I recently added a post to instagram and it received a comment asking my about how I got into cycling as the individual was interested in the sport. I must admit I thought I had previously written a post on this so was surprised when I checked that I hadn’t. So here is my story:

How It Began:

My husband has primary lymphedema, which is a result of lymph nodes in his groin not working properly so the drainage in his left leg does not work correctly and this results in very painful swelling and in the past hospitalisation. When this initially flared up in 2011 he was advised to take up sport where the movement acts as a manual pump and this started his interest in swim, bike and run. The bike was his main passion and he went on to start a cycling club with friends the following year.

I was never a sporty person and so was pretty much the one woman cheer leader but found myself surrounded by people cycling and soon decided to give it a try. I was lucky that the cycling club my husband started was full of lots of patient and willing friends to help me. I soon became hooked!

How It Developed:

I don’t take myself too seriously and I like to have fun so my initial approach was pretty laid back and I am more surprised than anyone how quickly my cycling passion developed:

• I swore I would never be one of those cyclists wearing lycra – that didn’t last long
• I also swore I would never use cleats and clip in to the pedals as it seemed outrageous and so dangerous to me – again it wasn’t long before I was doing this exact thing
• I insisted I would always wear underwear under bib shorts (honestly I thought I was being wound up when told you go commando) – another thing I soon learned was better and more comfortable (less chaffing)
• my journey began on a closed circuit cycling track so I could get used to the bike without junctions and traffic. This soon moved to club rides and so I started fairly soon with group riding
• my cycling club is a mix of men and women and everyone is just a cyclist with gender never an issue so I never felt the need to look for a women only club or take advantage of Breeze rides, however, I know from many others that they find these invaluable so I would always say it is personal preference

Where I Am Now:

As always it is easy when you start to look at someone else and think I wish I could do that or be at their level. I am by no means an expert – every day is a school day but it is important to remember everyone starts somewhere and be proud of where you are and what you have achieved:

• I remember the first time I rode and did mileage that was double digits and I basically thought I was semi-pro. Over the years my mileage has gone as far as 200 miles in one ride
• when I was office based (pre pandemic) I was cycle commuting with a friend into London
• I soon learned what n+1 was all about and over the years I now have multiple bikes including road, gravel, MTB and single speed
• I have travelled to multiple countries with my bike and cycled abroad
• I wanted to develop my knowledge and share that with others and gained my British Cycling Level 1 and 2 coaching qualifications

Why I Love Cycling:

There are many reasons and it is a huge part of my life now but the main ones are as below:

• the freedom that cycling brings, the adventure and getting from one point to another under my own power
• how accessible cycling can be, the many initiatives out there to help people get into the sport from children to adults
• there is no one size fits all – you can wear lycra, cleats, jeans, trainers, some even do naked rides (ouch and not me!)
• there are many reasons people may want to cycle, none more important or better than another, and not limited to but including for fitness, mental health, competitiveness, social aspect, to explore, environmental reasons, purely for the coffee/cake and many more, so do it for why you want and enjoy it
• how many areas of the sport that are expanding for women’s cycling and all the people who are encouraging this (there is a long way to go but lots of positive steps/changes)
• the people I have met and the friendships that have resulted from cycling and that it is something I can do with my husband
• the community can be amazing and there are so many inspiring people in the sport

I love sharing my journey and if I can do it you can too!

Whoop I am now a qualified Level 2 Cycling Coach with British Cycling!

I previously wrote up the experience of getting my Level 1 qualification that you can read here.

I wanted to develop Level 1, but due to COVID everything was understandably delayed. The course scheduled for the end of October last year thankfully went ahead. However, due to the lockdown situations, we saw a bit of a delay in the middle, but May saw the final assessment day rescheduled – we got there in the end!

