Updated my firmware on the hammer but still having issue with loss of resistance after a sprint interval in ERG mode, I think because the flywheel gets going too fast during the sprint and the device seems unable to slow it quickly enough to provide any resistance in the subsequent rest period. Any fixes for this? I think maybe it isn’t as bad if I use granny gears in ERG (resulting in minimization of flywheel speed variation)?
[Also, as an FYI to anybody else trying to figure out issues with resistance on the Hammer, all of the old posts seem to talk about Cycleops’ Rouvy ap, which at this time doesn’t work to update the firmware, instead the customer service guy had me use the powertap application, which worked great and solved most of my problem (total loss of any variation in resistance either with the ERG mode on workouts, or outside of workouts on hills, and inability to provide resistance above about 94 watts without an accellerating cadence leading to the flywheel spinning too fast to provide any resistance at all.]
I also own a Hammer. The Hammer doesn’t like short high power sprint intervals and as you’ve found out the flywheel won’t slow down quickly enough once the sprint is over as it thinks you’re overpowering it. Power drops away, sometimes to zero before you can slowly build the power back up. Ironically my old Fluid 2 dumb trainer is much better for short sprint type workouts.
One thing you can do and it’s worth trying out is to disable ERG mode via the companion app. This puts your Hammer into slope mode and you change gears / change cadence to determine power. This can make doing sprint type workouts better as you get a more consistent resistence. The downside is you have to constantly monitor your power to match the target but you can flick between ERG mode and Slope mode easily enough.
I am also having resistance issues in ERG mode. During workout sessions I am running out of resistance and on my biggest gear still spinning out! I have to scrub ERG to get a descent session in - very annoying. My unit has gone back once already, certainly wouldn’t but another one. I have both Rouvy and Powertap apps but despite calibration and up to date firmware the experience is rubbish.
Suggest keeping the chain on the smaller chainring in ERG mode and on about the 15th tooth sprocket. I never run my hammer on the large chainrring in ERG mode as the flywheel spins too fast. If you have a low FTP then you could easily be overpowering your trainer by using too higher gearing. The effect being that resistance drops away to nothing.