Yes the power method is called ERG mode. You set the power and pedal at any cadence for the same power. Actually my preferred method of training and I don't have to change gears at all. In ERG mode, speed means nothing so I always get low speed (and distance) since I prefer to use a low gear on my Kickr so it stays nice and quiet. Great way to also practice difference cadence for the same power output.

I would use one of the mainstream training apps like TrainerRoad, Zwift, Sufferfect etc., and not the free program. The nut is that the smart trainer is just half of your training solution. The other half is the app, so don't skimp on that. The power mode is what training is all about, but that only really works when you have a specific plan and a reason for the target power zones. A good training program will have you ride a test program that assesses your current power capabilities. Then, it will index all of the intervals in a workout to your threshold power, so you are building from where you are.

Here's my best effort at explaining ERG mode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbeliW8uObk

Not all trainers are the same when it comes to ERG. Some require different flywheel speeds to hit wattages (high/low). And on trainers with flywheels, gearing impacts the pedal stroke 'feel'.

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Shane Miller - GPLama
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+1 to this. I subscribe to both The Sufferfest and Zwift... I like the different motivational strategies. Either one offers a free trial period. Try both of these as well as Trainer Road and any others, and do their evaluation session(s) as part of your free trial. Then subscribe to the one you like best... the cost of most of these is not all that significant compared to many other things you'll acquire in the pursuit of triathlon or cycling in general.

- on the Sufferfest, do Full Frontal without sandbagging, and then (a couple of days later) do The Downward Spiral at 100% intensity. That will give you a pretty good idea of what you can generally expect.
- on Zwift, you can set your FTP to the FF result (or any other best guess) or do their long FTP test; and then do one of the Zwift races in whichever W/kg category you end up. This uses the trainer in a fixed resistance mode, but with terrain feedback. Zwift also has training programs, but the head to head capability is one of the things that stands out.

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Less is more.

I have a coach and he had me do a couple of different ride tests to determine my zones. So he is the one setting my workouts and the power settings. Right now I am setting a program on my Garmin so that the timer goes off and then I am manually changing the power settings, so next thing is to figure out how to get either the Garmin or an app to do that automatically. Off to do more homework!

Can I jump in with a question?
I think I have the general idea of how zwift works to control resistance if used with a smart trainer such as direto. My question is, does Sufferfest also control resistance, or is it still just motivational videos and tunes?

thanks

yes it does. It makes it much easier to do intervals because you only need to think about maintaining a particular cadence.

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Less is more.

Keep in mind that one problem with ERG mode and setting super precise power targets is that your threshold power isn't nearly so precise. It is a daily moving target. Most days it probably falls within a 10% range - 5% higher or lower than your last test session indicates. Though it could fluctuate more for numerous reasons. You've got to consider them soft targets and allow yourself the flexibility to over or under perform as the day dictates.

Ditto this... When I was working out with my dumb trainer, I naturally adjusted my power targets based on how I was feeling during the workout. For example, I have had days when I just felt great, and the workout called for FTP+20% intervals, but I might ride 5W to 10W harder. And of course, the converse on days when I did not feel so great. On TrainerRoad, there is a % adjustment for the overall workout that will index it up or down. You have to consciously change on the screen, but it is worth doing on those strong days. (On your weak days, you will definitely change it, because the alternative is the death spiral.)