Course Structure

• Task 1 – there are 2 coached practical evaluation days, led by a British Cycling coach where you build skills and deliver a session that is evaluated and assessed. I planned a session on cornering, which was clearly popular as there were 3 other participants who had picked the same technique. This showed the difference in coaching styles and ways you can deliver the same technique as none of the sessions were the same (we were also complete pro’s when it came to cornering by the end also).
• Task 2 – online exam that is a theory assessment and to be completed prior to task 3 and 4.
• Task 3 – independent coaching experience including delivery of 6 progressive sessions over a 12 week period. My sessions covered mounting and dismounting, braking, pedalling and gear selection, cornering, leading and following, group riding. They were delivered in the order listed as a natural progression in riding techniques.
• Task 4 – further practical evaluation day, led by a British Cycling coach that is evaluated and assessed. This was my favourite of the sessions as you had free creative design on how you delivered the session covering one of the techniques set by British Cycling. For my session I covered group riding including change of formation and also balance and coordination. Riders practised the techniques required for group riding, then changing the formation with the lead rider moving to the back of the group. They then had to collect a cake ingredient from the ‘shop’ (this was a water bottle) and deliver it to the ‘kitchen’ for the cakes to be baked, which were at two different places on the course. There was also cake at the end (would be mean not to right?!).

Course Prerequisites

In order to take this course you need to have the following in place:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Valid Emergency First Aid certification
• Complete Safeguarding & Protecting of Children online course
• Coaching insurance (including within your British Cycling membership, which is required)
• Level 1 coaching certification (although there are exemptions if you are able to provide proof that you have experience of leading and coaching already in place and are accepted at the discretion of British Cycling, however, they would prefer Level 1 in place if possible)
• Be able to have a minimum of 3 riders who will be available for the 6 hour long sessions for Task 3

Remit of Level 1 and Level 2

I have had questions around what the differences between the two are and basically Level 1 is the fundamentals of cycle coaching and Level 2 is developing coaching skills. Both are focussed around the British Cycling coaching guides and for Level 1 you can deliver the British Cycling set sessions and for Level 2 you can use the techniques in a session design of your own. The coaching qualifications also go on to Level 3, which is the highest qualification on offer from British Cycling and allows coaches to plan, deliver and evaluate training sessions/plans to individuals also for specific disciplines.

My Thoughts

Having a second lockdown in place left some uncertainty but there was sufficient time to deliver my sessions ahead of the final evaluation day. It was not without obstacles as we went into tier 4 and lockdown number 3 when I was only 4 out of the 6 sessions into my delivery, so the finalisation of task 3 was inevitably delayed.

We had a zoom call session with the group to cover Components of Fitness, which would usually fall within the final day of Task 4 but given the pandemic this was something that could be done in the interim online. This actually turned out to be valuable for other reasons as there was an open chat/feedback part where we were discussing other resources we all refer to including recommended books/films that some of us found useful.

I was lucky I had a really lovely group of people on my course and despite social distancing needing to be in place it worked well and we all adapted. My British Cycling coach was Dawn Hunter and she was great – I would definitely recommend Dawn! I think it is extremely important to have a coach to lead who can provide clear instruction, guidance, constructive feedback and advice. We set up a what’s app group chat for all discussion points and Dawn was super responsive and helpful!

In addition to the coaching experience I learned that my slow bike handling skills need a lot of work! (I actually knew this already so no great surprise there). One day I will be able to track stand!

Now to put the coaching skills into practice and use what I have learned to help others.

Over the past year, being at home, I am sure I am not the only one who has found they have more time on their hands. So it will be no surprise that I have been through a number of books with most of these being cycling related and specifically women’s cycling (not much of a surprise there).

So thought I would share what I’ve been reading.

Revolutions: How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels by Hannah Ross

They say don’t judge a book by it’s cover but I will admit the name of this book interested me before I even read what it was about! A very thought provoking series of stories about ladies who overcame challenges in the sport of cycling as women. It covers a historical timeline covering diversity issues including the gender gap, how women would dress on a bike when they first started cycling, representation and how to empower more women to cycle.

Available on Amazon for £8.99 for the kindle and £12.74 for hardback.

