For those of you who read my post last week, my Kickr 18 went t’s up on me (no, this is not a slam post on Wahoo, matter of fact, they have been more than great throughout all of this). I installed my 4iiii crank power meter on my Giant Defy today, and I got to work on my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine for the Palisade ride. Right off the bat, I realized, I really miss ERG mode; however…my last interval, I was able to really pick it up and push very hard. I wouldn’t have been able to do this on the Kickr without getting off the bike, and manually elevating my FTP. Could ERG mode be “killing,” for lack of better terms, our gains? Have I gotten too used to ERG mode? I definitely like the idea on my fluid trainer that I can push heavier and harder at any time. I really think we, as athletes, get the best “bang for buck” during the last intervals when we are pedaling w/ tired legs. What are your guys’ thoughts on this? To be frank, I like the idea of my KK Road Machine, and what it has to offer.
I may be bitter here - but as someone who has spent thousands of dollars with Wahoo I don’t see them readily replacing their failure as “being great.” That’s just normal behavior we expect from anyone who sells us a non functioning device. What would be great is if they actually stopped selling things that break within hours of use repeatedly.
Also, in some defense of erg mode, while it doesn’t allow you to kick it up easily it does force you not to do a 290w interval at 275w. It keeps you true when it’s hard and delivers the sort of specificity that really sets training apart. It has its drawbacks for sure, but in general I think it is a win.
@diamondjb724 I hear you on the Wahoo thing. I’m a bit bitter myself, but staying the course w/ them for now. I’ll see as time goes on. If this goes out on me, then all bets are off…As far as ERG mode goes, I’m too new into TrainerRoad to sway one way or the other. I personally love ERG mode. As annoying as it was to hit my power numbers on my fluid trainer, it was nice to push harder when I wanted to.
I’ve never had a chance to try a trainer with ERG mode so the Road Machine is all I know! The thing that annoys me most is not being able to follow along properly with cadence drills as my spread of gears is such that if I increase my cadence I’m also increasing/decreasing power output
As I know I will never go to Zwift I cannot see how a smart trainer is going to help in any way. I was at a point a year back where I was about to buy one but now I read about the issues they all seem to have I’m so pleased I stuck with a KK Road. Every time I go to the garage the only thing I need to be concerned about is whether or not my PM battery is still working, it’s a lot less stressful than having to constantly ditch sessions just because your turbo won’t function correctly
I was tempted to get a smart trainer a few months ago, instead I went for a road machine, really like it, plus with the money we saved I bought a new set of wheels for my TT bike. No interest in riding Zwift for ridings sake, no ERG mode when I’m racing TTs, if I need to put out the watts then I can teach myself to do it on the trainer without cheating.
I have rollers for anything up to tempo workouts, the road machine for harder stuff and of course outdoors, can’t see why you need anything else if your committed.
That’s pretty much also why I decided to go with the Feedback Sports Omnium trainer instead of a Kickr Core. Didnt want to deal with electronic malfunctions or spinning down this or that before even starting a workout. Only have to worry about the battery in my Stages pm and maybe the HRM. Plus, the Omnium folds up nicely out of the way so I have a living room again.
I only have a ‘dumb’ trainer and virtual power, so I don’t actually know what ERG mode etc is like.
However. I do know how frustrated I get when computer/technical stuff messes up (very rarely with TR it has to be said, and normally it’s my fault anyway) and I feel bad for all the people who seem to spending more time at the Post Office returning deliveries than training.
I’m more than happy to stick to what I’ve got.
I can tell you I came from a KK to a Core in the Fall of 18’ and sometimes I do think the KK gave me a better workout. Might explain why my FTP hasn’t budged since. And I’ve been training my butt off… I might do a workout on the KK just to feel it out again.
@Tezz just curious…how old are you? What’s your FTP? I’m 37, and pushing 250 at 180 pounds. I said that to say this, I don’t think I have much more than 300 in me before I cap out at my best. I’d like to hit at least 325, but maybe that’s a bit too optimistic
I’m 44 and my current FTP is 272w according to my last ramp test. Weight 142lbs. I started running at age 37 and switched over to bikes all of 2018. I saw fast gains for about 6 months then kinda peaked. That’s why I joined TR. I still want to have gains so I’m staying focused.
I have no doubt you can obtain your goals. You’re young! 