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Power-Based Training Acronyms

There are far too many acronyms in the sport of cycling, so here is your cheat sheet for all the important ones FTP: Functional Threshold Power - This is theoretically the maximum steady-state power you could hold for about an hour - It is a way to quantify your current level of fitness- many of your other zones will scale fairly linearly relative to your FTP - All of your rides are based on a percentage of your FTP IF: Intensity Factor® - This is a way of quantifying how intense your ride was - The scale is based on this: An IF of 1.0 would be equivalent to performing at FTP for 1 hour. Aka, your body could not possibly work any harder. - A 0.8 IF would represent a ride that averaged 80% of your Functional Threshold Power TSS: Training Stress Score® - This is the amount of stress that a workout inflicts on your body - With a large TSS, there is a greater opportunity for growth but also a greater need for proper recovery - Calculated based on a combination of IF and duration NP: Normalized Power® - This metric is similar to average power, with one minor difference - This metric "weights" different power zones differently. It gives more weight to your harder intervals and more closely represents the physiological toll - The purpose of this is to attempt to estimate the power you could have produced had you been constant throughout the ride - This allows you to more honestly compare one ride to another since the rest intervals have less of an effect on the overall average

Power 101 • Last updated on Aug 13, 2026

How to Test With the Ramp Test

The purpose of an FTP test is to find your maximum sustainable power output. At TrainerRoad, we do this through the Ramp Test. The TrainerRoad Ramp Test is designed to take you until failure in order to gain an accurate FTP estimation. The test will continue until you either stop pedaling or pause the workout. It will then automatically calculate your FTP and drop you into a recovery interval. The most important advice for completing the Ramp Test is to GO UNTIL FAILURE. Each second matters during the test. Even if you only make it 10 seconds into a new step, that will still factor into your FTP calculation. It's also important to follow the target power closely as you progress through the test. Stay in the saddle the entire time and use a cadence that feels most comfortable. Check out the video below to get an in-depth look at how you should approach the Ramp test. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWHgMzpvH7c For more specific Ramp Test details, click here. How It's Calculated After completing the Ramp Test, we calculate your FTP taking 75% to your highest 1-minute of power. Again, every second matters, so even if you only progress partly through your last step, it will affect the outcome. (Note: More complicated calculations may be applied when determining FTP from a Ramp Test depending on how accurately a rider followed the format of the test. This means, 75% of a rider's 1-minute power may not translate to their actual FTP calculation.) Testing on a Smart Trainer vs. Traditional Trainer When using a Smart Trainer, we do recommend using ERG Mode as it is the default for the test. That being said, a smart trainer is not required in order to complete the test. For traditional trainers, it's very important to focus on following the target profile to the best of your ability. With that, those doing the test in ERG mode do not have an advantage over individuals on a traditional trainer. When To Do an FTP Test? Generally, FTP tests are best done at the beginning of each training block (about every 4-6 weeks). This allows enough time to catch any fitness changes. Additionally, if you’ve taken an extended break from training, it’s a good idea to start with a test. Every TrainerRoad training plan automatically includes the Ramp Test for each training block If all of this seems overwhelming, you’re not alone. Many cyclists find testing cumbersome and draining. With TrainerRoad AI, you can use AI FTP Detection. This feature replaces the need to test. It uses AI to analyze your training progress, relative strengths, previous experience, and many other factors to give you an informed and data-backed FTP. More info on FTP testing tips here: FTP Testing: Tips & Strategy to Prepare for Your Next FTP Test

Assessing your Fitness Level (FTP) • Last updated on Jul 21, 2026

Workout Levels

Workout Levels are a metric within TrainerRoad that provide a way to easily compare the difficulty of workouts. Workout levels compare the relative difficulty of workouts within each energy system and training zone. They range from 1 to 10, with 1 representing an easy workout and 10 being a very difficult one. How are Workout Levels calculated? Workout Levels go beyond traditional metrics, like Training Stress Score (TSS) and Intensity Factor (IF). They utilize TrainerRoad AI's data-driven insights and incorporate nuanced factors such as repetition, interval length, and recovery time to quantify the relative difficulty of each TrainerRoad workout. The result is workout difficulty rankings that are based on real-world experience and easy to understand. Workout Levels are unique to TrainerRoad, using a formula derived from machine learning and based on our extensive data set. Where are Workout Levels displayed? The primary Workout Level for a workout is displayed on the workout profile alongside other workout information such as duration, TSS, and IF. You will see the workout level on all TrainerRoad workouts: Screenshot 2026-07-16 at 3.09.40 PM.png Workout Levels on the Calendar You will also see a workouts primary Workout Level in the upper left hand corner below the title of the workout when viewing an individual workout: Screenshot 2026-07-16 at 3.11.31 PM.png Primary Workout Level for an Individual Workout Note: The only structured workouts without Workout Levels are FTP assessments and custom workouts. When viewing a TrainerRoad workout you will also see the other Workout Levels targeted in any given workout in the Workout Levels chart below AI Predicted Difficulty. These levels show the performance targets for that particular workout relative to your current FTP: Screenshot 2026-07-16 at 3.18.07 PM.png FAQ How are these different from my individual Athlete Levels? Your individual Athlete Levels are a representation of your capabilities within the context of Workout Levels. Workout Levels are ML-driven quantifications of the relative difficulty workouts. Athlete Levels show your relative current abilities across Training Zones. You can check your Athlete Levels in your Career in the relative zone to check what difficulty of workouts are right for you based on your current abilities. Are Workout Levels always comparable? While Workout Levels do give you a good sense of how a workout might compare relative to another workout in TrainerRoad, Workout Levels are not strictly comparable even within one zone. How a workout feels to you can vary from one workout to the next based on the overall structure and duration of the workout. For this reason we recommend using AI Predicted Difficulty alongside Workout Levels for more insight into how your planned training might feel. Are Workout Levels personalized to each athlete? No. Workout Levels are assigned to a specific workout based on its difficulty and are calculated regardless of an athlete's abilities. Individual Athlete Levels are unique to each athlete. Your Progression Levels give you an indication of what workout difficulty you will be capable of completing. Will my custom workouts have Workout Levels? No, custom workouts do not currently have Workout Levels. Will Outside Workouts have Workout Levels? Yes. Every Outside Workout in the TrainerRoad workout library will have Workout Levels assigned to them. If you find an Outside Workout that doesn't have Workout Levels, please contact [email protected]

