im using a tacx flux smart trainer which is connected via blue tooth to my phone and use my Apple Watch as my heart monitor.
I am fairly new to this and have just started using the Training modules in erg mode. I am having trouble with the low watt part of the rides, as it keeps telling me to reduce my power but spin faster. If I spin faster, my watts increase, if I reduce power my rpm slows down and I get the message to spin faster so I can’t win.
I must be doing something wrong but can’t work out what. My gearing/chain is in the middle of the ring but as I understand this shouldn’t make a difference.
It also seems to take a long time to calibrate my spin speed, I have it on 3 second average power measure.
You are sort of correct with you don’t need to change gears, however it does make a difference in the case of low power/high cadence. I find I need to change gears with my Flux when doing low power high cadence workouts. What works for me is I use small chain ring on the front and change up and down the rear cassette. I guess it also does depend on the type of workouts you are doing and the power you are trying to maintain.
This graph shows an ergo-training for the FLUX Smart with a certain gear setting (39 tooth front chainring and a 19 tooth rear cassette). It illustrates the amount of wattage (power level) that the Tacx FLUX Smart can produce in the specified gear setting with a certain cadence. The blue shape represents the available resistance levels of the FLUX Smart. For example, at a cadence of 75 RPM, the FLUX Smart can power up to 400 watts in the 39-19 gear setting. This trainer cannot produce power levels below or above this shape, in this gear setting. If you wish to do so, you have to shift your gears. For example, at a cadence of 75 RPM you have an output of 100W. If you wish to ride with a lower wattage, you need to change gears; between 21 and 28 tooth.
Please note, using another gear setting will change the starting point; the lowest and highest possible power level at 0 RPM. This way you can determine what the best gear setting should be for your training.
You must remember (if you are new to it) that in ERG mode any instructions regarding power (increase or decrease) is actually aimed at the trainer and it will do that automatically. If you also start adjusting to that, you’ll very likely end up in what is called the “spiral of death”.
The cadence is all you must adjust when required. I cannot recall ever needing to shift in ERG mode.
Side note: the more steady you keep your cadence the less you’ll see those messages. E.g. if you increase your cadence suddenly in the middle of a static power set, you’ll get reduce power messages, which the trainer will then handle, but this is because you increased cadence.
If you are NOT in ERG mode, both obviously applies to you.
guys, in case of low power and cadence about 80-85, just wait and keep your spin stable on same rpm - your trainer will adapt.
but in case of high power there is another issue : when you need gain higher power for example 240-260 watts and spin about 80-85 , the algorithm will made you spin faster , because flywheel is gaining rotation speed and power and helps you with power , i can’t solve this normally only by decreasing spin speed to 75-77
