Indoor Cycling Smart Trainers: ERG Mode Explained
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 มิ.ย. 2017
- If you do an indoor cycling workout with a smart trainer, you may have the option to use ERG mode. ERG mode is available on select smart trainers and sets the resistance to a specific wattage target instead of basing it on the course gradient (SIM mode). This video will take you though exactly what ERG mode is, how it works, and provides a number of tips of how to best make use of ERG mode to avoid the 'spiral of death'.
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#cycling #sport #fitness - กีฬา
Thanks for explaining "spiral of death" - I almost gave up on erg mode until you explained how to deal with it
watching this in 2023 makes me realise how much quieter smart trainers have become. And they were already the quieter alternative to regular trainer 😃
Tricky bit that some miss is that power is a unit of work (force times distance) per unit of time (Nm/s, Watts, etc.). The faster you pedal with the same output power, the less force you exert on the pedals (easier on muscles) but you exert that lower force on the pedals more times per minute. That is why higher rpm's are better for endurance even though the power output is the same. Higher rpm = less muscle stress (less force) for any given power output. This is, of course, over-simplified as other factors and limits are present. Thank you for explaining that ERG mode!
That is Well know even in outdoor training that Higher rpm are better for endurance (heart) and lower rpm for muscle.
THANK YOU!!! new to Zwift and Wahoo... had no idea what was going on.
First ERG workout today on Zwift. Without your excellent video I wouldn't have had a clue what I was doing. Thank you.
I've hit the spiral of death in ERG mode on zwift. Couldn't finish the interval. This video was very useful.
Been on Zwift for almost 2 years and finally did a workout. I experienced the spiral of death just didn’t know the name. So glad I watched this.
You are just an encyclopedia for indoor training! Quality video as always thanks for sharing.
Really appreciate your videos and what you do for all of us. Thanks!
This is an awesome video, man. I was getting very frustrated with my trainer because of the “spiral of death”. Didn’t know it was the ERG mode causing this. I’ll be turning it off from now on.
Still useful nearly 3 years later, thanks!
This guy is so clear and thorough his videos are great!
Great demonstration Shane. I had been planning to learn all about ERG mode and you explained it perfectly.
Brilliant video and explanation of how to deal with the higher power intervals.
Shane, great explanation. Truly appreciate the effort you put into making these videos. Keep up the good work. Now I know to attack the power increases, and ride through the power downs at the end of the interval. Cheers.
The most comprehensive erg mode explanation out there. Good work as usual.
Fantastic explanation of ERG mode - thanks again for taking the time do such great content.
Awesome explanation. This has helped me out quite a bit to get ERG mode understood Thanks for your demonstration and very good tutorial.
Clear, simple and well-explained. Cheers for that!
Thank so much for this video, it explains all of the issues experience when decreasing cadence and even shifting into the largest cog and having to power through at 60rpms
Fantastic Video - Short and sweet and to the point. Excellent job describing and demonstrating.
As always, Excellent Video. Thank you! Just what I needed!
Your vids are just so good!! Everything I needed answering!
Great vid, complex subject with top tips explained simply.
This is really important video, for everyone do trainings on erg mode.
Thanks
😂 So glad I watched this video after doing my 1st workout on Zwift yesterday, inadvertently in ERG mode, and having 790W intervals thrown at me! At least I now fully understand and appreciate the spiral of death!
Haha, the same thing happened to me last night!
This video just randomly came up again in my recommended section and I watched it again (for the 3rd or 4th time in the past year). Such a GREAT video and absolutely spot on explanation of what ERG mode is and how it works. One of your best videos for sure. Good stuff. Also, respect for just jumping up to 600 watts casually and holding it there :)
Oh finally someone who can explain ERG mode clearly!!!! Thank you so much Shane! :)
What a great explanation, thank you! Took me a night of frustrated googling to find your video. Saved me from unnecesarilly messing with my settings. Attacking at the start, keep pedaling at the end and let ERG do the rest!
Thanks again!
Brilliant tips Shane - had my first Zwift workout last night with my new KICKR snap and what you describe is exactly what happened!!
Seriously freaking useful video man, thanks a ton. New to your channel and new to erg training. My days of aimlessly riding out on the roads are done; too many junk hours and close calls with vehicles. Last time I checked out smart trainers (before college) they didn't have an inch on what these can do today.
VERY VERY helpful video! Glad I stumbled across it because I'm fairly new to Zwift (on Tacx Vortex) and have been struggling to figure out what's been going on with ERG and Spiral of Death! Thanks!