The Cycling Chef: Recipes for Getting Lean and Fuelling the Machine by Alan Murchison

This is the second book that I have from Alan, also known as Performance Chef. I love his no-nonsense approach and the fact that the book is not just a recipe book but explains nutrition from different perspectives whether it be with various areas from fuelling to recovery. It explains the reason behind why certain foods are best with performance in mind and the recipes are amazing that I have tried so far – this was not a surprise as I have his first book and so seeing a second I purchased straight away.

I can recommend the raspberry-banana ripple baked oats and coconut oat balls!

Available on Amazon for £11.09 for the kindle and £15.70 for hardback.

How to Cycle Further by Mark Beaumont

When I saw this book advertised I was very excited as I knew a lot about Mark and previous adventures he had been on. These are not just cycling related but do include the following (and many more):

• the hour record on a penny farthing at Herne Hill
• cycling around the world covering 18,000 miles in 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes
• cycling around Britain covering 3,000 miles
• fastest record from Cairo to Cape Town covering 10,000km in 41 days, 10 hours and 22 minutes

This book covers all areas of endurance cycling from Mark from his experiences – if you are into endurance cycling I would definitely recommend.

Available on the GCN store for £16.99.

Where There’s A Will: Hope, Grief and Endurance in a Cycle Race Across a Continent by Emily Chappell

Emily was a cycle courier and the first woman to finish the Transcontinental Race in 2016 and whilst this book talks about that it is much more than just that race. I love how relatable Emily is, she is so humble and her love of cycling and being outside being clear from the outset. The writing is beautiful, she is brutally honest and shares her experiences including the ups and downs and her mental health struggles.

I had enjoyed the Invisible Peloton by Emily with Rapha last year where she spoke of women in cycling that inspire her and I am sure she would feature on that list by many including myself.

Available on Amazon for £5.69 for the kindle and £11.99 for hardback.

ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life by Stacy Sims

There is no surprise this book is on the list – I feel like everyone I know has read this book within the last couple of years and to be honest this had been on my kindle for way too long before I actually read it. Stacy Sims is the leading global expert on female physiology.

This is not a specific cycling book but relevant for any women to be fitter and stronger. If you know of this book you may have heard the term ‘women are not small men’ and this book explains why you should not try to be one and how you can change your habits to reach your full potential. I have also been to a talk by Jasmijn Muller at a Look Mum No Hands event as she has been on the course offered by this author and was talking all things covered in the course and what she learned so I had a good idea of what would be covered.

Available on Amazon for £10.99 for the kindle and £11.78 for paperback.

Tough Women Adventure Stories: Stories of Grit, Courage and Determination by Jenny Tough

This book includes a number of stories from various amazing women and their adventures. They are not all cycling but do have stories from:

• Emily Chappell – also mentioned above from her standalone book and part of The Adventure Syndicate with Rickie Cotter mentioned below
• Rickie Cotter – 24 hour MTB National Champ and Highland 550 record holder
• Kate Rawles – author of The Carbon Cycle, with environmental challenges of importance to Kate, owner of Woody the bamboo bicycle that she cycled from Colombia to Cape Horn
• Vedangi Kulkarni – cycled 18,000 miles around the world in 160 days and is so down to earth and funny!

All of the above ladies have great cycling adventures they discuss within this book. This is a firm favourite of mine and you cannot help but be inspired by the many tales you read.

Available on Amazon for £3.99 for the kindle and £8.19 for paperback.

If you read any then enjoy and let me know what you think!

Given the opportunity to take part in a 30 day cycling challenge with the objective to result in being fitter, faster and stronger on the bike will always have me sold!

I was one of 100 women lucky to take part in the 30-Day Women’s Cycling Challenge. It was 30 days following 3 structured workouts per week and started 4 January. This was perfect timing for me as I had finished my Zwift Gran Fondo training plan the week before. When signing up you are agreeing to complete 80% of the workouts, which is good for me as I am used to structured workouts and actually prefer them.

The challenge is designed to make riders more efficient on the bike. You also got access to a private forum for advice from others taking part in the challenge and previous participants, nutrition advice and exclusive discounts from brands that are used and recommended by the coach.

