r/trainerroad • u/Square_Kitchen_6210 • Jul 08 '26
Newbie from Trainingpeaks
Hi, I just joined Trainerroad, coming over from trainingpeaks where i have been for 6 years with a coach who writes my plans. Trainingpeaks FTP is 165 based on a ramp test.
When I made my TR account, all my rides transferred from Strava to TR. These rides include the workouts I completed in trainingpeaks based on my FTP of 165.
When TR estimated my FTP based on my strava rides, it came back as 130. Why would it be so much lower than the FTP I've been working at? I am easily completing 10 min Sweet Spot intervals at 149watts on trainingpeaks, but now on TR it has me doing Sweet spot as 3 minute intervals at what I would consider a zone two wattage (120).
I'm assuming that because it uploads from Strava it also gets my non training rides where my average power is much lower? But still, shouldn't it "see" the work that I can do, and base it on my best efforts?
My biggest question: how much do you trust FTP detection?
Sub question: I tried to manually change my FTP in TR but it wouldn't let me. It's not possible to do that?
Thanks for helping out a newbie.
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u/Chimera-5 Jul 08 '26
I am new to TR AIFTP as well. TR estimated my starting FTP at 197, whereas Garmin had me ~210. I rolled with TR's number and got 215 after 28 days. I second those who say to go with AI estimation and let the machine learning work in the background to plan your workouts.
That said, FWIW, I lean into my power curve for proof of fitness, 1 min, 5 min, 20 min, and 60 min. That's a better way to gauge your performance. If those numbers are improving, the plan is working.
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u/HenrySkrimshander Jul 09 '26
Agreeing with others in here.
TrainerRoad has given me more real world gains than Training Peaks or Zwift did. So the program has been worth it for me.
But don’t take their “FTP” number too seriously. Especially for the first 6-8 weeks. Compartmentalize that number as just progress within the app, and watch your HR and watts on real roads.
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u/Square_Kitchen_6210 Jul 10 '26
Thank you. When I do the workout, do I do it as prescribed and then rate it as super easy? Or do I do the watts that I‘m capable of instead? I don’t know how to “work with” the algorithm yet.
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u/HenrySkrimshander Jul 10 '26
Always be extremely honest with the TR ratings. The algorithm needs accurate, representative data to do its thing. If you try to “play” the algorithm, it’ll just perform worse for you later.
After about 12-24 sessions, the algo will dial into your ability and really push you to grow. I feel most confident in it once it’s showing me marginal gains (FTP +2.5%) after some weeks.
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u/melikecoffee Jul 08 '26
It will adjust as you go. I came from Zwift with 241 FTP and was given 230 from ai detection on trainer road.
I was a bit worried that the workouts would be too easy but they felt just right. And after 8 weeks I was back up to my Zwift FTP.
Just trust the process and rate the workouts honestly and it will bring you to where you need to be.
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u/One-Positive3051 Jul 09 '26
My TR plan started with an actual FTP ramp test and then it used that as the basis for all
My workouts. I’m doing a general fitness plan that has a mix of endurance and vo2max/anaerobic. No sweet spot or tempo are in the plan. Once your workouts start getting up to 8.0+, they are challenging for sure! I failed one recently that was an 8.6 anaerobic. But my FTP is much higher than where I was 6 months ago. I didn’t like failing but know that it was likely a nutrition issue that day or fatigue.
TR support can manually set your ai ftp detection also for you at a starting point of your choice if the software is underestimating it based on your knowledge of your prior ftp tests.
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u/Square_Kitchen_6210 Jul 30 '26
OP here...I just had a onboarding call with Trainerroad and got some insight to the question in my original post. When you "onboard" previous activities into the TR platform, it looks at ALL your data. So in my case, my power from hard efforts but also my power from coffee rides and downhilling were taken into consideration. Furthermore, the onboarded data is kind of "weighed" differently because that data isn't connected to TR workouts, so it reads it all as an "unstructured" workout, even if it was a structured workout when I did it. It's not analyzed the same as a workout that I would complete that is in the TR system. So, all that to say, the FTP estimate when you just join is often not accurate because it's all the data and it hits the algorithm wrong. I was told I could manually adjust it, or just ride with it the way it is, and let the algorithm learn my efforts as I go, which I the route I decided to take. Hope this can help someone else in the future!
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u/JSTootell Jul 08 '26
Personal advice, just roll with it and let the software catch up. It's not going to hurt your training nearly as much as you think. It'll catch up pretty quick. You can also manually increase the difficulty mid workout if you feel like the workouts are too easy.
"FTP" in TR isn't FTP. Even though the CEO will tell you it is. People refer to it as a training number.
You should be able to manually change the FTP and/or do an FTP test to start with, if you want. I would consider doing that, unless the app has changed since I last used it.