TrainerRoad AI • Last updated on Jul 16, 2026

FTP Testing - The Cornerstone of Training

Few components of power-based training are as important as measuring and tracking FTP. In fact, it could be argued that nothing short of actual performance ranks as highly in terms of overall importance. With this in mind, we offer the following primer on what your FTP represents, what an FTP test is, how and why we assess FTP, and when we assess it. What is FTP? Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is — quite simply — a measure of fitness. FTP represents the power (measured in watts) that you could theoretically maintain for about an hour, and it's the single metric we use to scale each of your workouts in our shared quest to keep your fitness growing. With regards to what's taking place within your body and the muscles themselves, riding at your FTP pushes you right up to that limit where pushing any harder will drastically limit the duration of your ride. But as long as you stay just below that acidic tipping point where your muscles light up and uncomfortably tolerable minutes become barely tolerable seconds, your muscles are in balance with the workload - for about an hour, anyway. What is the FTP Assessment? An FTP assessment is a snapshot of your fitness at any point in time. By measuring your fitness and assigning it a number, we can track changes in your fitness over weeks, months, and years. The assessment we use to measure this level of fitness is our Ramp Test. How is FTP Calculated from the Ramp Test? TrainerRoad will automatically calculate your FTP upon completion of your Ramp Test workout. If ridden correctly, you can expect your FTP to be about 75% of your highest 1-minute power sustained during the test. Note: More complicated calculations may be applied when determining FTP from a Ramp Test depending on how accurately a rider followed the format of the test. This means, 75% of a rider's 1-minute power may not translate to their actual FTP calculation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWHgMzpvH7c How is Functional Threshold Power Assessed? During a Ramp Test assessment, riders first follow a sufficient, stepwise warming period before progressing to their higher-intensity steps. The power that you average over the last, highest minute of your test allows us to mathematically estimate your current FTP. The goal here is to obtain a reasonably close estimate of one's sustainable power, or in power-based training nomenclature, your Functional Threshold Power/FTP. Why Do We Assess FTP? By assessing FTP, not only can we track changes in fitness, but we can also establish training zones, i.e. power levels. And as your fitness changes, we can update these power levels accordingly. Each type of interval, e.g. Tempo, Sweet Spot, VO2max, etc. represents a percentage of your FTP. For example, Tempo intervals fall in the 76-90% FTP range while VO2max intervals fall in the 106-120% FTP range. Different types of intervals target different energy systems and consequently different training adaptations, so it's important to have a personal measure of your fitness that will allow us to tailor your workouts to your specific needs and capabilities. When Should I Assess My FTP? It's a good idea to assess your FTP prior to beginning each training season unless you already have a good sense of your current fitness and your sustainable power. But even if you think you have a good grasp on your current fitness, it's still a good idea to back up your perception with actual performance. It's also recommended that you assess or reassess FTP before embarking on a new training plan. Finally, you should reassess your FTP about every 4-6 weeks in order to account for changes in your fitness and to keep your power levels in line with your performance potential. What if I'm Feeling Stronger Before My Scheduled FTP Test? Of course, testing roughly every 4-6 weeks is just a general guideline. Your FTP very well may have increased prior to 4-6 weeks after your last test. If you find yourself breathing easily through workouts with high-Intensity Factors (IFs)® or that you're often manually increasing the workout intensity before it's time for your next test, don't hesitate to manually edit your FTP. No need to wait for an FTP test if you know you're stronger. :)

