I’ve been using TR since last fall and really enjoying it. Before TR I was using Training Peaks (TP) with a coach-supplied workout. Loved that too (great coach).
Anyway, during the TP phase, I had a std spin bike w/ power meter but it did not have an erg mode. Everything was resistance-based (1-20). Now I have a Kickr. For the most part, I just stick to ERG mode and pedal away at the “recommended” cadence (85-90) and maybe kick it up on V02 efforts 95-100ish.
SIDE NOTE: I thought V02 was supposed to do some kind of fancy switch between the two.
When is it beneficial to use resistance mode vs ERG? Ever? I wonder if in V02 and/or Thresholds I should really be using resistance-based. Probably more realistic and I feel it makes you more honest about what you “can do” with the caveat that you could explode.
Obvisouly with ERG mode you never get PR’s. I don’t care about a PR’s but it was fun to chase and a nice metric to track. I was looking at the records feature yesterday and noticed all my maxs were MUCH higher last year while at a similar FTP. I also felt like I pushed myself more on resistance-based. So, I’m now wondering if ERG doesn’t really give me that extra little push to go for. I really have no idea what my true 5min power is now or 20 min power or… However, does that really matter, I think it does.
I know some of the podcasts say not to do that so that’s where I’m at in the conundrum. To ERG or not to ERG. To push or not to push.
I mean.. If you’re following a prescribed workout, the power shouldn’t really matter that much whether you’re doing ERG or not. If you are prescribed 9, 2 minute intervals, at 300 watts, you should be at 300 watts regardless.
Up until the last month or two, I only used ERG. I really liked it as I could do whatever cadence I wanted. My cassette doesn’t match my 13 spd derailleur, so if I don’t use ERG, I have to control the trainer resistance through my Garmin.
I’ve really been enjoying not using ERG as of lately, and even moreso doing free rides where I can create my own workout where I use the TR workouts for reference and then put in some of my own twists. I recently did a 4 hr ride with 3x5 1 hr end and 2x5 after 3 hrs, and really enjoyed that. Normally, all my long rides had just been endurance.
Back to your point, if you want to hit PR’s, obviously you may be limited if the workout doesn’t put you in that zone and you’re with ERG. I generally follow the prescribed workouts regardless, or I do something on my own in which ERG wouldn’t really accommodate that.
Very much an individual choice, but it seems there is a growing shift towards using Resistance mode for VO2 and above.
I have made that switch for this season and believe it has been beneficial. I hit my VO2 intervals by “feel” and evaluate the power levels after the ride. In general, I tend to exceed the prescribed effort levels by ~10%.
Below that, it is really rider preference. Some prefer ERG, others Resistance. For me personally, I prefer ERG for longer intervals as it requires less mental focus and I can watch TV, etc. Others prefer the mental engagement of resistance mode. There is no “right or wrong”, just what works for you.
Doing VO2 work in resistance means you can do all the work in the “on” intervals and then not worry about the wattage floor during the “off” intervals. I much prefer that.
For me, personally, I have bad knees, and they prefer resistance mode over erg, so I do everything in resistance. YMMV
On your comments about PR’s…you’re talking about two different power measuring devices, right? The spin bike vs. the new Kickr? If that’s the case, I’d ignore anything from the past. We can debate which device is more accurate than the other, but in the end all that matters is that two different devices are going to give you two different numbers. No point in fretting about not being able to equal the numbers from the old meter.
ERG mode isn’t anything “special” in terms of the power you do while using that trainer mode. You still have to push out the power – ERG mode doesn’t do that for you! All it does is automatically adjust the trainer’s resistance so you don’t have to change gears manually. You can certainly still hit PRs using ERG mode (and you can still explode during tough intervals, too).
ERG mode is great for workouts, but we don’t have athletes use ERG mode during power tests (e.g., during the 8 and 20-Minute FTP Tests, ERG mode automatically switches off). This is because the point of those fitness assessments is to push as hard as you can – which is not necessarily the case during a “normal” workout where you get a prescribed power target.
All that said, some athletes do indeed prefer to use Resistance mode over ERG mode for various reasons. Some include being able to go super easy during recovery valleys between hard efforts, practicing manually changing gears/cadence as smoothly as possible, or being able to ramp power up/down more quickly than ERG mode is able to. Many athletes prefer using Resistance mode during their VO2 Max intervals for that last reason – VO2 efforts are usually on the shorter side, and many athletes find that they can manually adjust their power more quickly than their trainer.
As @Power13 said, there is no right or wrong here – it sounds like it could be worth experimenting with both trainer modes and finding out which you prefer.
