Turbo or Ergo Trainer?

[GrasB]

I'm starting to get fedup with my toy turbo trainer & am looking for something new. The question is what, turbo or ergo trainer? Of course an ergo seems to be about 3x the cost of a turbo & I can get power output from my PM cranks. However trying to train at various power outputs via a normal turbo is more difficult, so would an Ergo trainer be better so I can set to train at power levels or climbing profiles be a better option?

 

[Seamab]

My Tacx Fortius has both ergo and slope(resistance) options. I rarely use the ergo because it feels unnatural to me. To make it work you have to maintain a constant and fairly high cadence and don't have the option of easing off or giving it more because you are "locked in" to the power you have chosen. For others this may be a plus and may be what you are looking for.

If i'm doing a 20min interval (not very often) then i choose slope mode where you select a gradient/cadence combo that you like and allows you to put out your target power. I like to start off in the first 5 mins a bit below target to settle in and then up the power in the last 5 mins. Ergo mode does not allow for this variation.

I do use the ergo when running a Tacx ergovideo (where the machine changes the power as you go along a video course) and this seems to be much better except for low cadences.

 

[e-rider]

try some rollers for a slightly different (and less boring) experinece.

 

[GrasB]

Actually one of the things I like about the turbo is the ability to completely zen out, I have power, cadence & speed* up on Garmin headphones in with a few hours of some chilled trance & just hold it at a high wattage as long as possible. Problem is my current turbo maxes out at just over 200w at a 'sedate' a 40mph +/- 3mph effective wheel speed that's 95-110rpm in top gear.

* this turbo is such a toy that I can easily overwhelm it's resistance for short periods so knowing what the wheel speed it lets me know how much harder I can push. The whole reason I want to change my turbo.

 

[GrasB]

I do use the ergo when running a Tacx ergovideo (where the machine changes the power as you go along a video course) and this seems to be much better except for low cadences.

I was thinking about the Tacx motor drive ergos, what's the problem with low cadences? You can't grind out the power or is there an issue once you stop spinning?

 

[Seamab]

I was thinking about the Tacx motor drive ergos, what's the problem with low cadences? You can't grind out the power or is there an issue once you stop spinning?

The ergovideos are designed to be run in a moderate gear with relatively high cadence (approx 80 rpm and above). If you stop spinning at a high power and try to grind then the resistance quickly becomes too high and you come to a standstill. If you are a grinder then you may not like them. Personally, i'm a bit of a grinder (often averaging around 70rpm) but quite enjoy the ergos as they make a change from the way i normally ride.

Another problem with the current ergovideos is that the power fluctuates over the course (as it would in reality) and can take you from low resistance to Vo2 max intervals and back again in a short space of time. None of the current ones provide a long steady power profile to do say a 20min interval. There are a couple of very new rides just released that are supposed to do this, but as of yet i don't have them.

 

[GrasB]

Can't you set a specific power level & train to that? One of the things I want to work on is not just making say 350w but being able to make it anywhere between 50-130rpm.

 

[Seamab]

Can't you set a specific power level & train to that? One of the things I want to work on is not just making say 350w but being able to make it anywhere between 50-130rpm.

In theory yes. But as i said before the Tacx machine just doesn't work well at rpm's as low as 50 in ergo mode. 70 - 130rpm would be OK but 50-70 is nigh on impossible in my experience. There may be other ergo machines on the market that work better at all cadences.

 

[GrasB]

Sorry for being thick but I know I can push out 200w @ 50-60rpm so If I set the wattage to 200w & rode at 50-60 rpm, why would I stall on the Tacx?

 

[Seamab]

Sorry for being thick but I know I can push out 200w @ 50-60rpm so If I set the wattage to 200w & rode at 50-60 rpm, why would I stall on the Tacx?

You are not being thick at all. It's a perfectly reasonable question but one for the Tacx engineers. Put simply, the ergo mode on Tacx Fortius and it's close relatives imagic, flow, cosmos do not allow you to pedal at low cadences. It must be something to do with the type of motor employed.

So if that's what you wish to do you'll need to look at another make of ergo machine.