Know your real threshold.
Not a 20-minute guess. We measure where your threshold really sits, how fast you burn carbs and what's actually limiting you on the bike. Then every session is set by your own body: what power, for how long and how long to rest.
Tested in our Aberdeen lab, or with your club.
Generic plans give every rider the same sessions
A plan from a book, an app or a forum doesn't know your physiology, so it can't tell you what you specifically need to get faster. Our testing measures exactly how your body works, then tells you what to do about it.
Is my FTP actually right?
Most riders set their zones from a 20-minute test. We measure where your threshold really sits, so your zones are built on your physiology, not a percentage of one hard effort.
Which sessions will make me faster?
Two riders with the same FTP can need the opposite sessions. Your results show what's limiting you, so every interval has a job: lifting your engine, cutting your carb burn or building torque and durability.
How much should I eat on long rides?
Some riders burn under 60 g of carbs an hour at race power, others well over 120 g. We'll measure yours and turn it into a grams-per-hour target, so you stop running empty on the last climb.
Your sessions, set by your body
A generic plan gives everyone the same intervals. We set yours from your test: what power, for how long, and how long to rest. Here's what that looks like for two example riders with the same FTP, training for the same sportive.
A generic plan says
3 x 15 min at threshold (95-100% FTP), 5 minutes easy.
Is your FTP right in the first place? Is 5 minutes the right rest? The plan doesn't know, because it's never seen your physiology.
Rider A's plan says
5 x 5 min at 330 W, with 3 minutes spinning at 150 W between.
Why: his threshold is already close to his ceiling, so more threshold work changes nothing. These reps lift the ceiling itself, and 3 minutes is long enough to clear the lactate before the next one.
Rider B's plan says
3 hours at 190 W, including 6 x 5 min at 250 W and 60 rpm.
Why: he burns carbs fast even at moderate power. Riding at his real FatMax power and low-cadence torque work bring that carb burn down instead of feeding it.
Same FTP. Same sportive. Completely different sessions. That's what your test gives you.
What we change, depending on what we find
Your test shows what's holding you back on the bike. Your training then targets it directly, so every session has a reason to be in your week.
What your test tells you
One session in our lab measures the four things that decide your riding, then we translate every number into power you can train to.
VO2 max
Your engine. How much oxygen you can use, which sets the ceiling on what's possible for you on the bike.
Glycolytic power
Your fuel burn. How quickly you get through carbohydrate. When it's high, the tank empties early, and it's one of the main reasons good riders fade in the last hour.
Fuel use at race power
Your fuel needs. How many grams of carbohydrate and fat you burn every hour at your race power. This becomes your fuelling plan.
Threshold and FatMax power
Your real threshold. Where your threshold power really sits, not a 20-minute estimate, plus the power where you burn the most fat.
- Threshold power (measured)
- 265W
- FTP from a 20-minute test
- 290W
- FatMax power
- 185W
- Carbohydrate burned at 220 W
- 95g/hr
- Event-day fuelling target
- 70–80g/hr
- VO2 max
- 58ml/kg/min
- VLamax
- 0.45mmol/l/s
Book your bike test
Road, gravel, sportive or TT. Bring your own bike, or ride our Tacx NEO smart bike.
Bike Test
Your real threshold, not a 20-minute guess.
- ✓Full lab test VO2 max, threshold, sugar burn (VLamax) and fuel use
- ✓Your real threshold in watts and how far your FTP is out
- ✓Fuelling target grams of carbs per hour at race and training intensities
- ✓Power and heart rate zones set from your physiology
- ✓One-to-one debrief with a coach
Bike Test + 16-Week Plan
Your test, turned into training.
- ✓Everything in the Bike Test
- ✓16-week plan in TrainingPeaks key sessions chosen for your limiter: exact power, duration and recovery
- ✓Ready for Zwift, Wahoo or Garmin
- ✓Strength sessions, mid-plan review and discounted week-16 retest
Remote Test
Can't get to Aberdeen?
- ✓Remote PPD test structured efforts on your own power meter or smart trainer
- ✓We analyse your physiology VO2 max, VLamax, fat and carb burn, threshold
- ✓Hour-long video debrief what is limiting you and the sessions that fix it
- ✓Add a 16-week plan £199 in total
Sore or uncomfortable on the bike? Fix your position first. Road bike fit from £145 or TT / tri fit £165.
