Hello, I’m new to using a smart trainer and indoor cycling in-general and I have a question regarding cadence/power and ERG mode(I’ve got a kickr core btw).
For your information I did the half monty, and full frontal and Im using the numbers from full frontal as my 4dp profile.
Today when I did the ‘Angels’ workout I got a bit confused regarding suggested cadence in the workout. I get that its supposed to be a more grinding/slower cadence workout since it’s hill climbs but It felt impossible to go at the so often suggested 80 rpm, my average rpm through the workout was 94 and my max rpm 115. When they wanted me to get out of the saddle it felt kind of jerky in the pedals since the resistance was lower than what would make standing and pedaling comfortable.
So is this common with ERG mode? Or is it that im not used to it? Or does it have something to do with my settings?
Yep, that’s how ERG mode works. It keeps the power constant, no matter how fast your cadence is. If you pedal fast, the resistance is low, if you pedal slow, the resistance is high.
When you get out of the saddle, try lowering your cadence, the resistance will increase and you are probably less jerky.
@TrapMeSuf is right on all front here. When in ERG, try clicking down a few gears when standing to slow the RPM. The suggested RPM is also variable from person to person. Many people ride at 65ish RPM, many ride at 90ish RPM, there is a large variability and the 80 target often in the warm down section is more an average across the population. For cool down, warm ups, and recoveries, just pedal at your preferred RPM. For specific high or low RPM sessions, follow the on-screen guidance. Hope that helps
Hey @torbjorn_Josefsson, welcome to the forums! yep yep on what has been said already by Sir Erik and Coach Andy.
There are quite a few SUF vids that ask for higher cadence at lower (than expected) power. I am personally hopeless at spinning high cadence at low power and whenever the instruction in the vid says to STAND when the cadence is 80+ I usually just shake my head, try it for a couple of revolutions then sit back down saying something like “nope, no, nada, not gonna happen” etc. I understand that there are exercises that can be done to improve my ability to spin high cadence at low power but fwiw, I just choose to opt out and exert my independence, lol!
If you search the forums you’ll find you’re not alone having a hard time standing at high cadence when ERG power is relatively low.
Thanks for all the answers, I guess I’ll give myself some time to get used to ERG mode and then re-evaluate and decide if I’ll do as Glen does and just shake my head and do my own thing or if I’ll switch to use level mode instead
Sir Glen and others: Work from your comfort RPM, usually 60 or so, up about five RPM. Keep increasing over time. You’ll find that 90 even 115 is possible for short periods (30 or so seconds) as you work on this. It’s more muscle training than anything. You have to work at and practice it often.
It feels jerky because Erg mode is trying to provide constant resistance while your pedal stroke when standing is not applying constant pressure throughout 360 degrees of rotation. If you had a pedal or crank based power meter that had pedaling dynamics you would be able to measure this variation.
It is more difficult to apply continuous pressure on the pedals throughout the stroke when standing because when you get out of the saddle you add an extra degree of freedom of motion that your muscles have to control. With practice your co-ordination will improve and you will learn to pedal more efficiently at higher cadences when standing.
I used to really struggle with Contador’s high cadence attacks in Angels even on my dumb trainer in level mode, but week after week I got better.
Something fun to try, standing while doing cadence drills. It has the benefit of preventing you from bouncing in the saddle. See how fast can you go before you have to either back off or sit down.
Funny. The only way I can get over 140rpms is to pull my butt off the saddle and hover over the seat while I peddle fast. Otherwise the bouncing slows me down. I can only get to about 170 for about 2 or 3 seconds before my legs get tired.
I had a Fuji Gran Fondo road bike dialed in as best I could manage, with 165mm cranks. My reach was a bit short as the bike was 2cm too small (50cm). With that bike I joined the 200 rpm club.
I replaced it with a new 52cm Trek Domane SL6 (Ultegra) 2nd January 2020. It was last years model so it was 40% off list price, but it had 170mm cranks. And even with a bike fit, the saddle height was always off. I could never find an optimal height. And I could only hit 180rpm on cadence drills.
This summer I found 160mm 105 cranks, and just hit 203rpm last week while seated. For me at least opening my hip angle at TDC vastly improved both my comfort and pedal stroke. Huge discussion here
I have 175mm cranks. At some point I’d like to get 165mm cranks and different pedals. But I going to have to save up for a new crankset if I do that.
I’m a runner with a running background. And running is a very (relatively) cheap sport. So, I’m still getting used to the expensive sport of cycling. I kind of got thrown into it when I inherited my dad’s bike.
New cranks. New pedals. New cassettes. New chain rings…
It’s interesting that a 52cm bike will come with 170 or 172.5 mm cranks, but if you read a bunch of literature out there, it is recommended that you go to 165mm cranks to get better and smoother cadence. That being said, my 51cm Pinarello Grevil came with (gasp) 172.5 mm cranks…