Your First Ride • Last updated on Aug 13, 2026

How to Test with the 20-Minute & 8-Minute FTP Tests

With the Ramp Test as our recommended assessment, we still offer two alternative options to test FTP: The 20-Minute and 8-Minute FTP Tests. How to Test During the test intervals, totally ignore the graph's recommendations. Whether you're above, below, or exactly in line with the graph makes no difference. It's important that these assessment efforts are not restricted or guided in any way. We're simply trying to get a reasonably close estimate of your Functional Threshold Power, something we can't do if your smart trainer is limiting your power. FTP (Functional Threshold Power) is automatically calculated upon completion of any of our test workouts. 20-Min VS. 8-Min Test If you do decide to use one of these alternative tests, whether you use our 20-minute Maximal Lactate Steady State (MLSS) interval or a set of 8-minute Power at VO2max (pVO2max) efforts, it's best to choose a format that you will stick with and one that fairly represents your fitness at the time. Each test has its own pros & cons. We'll elaborate on each of them briefly below in order to help you choose a format that best suits you, both in terms of your current capabilities & capacity for suffering. 20-Minute Test https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfdNQMik6Mk The 20-Minute Test is an ideal format to break into shorter, more manageable segments. By breaking the 20-minute effort into four 5-minute segments, riders can subtly tweak their effort every so often based on longer periods of muscular feedback, i.e. a rider can slightly reduce their pace every 5 minutes based on perceived exertion or how their body feels. The 20-minute test is a relatively long testing effort and pacing can sometimes be an issue for less experienced riders. Because of this, the 20-Minute Test is usually more ideal for seasoned riders who have a good sense of how to pace well. Additionally, many riders play it safe during the longer formats and end up finishing with too much gas left in the tank. Evidence of this is illustrated via a 2 or 3-minute surge in power at the end of an effort that would ideally be evenly-paced over the entire 20 minutes. As a result, their FTP and relative power levels are likely to be underestimated a bit (or a lot) rendering all subsequent FTP-based workouts less productive than they would be otherwise. TrainerRoad calculates your FTP from the 20-Minute Test by multiplying your average power for the test interval by .95. In other words, your FTP is 5% less than your average power of the test interval. 8-Minute Test https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmJr4r1pWYM Our preferred format for less experienced riders is the 8-minute protocol comprised of two 8-minute efforts. The 8-Minute Test yields a greater amount of information by demonstrating power at VO2max via each 8-minute interval, sustainable power/FTP once the average power of the two 8-minute intervals is reduced by 10%, and you can even track improvements in your aerobic fitness when comparing the 2 efforts afterward, i.e. a substantial difference could indicate a limited ability to recover & insufficient aerobic capabilities. TrainerRoad calculates your FTP from the 8-Minute Test by multiplying your average power of the two test intervals by .9. In other words, your FTP is 10% less than your average power of the two test intervals. Erg Mode vs Slope/Resistance Mode Building on the information found in our Erg Mode Explained article, these FTP test alternatives, when completed on a smart trainer, have to be done in the appropriate mode: Slope or Resistance mode (depending on your particular trainer). Fortunately, TrainerRoad switches modes for you when you assess your FTP via our 20-Minute Test or our 8-Minute Test. Why Erg Mode is Bad for the 8- and 20-Minute FTP Tests If a smart trainer is left in Erg mode during the testing portion(s) of a 20- and 8-Minute test, the workout will lock you in at your current fitness level instead of allowing you to pace the duration of the test interval at your own power target. To avoid this, the assessment needs to take place in Slope/Resistance mode in order to allow a rider to work at his/her own pace rather than having the trainer determine a pace based on the input FTP. TrainerRoad automatically switches you to Slope/Resistance mode during your test interval(s). If you wish to use a higher or lower Slope/Resistance setting, you're free to adjust it yourself and it makes no difference if you use different Slope/Resistance settings from interval to interval or test to test. The last setting you used will be applied the next time you enter Slope/Resistance mode. By switching to Slope/Resistance mode, you're allowed to go hard without being forced to maintain the calculated Target Power that would be forced on your legs in Erg mode. You can pace according to your current capabilities such that you ride as strongly as possible for the assessment interval(s).

Assessing your Fitness Level (FTP) • Last updated on Aug 13, 2026

Syncing ROUVY with TrainerRoad

You can complete scheduled or recommended TrainerRoad cycling workouts in ROUVY when you connect your ROUVY account to your TrainerRoad account. Here’s how to get the sync between the two platforms set up: How to Connect ROUVY and TrainerRoad You'll establish a connection between the two platforms through the TrainerRoad website: Step One: Navigate to Training Platforms from the Profile navigation menu on the TrainerRoad website here: Account > Connections > Training Platforms Step Two: Select Connect under ROUVY Step Three: Read and Agree to the connection terms Step Four: If you’re already logged in to ROUVY, this will bring you to the ROUVY authorization page. Click “Authorize” to confirm the connection. (If you’re not already logged into ROUVY, you’ll be prompted to do so first). After clicking “Authorize” you’ll be brought back to the Training Platforms section in the TrainerRoad settings menu. You have now successfully synced ROUVY and TrainerRoad! To confirm that the connection has been made successfully, a green border and an option to disconnect will now appear in the ROUVY option on the page. Check out this article for instructions on completing your TrainerRoad workouts within ROUVY. What Syncs Between the Two Platforms? Upcoming TrainerRoad Workouts: Today's planned TrainerRoad cycling workout will be pushed to ROUVY. Note: Ramp Tests and FTP tests will not sync to ROUVY! All other indoor workouts scheduled today will be sent over to ROUVY on the day that they are scheduled. Completed ROUVY Activities: Workouts completed in ROUVY will be pulled back into TrainerRoad. When are Workouts Synced Between Platforms? TrainerRoad Workouts: TrainerRoad Workouts scheduled for today will be pulled into ROUVY almost as soon as they are scheduled. Once a workout has been synced to ROUVY, you’ll notice the ROUVY icon appear in its footer on your TrainerRoad calendar. Workouts sent to ROUVY will appear prominently on the day they are scheduled on the ROUVY home screen. They’ll also appear as the first item in the ROUVY “Workouts” tab: Completed ROUVY Activities: Workouts completed in ROUVY after establishing a connection between ROUVY and TrainerRoad will be synced to TrainerRoad shortly after ending the workout. This sync may take a few minutes. Historical training data in ROUVY won't be pulled into TrainerRoad. How to Disconnect ROUVY and TrainerRoad Step One: Navigate to Training Platforms from the Profile navigation menu on the TrainerRoad website here: Account > Connections > Training Platforms Step Two: Select Disconnect below ROUVY and then Disconnect to confirm the change. You have successfully disconnected ROUVY and TrainerRoad! You can re-enable the connection at any time by following the steps above. Frequently Asked Questions For more information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions about ROUVY and TrainerRoad check out our FAQ article here: Training in ROUVY with TrainerRoad: FAQs.

