I uploaded a loop course that I often ride for active recovery. I set the intensity at 0.70 of my FTP, which means it was fairly easy. I did not have time to update the weather to my race plan, which came into play slightly. The historical weather was 5 mph, but yesterday was 12 mph and gusty. BBS created a strategy to fit my desired course intensity and predicted a time of 17:33, with an average power of 256 and a speed of 21.57 (as seen in the picture below).
I did not follow the plan specifically because on one corner I've been practicing cornering and sprinting out of the corner. But otherwise I tried to hit the target power suggested as it showed on my Garmin. I finished the route in exactly 18 minutes (pretty close), with an average power of 272 watts (higher because of my two sprints you can see in the graph below), and an average speed of 21.1 mph. I think that for a preliminary test, this is pretty good!
Many cyclists have already been using BBS for pacing strategies in time trials and from this little experiment, I believe it's going to be a very helpful tool for me come race day!
All that said, I'd also like to see if I could use it as a training tool. The training program I've been following is designed by TrainerRoad. I love their product and their podcast. The issue is, of course, doing all of my work, or most of it, on the trainer, indoors. I live in southern Arizona. I can always ride outdoors. And while riding on the trainer offers something lost when being outside, namely no coasting, cannot get distracted and wander off your power targets as easily, and the shorter amount of required time, there are somethings missed indoors. For example, indoors you never really sprint, handle wind, terrain, picking lines in corners, and bike handling in general.
So, what I'm going to try to do is use the power parameters for given workouts in TrainerRoad and apply them to courses I create in Best Bike Split. I'll then export the BBS power course to my Garmin and still be able to track my TSS, IF and what-not out on the road.
Now, I am only doing this for easy recovery rides for now, like Pettit. For those that don't use TrainerRoad, Pettit is a very easy spin, 0.63 intensity factor and an hour long. For things like V02 Max intervals, Sweet Spot or Over-Under work, I'll have to get a little more specific in BBS.
The idea I like here is that I can possibly create specific workouts for specific outdoor routes. This is particularly engaging because I could get the best of both worlds. I could get some very structured work outdoors! I could manage my TSS so I don't over-do things, and experience what 14% feels like when you're trying to maintain a cadence of 80 RPM with a 39-28 gear set up.
Here's how to do a simple workout. First, in Strava, create a course and export it as a GPX file. To the right is a short loop near my house with a little bit of climbing that I like to ride. I've done three laps as this typically takes about an hour with moderate effort.
Once you've downloaded the GPX file from Strava, open up BBS and create a new course. Drag the GPX file and trim it as you like. I picked a start and stop point where I know there's little traffic, and the terrain is flat. I did so because I can easily monitor my Garmin here to see if I loaded the software correctly and that I have the display screen I want. This is all new, so I'm trying to account for my learning curve.
So, what I'm going to try to do is use the power parameters for given workouts in TrainerRoad and apply them to courses I create in Best Bike Split. I'll then export the BBS power course to my Garmin and still be able to track my TSS, IF and what-not out on the road.
Now, I am only doing this for easy recovery rides for now, like Pettit. For those that don't use TrainerRoad, Pettit is a very easy spin, 0.63 intensity factor and an hour long. For things like V02 Max intervals, Sweet Spot or Over-Under work, I'll have to get a little more specific in BBS.
The idea I like here is that I can possibly create specific workouts for specific outdoor routes. This is particularly engaging because I could get the best of both worlds. I could get some very structured work outdoors! I could manage my TSS so I don't over-do things, and experience what 14% feels like when you're trying to maintain a cadence of 80 RPM with a 39-28 gear set up.

Once you've downloaded the GPX file from Strava, open up BBS and create a new course. Drag the GPX file and trim it as you like. I picked a start and stop point where I know there's little traffic, and the terrain is flat. I did so because I can easily monitor my Garmin here to see if I loaded the software correctly and that I have the display screen I want. This is all new, so I'm trying to account for my learning curve.
After trimming the course in BBS, set up your power parameters. I wanted an IF (intensity factor) of 0.63 as it's a recovery ride. When I saved the course the BBS software calculated the TSS (training stress score, which is used to track and gradually increase your training load over time), as 38 and the total time of 58-ish minutes. The indoor workout is an hour with an IF of 0.63 and a TSS of 39. So, I'd say this is pretty good.
Now you may wonder, why not just go out and tool around if it's just a recovery ride? For me the answer is simple ... when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail! In other words, I often have difficulty riding easy when I'm supposed to. I often go too hard, even when I know no good will come of it. Also, if I can make these work well then I believe I can create interval work that is linked to the terrain features that I'll be racing on. I believe this might be a big training tool for me.
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