Why should you do the Critical Power self-evaluation test?

Every cyclist, regardless of their level, has personal morphological, neuromuscular and metabolic qualities that define their strengths and determine their specialization over time.

The evaluation test is a necessary tool to understand an athlete’s typology, their physical qualities and the characteristics of their engine.

Monitoring the fitness level with the values from the test is useful both at the beginning of the training program, but also during the cycling season. These checks allow us to evaluate the results of the workouts so that we can better modulate the next phase.

What do you need to carry out the test?

You will need a heart rate monitor for heart rate values and a cadence and speed sensor. A power meter is optional but highly recommended for intermediate and advanced cyclists.

The total duration of the test is about 50 minutes. We recommend performing the test indoors to get a more accurate result and to always carry out the test on the same bike.

How is the test structured?

The self-evaluation test is performed by accessing the Bikevo app section, available for iOS e Android:

Consists of 4 phases:

1. Warm-up;
2. Maximum sprint of 15 seconds and recovery;
3. Maximum sprint of 30 seconds and recovery;
4. 6 minutes at maximum power.
5. Cool-down

During the test, Bike Personal Coach will give you step-by-step instructions.

Test results

The test results will help you determine your athletic characteristics and your current fitness level. Everything will be visible in the “My Engine” section of the Bikevo App. With the graph you can easily identify which type of cyclist you are: a sprinter, a rouleur, a puncher or a climber.

In the "my data" section you can find the specific data of the test with which your training zones are calculated, you can find these in the section called "zones".

What is the training volume?

The training volume is the definition and distribution of workouts related to the 6 cycling qualities, both in terms of intensity, frequency and duration, with attention also for the recovery phases.

It indicates the correct way to improve performance, both in terms of maximum output and duration (endurance).

How is the training volume defined?

Definiti obiettivi e periodo di maggior interesse, l’applicativo Bike Personal Coach andrà a costruire macrocicli, mesocicli e microcili per ogni aspetto qualitativo, sia di tipo metabolico che di forza.

Once the test has been carried out and the athlete's characteristics have been defined, and based on the athlete’s goals and available time, the Bike Personal Coach application will build macrocycles, mesocycles and microcycles for every qualitative aspect, both metabolic and strength related.

The distribution of training volume will determine for every microcycle the number of reps or minutes of the workout, depending on which of the 6 qualities is being trained, and determine the recovery time as well. By constantly measuring results and adjusting training volumes year by year, it will encourage continued growth in performance.