General Usage • Last updated on Sep 28, 2026

Cycling Drills in TrainerRoad

Drills - Not Just for Base Season Though often relegated to base training phases, on-the-bike drills should have a place in your training plan year-round. Improvements in efficiency, strength and power are of benefit to riders at any level, beginner to professional. And when you consider how often you turn over the pedals in the course of a minute, also consider the potential effect of even the smallest improvement in your efficiency when carried over hundreds and thousands of times. Form drills are inarguably one of the best ways to break up the monotony of longer intervals and riders, so sprinkle these in liberally paying particular attention to the drills that most benefit you in terms of personal weaknesses and limiters. Efficiency Drills Efficiency drills seek to improve your overall cycling efficiency by addressing pedal economy (pedal speed and control) and muscle efficiency (gradual reduction in muscle stress at similar workloads). - Endurance Spinning (ES) - Practice spinning slightly quicker than your natural, self-selected cadence. Ride at a cadence that's at the very top of your comfortable rpm range (often this is your natural cadence + 3-5rpm) and remain there for a solid 5 minutes. The goal is to learn to turn the pedals more quickly with less force/muscle stress thereby improving your ability to remain predominantly aerobic over a wide range of rpm. If your HR rises more than a few bpm, you're pedaling too quickly - take it easy and stay relaxed but quick. - Single-Leg Focus (SLF) - The objective here is to learn to apply power more effectively through the entire pedalstroke by focusing strictly on one leg's activity through the bottom, upstroke, and over the top of the pedalstroke. For 90 seconds at a time, devote your attention to one leg before switching to the other. Your cadence may fall slightly, but these drills typically come more naturally to less experienced riders than "one-leggers" (described below). Pay particular attention to lightly pulling your foot across the bottom, lifting your knee lightly upward and then softly kicking over the top of each pedalstroke. Add this drill indoors or outdoors as often as you like, more frequently if you recognize a substantial difference in one leg's strength or coordination. - Isolated Leg Training (ILT) - Also known as "one-leggers" and similar to SLF drills, the objective here is to learn to more effectively apply power through the entire pedalstroke by focusing strictly on one leg's activity through the bottom, upstroke and over the top of the pedalstroke. Completely unclip one foot from the pedal and rest it on your trainer, a stool, or anything that allows it to safely rest without interfering with your other leg's pedaling. Begin with slow cadence (very slow in some cases) and periods of 10-20s per leg unless you can pedal longer without "knocking". Don't worry about your temporarily low power - these drills aren't about strength. As you improve, your cadence will increase as will each leg's duration. Pay close attention your kick and pull (described below) thinking more in terms of horizontal or back and forth pedaling especially if you begin feeling deadspots in your pedalstroke or you begin hearing a knocking sound due to those deadspots. Keep tension on the chain and switch legs anytime your form degrades; don't practice bad habits just to tack on 5 or 10 more seconds. Include this drill indoors 2-3 times each week accumulating 5-10 minutes per leg each workout. - Pedalstroke Quadrants (P/KP) - Each quadrant of a 360-degree pedalstroke can be emphasized over the course of a complete round of quadrant drills, but in the interest of keeping things more fluid, the 4 quadrants have been combined into 2 opposing muscle actions: up and down, backward and forward. - Pistons (P) - Few if any riders need to practice pushing down on the pedals, but improvements in how well your knees move are both beneficial to economy and joint health. As you pedal, pay close attention to how your knees track. They should move directly up, directly down - like pistons - with little if any lateral movement, especially at the top of each pedalstroke. Focus on one knee for 30-60s before switching sides. - Kick & Pull (KP) - A balanced pedalstroke is dependent upon consistent tension on your bike's drivetrain throughout the entire pedalstroke. Reinforce your ability to maintain tension through the weakest portions of the pedalstroke, the top and bottom quadrants. As your knee approaches top-dead-center, lightly kick your toes into the fronts of your shoes, and as your feet approach bottom-dead-center, lightly pull your heels into the backs of your shoes - kick and pull. Focus on just the kick for 30-60s, just the pull for 30-60s, then eventually both for 30-60s simultaneously. - Form Sprints (FS) - Sprints are for everyone, not just sprinters, because they "wake up" muscle fibers that too often don't get trained but will get used. Practice high-rpm sprint simulations at low power outputs to reinforce proper sprinting technique by jumping out-of-the-saddle and winding up a light gear. As