Perfect subject Shane'o. I had tried ERG mode and gave up because I didn't understand it. You're a wizard!! Thanks 🙏🏽
Excellent videos, Shane. Thanks! your videos are pretty much the reason I bought the wahoo kickr and signed up for Zwift... And I am loving it! Thanks again from Corsica. ;)
This is great! I fell into the spiral of death the other day on my Neo and it freaked me out. Thought the trainer was messed up. This really helps! Thanks
This is by far the clearest video I have seen on ERG mode, lots of other videos I found confusing! Thanks Shane.
Shane you are one of the few people on the planet, like Maria Popova of Brainpickings, who has an amazing impact on so many people through social media. Thank you for all your educational material!!!!
Always brilliant, informative videos. Thank you
Excellent explanation. Just got a Wahoo Kickr Snap. All new to this. Experienced spiral of death today both up and down. Thought something was wrong with my trainer. Now I know. Thank you!
Who the heck gives 2 thumbs down to this demonstration? This video is marvelous. Thanks DL
Thank you so much Shane for explaining this! Makes sense now. A while ago I did an FTP test with my new smart trainer on Zwift and blew out before I even could get to the 20 min part and didn't know what hit me. Cheers!
Awesome - wish I'd seen this when I first got on Zwift sprint intervals on my Snap. Took me ages to work out what was going on and feel the changes. Content just keeps getting better Shane.
Cheers Gordon. ERG is a strange beast... and for those new to training indoors it can be frustrating. I hope this video will be a reference point that'll help everyone understand it.... and that the 'Spiral of Death' is by design.. (and evil!) :)
Very nice explained! Thanks! I struggled during FTP test on Zwift with ERG on, not knowing how to handle when hydrating. I'm new to this. Thanks again!
Now it all makes sense! Great video!
Thanks Shane. That’s a great perspective on ERG and where it stands in your training regime.
After riding ERG for a while, I have learnt to better appreciate the huge benefits of non ERG training and it’s closer relevance to actual real life cycling.
I have just purchased the Elite Real Emotion Rollers as another tool in my arsenal to better help with core strength, balance and pedalling stroke.
Cameron
Have been navigating the minefield of turbo and direct drive trainers over the last few days. Finally an in-depth and really well-explained piece on what ERG mode actually is. First time coming across one of Shane's video. Instant sub after this video.
Oh that’s a great description. The Zwift Academy workouts have been killing me as I had no idea what was going on. Thanks Shane.
Being doing erg mode on zwift all week. Absolutely love it. Find it so much easier.
So good can't recommend it more
Genius video Shane, thanks very much for the in-depth explanation and multiple examples of spiral of death. I see this video has been out for some time now but it's still very relevant for me. I've been Zwifting for just over 2 weeks now and failed 4 attempts at workouts with sharp transitions like "The Wringer," trying both with erg mode (spiral-spiral-spiral!) and without, finally resigning myself to just avoiding erg mode for any short duration intervals. After seeing this I'll give it another go, remembering to attack those transitions.
Also kudos for being able to instruct while exerting yourself to that level!
Shane you do an awesome job with all your videos.
Brilliant demo vid mate! Looks like you you still got the fitness too💪🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
These are superb videos. So well explained. I'm getting a cheap Tacx Flow for Christmas and thought your detailed appraisal of it was excellent, including how you have to learn how to ride erg mode to make the the power work. This video takes it a step further. Erg well explained. I now get it, whereas simply reading explanations on forums had me a bit confused. Keep up the good work!
Really good explanation thanks
great video, nice clear explanation!
Thank you, didn't really want it just from watching this video, but after both having the understanding from your explanation and an hour session without erg-mode I'm now sold on erg-mode. It's a must for every training plan I go through so that I can focus on the rpm's instead of shifting up and down just to hit the right watts to rpm and finishing with half a star...
lol the 300 watts on-screen reference. Quality stuff as always Shane.
Cheers Jesper. I don't think Hollywood will ever call me for special effects either.... re: SPIRAL OF DEATH.... ;)
There's always Bollywood, jokes aside, Spiral of Death is the worst!
Best video about the topic. Thank you.
Excellent detailed explanation. thanks
More useful knowledge, thanks Shane!
Thank you Shane, this was very informative.
Thanks Shane, I thought I’d wasted a whole heap of money buying the smart trainer and a new bike but this makes sense and I look forward to trying it out tomorrow.
Great explanation! Nice video.
Just got my smart trainer and needed some help understanding ERG mode, especially after hitting the spiral of death on a test ride today! Your videos, especially this one have been very helpful! Thanks so much!
