Coming back to this older Forum topic. I just switched from a 2018 Kickr to a Tacx2 Neo. Does anyone have good solutions for this issue? I was doing a workout like Charing and wanting to go from pretty ez (125 watts) to a 20 second sprint and found myself running out of gears around 700 watts. If I move the resistance slider up more than 15, it won’t let me spin easy. Any solutions or suggestions?
What gearing are you normally using (could be worth listing your “easy” and “hard” options) so we know your baseline.
What exact Resistance & setting are you using in the TR app?
Thanks Chad. I’m running a 44/58 in the front and 11/28 in the back. Resistance setting in TR was at 16 and my Quarq was paired and calibrated. Neo 2 was also paired with power match on the “new” setting. I went from one my easiest gearing all the way up to my hardest during the 20 second sprint and was spinning at 100 RPM with power only at 700 or so. I could certainly move the resistance setting higher than 16 but then it wouldn’t allow me to pedal at anything much less than 150 watts and that’d still be at a 60 rpm.
OK, with your taller front chainring setup, things are different than most people with a more common 50/34 setup. That higher “low” gear is part of your issue, along with the linear curve of the Resistance setting.
I tend to run my Neo in the 20-30% range whenever I run Resistance mode. With my 50/34, I am able to hit highs and lows with a front chainring swap and fine tuning on the rear.
In your case, even your low is rather tall and may be the reason you need to run a lower Resistance setting. Because of that, and the fact that there’s no access to a Standard/Level mode for the Neo in TR, I don’t think there is an easy answer. Using the max range of your gearing is needed, and it may well take adding in Resistance setting adjustment along with that, for some workouts at least.
About the next thing I can envision is doing “outside workouts” via a head unit, along with a simulation like Zwift, RGT, Rouvy or any other that offers a Simulation setting. Those tend to be more progressive in resistance curve, and don’t suffer from the flatness of a Resistance setting. More work and setup unfortunately, but it’s about all I know as I’ve heard others use those methods to get around the Resistance characteristics.
Interesting (and unfortunate!). I’m a triathlete so its somewhat uncommon for me to do sprinting, but it’d be nice to occasionally have. Garmin offered to replace my Tacx but from what you write, it doesn’t seem like this is an issue with my trainer. Would you agree or could it be possible the trainer isn’t quite right? I’m curious how it’d work if I put my road bike on it which has a smaller chainring. Much appreciated in your thoughts and timely replies! 
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- That is impossible to say with the limited info shared. I would expect that Garmin might have some testing they’d have you perform in order to assess the trainer before offering a replacement. But maybe that’s not how they handle it?
- That would be worthwhile as a test if it’s not a hassle to install. One variable though might be whether you have a power meter on that roadie. Could alter the power data a bit, but the overall function of the trainer in Resistance mode to see how the gearing impacts your results. So I’d give this a shot at the very least and see what happens.
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I did a chat with Garmin while on my ride earlier and all they asked was whether I had the most current firmware. They then offered a replacement. No more questions or testing. It was a bit odd. But before doing that, I will try the road bike (I also have a Quarq on it and it runs very similar to my TT bike) and report back 
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In-between solution:
@trbeyond you could try to set your Neo to a certain slope via Tacx Training app (free) or your heading unit, while still running TR to see the workout. Pair your Quarq PM as the power source in TR (don’t pair the Neo with TR).
Slope mode should have a more progressive resistance curve. Play around with the gradient to find the one that offers enough spread between easy and hard for your gearing.
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This is exactly what I did for a workout this morning. Totally fixed the issue. The slope mode via the Tacx app is so much better than resistance mode via the TR app. You’d think TR could integrate into their platform but perhaps not enough others have the issue. Thanks for your help!
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