your cadence reaches its controllable peak, gracefully transition into the saddle where you can shift gears if necessary. These sprints are only 10s long and are all about leg speed, form and technique. Experiment with which foot leads the sprint and learn how to generate a lot of leg speed in very little time. Strength Drills Strength drills not only enhance muscular contribution/activity but they can improve the health of your connective tissues and thus enhance joint stability in your knees, hips and ankles. - Strength Sprints (SS) - Sprints are for everyone, not just sprinters, because they "wake up" muscle fibers that too often don't get trained but will get used. These standing-start sprints consist of slowly turning over a big gear as forcefully as possible in order to recruit as many muscle fibers as you can. They're done from a near stop and in the biggest gear you can gracefully turn over without exceeding 90rpm in 12 pedalstrokes. While standing, hold onto your handlebar drops and drive each foot down as hard as you can while retaining the excellent sprinting form you practiced during Form Sprints. If you reach 90rpm inside of 12 pedalstrokes, choose a larger gear next time and abandon the drill if you encounter any knee pain. You can track your progress by comparing your max and average power output from week to week. - Force Intervals (FI) - Often riders need to create power at very low cadences, e.g. over-geared coming out of a turn, very steep climbs, starting from a dead stop, etc. These intervals are also excellent for improving the resilience of your connective tissue gradually and they provide an excellent opportunity to focus on your ability to control the lateral movement of your knees, especially at the top of the pedalstroke. If you currently have no knee issues, use a gear that allows you to hold your Target Power while riding between 50-60rpm. Focus on the top of the pedalstroke as well as the downstroke by kicking over the top and pressing your foot downward. - Hill Simulations (HS) - These are Tempo/Sweet Spot workouts performed with an elevated front wheel based on the typical grades you'll encounter in your target events. By raising your front wheel up to 6 inches above the level of your rear wheel, you can more closely emulate the slightly different demands that gradients place on your muscles even if there's no conclusive evidence of its benefit. Try to keep your cadence above 80rpm when seated and above 75rpm when standing. Most of your focus should fall on the top and back quadrants of the pedalstroke and this can be achieved by focusing on lifting your knees upward and then gently kicking your feet forward, especially when standing. These simulations are an attempt to increase the level of hill-climbing stress specificity as much as possible without riding actual hills. Power Drills Power drills can drastically improve both the number of muscle fibers you recruit during explosive efforts but also how quickly those fibers are recruited. They can also reduce muscle fiber fatigue over long rides by effectively distributing the workload over more muscle fibers. - Power Sprints (PS) - Power Sprints are the culmination of Form Sprints and Strength Sprints and teach you to overcome heavy resistance quickly. At a reasonable cadence, 85-95rpm, jump out-of-the-saddle and wind up a big gear but not as big as the gear used during previous Strength Sprints. These sprints are only 10s long and should allow you to get in a maximum of 24 pedalstrokes and reach a high rpm, 130rpm or higher. Practice winding up a lot of watts in the briefest time possible while maintaining the form and technique you picked up during previous Form Sprints. Experiment with which foot to lead with and don't hesitate to practice leading with either. - Advanced Hill Simulations (AHS) - The advanced version of HS are Sweet Spot/Threshold workouts which are still performed with an elevated front wheel based on the typical grades you'll encounter in your target events. Raise your front wheel up to 6 inches above the level of your rear wheel and more closely emulate the slightly different demands that gradients place on your muscles even if there's no conclusive evidence of this benefit . When specific cadence recommendations aren't detailed in the workout's Description and on-screen instructions, try to keep your cadence above 80rpm when seated and above 75rpm when standing. These simulations are part of a continued attempt to increase the level of hill-climbing stress specificity as much as possible without riding actual hills. - Strength Endurance Rides (SER) - Synonymous with Muscular Endurance, the intervals comprising these rides effectively take the place of Force Intervals and further your ability to turn bigger gears for longer durations. Put another way, they'll help you ride stronger in the wind, climb hills at a faster rate and maintain higher paces for increasing periods of time. Strength is only so useful without the ability to sustain it, so make sure you're rested and ready to tackle each of these workouts as they're quite difficult and sure to challenge the strongest of riders but well worth the effort.

