Help - started using Elite Direto , base plan, sweet spot intervals, and I can hardly do them. Trainer resistance is enormous, and I’m in the baby gear and grinding at 50 rpm - its going to destroy my knees, Totally doesnt align with coach Chad’s on screen comments about keeping a really high resistance.
what am I doing wrong with my Elite Direto smart trainer ?? anyone else else had this issue ??
thanks so much, Michael
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Did you just get this trainer?
If so, did you do a new Ramp Test?
Yes, and yes, ramp test seemed to work fine … I didn’t quite get to my expected numbers in the ramp test - perhaps because I had done a 4 hr hill repeat ride the day before - but I think the Elite Direto worked fine with its first use. Got a FTP result of 220, whereas I was expecting 230
Are you new to ERG training?
yep … 2nd session this morning
Watch this and evaluate if you were riding it properly. The good way to ride ERG is very different from Resistance mode, like on a dumb trainer.
Thanks so much, will give it a view later this evening.
My 3 sessions so far - attached 
Ramp - looks to have worked OK
1st session = Tunnabora - seems to have worked OK
This morning’s session, Tallac - couldnt complete it - lots of stop starting as my cadence was down at 60 and 50
Hard to tell what is happening without cadence graphed too. Are you using a cadence sensor?
Are you sure ERG mode is enabled correctly?
That power looks like what mine used to look like when I was using resistance mode; once I switched to a smart trainer and enabled ERG the power was a lot smoother.
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@misterb, If you have a Wahoo trainer, and didn’t turn off the “Enable ERG Mode Power Smoothing”, you are getting heavily smoothed data that is not the same as any other trainer.
yep - stages power meter is on and syncd.
Cadence was OK during ramp test - avg 82, max 102 … that’s pretty normal for me
1st session - avg 82, max 112 … again pretty normal for me
this morning - hmmm, avg 74 and dropping down to 50 during the intervals.
I’ll watch that video before doing anything else - thanks so much for your help here - really appreciate it
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honestly, I have no idea, I have connected the Elite Directo top the Elite App and configured my age, weight etc. and ran a short calibration test too - i dont recall it asking me to choose any modes and there’s no switches / dials on the Direto that i can see.
I will spend some time this evening researching how to make sure its definitely in ERG mode and nothing else.
Thanks
WIth my Direto I find it really helps to keep the cadence up (90-100 rpm). In Erg mode resistance is inversely proportional to flywheel speed, so if you’re cadence slows through fatigue then the Direto wants to ramp up the resistance to compensate. If you let that drag your cadence down further then you’ll enter the ‘spiral of death’ till you stop.
Now that you have configured everything with the Elite app, close it fully and only use TR for control! There is a toggle in the TR interface for switching in and out of Erg. An easy way to test you are in erg is pedal slower or faster while on a constant power section - you should hear the motors stepping to compensate.
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My Direto looks way smoother than your power charts. But I don’t have a separate power meter, or cadence sensor. I use the native Direto power and cadence.
As a diagnostic step, it may be worth trying a TR workout using the Direto as your power and cadence source - not Stages. This will help identify if power match is an issue.
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Thanks Ian - most helpful
Thanks Dave - might give that a try once I’ve fully explored whether its actually in ERG mode or not. Thanks again
Thanks all … that video and all your advice solved the issue - issue was me :-), I kept allowing myself top drop the cadence and enter the ‘spiral of death’.
Just did another ride and kept the cadence up, and especially at the transition up to higher power outputs, and didn’t have any issues like I did this morning.
You live and learn
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Glad I saw this was having exactly the same problem and was getting very frustrated!
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