Erg vs the others and weight

[eapatrick]

Hello, I am using a Kickr Snap. I am 43 and weigh about 103 lbs and have 3.53 FTP/kg. I do not like how in Erg mode, I can’t keep my pedaling consistent during hard efforts. I can finish the interval in most cases, but my cadence drops a lot more than what I want it to, and then I feel like I am working my muscles more than my heart. If I switch to the other modes then I can control the cadence better but don’t always hit the target watts. It sounds like Erg is recommended more than the others, but is this true even when your cadence drops so much? I’m talking maybe 95 to 60. Does the recommendation for Erg work better for people with larger body weight or a higher FTP?

[bbarrera]

Erg is personal preference. Erg feels unnatural on my Kickr direct drive (wheel off). I prefer using standard/level mode as it better simulates the feeling of riding outside.

[HLaB]

We’re all different but I seem to get far better results in resistance mode on a 20minutes test if I get my pacing right than with an ERG ramp test. Even if I don’t get the pacing right, resistance mode still gets me slightly better results. The majority of my higher intensity w/o’s are now done without it (although if I use the tablet I’ll sometimes forget )

If I use ERG I prefer to use it on the laptop and when my cadence falls I can quickly toggle it to resistance mode, stabilise my cadence and still hit my target. Thats not so easy on the tablet though. At least the new powermatch seems to give greater ERG leeway. With the old version if my cadence dropped below 65-70rpm it was just a one way spiral into the ERG spiral of death. But with the new version if my cadence drops to circa 60-65rpm I can stabilise my cadence and pedal out of it.

[eapatrick]

Thank you! I also just came across the compiled Erg article and found it to be very helpful.

Low Cadence Training (Compiled Info)

I am making this to be a common starting place for Low Cadence Training. It has been discussed in some threads and we have good bits sprinkled around. I will pool that info into this thread as a more compiled list of the considerations and recommendations, and revise it over time. This is a first draft and will be edited significantly over the next week or two. Notes about Resistance vs ERG Mode options for smart trainers: Resistance Mode: This mode is recommended for riders who may str…

[jlozon]

I use erg exclusively. On an H3. I vary cadence quite often range 65-110. True transition from one cadence to another is “different”. Going up in cadence there is a power surge and going down drops power output. But in a couple seconds the trainer stabilizes the power if you hold the cadence. I’m sure you experienced this. No question low cadence is my muscle force zone and higher cadences hit me cardiowise. I’m 61. 167lbs. 3.1 FTP