Plan Execution • Last updated on Aug 13, 2026

Choosing the Right Discipline For Your Events

TrainerRoad builds your plan around your A event's selected discipline or type. This guide is here to help you understand what each discipline trains and how to choose a match for your event. Why Event Type Matters Your event type influences: - Which training phases you get (for example, a plan that emphasizes sustained power vs short, punchy power) - Which training zones and workout profiles are emphasized - What fitness you are most prepared to express on event day No discipline is “better” than any others. Each discipline simply trains your body in a different way to prepare for different event demands. The Simple Way to Choose In many cases, the event’s advertised label is enough: - Criterium → Criterium - Time Trial → Time Trial - Cyclocross → Cyclocross - XCO, XCM, Short Track → the matching MTB discipline - Triathlon Event → the matching triathlon discipline It gets trickier when the event label is broad, like Road Race, Gravel, or Gran Fondo. When that happens, use these four factors to identify the dominant effort type your event will demand: 1. Advertised discipline 2. How long you will ride (duration) 3. Climbing profile (how many climbs, how long, how steep) 4. Your goal (race for results vs ride for a steady finish or target time) A helpful reminder: distance alone is not a reliable guide. The same distance can mean very different effort types depending on terrain, surface, and speed. Duration tells you much more about pacing demands. A quick Decision Guide For More Ambiguous Road & Gravel Events Road races: Rolling Road Race vs Climbing Road Race Start here if your event is a mass start road race and you are unsure which road discipline fits. - Rolling Road Race is usually best when the decisive moments are repeated surges, attacks, and short climbs. Think punchy efforts and frequent changes in pace. - Climbing Road Race is usually best when long, sustained climbs are the defining feature. Think sustained climbing power and longer efforts. Helpful shortcut: - If the key climbs are short and punchy, lean Rolling. - If the key climbs are long and sustained, lean Climbing. If you are not sure, pick the discipline that best matches where you expect the hardest efforts to happen. On some courses, long climbs early do not decide the race, and the event can still be ridden like a Rolling Road Race. Long Road Events: Gran Fondo Gran Fondo is the best fit for events where the dominant demand is steady pacing and endurance. - Typical match: long road events where your goal is to finish strong, ride a steady pace, or hit a target time. - Terrain can be flat or mountainous. For most riders, the pacing challenge is still the main limiter once the duration is long enough. Gravel Events Gravel events can be very different, so the best match depends on duration and how the event is raced. - If your event is primarily a long, steady endurance day where pacing is the priority, Gravel is usually the best fit. - If your event is shorter and raced aggressively with frequent surges, you may also consider Rolling Road Race, Climbing Road Race, or Cross Country Marathon, depending on terrain and surface. Helpful shortcut: - Over about 4 hours: Gravel is usually the best starting point because pacing and endurance are critical for most athletes. - Under about 4 hours: Gravel still works well, but a more race-focused discipline(Rolling/Climbing Road Race) can be a good option if the event is punchy and you are racing for position. Time Trials Time Trial discipline is built around steady, controlled efforts against the clock. - Best fit: most TTs, especially flatter courses or those where pacing is steady and continuous - If your TT is unusually punchy or very climb-heavy, Climbing Road Race can be a reasonable alternative, depending on how the effort actually feels on the day. Hill Climbs There is no dedicated hill climb discipline, so match based on climb duration: - Over about 20 to 30 minutes: Time Trial - About 2 to 30 minutes: Climbing Road Race - Under about 2 minutes: Rolling Road Race or Climbing Road Race (choose based on whether the effort is more punchy or more sustained) If you are doing a season of mixed hill climbs, Climbing Road Race is usually the most well-rounded option. Stage Races Stage races are their own category because day-to-day recovery becomes part of the performance demand. Choose the discipline that matches the stage race type you are doing. If your stage race includes mixed stages, pick the discipline that best represents the dominant demands across the event. Off-Road Event Types in TrainerRoad Off-road events vary significantly. The easiest way to pick the right TrainerRoad event type is to match the discipline to the effort you will repeat most often: short surges, sustained hard laps, or long pacing with hard climbs late. Short Track Cross Country (STXC) Pick STXC if your event is: - About 20 to 30 minutes - Very fast and intense with constant accelerations This plan builds repeatable high-intensity efforts and quick recovery between surges. Cross Country Olympic (XCO) Pick XCO if your event is: - About 60 to 100 minutes - Lap-based with repeated climbs and technical features This plan builds the ability to repeat hard efforts near and above threshold across a full race-length effort. Cross Country Marathon (XCM) Pick XCM if your event is: - About 3 to 8 hours - Off-road with meaningful climbing and repeated hard sections This plan builds long endurance and fatigue resistance, while still preparing you for surges and hard climbs late in the race. Cyclocross (CX) Pick Cyclocross if your event is: - About 45 to 70 minutes - Constantly changing pace with repeated bursts, corners, and short run-ups This plan builds repeatable high-intensity efforts and recovery for one-hour racing. Off-Road Triathlon Many off-road tri formats align closely with Olympic distance demands on the bike, even if the bike leg is shorter, because the terrain is more demanding. - Best starting point: Off-Road Triathlon - Only choose Sprint, Half, or Full if the event distances truly match those formats Quick Tie-Breakers - XCO vs XCM: around an hour and very intense, choose XCO. Multi-hour pacing with hard climbs late, choose XCM. - XCM vs Gravel: if it feels like an off-road race with frequent punchy efforts, choose XCM. If it is more about steady pacing for a long day on mixed surface, choose Gravel. Common Exceptions: When A Different Event Might Help You If there is more than one good option, that is normal. Look at your event’s advertised type, expected finish time, and whether you are racing for results or pacing for a finish or target time. Long events where you are racing for results If the event is long but your goal is explicitly competitive and the race is likely to be decided by surges, attacks, and climbs, you may choose a discipline that places more emphasis on variability and intensity. That can be a good choice, but there is a trade-off: - More emphasis on punchy and race-like fitness - Less emphasis on the deepest steady endurance compared to Gran Fondo or Gravel If your main goal is to pace steadily and finish strong, Gran Fondo or Gravel is still usually the best match. longer climbing events or stage races where you will ride a steady pace In these cases It can be smart to pick a Gran Fondo or Gravel plan, to train for smooth steady efforts instead of training to chase and make breaks up a climb. Mixed terrain/discipline race like a stage race or mixed surface event In those cases, pick the discipline that best matches: - The effort type you will spend the most time doing - Will you be holding a steady pace, or chasing and making breaks? - The effort type you most want to improve for your goal An example could be a longer event where you ride Road, Gravel, & Single Track with plenty of elevation gain: - If you intend to hold a steady pace, Gravel would be a good choice. - If you are going to race it, Climbing Road Race or Cross Country Marathon would better fit that intent for most athletes. Between those you would want to pick what you want to improve. Have More Than One A event? A events should be planned at least 8 weeks apart. TrainerRoad will focus the plan around your A events, in order. After each A event, the plan can shift focus toward the next A event. After the final A event, the plan uses your last B event discipline, or your last C event discipline if there is no B event. A events are the strongest drivers of plan focus. Changing Your Event Type In many cases, you can change an event’s discipline. When you do, TrainerRoad may prompt you to update your plan so training matches the new discipline. There are a few situations where changing discipline requires deleting and recreating the event instead, such as switching between cycling and triathlon categories, or switching between stage race and single-day event categories. FAQs How do I Build a Custom Training Plan? You can use the resources below to learn how to build a custom plan and to dig deeper into their structure: - TrainerRoad Plan Builder Over View & Walk Through - Understand the structure & science behind TrainerRoad Plans. How to Choose Which Event to Make My A Event? In most cases, you want your A event to be your primary event for the season. You can learn more here: - How to Add A, B, & C Events to Your Calendar - How to Prioritize Your Races and Build a Seasonal Race Plan I'm not Training For an Event, What can I do? TrainerRoad has many goal-based plan options as well. You can learn about them here. How Should I Choose the Event Intensity? It's helpful to think of the intensity rating of the event as the aspirational pace you want to ride it. Every athlete is different but here is a bit of general guidance: - Recovery - Tempo could be an all-day or repeated-day effort(rest day or easy day during a stage race). - Tempo - Hard could be a race level effort for 3-8 hours. - Hard - All out efforts would be a max level effort for shorter events(1-3 hours)

