One of the many things I appreciate about my Garmin 935 is the pop-up prompt to calibrate my PM immediately on connection. If possible, this would be a nifty addition to Trainerroad. A small “calibrate PM” button on the lower right corner (on mobile/Android at least) would do the trick.
Thanks for an awesome software!
Per prior comments from TR and related trainer makers, I think it would be appropriate if this happened around 5-10 minutes into a workout. Likely best for a pop-up option to appear right after completing the warm-up section of the workout.
I could see it being a button that appears at the designated time, just like the warm-up and cool-down extension options show only when appropriate.
Good point, but that applies for trainer PMs, right? If you are using an external PM, you might as well calibrate before starting the workout?
Yes, that makes sense too. I hadn’t thought of the difference.
I guess it needs to consider the primary power device, and set the calibration trigger appropriately (PM right away, Trainer after warm-up).
Thanks for the suggestion @minimalist!
I think this could be a great addition and I will pass this onto the team 
Chad is right that we may need logic to differentiate between trainers and power meters, but we have all this infomation in the pairing logs, so if we chose to integrate this feature, that part would be fairly simple.
Why not just build this into the workouts. With trainer powermeter the exercise would prompt calibration with big button or just would command the user to spin up the speed and to stop pedaling at the 10min mark. This way the user would not be tempted to skip the calibration if it would not “effect” the workout.
What I mean is that there would be a 0W part at the exercise.
It must be optional. Some trainers don’t need calibration each ride (many wheel-off trainers), while others do (most/all wheel-on trainers).
And the Tacx Neo1/2 don’t need any calibration at all. So there would need to be great intelligence in the programming based on the trainer in use. But I see it as easier to leave the calibration as “optional” but flagged with a button.
Let the user decide as needed. There are reasons that people may want or need to skip calibration (already done in a prior workout, or other desire to skip), so a forced one could be annoying. Maybe not bad if it was easy to skip, but I see it being “a signaled optional” and manually selected as the better option.
Yes. Of course it would not be done if the device used would not need calibration. But for me at least “stopping” the exercise mid workout for calibration is something I don’t like to do. So if it would be built in to the workout it would be not as easily skipped.
Has anything ever come from this thread?
If the system is able to detect which trainer is being used, why not auto prompt after a time when the trainer has become sufficiently warm?
Maybe an accept or dismiss pop up after the warm up period as @mcneese.chad suggested.
I just tested how far my kickr core drifted off calibration from cold start to the conclusion of a 90 min VO2 workout.
No change of gearing pre/during or post calibration.
at 89 rpm in resistance mode set @29%
Pre calibration 124
Post 136.
I imagine the drift may not be lineal either.
Ie at higher outputs the error is greater.
Thanks for the bump! I think the logic applied to identify/categorize what trainer you’re using, and if they require a calibration within TR (versus some smart trainers that calibrate outside of TR in their separate app only), is likely more complicated than it sounds. Will check in with the team about this nonetheless!