart rate-based training zones to match what is really happening in your body. Because your FTP responds to training and changes over time, knowing your current level is vital to finding the right training approach and adopting the most effective method of improvement.......

    the initial question was more or less:

    why i have to ride in the Garmin FTP Test (by firstbeat) a Watt Target, thats impossible?

    my FTP is 190 till 200 Watt and i can hold this power for 1 hour, but the FTP Test goes till the end to a target that is nearly 100 Watt over my FTP and thats impossible to hold for the last 4 or 8 minutes, thats the reason why the FTP test bring me a FTP failed message, anyway after the failed message, i get again a message that a new FTP is detected.

    More or less, the FTP Test fails every time, not only for me, i have some colleagues they have the same prob

    when my FTP is 190 i have to ride in the 20 minutes test a average of 200 Watt or more and not nearly 300 Watt?

    the FTP is calculated with the average of the 20 minutes x 0,95

    200 Watt  x 0,95 = 190 Watt FTP or? 

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    I really don't get your problem. Like I already told you, if you don't like how the FTP test on the Edge works, do a hard session where you go all out for 20 minutes and calculate your FTP from  that wattage average.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Vivo3d

    why not, i bought devices with this feature and i think it have to work the correct way then, or?