Choosing Your Training Plan • Last updated on Feb 13, 2026

Why is AI FTP Detection Only Available Every 28 Days?

Changes in fitness take time. The physiological process that drives changes in your functional threshold power (FTP) can take months of training, recovering, and getting faster, as your body gradually adapts to repeated training stress. This is why AI FTP Detection isn’t available more often than every 28 days. Updating your FTP too frequently isn’t only unnecessary, but doing so can actually have negative impacts on your training. That’s because structured training is based on the principle of progressive overload, in which carefully chosen workouts incrementally increase in difficulty to appropriately challenge the right physiological systems and build your fitness. Frequent FTP changes can disrupt the pace and magnitude of this progression and can prevent you from completing key sequences of workouts you need to reach your goals. In other words, using AI FTP Detection at intervals of 28 days or longer doesn’t just reflect the gradual pace of changing fitness. It also helps you get the most out of your training and makes you faster. What if my Abilities Change Within 28 Days? FTP is not the only measure of your fitness. Between AI FTP Detections, your Progression Levels monitor your progress and track subtle changes in your abilities from day to day, even when your FTP doesn’t meaningfully change. Progression Levels track your capacity to express your current FTP in different training zones at any given time. For example, increasing your ability to hold steady power within your VO2 Max training zone from one minute to three minutes at the same FTP demonstrates significant progress and is reflected by changes in your Progression Levels. Progression Levels allow TrainerRoad AI to customize your training each day, ensuring that your workouts always match your changing needs. Whether you crush a breakthrough workout or take some unexpected time off, your Progression Levels will respond, and your training will adjust to keep you on track for your goals. Simply put, your abilities will change between AI FTP Detections in ways FTP alone can’t accurately reflect. Progression Levels have you covered, working hand-in-hand with AI FTP Detection to track every change in your fitness, whether big or small, up or down. I Didn’t Accept my Recent AI FTP Detection. Can I Get a New Detection Sooner Than 28 Days? If you keep your current FTP instead of accepting AI FTP Detection’s results, the newly-detected FTP will still be available for you to accept at any time during the next 28 days. Simply click the AI FTP Button from your Account Settings or from any FTP Test, and you’ll again be presented with the option to accept it, along with a countdown to when your next detection will be available. If you haven’t accepted your newly detected FTP and something happens to significantly decrease your fitness within 28 days (for example, if you take extended time off the bike), AI FTP Detection will automatically adjust your still-available prediction downwards to make sure you get the right workouts and power targets. This will prevent you from accepting a too-high FTP, and it won’t affect the 28-day countdown until your next detection is available.

