Outdoor vs Indoor rides

Support
1

After 6 month coming back to indoor rides (3 sensors: cadence/HR/power) i have a sudden
jump in the overall TP/watts. Since this was just after one short 9km ride, also receiving a “Breaktrough” mark, i start questioning the data of outdoor rides (2 sensors: cadence/HR)
where my overall TP/watts was dropping and sticking to around 160.

Outdoor (cadence+HR) =160 vs Indoor (cadence+HR+power) = 200

Regards, Chris

2

HRDM is for users with power/HR/cadence data captured for the majority of their activities, indoors and outdoors.
If all outdoor activity is HR/cadence based, derived metrics will be biased since the data set is incomplete.

3

@ridgerider2 is right

Plus, your signature will drop with ‘decay’ and if you ride all summer without a power meter, you by definition will not be able to achieve a BT (it needs actual power) so your signature will end up too low. Next time put it to ‘no decay’ and you may find HR derived stays closer to reality… you can probably go back and fix it and see the effect by setting it to no decay in the past (set to ‘no decay’ and go and save/lock the last BT before summer)

4

Thanks, for the advice given. The option ‘no decay’ should be put where?

It seems that my everyday outdoor rides (several bikes without power meter)
using the Xert platform won’t support my fitness in the way i have hoped. At
the end it might be my false expectations but it wasn’t put clear from the start.

The platform Xert and it’s trainings might be best for indoor riders then, but
that’s not an option for me. I’m already started tracking my rides using other
software providing overall better Pause/Stop/Continue options. Not much of
importance for indoor, since nobody needs a coffee stop then :slight_smile:

Regards, Chris

5

Decay options are under Account Settings, Profile tab.
The No Decay setting relies on changes in TL (training load) to adjust your signature up/down. This is typically used for long periods of base training when you don’t intend to test yourself with maximal efforts under fatigue.

As @wescaine mentions without power there is no possibility of BT’s being detected to verify changes in your signature over time. Combine that with the default decay setting (Optimal) and your signature will decline until the next activity with power proves otherwise.
If you suspect that short workout is an anomaly, flag it. Subsequent workouts with power will determine if signature changes are warranted.

The primary purpose for HRDM is to fill in the blanks (estimate XSS, focus, etc.) when cycling without a power meter. HRDM is not designed to be a replacement or substitute for a power meter. It is a stop-gap tool to use when some activities are missing power data.
Examples:

  • You plan to travel with a HR strap and cadence meter and rent a bike with a power meter
  • Your power meter malfunctions, or battery dies during a long ride
  • Other bikes you occasionally train with lack a power meter

Xert excels at analyzing outdoor data. I have routes on file where my power meter battery died and HRDM is spot on for the same ride ridden at similar average speed with power recorded.
That’s because all of my rides, indoors and outdoors, have a full data set for the algorithm to work best.
The point being made is the at least one of your outdoor bikes should record power/HR/cadence for the best results.

Reference –
Signature Decay Method – Xert (baronbiosys.com)
Xert’s Magic Setting – Signature Decay – Xert (baronbiosys.com)
Heart Rate Derived Metrics – Xert (baronbiosys.com)