Remote test plus plan? Book the remote test and 16-week plan for £199.
Not sure which? Talk to a coach first. It's free and takes 15 minutes.
Same FTP. Very different answers.
Three rider profiles we see in the lab all the time. Same number on the head unit, completely different limiters, so completely different training.
The punchy rider who fades
Strong on short climbs and in sprints, but drops off in long events. The test finds a high carb-burn rate: they're burning sugar even at moderate power, and their real FatMax sits well below the "Zone 2" their app gives them. The fix is long rides at true FatMax power, low-cadence torque work and fewer all-out efforts.
The diesel who can't go faster
Can ride steady all day but has no extra gear. The test finds a low carb-burn rate and a threshold already close to VO2 max, so more threshold work changes nothing. The fix is VO2 max intervals at a set power and rep length to lift the ceiling. Threshold then rises with it.
The sportive rider who bonks
Finishes long rides empty, cramping or walking the last climb. The test finds they burn more carbs at their target pace than they could ever replace. The fix is a grams-per-hour fuelling target, a power cap for the first half, and aerobic work to bring that carb cost down over time.
When to test
Your event date is fixed. Test early enough that every week of training uses your numbers.
Initial Test
Understand your physiology in more detail, learn whats limiting you and exactly where the training focus should be.
Train based on your physiology
Every session targeted to improving your fitness - the exact interval intensity, the right recovery duration and fuelling targets for every long ride.
8–10 weeks out
Follow-up test. Confirm what's moved and fine-tune your race power.
Race day
You know your power, your fuel and your plan. No surprises on the last climb.
Don't wait until you're 'fit enough'Test now and give yourself more time to make improvements.
Book your testIn our lab or with your club
Test on your own in our lab, or bring your cycling club, chaingang or a few of you training for the same sportive. Every rider still leaves with their own numbers.
Our Aberdeen lab
Come on your own or bring your group. Full lab kit and a debrief for every rider.
At your club
We bring the kit and test the whole group in one session.
Before your season
Test the squad over winter, retest in spring and see who's actually improved.
Every rider gets
- Their own threshold power
- A personal fuelling target
- Training zones for their season
- A results debrief with a coach
The bigger the group, the better the rate
Tell us your group size, your event and what you're looking for, and we'll put together a package.
Request a group quoteQuestions riders ask us
How is this different from an FTP test?
An FTP test estimates your threshold from one hard effort and assumes everyone's threshold sits at the same percentage of it. We measure lactate and oxygen use across several powers, so we can see where your threshold really sits, how fast you burn carbs, and what's actually limiting you.
Is my Zwift or Garmin FTP accurate?
It's an estimate. For some riders it's close. For others it's 20-30 W out, which means every zone and every interval is set wrong. The test tells you which camp you're in.
What does the test involve?
You ride a series of steady stages that get gradually harder, with small finger-prick lactate samples and oxygen measured as you go. It's hard towards the end, but short.
How many carbs do I need on a long ride?
It depends on how fast you burn them at the power you ride, and that varies a lot between riders. The test gives you your number in grams per hour, so you can practise it on long rides and stop running empty.
I'm not racing. Is it still worth it?
Yes. Sportive and gravel riders often gain the most, because knowing their real endurance power and their fuelling number decides whether the last two hours are enjoyable or a death march.
When should I test?
12-16 weeks before your main event, so your whole block is built on your numbers, then retest 6-8 weeks later to check it's working.
Where is the test done?
At our lab in Bucksburn, Aberdeen.
Your FTP is a guess. Your training shouldn't be.
Find out your real threshold, what you need to eat and exactly how to train for it.
Not sure yet? Talk to a coach
Book a free 15-minute call with one of our coaches. Tell us about your event and your goal, and we'll tell you honestly whether testing is the right next step.
On the call we'll cover
- Whether your goals look realistic from your recent riding
- Which test and add-ons make sense for you
- When to test, based on your race date
- Group or club testing, if you're organising one
Fill in the form below and a coach will get back to you to arrange a time.