Yes, put the CompuTrainer into Erg mode. It keeps power constant and allows you to adjust all other parameters.

https://enduranceworks.net/...trainer-in-erg-mode/

So in Erg mode you just set it for 200w and pedal as fast or slow as you want and it maintains constant power? Can you change the power target on the fly or do we need to program the workout and load a file for the CT to follow?

Yes.
Yes, you can change on the fly. No programming skills required;) A quote about ERG mode from the link I provided above:

• "Use the Blue + and – button to increase and decrease wattage which is displayed on right upper corner of console. The wattage number controls the resistance on the fly wheel and make the effort easier or harder."

Yes. It gets easier ( ish) with a higher cadence and harder with a lower cadence as the power is constant.

Just to be clear, the overall work per second (joules/seconds = watts) does not get easier or harder, because you are at constant watts. The crank torque gets higher at lower RPM, the crank torque get lower at higher RPM. Now some people find lower RPM easier at a given power than high RPM, some find higher RPM easier at a given power if you know what i mean.

....and sorry for being "that guy on ST" who ends up trying to distill it down to physics vs qualitative terms

Great - that's what I'm looking for. Can you easily change in and out of erg mode on the CT during a session? I don't necessarily want to dictate a specific wattage for WU/CD and recovery intervals.

Ok, higher cadence feels easier at a given watt than lower cadence at most power settings (all out the window over 280 or so, just get it done). To me

You can use the standalone controller in Erg mode and then he can train at set wattage amounts and decrease/increase as needed. But in this mode, no data is being recorded for future reference, so I'd probably stay away from stand alone mode.

You can also use the Racermate One software, which is not very fancy, but it comes free with the Computrainer. With this software you can build workouts, setting specific wattages for set amounts of time. And it will save all the data for future reference and export into programs like Training Peaks.

Having ridden Computrainers for years, I now do almost all my workouts in Zwift, which allows you to build Erg workouts and you get to ride in a 3D world which I think helps distract you from the workout.

To record workout data what I do is cycle in ERG Mode and run my PM Quarq. I can record and save all workouts with the Quarq. It is also interesting to see how close the numbers in ERG and the numbers with the PM are. Hope this helps.

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Barry Dmitruk
2017: Florida 70.3 (done); Mont Tremblant 70.3 & Ironman

He doesn't have a separate PM so we are making due with the CT. Are you saying that riding in standalone erg mode won't record his ride data for upload to TP.com? The only way to use erg mode AND log the data for upload is to build his workouts with Racermate One?

Yes, you have to use some type of software to control Erg mode. There are a lot of choices: Zwift, Trainerroad, Racermate One, PerfStudio Pro, Veloreality and Golden Cheetah are just a few I can think of.

I think, for a number of reasons, that a flat course is 'best' for most intervals. The rider has to stay engaged and hold the wattage. The computrainer does not do it for them.

If they ride and use their powermeter, they can upload that file to trainingpeaks. I just read your athlete does not have a PM.

Correct. Erg mode does not record workouts. If you use a flat course and make the athlete do the efforts on their own, it will save and record the workout. RacerMate One, while old and basic, may also allow you do this through the erg mode that it has.

Also, trainingpeaks just added a workout builder. I do not think that it interfaces with computrainer yet, but you might look closer at it to see if it will.

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

Is this true? I use erg mode with the old coaching software 3 days a week and always save my performance when I am done. I do the same with the old 3d software.
Nothing fancy, but does the job.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

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Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

In "power" (erg) mode, cadence is irrelevant. That is, whether riding the CompuTrainer in stand-alone mode or part of a workout ("workout" is PerfPRO Studios convention for erg mode, whereas "course" mode is based on slope/grade), in erg mode a power requirement is set on the CompuTrainer (either by rider input [stand-alone mode] or by software) and the rider must meet that power requirement or stall out (actually, the CompuTrainer will sense a cadence below about 60 and release, that's a safety thing). Cadence, therefore, can be whatever cadence the rider chooses, whether "spinning" at a high cadence or "mashing" at a low cadence. The CompuTrainer will automatically adjust to the cadence of the rider to require the power output.

So yes, when in erg mode, your rider can spin faster or slower to his heart's content and the CompuTrainer will automatically adjust.

When in erg mode, shifting also becomes irrelevant, and the rider should initially shift only to achieve about 15-17 mph for a particular cadence. Riding above 15-17 mph only wears out tires, and riding below 12 mph doesn't allow the little fan in the CompuTrainer load generator to dissipate heat (and some software will release around 12 mph as well, it's a safety thing).

Many use erg mode with 'just' the controller, so there is no record of the workout if you are not using a bike based powermeter.

On the older 3D you can save a workout. Same with the 'newer' Racermate One software. I think that you can do this on the older coaching software too.

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

Good point. If one is not using a computer to control the CT, of course it is not possible to say anything. But, the CT gives you a choice which is cool.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I'll need to check on what version he has. I know he is cerrently able to log his workout data - power, cadence, hr, etc - and upload it to TP.com without any sort of additional power meter, head unit, or third party software like TR or Zwift. He hasn't been riding in Erg mode though, just whatever the basic mode is that allows him to vary resistance by shifting gears like a standard fluid trainer. I think he gas it hard wired to a laptop though so must be running the Racermate software to log data?

Actually, you can if you use PerfPRO Studio. It's called Mixed Mode and we find it pretty useful to do exactly what you describe. If used in conjunction with Sufferfest's Rubber Glove (FTP test), it gives you a slope/grade warmup, then an erg FTP test, followed by a slope/grade cool down.

We also write some fun sessions using PerfPRO Studio in Mixed Mode, which allows some head-to-head racing and erg intervals, all in the same session.

I use ERG mode and Trainer Road. If you had that, he could do the workouts you import into the workout creator, or as stated, stand alone. The ERG mode with CT is really a GREAT feature and a really good way for people to find their optimum cadence using power/HR/PE to find where they are most comfortable and at what cost. Then the metrics will allow them to stress themselves in each way you prescribe.

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Gary Geiger
http://www.geigerphoto.com Professional photographer

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Yeah - sounds like there are several options to program workouts and run in ergo mode. He may not be opposed to paying for TR or something similar but I don't necessarily want to tell him he needs to buy something else. He has to be running either RacerMate One or the older 3D software.

Yes, any of those options work well. I just find Trainer Road has been really simple for me, as I see the results and rides are really easy to do without any setup. Hundreds of workouts in the library and very, very easy to creat new ones. I have a yearly membership for $99 so it's really so easy. An included FTP test sets levels and you train in the zones you want without any adjustment on your part, as the program adjusts based on your numbers. The old CT software required you to re edit and change the numbers as you got more or less fit. I'm a big fan of the simple yet effective nature of TR.

I am a big fan of free. :) Easy to modify my CS files.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep