Bike Field Testing and Application


Field testing and application for the sport of cycling is a subject full of endless possibilities. With enough research you can likely find several dozen well respected, thoroughly researched field tests that could be applied to your athletes.


The goal of this article is to simplify this


process. I’ll start by first saying that if your athlete is at all “performance oriented,” you will be doing them a disservice by not field testing them routinely. And who isn’t performance oriented? Field testing is the only way to get consistent feedback that the training you are applying is working effectively. It is also the only way to individually prescribe training intensity.


The parameters for your field test should be: • Easy to administer (they shouldn’t even need you there)


• Easily repeatable • Easy to interpret results • No applying conversion charts or formulas. The results of a field test should be the results of field test. When formulas and conversions are applied, the opportunity for error becomes greater. If your athlete is well coached on how to do the test, the results of the field test will be the results of the field test. More on this to come!


The goals of your routine field test should be as follows: • Monitor progress • Establish and modify training intensities • Establish pacing boundaries for racing


At Perception Multisport, we have two field tests we administer. Both were chosen based upon the parameters and goals noted above. The output of each of our tests provides us with two important variables – maximum sustainable power output and functional threshold power. If the athlete is not able to train or race with power, the results of the two tests will also provide us maximum sustainable heart rate and lactate threshold heart rate. With careful monitoring, we are able to track our athletes’ progress, establish training zones and set pacing boundaries for racing.


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By Ryan Ross USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach


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