This discussion has been locked.

You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

Cycling without Power Meter scores unusually low Load

So this isn't really the fault of the 965 necessarily but I'm trying to understand why my cycling activities where I don't use a power meter score so low compared to those that do. I know the device is probably using HR as a stand-in for Power, but I must have a setting incorrect as the scores are just too low to be reasonable.

For example, I can average a higher avg HR for a ride withOUT the power meter but the Load will be 50% of the load that does use the power meter. I have a lot of examples of this, so it's consistant at least.

In my User Profile for the 965 I've set my HR zones to what I think is reasonable, even dropping the LTHR somewhat BELOW what it actually is to try to get these Load scores to balance out. For example, today at lunch I did a 50min ride averaging nearly my LTHR and the Load was less at a per-hour rate than a very easy ride I did with the Power meter a week prior.

I'm not sure what else I can do? Suggestions?

0 morey000 over 2 years ago

You're on the right track. your HR settings aren't matching your power settings. maybe your FTP is set lower than it should be?

0 badbri over 2 years ago in reply to morey000

Thank you for the reply.

I am pretty confident in my FTP - I test it regularly with a consistent, proven test model. And Garmin itself recognizes an FTP pretty close to what my model calculates.

It's the HR that I think is the problem. For example I am pretty sure my LT-HR is around 150bpm, based on those same tests - but when I had that entered it recorded DRASTICALLY low Load scores. When I reduced it to around 140bpm, it got better but I still see unusually low numbers as described in my original post above.

I guess I could reduce it to 130bpm and see what happens, but that is so far off it makes me wonder that there is something else going on.