TrainerRoad AI • Last updated on Jul 16, 2026

Re-build, Off-season, or Maintenance for Your Fastest Season

Getting faster isn’t confined to training within the typical Base, Build, and Specialty training phases. You have other options to continue your quest for speed after a typical training season. Once athletes complete a full cycle of training, the next step will depend on their goals until the next training cycle is scheduled to begin. This period of time may vary from rider to rider, but I will outline three different rider scenarios that should provide enough direction no matter what circumstances you’re under. The Transition After Specialty Training With 52 weeks in the year, and with the full Base, Build, Specialty sequence typically lasting 28 of those weeks, many riders wonder what they can do to fill in the gap. This is the period of time most refer to as the “off-season”, and I will outline 3 different approaches based on three different goals. 1. There are some riders who are targeting another high-priority event/competitive season following the completion of a full Base, Build, Specialty sequence of training. 2. There’s another camp who chooses to fill their time focusing on a limiting aspect of their performance, appropriately known as a “limiter”. 3. Then, others prefer to simply maintain the fitness they’ve established throughout the previous months of training until the next training cycle is scheduled to begin. One thing is clear for each and every rider coming out of the Base, Build, Specialty cycle: a small period of time-off (1-3 weeks) is recommended before going down one of these paths. Depending on your fatigue and/or motivation, this time off can be spent with some totally unstructured riding, active recovery rides, or time off the bike completely. But my biggest concern in making this recommendation is to provide brief stress relief on the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system before diving back into training. How to Build a Second Fitness Peak Athletes who choose to target another high-priority event following the final phase of training can continue getting faster by manipulating Base, Build, Specialty to fit a shorter time frame. Depending on how long the gap is between the event you “peaked” for at the end of your Specialty training and the second event you’re targeting, you will return to Build Phase training. This is what I like to call a “rebuild”, in which case you will do the latter half (typically 2-4 weeks) of your Build training before “re-specializing” (i.e. entering another Specialty training phase). For Example: Say you have 12 weeks between two high-priority events. Since you won’t have enough time to complete entire Build and Specialty phases, the solution is to complete the partial revisitation of Build training before reassessing your fitness and completing another Specialty phase training plan. Should the gap be longer than that, you can apply this “rebuild” principle by extending the time revisiting the Build and even Base training. Note: Athletes who follow the re-build approach to target another event should also schedule a small break between their second high-priority event and the beginning of the next training season. Off-Season Focus on a Limiter Athletes who aren’t planning for another event following a full training cycle, but wish to focus on a limiting aspect of their performance, can address that limiter using similar principles as the re-build approach. Just like the re-build approach, you’ll need to evaluate the time period you have until your next season of training is scheduled to begin. With that in mind, you have the option to return to Build Phase training for 2-4 weeks and follow that with a Specialty plan of your choosing. If you’re designing your own plan, you’ll select workouts that specifically address the weaknesses that are plaguing your performance. For Example: You complete a small break after your high-priority event following a full training cycle and take note that your climbing ability was the aspect of your performance that held you back. After taking a look at when you’d like to begin training next season, you find you have 18 weeks to address the limiter. You’ll also account for 1-3 of those weeks to include a significant reduction in training volume/intensity in anticipation for the next training cycle. With 16 weeks to dedicate to training, you’ll have enough time to focus on the limiter in the same format as a Build and Specialty sequence of training. So you’ll use 8 of those weeks to build your climbing capabilities through a blend of strength endurance work (Sweet Spot power zone), lactate tolerance workouts (Threshold power zone), and maximum aerobic power intervals (VO2max power zone). And you’ll take this one step further by reassessing your fitness and entering into a 8-week revisitation of a Specialty training plan. The workouts you’ll focus on in this period will emphasize a split between high-power, often explosive efforts and extended, near-FTP efforts that all find their way into your climbs. Note: Refer to the Build and Specialty Phase sections of this ebook for help in manufacturing your own off-season approach to addressing a limiter. Maintaining Fitness in the Off-Season The final possible route an athlete may take is to simply maintain the hard-earned fitness they’ve established through the previous training cycle. The good news is properly established fitness takes comparatively little to maintain than what it took to build. There are four separate types of fitness that I’ve outlined below. If you’d like to simply maintain any/all of them, research supports that you can do so on relatively little work. If you’re not too concerned with slight decreases in any of these categories, feel free to leave it/them by the wayside. - Aerobic Endurance: Once every 2 weeks, do a long, low-intensity ride. Ride long enough that the fatigue comes as a product of the ride’s duration, not its intensity. - Anaerobic Power: Once a week. Something along the lines of 30- to 60-second repeats upwards of 130% FTP should suffice. - Muscular Endurance/Threshold: Once a week. Try a 2×20-minute Threshold or even Sweet Spot workout. - Sprint Power: Once a week. Perform 4-6 all-out efforts somewhere between 20-30 seconds long. Note: Athletes who follow a maintenance approach to the off-season will not require the “padding” of downtime before the training season that follows.

Choosing Your Training Plan • Last updated on Aug 13, 2026