-
A mentioned above, its possible to ride an ERG workout in a wide range of gearing. One notable factor in the gearing is flywheel speed.
-
Low gearing leads to low flywheel speed. This tends to change the feel of the trainer to one more like low speed riding on a hill or rougher dirt surface.
-
High gearing leads to high flywheel speed. This tends to feel more like flat and fast road riding.
-
All of the above is VERY subjective, and not every person had the same experience or feeling. That said, I feel it is VERY important for each rider to experiment and find what suits their preferences and training needs.
-
My gut says that you “hurt” yourself more on this trainer because you were in lower gearing in ERG, and even in Resistance, while turning lower cadence too. A bad mix if you are not used to it. So dial in the settings and gearing and I expect that you will have a different (hopefully better) experience.
-
If you want to burn a few hours (and some associated beverages), here is a massive thread that covers this from every angle possible.