# Sustain power without increasing cadence **URL:** \ **Category:** Training\ **Created:** [November 8, 2021, 2:01pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048 "2021-11-08T14:01:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MathieuT](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mathieut/32/12908_2.png) [@MathieuT](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/MathieuT)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2021, 2:01pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/1 "2021-11-08T14:01:10Z")
Hi all, Whenever I do a trainnerroad workout I seem to have problems sustaining the right amount of power even though I maintain my cadance or even increase it. I have set my trainerroad app on ERG mode so I don’t seem to understand why I’m always beneath to power treshold. It’s not because I can’t handle the power level that is suggested. Can anyone help me out ? Mathieu ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/original/3X/9/a/9a8b0b63968f5758cf66f1a4fe269c4804fb9617.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![MathieuT](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mathieut/32/12908_2.png) [@MathieuT](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/MathieuT)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/2 "2021-11-08T14:02:24Z")
Could I be something with my training device , the elite direto Xr? ---
**Author:** ![TomasIvarsson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/tomasivarsson/32/14045_2.png) [@TomasIvarsson](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/TomasIvarsson)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2021, 2:10pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/3 "2021-11-08T14:10:17Z")
That is likely, do you also use Powermatch? ---
**Author:** ![MathieuT](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mathieut/32/12908_2.png) [@MathieuT](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/MathieuT)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2021, 2:18pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/4 "2021-11-08T14:18:34Z")
I dont think my device supports powermatch as I don’t see it next to calibrate ---
**Author:** ![russell.r.sage](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/russell.r.sage/32/36157_2.png) [@russell.r.sage](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/russell.r.sage)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2021, 2:25pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/5 "2021-11-08T14:25:29Z")
I suspect the issue is that you haven’t figured out ERG yet. Do not pay attention to the power target, just pedal at a consistent cadence. It takes a bit of a leap of faith, but the issue is you are modulating your power trying to hit the target at the same time ERG is adjusting and you end up chasing your tail. Just pedal at a consistent 90 RPMs or whatever is comfortable and don’t look at power target. ---
**Author:** ![mcneese.chad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mcneese.chad/32/15056_2.png) [@mcneese.chad](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/mcneese.chad)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/6 "2021-11-08T14:37:49Z")
His cadence actually looks pretty good to me, at least based upon the minimal info we can gather from the screenshot. There is a very slight increase over the course of the full interval, but it’s far less than the problematic cadence variation we sometimes see. This might be worth sending to [support@trainerroad.com](mailto:support@trainerroad.com) so they can review the logs deeper. It may be a trainer related issue. I will say that the final interval is quite odd looking, and seems to show that shifting was used to hit the power spike while the cadence actually decreased with respect to earlier in that interval. ---
**Author:** ![MathieuT](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mathieut/32/12908_2.png) [@MathieuT](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/MathieuT)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2021, 2:43pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/7 "2021-11-08T14:43:11Z")
Last interval was indeed odd because I went full on that last 4 minutes. Because I didn’t emptied my resources like it was supposed to have been. I try to hold my cadance around 93-94 and at the end of each interval I indeed always increase to 95-96. ---
**Author:** ![mcneese.chad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mcneese.chad/32/15056_2.png) [@mcneese.chad](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/mcneese.chad)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2021, 2:46pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/8 "2021-11-08T14:46:09Z")
That minimal increase should not be a problem IMO. Some amount of fluctuation is normal, and a proper trainer setup should be able to handle that steady increase with no real issue. There seems to be something just a little off there, but I don’t know what, since your cadence seems fine from what I see. ---
**Author:** ![AlphaDogCycling](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/alphadogcycling/32/13863_2.png) [@AlphaDogCycling](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/AlphaDogCycling)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 2:44am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/9 "2021-11-09T02:44:20Z")
I’m going to ask the really dumb / obvious questions: - are you shifting gears during the intervals? - are you sure you are in ERG mode? If so, I don’t understand how your power is so much higher than the first recovery interval, nor how you spike your power at the end of the last interval ---
**Author:** ![rwieser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/rwieser/32/12893_2.png) [@rwieser](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/rwieser)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 3:16am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/10 "2021-11-09T03:16:09Z")
Another thing to check would be which gear you’re in. If you’re riding in a really easy gear then you might be near the resistance limit for your trainer? But that would only make sense if you shifted for that last interval 😕 I also have the Direto and use the middle of the cassette with the big ring at the front. No issues. ---
**Author:** ![Sdault](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/sdault/32/12908_2.png) [@Sdault](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Sdault)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 4:20am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/11 "2021-11-09T04:20:07Z")
Any chance you have multiple apps connected to your trainer? I have Zwift and TR open when I train and have only TR controlling the power unit. A couple of times I forgot to disconnect the control function in Zwift and I had similar fluctuations in power level in ERG mode due to competing signals from Zwift and TR. ---
**Author:** ![MathieuT](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mathieut/32/12908_2.png) [@MathieuT](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/MathieuT)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 9:40am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/12 "2021-11-09T09:40:09Z")
Only in the last interval I shifted gears. Think I shifted and couldn’t get a higher cadance then 100 while pushing more power. But rest of the intervals I never shift. ---
**Author:** ![MathieuT](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mathieut/32/12908_2.png) [@MathieuT](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/MathieuT)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 9:41am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/13 "2021-11-09T09:41:24Z")
I shifted last interval. So you suggest riding in different gear ? I’ll try it ---
**Author:** ![MathieuT](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mathieut/32/12908_2.png) [@MathieuT](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/MathieuT)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 9:42am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/sustain-power-without-increasing-cadence/65048/14 "2021-11-09T09:42:24Z")
Did not use any other apps. Maybe it is automatically connected to the elite app. Will check this out.