Quote Originally Posted by aicabsolut View Post
Thanks for the explanation, TxDoc!

One problem I have with estimating my FTP other than the boredom factor for doing a 1 hr effort on the CT is that in general, my 20km TT is much better compared to my 40km TT. This is going by how I place relative to others, particularly in Merckx-style TTs. So, what does that mean for my FTP? That it really is pretty low but I probably follow more of a pursuiter power profile? (I haven't tested it, but I'd guess that to be the case). So, when doing FTP-based CT workouts (erg files programmed to put you at x % of FTP for each interval), should I continue to set my FTP on the high side considering that those workouts are relatively short?

One day, an SRM will be in the budget. One day.
For training on the CT, I don't think that accuracy of the FTP calculation is all that important. You just need a number that is within a reasonable margin of error such that your workouts aren't so easy that you are getting no training benefit or so difficult that you can't complete them. Also, if you have been using a certain FTP test, stick with that for now to gauge improvement, and raise the FTP number on your CT profile as you record improvement.