I just switched from erg to standard for my 3-min vo2 max repeats and it was way, way, way way, way easier.
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 think what’s happening in ERG mode is is that my concentration flags, my cadence drops, then I get into a miniature death spiral. In order to escape the death spiral, I have to do a brief spike in wattage. 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.
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.
I’d be interested to hear other peoples’ thoughts. I really think that the perceived difficulty of the build phase may have a lot to do with cadence fluctuation above threshold.
I think your title is “click bait” and not really part of the conclusion from your content.
Seems to me that people should be made aware of the available options, try each and choose what works best for them. As such, I and others handle these efforts in ERG just fine. There’s no need to proclaim ERG is the worst or best, because it’s neither. It is a tool in the chest, and people should pick that one when it suits their needs, just like RES/STD has purpose as well.
I’m usually fine with ERG with my current FTP for about an hour at 100rpm. It then starts dragging me down as you describe. When I drop to 70rpm I switch to resistance mode and can finish the session at 70rpm for a minute then gradually recover to 90rpm. ERG doesn’t let me recover it just drags me into a spiral of death. ERG seems however to have made me a more regular pedaller (perhaps less punchy but 10x more sustainable) and I like the challenge so I leave it on as long as possible
On a related note, I think looking at power on a bike computer or TR app should inform your efforts, to help you to gauge feelings with different efforts.
Riding a bike outside, and using resistance mode on the trainer, both of those encourage an active engagement between mind and body. Its possible to do that with erg, but it is also quite easy to mentally checkout and drone away at a specific cadence in order to satisfy the erg algorithm.
Here is my reaction to Erg on first Kickr workout in Zwift:
After using Erg for a couple of years, I turned it off earlier this year and went back to Resistance/Level/Standard mode. I’m not sure if I’ll bother turning erg on again, for any efforts. Literally just finished an hour of tempo with 5 sec bursts on the trainer, really really really convinced after ~9 months that there are more advantages to training in resistance/standard mode (and no downsides).
In addition, given how the Direto responds in ERG mode, I can easily “override” a prescribed wattage to quickly spin up to a given wattage faster than the trainer would respond in ERG mode. So even with suprathreshold efforts, I can quickly hit the wattage required while the trainer plays “catch up”.
same here on the Kickr direct-drive, although I’d say its a bit of a learned skill (modulating torque/power). I’ve no complaints about Erg in terms of hitting targets in TR workouts that can be ‘Erg challenged’ like Spanish Needle, however once you want to do max efforts it is time to switch Erg off. Of course, very few if any TR workouts call for max efforts…
I find I have to stay ‘on top of the pedals’ more when using erg mode. Like you, if my mind wanders and my cadence drops a little I get the mini death spiral / increasing resistance feedback loop. My solution has been to focus on driving the pedals and ride with a higher cadence than normal so I can keep on top of it instead of bogging down and getting behind. Just because I am in erg mode doesn’t mean I don’t have to attack the intervals.
The only real downside I see is it has been more difficult recently when I have to ride with lower cadence / high force / high power but am more used to high cadence / lower force / high power.
Interesting. I’ve got an Elite Direto as well and do have issues with the spiral of death on occasion. But I’ve learned to ‘anticipate’ them and make cadence changes to prevent them sometimes. It does seem like the start of every workout it will make me do 2.5-3x the prescribed power for 5-10 seconds before it settles in to the appropriate workout.
As for the original post, I do find I prefer turning off ERG mode for 3 minute VO2 max efforts. I just feel like I have more control. And if I get tired legs and my cadence drops I’m ok with missing my power target for a few seconds rather than the trainer adjusting the power due to me dropping 10-20 rpm lower for a few seconds
I like ERG mode, it helps with meeting the power target no matter what.
However, in my case, due to unknown reasons to me, my cadence greatly drops during the length of the workout and I found myself more than once grinding at 50 rpm the last minutes.
