Originally Posted by
terrymorse
How do you measure your FTP?
I read that one way is to do a 20-minute time trial and take 95% of that power number as your FTP.
I haven't done that. I just do rides, and every once in a while my Garmin tells me that it's detected a new FTP, and I click "Accept".
The "new FTP detected" ride is usually when I go up Mt. Hamilton (18.29 miles, 3745 feet). I got one of those yesterday.
I occasionally do the Wahoo SYSTM Full Monty benchmark test, which gives a very good indication of your FTP and several other power metrics. It's a hell of a test though, so I don't put myself through it very often! I have a good feeling for when I'm slightly up or down based on how hard I find my interval training. But I don't really focus specifically on my FTP these days since most of my target events are in the 5-10 hour endurance range with either repeated punchy climbs or drawn out mountain epics.