When doing the ramp test what’s (in your opinion) best way to do it. ERG mode or just resistance mode? Been doing erg mode but thinking of doing resistance next time.
“Best” doesn’t really exist.
Personal preference to ride feel, prior training history, the specific trainer in use, gearing & related flywheel speed, PowerMatch & power meter use, and many other factors can all impact the experience in ERG or Resistance mode for smart-controlled trainers.
People here run in either method and are happy with the results. This boils down largely to user preference. So, if you are curious about how it works in the other mode, nothing to do by to try it.
Do be aware that the gearing you use in ERG mode can impact the overall feel and potentially the results. Swapping to Resistance mode means you will mainly be shifting to adjust your power output. But you can also adjust the Resistance mode percentage to alter the general gearing range you use in that mode. Doing so can alter the feel, in a similar way that happens in ERG mode. It all gets interesting, a bit messy and highly subjective, but it is another variable in the mix that may change your experience.
So, feel free to experiment. However, keep in mind that one of the important aspects of testing is to try and maintain consistency from test to test. Meaning, if you want to compare results from one test to another for one measure of performance change, you should keep the variables as consistent as practical.
If you alter trainer mode in the Ramp Test, that is potentially a large variable, so comparing to the prior test may not be appropriate. Experiment as you wish, but learn what way you like and try to stick with that mode and related gearing to keep your future comparisons more relevant.
Awesome thanks for the imput!
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I’ve only did it once (on ERG mode) but I think the next time I’ll keep in ERG to about 120% then toggle it to resistance mode beyond that. Hopefully it’ll get me better results as my Suito doesn’t seem to stable with ERG mode.