A Bit About The Coach

During the challenge you also got access to the coach, Theia Friestedt, founder of 360 Velo who is a Certified US Cycling Coach and competitive cyclist, and has decades of experience in a variety of other sports, including ballet, yoga, and TRX.

Theia noted in one of the posts in the forum that one of the main principles of her training programs is to “do the minimum amount of work needed to yield the most results”.

She went on to explain that so many training plans out there drive athletes to the ground, and so many athletes believe they have to be absolutely exhausted to have done a “good workout”. But the key to performance is consistency, and the key to consistency is being able to do workouts week in, week out. If we work too hard and don’t recover well then we won’t be consistent, we will be too tired or worse, injured.

Theia had found from her own training that it was only after finding the perfect balance between intensity and recovery that her performance increased significantly. 

In advance of starting I read up on the challenge and the following sentence stuck out to me:

‘bike riding requires skills, not just strength. The strongest rider doesn’t usually win the race. It’s the rider who can combine strength with skills who goes faster.’

Challenge Objectives

The objectives were as follows:

• Fitter – improve your fitness by completing structured workouts with a purpose
• Faster – learn new skills that will result in speed, efficiency, and economy on the bike
• Stronger – develop muscular strength for riding on hills, climbs, and flat roads

My turbo set up at home uses a Wahoo Kickr direct drive smart trainer, which also measures power in the form of watts and this was a requirement to take part in the challenge. In addition to this you needed at least one year of cycling experience and to be currently riding at least four hours a week, categories that were both fine with me.

Zwift is my platform of choice for indoor training on the bike and the sessions for the challenge were loaded to Today’s Plan, which I could access in Zwift also. This was a good continuation from my training beforehand although I had never used Today’s Plan but the instructions were sent in advance of the start and very easy to follow to get set up.

Pre Start Q&A with the Coach

Before the challenge started there was a live Q&A that covered what the challenge was about and for Theia to introduce herself also. Some of the areas covered were as follows:

• There were daily core 15 minute workouts to be done before the bike to engage and activate the muscles fired up and ready.
• 2 full days off per week to allow appropriate recovery is recommended.
• There was flexibility to move workouts around but the challenge is designed to do the workouts within the week they are assigned and not move from week to week.
• It was important to have an up to date FTP in Zwift to ensure the workouts are at the right levels.
• Theia asks people not to use ERG mode on your smart trainer – eek this was not something I was used to. The reason for this is that the biggest principle is to practice what you do outside and one of those things is shifting, alongside cadence. Theia believes that always working out in ERG mode results in inconsistent power output in real life and without it you can build and maintain speed with better gear/cadence use and in return you cycle faster. Cadence ensures you perform better without using more power and that you can sustain that performance for longer. Intervals in the plan are designed to simulate real world experience. This is a skill that is part of the sport of cycling and Theia believes the results will prove this.
• Not to worry about stars in Zwift as it is purely gamification in training, we are human and other factors can impact performance, and that it is important to remember that FTP is not a static number.

My Thoughts

I am a huge fan of structured training and this was just that so a tick in my book. The focus of each week was as follows:

• Week 1 – Strength, aerobic capacity and includes intervals from tempo to sweet spot
• Week 2 – Strength, aerobic capacity, endurance and power from intervals building from tempo to threshold
• Week 3 – Threshold work, aerobic capacity, and muscular endurance
• Week 4 – Recovery and skills

I thought I had a good core but I could really feel the effects of the daily core workout pretty early and it was nice to have that consistency throughout off the bike for on the bike benefits.

I struggled to begin with not using Erg mode. I have always used this in my structured training and like that I don’t have to think about the interval and power targets as the resistance automatically changes. However, I do appreciate the logic behind not using it and hitting power targets off your own steam. I struggled most matching a dictated cadence with required power but actually nowhere near as much as I thought I would. The time also went by quicker as I had to concentrate more on the targets. I was also surprised how many people I knew who didn’t use Erg and are now complete converts to training in this way. I think I am now one of those converts!

