I have used erg mode for almost all of my workouts for several years. However, I only recently noticed that there is a setting on my Kickr Core called Erg mode smoothing that presumably sends a rolling average of the power data to the software rather than second-by-second actual power. In terms of giving the adaptivity algorithms and the AI the “best” data to adapt training, does it matter whether smoothing is on or off? And it does, which is better?
The Wahoo ERG Mode Power smoothing = Evil 
IMO.
It is an overly aggressive level of smoothing used to trick our minds into thinking we make “perfect power” when the opposite is true. Just a poor feature that leads to false expectations by users.
With regards to TR and power data overall, I have to think the more “raw” power is best (without their smoothing enabled). It is the truer data that represents what you actually did more than an overly smoothed “summary”.
4 Likes
Use Wahoo app to turn it off.
I agree w what @mcneese.chad said; give it to TR raw. It’s much better that way.
Much more accurate.
Cool. I had switched it off anyway. I like seeing the actual spikes and troughs myself.
I also have it turned off, but it’s not as bad as some make it seems. It only sends more smooth data to the apps. It doesn’t change how the trainer works or how your muscles respond to ERG mode. As for more “raw” data to the TR app. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. Over the duration of an interval the differences will be minimal and it really doesn’t matter that you did 5s a couple of watts below and a couple of watts above targets.