Updated: Can't thank you enough for this! Survived my first ride in full ERG mode and didn't hit the spiral of death! I understood it MUCH better today and had a great workout. I saw in one of your videos that you did the Sufferfest Knighthood Quest. I am a Sufferlandrian also and my quest will be in November. Thanks again for the awesome videos, I watched so many last night!!
So helpful. Just got my friends old original kickr and have previously been doing intervals by just adjusting gears and cadence with a wheel on trainer. Erg mode is like an exercise bike at the gym. Anyway thanks!
Great video, very helpful
Hi Shane,
Thanks for demo and explaining this, it's very helpful!
I've gone from a Kurt kinetic road machine fluid trainer to a Tacx neo and have been struggling with a few of these things. It's taken me a while and I'm still playing around with it. (Like the first time I used it doing gear changing efforts and then seeing post ride speeds on strava showing 120km efforts haha!) I'm using the TrainerRoad program with the iPad and I'm really loving the automatic changing that happens it allows me to do other things like watching your TH-cam videos!
So true! "The spiral of death" ☠️
Cheers👍
This was so helpful. Thank you!
Edwald Boasson Hagen is on Zwift 24/7 doing ERG trainings. But then again he is riding for Dimension Data wich ride with rotor 2inpower so his indoor trainings probably feel pretty easy. :D:D
LOL!
Great video. I'm new to Zwift and have hit the spiral of death several times without knowing what was going on. Brilliantly explained - Thank you!!!!
Thanks for the comment Andrew. Good to know this video is still providing help for people who are getting into the world of Zwift and ERG (URG) mode! :)
Great vid mate, cleared it all up.
For some of us old gits that also used to buy old physics text books, erg is also a unit of energy before all these new fangled Joule thingies became popular. Now I feel proper ancient. Nice video mate, top job.
Thanks! In regard to the cadence spiral of death…in mountain biking, it does… You find yourself in the wrong gear grinding to a halt… That is happened to me (trails you don’t know… Or when you’re new ) and sometimes I have fought through it with enough force that I was afraid my chain was going to snap… others times the bike has come to a grinding halt. Excellent video and explanation… it freaked me out the first couple times it happened… By the way, excellent demonstration of power… You have 500 W for a while🚴
Really useful Shane thanks, "spiral of death" solved a mystery for me
Love that video....great explanation thanks for that!!
Hit the spiral of death today with my first FTP test. Had no idea what ERG mode was. I thought my trainer broke. Ha! :)
This makes a lot of sense! Thanks Lama!
Cool vid mate!
Thanks for the tips!
Thank you so much. That was very valuable info.
Love this! Simplified. 😀
I’m watching this legend do his thing and started to wonder … who are those 32 pricks who disliked the video!!!
🤣🤣
While I still did not fully understand, I now have a better idea of how to do my interval training on the smart trainer. Thanks mate.
Finally somebody really explained ERG mode. Huge thanks Shane!!! As a TT specialist with most of trainings full of SS FTP intervals this ERG mode is TOP choice that will cost me lots of money investing in smart trainer. Wife will kill me, bought P1 pedals week ago lol
Prace Pracovn
thank you for this! super helpful.
Great video Shane, I love the SoD reference :)
I like the mode personally and always use it for intervals on the trainer. It's the ultimate referee; no cheating, you either do the Watts or you don't.
Very helpful! Thank you.
I can completely agree about the spiral of death! I couldn’t believe it when I first moved to a genuine smart trainer (kickr). I couldn’t work out what the hell was going on. Then I kept up my cadence and let it settle back down. Takes a while to get used to.
'That was a great explanation and demonstration. Thanks o much for this. So clear.
Just bought the Wahoo Kickr Snap. Loving your videos - really helping.
This is my favorite class :D
Very helpful, thanks
Thank you so much for this info. I tried a workout on ERG mode with no understanding of what was going on, this explains why I blew up so quickly 🤣
great video!! very very useful, thanks!!!
Great Video. Thanks
I think you just saved me as the trainer was kicking my @$$. Can’t wait to see what it’s like with ERG mode off. Experienced the spiral of death too many times in my first 3 rides
Excellent video. ERG mode makes TrainerRoad what it is. Once you get your FTP dialed in, you are in for some amazing workouts. But different things motivate different people. A friend loves Zwift and the emersion which would use Sim mode. He would not like TrainerRoad at all. I personally love it.
What a cool video! 👍
Just bought my first smart trainer today, was warned about this erg mode, didn't fully comprehend the complexity when it was explained to me but this video has been brilliant explaining the issues involved. Thanks for the great video, going to do my first session tomorrow.... Wish me luck 🙄
Thank you for explanation it was easy to understand
Great vid! Now I know why I was unable to complete my interval session this afternoon LOL