I loved the support in the forum you have access to. There was a lot of communication amongst the ladies, loads of support and Theia was also very present in this too, which was lovely.

It was also really nice part way through to have a follow up Q&A with Theia and other ladies in the group too. It was really interesting to hear how other ladies were getting on with the challenge especially as we all have different levels of experience and abilities. There was a really interesting conversation about the correlation of power and cadence that is relative in order to pick up and maintain momentum and also working with terrain to your advantage. I actually joked to my husband that he would love Theia as he is hot on cadence.

Theia did not review the workouts completed, which was a shame not to have feedback. We did have videos per workout for explanation and could see our own completed sessions/performance. Also if you wanted to discuss anything you could post in the forum and as I said Theia was extremely responsive so it actually served the same purpose to a certain extent.

Did My FTP Increase?

It was not a requirement of the plan to complete an FTP test. Personally after I do a block of training I often like to complete an FTP test so I can gauge any increase/decrease from a previous result. I would normally allow myself 3 complete days rest, however, this time I took only 2 days from my final session and then took a ramp test on Zwift (more on the different type of FTP test here) and my result……

Well my result previously was 222W and is now 224W – only a slight increase but a gain is a gain (a friend reminded me of this yesterday) and I will take it!

Multi day and endurance cycling events can be daunting.  Long periods of time in the saddle and overall distance can easily become overwhelming.  This could be an event that starts on one day and finishes on another in one stage or could be multiple days over a certain time like on a training camp, cycling holiday, personal challenge or multi stage event.

Training Plan

From my experience training correctly is key and this should be structured with your specific goals in mind.  My training plan would be varied and include rides that are:

• endurance – flat or rolling course, boost muscular endurance, aerobic fitness and fat burning zone.  These rides will also build up your experience of spending multiple hours in the saddle.
• interval work – short periods of high intensity.  Turbo sessions lend themselves better for interval sets too with no interruptions or obstacles found when out on the road.  Turbo trainer sessions are great for following structured plans.  I use Zwift and complete the dreaded FTP test.  An FTP test scores your functional threshold power and this determines your ability to sustain the highest possible power output.  Once you have completed this it means sessions you follow will then be geared around your FTP and more tailored for your ability.
• hill climbing – to get better at hills you must practice on hills, it really is that simple (and I am saying this as much to myself as everyone reading this).  Hill climbing on the bike also helps with improving muscular endurance and strength.
• recovery rides – recovery is part of the process and allows muscles to repair.  A recovery ride would be otherwise known as active recovery but should be done so at an easy pace.  If you use training zones think zone 1 or 2, super easy, more than comfortable and conversational pace.  I have written a blog post on this in more detail that you can read here.
• strength and conditioning with a focus on leg and core strength, essential when on the bike.
• yoga to ensure stretching – it really helps!
• sleep – I always try and get 8 hours per night, key time for your body to rest and repair and make you feel more energised.
• I train off cadence though many others train using heart rate or power, and this is personal preference.  Cadence is the number of revolutions per minute of the crank arm and gives a natural feel when riding to indicate when gear changes are required if cadence is too high or low.

Other Considerations

Multi-day riding is different to a single ride regardless of length as you will need to get back on and do the same in a sequence of days.  Riding on back to back days will help to build stamina.  If an event is over more than one day you should absolutely be training for this and simulating the same sort of scenario in your training.  If you find after one long day in the saddle you struggle to ride the following day this would be an area to focus on for multi day riding.

Building up mileage gradually over time is important because a sudden increase in mileage can not only increase risk of injury but you will probably see less progression also.  Build a strong base and then build on that gradually.  I wrote a post when I was training for a 300km bike ride that you can read here.

When spending many hours in the saddle you want to ensure some comfort and I cannot personally vouch for the importance of a bike fit enough.  The smallest of changes can make the biggest of differences.  I have written a blog post with more detail on this that can be read here.  Don’t let the overall goal overwhelm you.  Break it down ie rest stop to rest stop as necessary, work out food stops as an example.

