ERG mode for indoor cycling explained: what it is, how to use it – and when you shouldn’t…
If you have a mid to high end smart trainer – and use some of the best workout apps for cyclingsuch as Zwift – you will then be able to complete your indoor workouts using the ERG mode. But what exactly is this setting for?
Simply put, when ERG mode is on, your trainer will help you ride at a set power output by automatically adjusting the resistance based on your cycling cadence – no matter how fast you turn your legs, the training bike will adjust to keep you at that set power.
So, given that you have this option, should you use it? Are there any benefits? Or are there even instances where its use would be detrimental to the cycling training goal you have set for yourself?
To help you get the most out of the settings offered by smart trainers, we explain when it’s best to use ERG mode, how it helps maximize fitness gains from your workout, and when you should turn it off. .
What is ERG mode?
First, let’s dig a little deeper into what ERG mode is. ERG is short for ergometer, and this controls the resistance so you can – in theory – maintain a very stable power output.
Now power is made up of angular velocity (cadence) and torque (the force you put into the pedals) – what the ERG does is balance these two to produce consistent power.
So let’s say you’re riding at 200 watts, that consists of riding at 80 rpm producing 2.5 newton meters (Nm) of torque. The smart bike or smart trainer will put 2.5Nm of resistance in the flywheel, so you’re pushing 200 watts. If you increase the RPM to 90, then the resistance required to produce 200W is now 2.2Nm, so the trainer adjusts and decreases the resistance. It also works the other way around when the RPM is reduced and the resistance increases.
You can turn ERG mode on or off on most training platforms, and it will be active when you follow an in-app workout or a custom session you’ve imported.
Benefits of using ERG mode for indoor cycling
(Image credit: future)
One of the main benefits of using ERG mode is that it means you don’t have to focus on maintaining a power output during an interval, as the trainer does all the work to YOU.
This is great for riders who want to do longer endurance rides in zone 2 and stay under a certain power output, to make sure they don’t go too hard. And it’s also useful for those who want to make a longer tempo or sweet spot efforts where you want the higher power to stay maintained and not drift below your power goals, as set by your cycling training areas.
You may have noticed that it is sometimes difficult to get exactly the right rpm to match your power output when just using your gears. This is where the ERG is fantastic because you can change your RPM to whatever you feel most comfortable with, whatever gear you choose, and the resistance will be applied accordingly so your power target output is reached.
Disadvantages of using ERG mode for indoor cycling
However, there are a few downsides to using ERG mode.
First, there is a question about artificially applied resistance. Although it feels like it is when we climb outdoors because gravity provides extra resistance, it’s not the best for those who want to go faster on hilly or flat terrain where changes in applied force and speed are highly variable. Sometimes it’s good to be able to adapt to these changes, because in some cases just training on the climbs or in ERG mode can affect performance on the flat.
This has led some to suggest that an overreliance on the ERG may reduce our ability to sustainably produce energy at higher levels (think sweetspot and more) because we are so used to to require an artificial resistance against which to push. There may be some truth to that, but also on high speed flats we have air resistance to push against.
Others have suggested that the ERG limits our mental resilience to being able to sustain a set power, but if anything the ERG can help at higher power levels (threshold and above) because there is no no way to give up or lower the power level. For some, this can be useful for pushing yourself, but you also want to be able to do this without artificial resistance.
Another disadvantage is the reaction speed of the ERG mode. THE best smart trainers now have an ERG mode which is very quick to react to changes in resistance, speed or the power target of an interval. However, some coaches are not so good at it. Let’s say you have a set of micro intervals, 20 seconds at 120% threshold, with 10 seconds rest at 40%, for 20 reps so a 10 minute block. Going from very high resistance to very low resistance over a short period of time can sometimes be delayed, so what you may find is that when the 20 second effort starts you have a very high RPM and that the resistance is low, then when the 10 second recovery comes around the resistance doesn’t always drop right away.
The ERG death spiral is probably the most well-known problem with ERG use. A few articles have looked at the limiters in cycling performance and suggest that our ability to hold torque is the most important factor in maintaining power output. When we are not able to apply the same torque, we reduce the speed so that we can rev at a higher rpm and reduce the torque applied.
However in ERG mode it is not the easiest, and what often happens is that the RPM drops more and more and the resistance applied by the trainer increases more and more. Ultimately, the trainer wins when your revs come to a halt and an insurmountable level of torque must be overcome. Luckily, this is such a well-known problem that many high-end trainers now have an “anti-death spiral” feature, where they sense when the resistance has gotten too much, reduce it, and you bring you back up to speed. .
Benefits of using Level or Resistance mode for indoor cycling
For sessions where you want maximum power, like sprints, or if you’re doing micro-intervals with lots of resistance changes, then riding in Level/Resistance mode is the best fit. This involves keeping the resistance at the hub static and changing it using your gears, or you can adjust the settings so that virtual gradients are applied with the resistance. By using this mode, you can also lower the intensity if necessary during an effort, rather than being forced into the power and resistance target set for you by the ERG mode.
The other benefit of Level mode is that it’s a bit more eco-friendly. This means it’s a bit more like the real world where you have resistance changes via gradients and the efforts are very unlikely to be as smooth or have that constant resistance behind them. There are also some suggestions that riding in Level mode is better for developing better pedaling efficiency than ERG mode.
When to use ERG mode
(Image credit: future)
I would say that all of those little ERG downsides and Level upsides are pretty marginal, and ultimately some of us might find it easier to end a session in ERG mode just because it’s one less thing to think about.
My recommendation would be that for efforts where the power is constant (zone 1 up to zone 3/4) and you want to keep it below or above a certain level, ERG mode is the way to go . If you want to do sessions with short repeated efforts, maximums, sprints, or just a session with more resistance variability, then Level/Resistance mode is best to use. Using a mix of the two will ensure that you don’t miss out on the benefits of either and can help make your overall workout experience a little easier and more enjoyable.
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