Practical guide to interpreting cycling software dashboards

TrainingPeaks, WKO, and Golden Cheetah can turn ride files into clear feedback on fitness, fatigue, and form. This guide shows what to watch, how to set it up, and how to make decisions from your data without getting lost in charts.

Set your foundation: thresholds, zones, and date ranges

Dashboards are only as good as their inputs. Start by setting accurate thresholds and zones and choosing the right time window.

• Set FTP and thresholds: Use a recent test or modeled values. TrainingPeaks uses your set FTP; WKO often uses mFTP and TTE; Golden Cheetah uses CP and W’. Update after meaningful changes, not every week.
• Choose your zone model: Coggan power zones, individualized iLevels (WKO), or custom heart rate zones all work. Keep them consistent across your devices and software.
• Pick sensible date ranges: For trends, use last 42–90 days. The Performance Management Chart (PMC) uses a 7-day ATL and 42-day CTL by default. Season filters help compare blocks.
• Keep device data clean: Calibrate power meters, set correct weight, pair the right sensors, and flag obvious outliers. Garbage in, garbage out.

The big dashboards to watch each week

1) Performance Management Chart (PMC): fitness, fatigue, and form

The PMC is your load and recovery overview.

• CTL (Chronic Training Load): rolling fitness proxy (about 6-week average). Gradual rises mean steady progress.
• ATL (Acute Training Load): short-term fatigue (about 7-day average).
• TSB (Training Stress Balance): form today (TSB = CTL − ATL). Positive is fresher; negative is training stress.

Guidelines:

• Weekly CTL ramp rate: +2 to +5 per week for most amateurs. Short blocks up to +6–8 are possible if sleep and life stress allow.
• Race form: For single-day events, target TSB roughly +5 to +25 on race day. For stage races or heavy training weeks, 0 to +10 keeps some fitness online.
• Weekly TSS: Increase by 5–10% in build phases unless you’re very experienced.

2) Power-duration curve (PDC): your capabilities by duration

The PDC shows best power from sprint to long endurance. Look at the curve shape and the time stamps of your last bests.

• Identify limiter durations: 20–60 min for FTP and climbs, 3–8 min for VO2max, 30–90 sec for anaerobic repeatability, 5–15 sec for neuromuscular power.
• Track TTE at FTP: Time to exhaustion at FTP is a powerful readiness metric. Building TTE from ~30 toward 50–70 minutes is a common goal for time trials and long climbs.
• Plan testing days: Target gaps in the curve with specific efforts to refresh the model.

3) Workout compliance: did you hit the intent?

Compare planned vs. completed TSS, IF, and time in training zones.

• IF (Intensity Factor) close to plan shows the right difficulty; big misses hint at FTP or fatigue issues.
• TSS should generally align with plan weekly more than daily—don’t chase a single number at all costs.
• Time in zones reveals your intensity distribution (endurance vs. tempo vs. threshold vs. VO2). Match it to your training phase.

Dig deeper: event prep, durability, and specificity

Endurance durability: decoupling and efficiency

• Aerobic decoupling (Pw:Hr): On a steady endurance ride, keep power-to-heart-rate drift under ~5%. If it’s higher, shorten the ride or lower intensity, then build duration over weeks.
• Efficiency factor (EF): NP divided by average HR for steady rides. Rising EF at similar conditions suggests aerobic gains.

Repeatability and anaerobic capacity

• W’ and W’bal (Golden Cheetah): Track how much anaerobic work you have and how it recovers between efforts. Use it to design intervals and pace punchy courses.
• FRC, Pmax, and iLevels (WKO): Inform sprint and anaerobic workouts with durations aligned to your individual levels.

Race readiness

• TTE at FTP: Build TTE and practice steady pacing. Many riders perform best with TTE 40–60 minutes for long climbs or time trials.
• Course-specific demands: Use lap NP, VI, and time-in-zone by segment to mirror the race’s demands in training.

Coach tip: Pair your PMC trend with how you feel. If TSB says you’re fresh but legs say otherwise, reduce load for 24–48 hours and reassess.

Weekly workflow: a 10-minute review that works

1. Scan the week: Planned vs. completed hours, TSS, and key session outcomes.
2. Check the PMC: CTL trending up? TSB reasonable for the next key workout?
3. Open the PDC: Any new bests? Where are the gaps for next week’s focus?
4. Quality markers: Decoupling on long rides, IF hit on intervals, cadence and VI for pacing.
5. Adjust the plan: Bring one workout forward or push it back based on fatigue and life stress. Small edits beat perfect plans.

Software-specific notes

• TrainingPeaks: Use the PMC on your dashboard, the weekly TSS chart, and workout compliance colors. Set season dates to compare blocks.
• WKO: Lean on mFTP, TTE, Stamina, FRC, and iLevels. The power-duration model helps target the right durations for intervals.
• Golden Cheetah: CP/W’ modeling, W’bal, Aerobic Decoupling, and Quadrant Analysis are excellent for understanding durability and pedaling demands.

Common pitfalls and quick fixes

• Outdated FTP/CP: If workouts feel too easy or hard, validate with a steady 35–60 min effort or a structured test and update.
• Chasing TSS: Hitting the number while missing the intent leads to plateaus. Prioritize the key sessions and recovery.
• Ignoring recovery: Use TSB, resting HR, and subjective feel. If sleep and stress are off, lower ATL for 1–3 days.
• Zooming too far in: One bad day means little; trends over 2–4 weeks matter.

Useful formulas

IF = NP / FTP
TSS = (seconds × NP × IF) / (FTP × 3600) × 100

Keep your dashboards simple: a PMC for load, a PDC for capabilities, and a compliance view for execution. Review weekly, adjust the plan, and let consistency do the heavy lifting.