Fuel correctly as this really can make the biggest difference when riding! Don’t try anything new on event day(s) and instead stick with what you have tried and tested during your training.  You should know by then what works for you and stick with that.  The key is what works for you – people will try and be helpful and they very well might be but what works for one will not necessarily work for another so be selfish and do what is right for you.  I have a timer on my bike computer and every 20 minutes it will alert me to eat and drink and I have found little and often works for me.  Being properly hydrated is essential and a carbohydrate/electrolyte drink is great for endurance events and performance.  The only thing I might change relating to fuelling would be depending on the weather for example if I knew my ride would be in hot weather, I would ensure my fuel was nothing that would melt and could withstand the heat.  I would also take extra sachets of my energy drink and possibly salt tablets to replace salt lost through sweating (nice I know but this can really help).

Recovery at the end of the day will help, if an event with massages then a short rub down of muscles will be beneficial and if not stretch with a focus on areas you will have worked on the bike like hamstrings, quads, glutes, hips, back and groin.  Recovery shake to rehydrate and rebuild and repair muscle fibres ideally within 30 minutes of completing your ride for the day, and enough sleep ready for the following day.

I will always maintain you should trust your training – train smart with your goals in mind and when completing your event trust the work you have done to get you to that point and enjoy the ride!

I have just finished the Gran Fondo training plan on Zwift. This is my second training plan I have followed on Zwift; the other being the FTP Builder that you can read more about here.

So what is the Gran Fondo plan intended for? Well the objective is to build strength and endurance, whilst including high intensity interval training. When I was looking into the plans available the following appealed to me:

‘You’ll come away ready for long climbs, sustained efforts, and everything else a course might throw at you, thanks to this plan’s proven framework for success over long-distance rides.’

It was 8 weeks and each week had 4 sessions, which included the following:

• long tempo intervals: intervals at 90% FTP intended to get you used to sustained power
• low cadence intervals: now these I found so tough! I train using cadence and low cadence is not something I feel comfortable with. These intervals were as high as 97% FTP and as low as 55 RPM, when I usually sit at around 80-85 RPM so quite a difference and total leg burner!
• progressive ramps: pretty self explanatory with intervals that progressively get harder and in addition each block of intervals getting harder than the one before
• breaks: intervals that build to top speed and above threshold power with those breakaway sprints in mind
• extended tempo: again with the focus on endurance and sustained efforts
• sweet spot training: these always sound like they should be nice and comfortable and yet I find can be some of the harder sessions with most of your time being spent in 85% to 95% of FTP
• tempo accelerations: steady endurance with sprint efforts
• maximal aerobic power: intervals that are high power output, longer than a sprint but good recovery time in between efforts
• over unders: my nemesis! I hate these sessions with a passion as they are always a killer. Unders at 80% FTP and overs up to 95% FTP, constant between these levels really test you mentally and physically.
• long ride: these differed every week with each getting progressively longer in duration (the longest being 3 hours and 15 minutes). Each week had a different focus but each were intended to build endurance and included efforts to simulate conditions you may encounter when out on the road.
• endurance free ride: I did my first two sessions of the week on a Monday and Tuesday and then used this ride as recovery to spin the legs ahead of the long ride at the weekend. You can also do this ride outside.

As I noted with the FTP Builder plan the Zwift companion app made it very easy to see how my plan was scheduled for the week and each session says when it will be available and you can click in to each to see what is in the session.

Every session completed then gets ticked off and you work your way through the weeks. I am one of those sad people who love to get my stars in a workout and so liked seeing the green tick when I completed a session too! Here are my stats from the end of the training plan:

So how did I get on? The longer sessions built up and that gradual increase definitely helped getting used to longer sessions in the saddle. With no natural movement on a turbo the longer sessions can be tough. My final session was 3 hours and 15 minutes and I managed to tick off my 25 volcano lap badge. Yes, 25 laps is as boring as it sounds but the efforts made it interesting. I also got my 100km badge too so triple win with final long ride ticked off and two badges!

I would definitely recommend this training plan if you are looking to work on your strength and endurance.

