For Athletes Troubleshooting

Why does my dashboard say "Need W′ data" for some zones?

The upper bands (5, 6, 7) need W′ from a CP test. How to fix.

The message you saw

Your bike zones dashboard shows:

That is by design. Here is why and how to fix it.

Why it appears

The Hub places upper-band boundaries using two inputs:

Without W', the boundaries above threshold are guesses. Rather than guess, the Hub shows "Need W' data" so you and your coach know the upper bands are not yet placed.

How to fix it

The fix is one of:

A CP test produces both CP and W'. See CP Test assessment.

After saving, your dashboard picks up both values and the upper bands render.

2. Log W' manually if you already have it

If a lab or coach already determined your W', you (or your coach) can log it directly to MetricHistory under the w_prime metric type. The upper bands render on next page load.

What if I only have a 20-minute FTP test

That is fine. Your anchor is FTP, the lower bands (1 through 4) render correctly, and you do not need to do anything else.

The trade-off: the upper bands stay flagged. For most training in build phases, that is OK. Zone 5/6/7 work is intermittent and you can prescribe it from RPE or HR. For race week or detailed VO2 block planning, the upper bands are worth having, so a CP test pays off.

Will my training load break

No. Load, IF, AdjP, time-in-zone for bands 1 to 4, best efforts, and the power curve all work regardless of whether you have CP or FTP. Only the named display of the upper bands depends on W'.

What the coach sees

The coach sees the same dashboard you do. If they want the upper bands populated, they will typically schedule a CP test in your next build phase.

See also: Zone anchor methodology, CP Test assessment, Yousuli zones explained.

Last updated May 12, 2026

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