Just got a new Bushido, done 2 sessions with TrainerRoad and i was wondering if anyone else feels that ERG mode is too hard and was wondering if anyone else has the following issues:
As it says in the TR website, ERG mode takes some time to get used to.I am using the “power match” feature while taking the power from my Power2max which controls the Bushido.
Since i always relied only on the power2max numbers i am used to a certain feeling in any wattage zone,after working with ERG mode i must say that i keep getting the feeling that the trainer tries to “fight back” at you every time you try to hold a certain wattage.
1.For example - keeping 280 watts at an interval which felt OK on my previous trainer became really frustrating on the Bushido using ERG mode - the resistance is always being adjusted according to the cadence, but when i pedal at 90rpm the Bushdio adjusts its resistance (which i think is harder then needed) - it is not easy keeping 90rpm this way which leads me to drop my cadence to 85rpm - but, ERG mode kicks in again and adjusts the resistance even more at lower rpm which leads to even more tension - this creates a pretty “spiky” ride and leaves me with the feeling that i burned too many matches.
2.At the end of a workout during TR cooldown i drop to the small ring and Bushido goes all crazy and start applying the brake every few seconds (This feeling like a dropout) - had to disconnect ANT stick and connect again.
(i have a long USB cable and my ANT+ stick is almost stuck inside Bushido’s motor).
All this issues sound more like Tacx issues and not TR issues and probably can be solved by a software update…
am i the only one experiencing them? what am i doing wrong?
What I find with Trainerroad and using power match with my power meter to control my Kickr Snap is it works well with moderate intensity workouts and where there are no big changes in target power. However with interval workouts where there is a large jump say from 150 watts to 300 watts is I have to put out a lot more than 300 watts for a period of time until things settle down. This can take up to 1 minute. Lower jumps in power take less time and if it’s a small jump then things settle down within a few seconds. Because of this I now do all interval workouts in standard mode where I can much better match the target power and not have to put out more power than I need to.
I think this is a Trainerroad issue not anything to do with the trainer.
Re #2 issue. Probably something you need to take up with Trainerroad. What I do find with Trainerroad and power match is where the warmup or cooldown has a sloping power ramp that power match struggles to keep up and power is either too high or too low so is constantly adjusting. However I’m not getting things as bad as you seem to be getting.
I have a Tacx vortex, I have that hooked up via ANT+ FEC to TR and I let it natively control the device.
I have a Stages as well but I just have that hooked up to the garmin (Edge 810 here).
This gives rock solid power output and no surges on the trainer, and if there is a discrepancy on the power numbers you can adjust TR +/- via the workout intensity options.
The stages plot looks less nice on the garmin but gives me a benchmark to compare to outside.
Even though stages shows nice swings, the power output feels rock solid (like TR reports via the vortex), this works well for me. YMMV.
@NatePearson if you are reading this, the only negative here is I have to stick a separate cadence meter on my bike as I can’t pair CADENCE only from the stages power meter to TR.
For #1, I do find it harder, but I think that is one of the reasons that I got a smart trainer in the first place. In terms of the intervals, the “accuracy” that TR calculates while in ERG mode with PowerMatch is rarely above 85%; in other words it tends to drift ±10 watts around the target. However, average power during the interval is usually spot on.
For me, ERG mode took some getting used to. You have to trust that the Bushido will keep the resistance constant if you keep your cadence constant, so try not to drop to 85 rpm even though you feel the resistance is higher than it should be. It will adjust back down in a second or two to the correct level. If it helps, try to maintain a few rpm above your self selected cadence.
You might also want to check your paired devices. The Bushido adds another “Power Meter” to the list of devices and you shouldn’t have that one paired as TR may think that is your actual PM. The Bushido tends to register higher than my P2Max so workouts would indeed seem tougher if that was your input.
For #2, I have experienced that only a few times (and not in last couple of months) and have contacted TR - they said it was a bug that they had worked out. I would recommend staying in the small ring all of the time and only shifting if absolutely necessary.