Trainerroad erg mode software#
Trainerroad erg mode mac#

On a side note, the small chainring/large cog effect that keeps the flywheel slower also helps with noise on some trainers (older Kickrs, for example), and helps to lower the “resistance floor” of the trainer… the lowest point at which it can maintain consistent resistance. I believe that TrainerRoad has in-app recommendations to this effect, and I’ve read it from their support staff as well. I admit to not knowing the physics behind why that is so, but it is recommended by lots of people, and I can personally confirm it.

This helps to keep the flywheel speed down, which actually helps the trainer apply resistance more precisely. Some (not sure if all) smart trainers definitely ramp up power faster, and maintain that power smoother, using the small chainring and a large-ish rear cog.

I actually think the general consensus is the opposite of what you’re recommending. The Kickr would take 2–4 seconds to level out, but it wouldn’t always release the resistance as quickly… so my “on” intervals would be slightly longer than my rest interval… which made the workout harder than intended. That said, even with the Kickr, doing workouts like Spanish Needle with 15-second on/off interval, it can be difficult. The Kickr on the other hand, can go from 100w to 350w in about 1 second, if you lead into it with proper cadence. Ironically, it’s faster if the power difference is higher going from 100w - 200w is slower than going from 100w to 350w. IMHO, it’s unusable for intervals of under 30-seconds, as it will take 12+ seconds to ramp up the power. I have a whole other thread going on the slow resistance change speed of the Drivo II. In my experience with the Kickr (2017 and 18) and Drivo II, the Kickr is significantly faster at resistance changes. Some trainers are faster than others on how quickly they react. I don’t have a ton to add here, just that whether or not Erg mode is successful for these short (< 30-second) high-power intervals, it really depends on the trainer. Of course, I could just not care as much about short intervals so perhaps the things I’m incredibly focused on and picky about just don’t overlap with those complaints Obviously can’t tell without having spent time on the other brands but it does feel like the difference in response time is magnified for these shorter intervals.

Trainerroad erg mode software#

Since the TR software starts bumping up the power ahead of the interval start/stops I typically feel things start to ramp up 1-3 seconds before the interval starts and similarly ramp down 1-3 seconds before the interval endsĪs for folks using other trainers - I’ve seen a lot of complaints or griping about response time on trainers that doesn’t match my experience with either the Kickr Core or the original model Kickr. Even at 5 seconds it sometimes feels like I’m pedaling into a wall (playing tricks on the trainer by pre-increasing cadence, etc). I previously had it on 5 sec and now on 3 secs, but I think I will lower it just to see how that plays out.įor intervals >20 seconds I actually prefer the 5 second ramp time - I’m very curious how you find it with even lower than 3 seconds.

Trainerroad erg mode mac#

I really think that the perceived difficulty of the build phase may have a lot to do with cadence fluctuation above threshold.I use the Core as well and I believe you can adjust for how fast your trainer transitions into the new power level under devices and then click on the settings of the Core (I am on Mac though and use ANT+ dongle). I’d be interested to hear other peoples’ thoughts. If anyone else is finding their build phase to be obscenely difficult (rather than just…very difficult), I’d suggest giving this a try before concluding that your FTP is set too high. If this happens repeatedly (and for me it does), those little efforts really add up, and you’re on a one-way train to bonksville. In order to escape the death spiral, I have to do a brief spike in wattage.

I think what’s happening in ERG mode is is that my concentration flags, my cadence drops, then I get into a miniature death spiral. I don’t think this is the case with all athletes, but for people like me who have yet to really dial in the ability to precisely sustain a given cadence without thinking about it too much, switching from erg to standard/resistance mode for suprathreshold work could be really beneficial. I just switched from erg to standard for my 3-min vo2 max repeats and it was way, way, way way, way easier.