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Estimated FTP on Strava

ironmikegaironmikega
in General Training Discussions

For the folks w/ premium Strava accounts and train with power, how accurate do you find the "estimated FTP" calculation on the Strava power curve?  I had initially found it to be in the ball park (+/- 10%) on mine, but right now it is way higher than I believe it should be - like 50% higher.  I'm due for a retest soon to prove it out, but don't want that # to skew my test in my head and cause me to blow up half way through the test.

I tried searching the forum to no avail, so apologies if this question has already been posed.

Comments

  • Peter NoyesPeter Noyes
    I think it is pretty accurate. My last test was 240 and strava thinks it is 243. 50% is crazy though! Have you tested in a while? Do you test indoors but ride outside a lot?
  • Jan SchorpionJan Schorpion

    My last FTP test was 230 and Strava thinks 229. 

  • zwubazwuba
    This one is DAMN accurate!! My last test is far back and was 318 ... After I could easily overachieve the 2x20 intervals outdoor I was reviewing my last efforts and also asked a lot of super-smart peeps here and we all agreed that my FTP must be somewhere around 320-325W. After that I found that "thingy" on Strava and it told me 322W image
    Very nice stuff!
  • ironmikegaironmikega

    Thanks for the feedback @peter, @Jan and @stefan:

    My last test was a couple of months back, indoors on a trainer.  All my rides since have been outside. I think I will set up my next test outdoors, config a screen on my garmin that is nothing more than lap time, and lay down a 20 minute TT interval to find out.  

  • Peter NoyesPeter Noyes
    I think an outdoor test is a good idea. Testing inside requires lots of fans and the ability to endure a special kind of pain. I can definitely ride harder outside than on the trainer.

    I would show your lap NP power. Strava is basing its estimates on your 20' best power over the last 6 weeks so it is probably pretty close. You need to target at least 5% higher than what Strava estimates, because your FTP is 95% of your 20 minute TT. For the first 3 minutes or so ride a bit below your goal watts, then push it up to your goal watts for the majority of the test and then for the last few minutes give it all you got. If you are really feeling good push it earlier. If you fade over the last few minutes and your watts fall that means the test wasn't good and you blew up. Ideally you have kick at the end to really crush it.
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott
    There's also the road bike vs TT Bike issue to consider. If Strava has been seeing your road bike power and estimating FTP off of that, you may need to discount to get a TT Ftp. It varies from person to person, but the difference can be as much as 20% higher on road bike vs TT
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