Ah the dreaded FTP test! Lets start with what they are – an FTP test is a measure of your functional threshold power and can be used to determine increase/decrease in fitness but more importantly for training plans so you can be more efficient in your workouts and get the most from them. If you use an app, like Zwift, for training it will colour the intervals of a workout so you can see at a glance and they are as follows:

• Grey – zone 1/recovery
• Blue – zone 2/endurance
• Green – zone 3/tempo
• Yellow – zone 4/threshold
• Red – zone 5/vo2 max, which is basically the maximum rate that the heart/lungs/muscles can effectively use oxygen during exercise

You know those workouts with all the red are the hard ones!

But there are different versions of FTP tests out there just to add a little confusion and what one should you use? Well I use Zwift and with that you have the option of the following:

Long FTP – starts with a warm up followed by three sets of short ramp ups to 130% and in between two easier leg spins a 5 minute effort before starting your 20 minute effort before finishing with the cool down. The power is measured by the average power from your 20 minute effort and then 5% is deducted for a more realistic result.

Short FTP – starts by getting your warmed up and slowly ramping in two sets of intervals up to 130% of your FTP, the first ramp being shorter and the second slightly longer but only from seconds to minutes. This is then followed by a lower effort leg spin and then your 20 minute effort and cool down. The power is measured by the average power from your 20 minute effort and then 5% is deducted for a more realistic result.

Ramp Test – 5 minute free ride and then you pedal at 1 minute intervals, increasing effort by 20 watts per minute basically until you cannot pedal any longer. The power is measured by your best 1 minute power and then 25% is deducted for a more realistic result.

Ramp Test Lite – basically the above but for those who weight under 60kg or who are newer to riding and has a slightly different structure with a longer warm up period and each 1 minute interval increases by 10 watts. The power is measured by your best 1 minute power and then 25% is deducted for a more realistic result.

I completed the long FTP for my first test and since then always stuck to the short but more recently I was advised by many to try the ramp test. I was also seeing a lot of commentary about the ramp test online with what seemed to be two camps – those who felt it was more efficient and less stressful on the body and those who still remained keen on the 20 minute effort. Anyhow, I had just completed a 6 week FTP Builder training plan and to measure the improvement I needed to complete a test and figured I would try the ramp test. Now I know I cannot do a direct comparison as the last was in a different format but it does still give a good marker.

I have always dreaded the FTP test so was actually keen to see how I felt after the ramp test and if it was the same. Yes it is a very intense short workout but the recovery is absolutely so much quicker! I was surprised how it started so low and so easy to getting a little tougher and then within 90 seconds I would say moving to oh no don’t think I can hold on much longer to not being able to move the pedals. It is definitely a test where cadence is key – find a good rhythm and try and stick with it – the second your cadence drops too much you will almost certainly not be able to continue! I actually laughed when I got a text box asking if I was done and I definitely was so was happy to click the ‘I’m toast’ button and it then gives your result.

The downside of an increase in FTP? All the new workouts are based on your higher FTP levels so in turn are tougher! Let’s finish on a fun fact to end on a lighter note though – my first FTP test (the long one) almost killed me and I was so ruined by the end of it I couldn’t unclip so stood up and lent forward and lost my balance and fell off my turbo. Yep I basically fell off a stationary bike!

Other top tips from me:

• take a couple of days complete rest before completing your FTP – it is threshold after all so if you are fatigued then you will be putting your body under further unnecessary stress and this will affect the result also
• make sure you are hydrated
• keep up the cadence as it really does help
• stay seated – these tests are designed to record power from a seated effort and although you will be able to get more power from standing you will also fatigue quicker and this will not help the result
• remember it is all relative – we are all different heights, weight and have different strengths and weaknesses so don’t compare your FTP result with someone else as it is personal to you
• lastly (and not really a tip from me but from a close friend) is that races help – I know a few people who race online and you will have a message displayed on screen if your FTP increases during the race so it is not just the tests that measure the power output and some do not test well but perform better when racing so that is also an option and helps increase the power too.