… when the app IOS controls Saris H3 or my wifes Wahoo Kicker.
Every other effort on the other hands, feels normal. What gives? This only happens when the app controls the trainer in ERG mode. I have to decrease the workout power number back down to my actual FTP (100%) number in order to be able to complete the VO2 Max efforts. I can complete these outdoors and even stay above the power numbers. In addition, when I have these workouts in Rouvy, I have also no issues with completing these.
What would cause this and why? Again, this only affects the VO2 Max and no other effort and only via the app.
I was just looking at your last workout. I assume this is what you mean.
So you are saying 350w feels too hard in ERG in our app. Do you have the same FTP outdoors and the same FTP on Rouvy? In Rouvy are you using ERG mode? Do you have the same power meter in all 3 places?
Yeap. so you can see I managed to finish the first interval and nearly collapsed. Then I had to lower the efforts to 90% in order to complete them.
350W, the power I was doing was absolutely insane on the trainer with the power coming from the trainer OR from the power meter spider (dual sided). In Rouvy there is no other way but to go with ERG mode when doing workouts.
I have not used the app for now 6 months or so, but last year I ran into the same issue when I paused Rouvy and tried to use the app. I have resorted to lowering the effort to 90% and then it seems normal. But then for anything else I have to bring the effort up to 100% so that again it feels normal.
I typically use the on bike power meter for cadence because the cadence to Saris just never works properly.
I use the Saris for power in the app and rouvy.
Outdoor is the bike power meter.
But thats not just me. My wife has the same issue on the Kicker. The exact same thing happens.
I didnt think about it back then, but I should have turned on my bike computer that is linked to the bike power meter only, to see what I was actually asked to do.
I know what VO2 efforts feel like, and this felt like doing FTP test… and not the start or middle of it lol 
Ohhh and yea, the FTP is set the same everywhere.
I have never heard anything like this. We just show the power that is sent to us so if 350w feels too hard that really should not be app or recording device issue. It sounds like think you are doing 400w when our app shows 350w. Yes connecting Garmin to pedals would be a reasonable test although not 100% as devices can be different but should be close enough. Indoor/outdoor can be/feel very different obviously. And for sure W’ goes up and down seasonally but assuming you have been doing hard outdoors recently then should not be an issue there.
I would be very surprised it is an app issue since we have like 10,000 unique monthly users using the app and this is the first time I have heard this.
I have no idea what to make of this. I guess for now I will resort to just lowering the effort for such workouts and let things be.
Yeah, you are getting old Just realize that W’ (anaerobic energy) has some independence of your aerobic energy so some guys can crank out hard sweet spot for long periods of time but vo2max kills them… Not saying that is you, but I would base it based on feel. So I like your approach. Before power meter VO2max efforts were all by feel/rpe
How recently did you complete a (nearly) identical workout (i.e. with 350W intervals of that duration) on Rouvy?
I’d suggest to do a ramp test to verify the actual FTP, maybe everything is based on a different FTP; thus, the workouts are too hard
Nahhhh last time I did that it put my FTP at 340W I think, which is insanity. So i dropped that back down to human levels in order to be able to complete ANY workout. This is also the reason why I know how the end of the FTP ramp test feels like, and this is what the first segment felt like.
On Rouvy… that would be before the summer. But in general I have no issues holding and repeating that effort for 4-5minutes on climbs. On flats it takes much much more of will power, but also doable. And be that on Rouvy just riding (no ERG mode) or outdoors.
That 340 W was probably the power at your very last interval or the portion of your last interval of the ramp. But that value isn’t your FTP, your FTP is base in the normalized power during the whole ramp test, which is lower than the last interval power value
He has a 300w FTP I would say he can do more than 340w on last step of ramp test… He is just saying this 340w feels like that 400w does.
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^^^^ exactly. I can hold above 400W outside on a climb for maybe few minutes but then its time to get off the bike as the vision does funny things lol
Maybe trying it on Rouvy again now would rule in / out the problem being with the TD app? Replicate the TD workout as closely as is possible on Rouvy (or another platform) and see how it goes?
I am going to make another guess, here in that he was just hoping someone else would agree because he does not like to think that these should feel so hard right now and hoping it is some platform difference… Now we know it is TrainerDay is on the flats and rouvy has steep climbs… he already explained the problem
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Maybe that’s it.
Jumping back into ERG controlled VO2 workouts for the first time in a few months can be a shock.
The rigour that ERG forces is different and it is relentless!