I’m looking for help / best practices to use a Garmin Edge 840 to control a smart trainer (in my case a Stages SB20) in ERG mode to execute structured workouts that are sync’d from TrainingPeaks to Garmin Connect to Edge 840.
Scenario:
My wife’s coach puts her workouts in TrainingPeaks
These workouts are then sync’d from TrainingPeaks to Garmin Connect, and then onto her Edge 840
My wife wants to execute these workouts in ERG mode - she’s just getting into structured training, so please not diversions around using resistance / slope mode is better
Setup:
Edge 840 is connected to the Stages as an Indoor trainer via ANT+
From the default profiles (i.e., Race, Indoor, Train), I select Train profile. I tried using “Indoor”, and the Edge didn’t seem to be controlling the SB20
To load a workout, from the main screen, I select Training, then Training Plan, and then the specific workout. The workouts sync’d from TrainingPeaks do not show up under “Workouts”
I did the above today (first time), and it sort of works. The Edge is controlling the trainer, but at the end of each interval the power drops to ~zero for a few seconds before ramping back up into the interval range. Plus coming from using TR, doing a test workout with the above setup was a little weird as the workout intervals are setup with a range (e.g., 50 - 60% FTP), so the trainer control keeps you in the range, and doesn’t try and control the trainer to a specific power number (e.g., 55% of FTP).
Questions:
Is “Train” the correct Profile to use?
Is the above the “best” setup and process to follow to execute workouts from the training plan?
Any ideas on fixing the power drop-out at the end of an interval / start of an interval?
Any chance you can share the workout file? I’m wondering if it has something that’s causing that power drop after those steps as my workouts pushed from TrainerRoad don’t do that. I’m using an Edge 1040 and the “Indoor Cycling” profile. It automatically runs in ERG mode. When connected to and controlling a smart trainer, there’s an extra trainer data screen that has the target power (it’s defaulting to the mid-point of the workout interval’s range, so like if that’s 230-250 watts it starts at 240 watts) and a plus and minus button to move the power target up or down by 5 watts. You can also go to the widgets (like slide down from top of screen) to the trainer control and change from “set power” (AKA ERG) to resistance or incline etc., and in my experience it changes back to power target at the start of each interval.
Thanks for the reply. Weird, I originally tried Indoor Cycling and it didn’t seem to control the trainer. In “Workout” Profile the ERG control is the range (e.g., if the range is 120 - 140, the power can fluctuate in that range), and not the mid-point, which is what I expected. Unfortunately, I don’t have the FIT file, as I was testing in my wife’s account.
How are you launching the workout? The same as I laid out?
So on my 1040’s home screen the “Training Plan” widget shows my scheduled workout for the day. I tap it and click “Ride” and I think that’s equivalent to what you’re doing. It’s weird actually, a lot of previous outdoor workouts from TrainerRoad synced and show up under “Workouts” but today’s is not there.
I don’t think the profile (ride, indoor, etc) on Garmin matters - I think those are just so you can have easy access to different screens, and pre-define what sensors are available. For example, “indoor” has GPS switched off by default. Afaik you can make other profiles too.
Have you checked that in the profile you pick (eg indoor), the trainer shows up as connected? Stupidly the trainer isn’t among the sensors, there’s some other place to connect the trainer. Also check what is connected as the power meter.
I can’t help with the power drops, I get those too on (Join) workouts synced from TP - it must do something to the workouts. I’m not sure about the power range thing - the workouts I use atm (from Join) have a range, but erg mode puts the power in the middle. The range then just defines the green/red zones for meeting the power requierement (which in erg mode doesn’t matter). Maybe you’re not in erg?
The trainer is connect as a trainer via ANT+ - I verified this - and that it is in ERG mode. For the test workout, the SB20 is automatically changing power ranges to match the programmed workout, so it appears to be sort of working. But the fact that power is being controlled to a range is odd
Maybe that’s how your wife’s coach created the workout? Since I have switched to JOIN workouts have a range (like TR’S outside workouts) and I like it. If you feel good you can go a bit harder, if you are having an off day you can back off a little without ending in the ERG spiral of death
