starting Trainer Road, anything to note

Assuming you are using a GSC or something similar for power, set the power smoothing on TR to 3 or 5 seconds. At 1 second it jumps around quite a bit. However, if you do something with a TON of intervals (like Sufferfest Revolver) you might want to set it back to 1 second so you get instant feedback on the start/end of the interval.

After about 18 months of using TR I finally downloaded some of the Sufferfest vids that go with it. It made a huge difference in my performance on the rides. Watching the races, having the sounds go off, the music (sometimes) really makes me ride a lot harder. Worst case I throw iTunes on over the music but still get pumped for the ATTACKS.

Don't bum out on your FTP or get too excited about it right away. Sounds like you know that already though. It's a number that you just want to work with to make sure you are making progress, it's not the end of the world power number.

Have fun.

I would suggest that you start with the 20 min FTP test to establish your thresholds since the workouts you select to target power will be based on your FTP. I think doing intervals focused on power is the way to go. I put TR horizontal at the bottom of my screen and watch Netflix to pass the time. Good luck!

KK road machine is probably the best of the trainers to use as it doesn't have the warm up period that the cycleops do. Your "power" number will still be high, but it will be consistent, which is all that counts. Be sure to keep tire pressure consistent.

I find the 20 minute test overstates FTP, which could either be seen as a good thing or a bad thing. Good, in that your workouts will be set higher than you're capable of holding down, so you'll work harder. Bad, for the same reason. I like the 8 minute test, personally, and find it pretty accurate.

What you'll never see from virtual power is that a consistent, smooth pedal stroke produces steady power, not an uneven, mashing one. You can't see it in virtual power because it's a 'wattage' based on variable wheel speed and a known resistance curve - since the wheel will smoothly spin up and down speeds, it will appear easier to hold higher wattages than it is. It can be very tempting to muscle through intervals, but you're much better off in all aspects by developing a quick and smooth pedal stroke. In another thread going on right now, I suggested that spinning upwards of 130RPM without bouncing around at all should be a common drill.

If you're going to ride more than 4 days a week, mix in recovery rides - say 20-40 minutes at 50% FTP at 85-95 cadence. They are worth their weight in gold