Am I Doing This Right?

General Discussion
#1

Just finished my second Zwift workout and I can’t tell if I’m doing things right.

I have a Kickr Smart Trainer (v5) connected to a MacBook Air via Bluetooth. When I’m pedaling things appear to be relatively normal, I can usually match the power and cadence indicated at that point in my workout for a limited duration, but oftentimes I’ll begin to pedal a bit harder and my power will be way out of proportion to my cadence. When I slow down my cadence the Kickr will need to spin on its own for a few seconds until I can resume spinning with some resistance (which I noticed makes Zwift think I’m at zero power). I had ERG mode on for my most recent ride and I’m pretty sure it was on for my first ride as well. I tried Sufferfest for a couple days and noticed a similar issue, which makes me believe the problem is me not the trainer/apps.

Is this the way things are supposed to work?

Should I adjust the settings (either in the Zwift app or Wahoo app) and/or do I need another piece or hardware?

Thanks in advance for the help!

#2

I’m not sure I understand your situation fully, but I’ll take a stab at it:

If you are in ERG mode and the workout is calling for a specific power output (which you are hitting) and then you increase your cadence, your power will also increase. At least temporarily. Basically, it will take the Kickr a few seconds to ‘react’ to your increased cadence and reduce its resistance in order to keep your power at the desired level. So if you stop pedaling to reduce your power output the trainer will then increase its resistance to bring the power back up. So, if you’re constantly ‘chasing’ the power it might be very frustrating. So, just pick a cadence that is comfortable to you and go with it. And if you change your cadence at any point in your workout trying waiting a few seconds to see if the trainer adjusts before you try to change your cadence again.

I hope that solves the issue.

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#3

Thanks for the input. I hear your point about chasing the cadence, not the power. Where I anticipate struggling with that is during times where Zwift wants me to ramp up cadence and quickly reduce to a lower number. In these instances I usually have to stop pedaling completely for a few seconds until my Kickr slows down to the point where I can resume pedaling and work up to the now lower cadence.

During this transition period Zwift basically pauses (I see my rider slow all the way down), which I do not think it supposed to be the intended design, and leads me to believe I don’t have things setup properly. You’re saying this transition period from higher to lower cadence is normal?

#4

I would recommend to not stop pedaling ever in ERG mode. Zwift and the trainer will not like that. Take 5-10 seconds to adjust your cadence - the correct power will follow quickly and if not something must be wrong with your trainer connection. I can easily go from 85-90 rpm to 115 for an interval then back to 85-90 without any issues or the need to stop pedaling. My Kickr Core adjusts in about 5 seconds.