Zwift ramp test erg mode on or off

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So i have done my ramp test on zwift with erg mode on and at the 360 watts point my trainer becomes very hard to rotate I mean it adds resistance and because of that i can’t pedal and go through spiral of death so am i doing the tesr right with erg mode on because people says that use erg mode for ramp test on zwift because turning the erg mode off will be easy or I don’t know what will happen because if turning off erg mode will be easy than doing test sill increase my ftp but i guess it will not be accurate so guy’s what is the best method for ramp test any suggestions or this thing happened with somebody please share your thoughts and guide me

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Please do reply if you know anything

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You can choose to use ERG mode and you will hit a failure point.

You can also chose to turn ERG off, but then you are directly responsible to shift and adjust your cadence to hit the power target for each step in the ramp test.

Either works and is purely down to personal preference. If you don’t like ERG mode use, then switch it off and stick with manual shifting. There is no magic or hidden control here. But whatever method you choose to use, stick with that. Keep all your future tests the same so you have consistent and comparable results.

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If you are doing the TrainerRoad ramp test I recommend just doing it in TrainerRoad and disabling Zwift. And yes, do it in erg mode to give the clearest results.

If this is a question about the Zwift ramp test you should direct those questions to Zwift.

For help with the broken period key on your keyboard, please speak to your computer’s manufacturer.

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Higher cadence 100rpm good, 110rpm better, and a bigger gear (i.e big ring, small sprocket) both help prevent spiral of death when in ERG mode.

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I’ve always heard that using the big ring and small sprocket means you are getting assistance from the trainer as the flywheel speed is much higher. I’m a convert to small ring, middle of the block for all ERG mode stuff as it’s a, harder, b, cheaper to replace the inner ring if you do loads of turbo stuff.

If the resistance is so hard that you can’t turn the pedals, that’s the end of your ramp test isn’t it?

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Easier / Harder are problematic IMO when there is no hard data on it and people have had very different RPE and feel between higher & lower flywheel speed (via gearing).

What I try to boil it down to is that people should test in gearing similar to what they plan to use in training on the trainer. Plenty of people use a range of gearing for their own reasons which is great. But using widely different gear in testing vs training may lead to issues IMO.

Just like my trainer mode suggestion, pick one that is what you plan to use most of the time, but using other ones on occasion can be done for many good reasons.

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So i usually use the big ring in front and in back bit more in middle but as the resistance gets hard the trainer will go to spiral of death so i guess i will have to try with lowering the gear a bit more and try to keep a cadence more than 85 but this is a case if you are using erg mode that’s why i ask you guy’s should i use erg mode or not?

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The whole point of the ramp test is that you keep going until you can’t. In ERG mode, if you change gear the trainer will just make you do the watts but in a different gear. You should IMO use ERG mode

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You should use erg mode …

… and punctuation.

:grin:

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  • Gearing is not likely your problem.
  • Broken record… “Test like you plan to train (and race)”. Meaning, if roughly 85rpm is what you use outside for similar efforts, use that cadence for those efforts inside (no matter which mode you use).
  • And we can’t really answer that for you. Some people love ERG, others hate it. There are good reasons to use any of the modes and the best person to tell you what to use… is you. You need to try the various modes and pick what you like.

ERG mode works well and is what I use 90% of the time. But I know how it works and make the most from it, after having used all the other modes to evaluate them and make my selection. Nothing beats your own experience here since this is a highly preferential choice.

Forced to make a recommendation, and in light of your other posts, I get a feeling that ERG mode may not be the best choice for you.

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Okay BTW i am new to this platform i have to tell that this platform really helped me alot for all my doubts,my questions and all so thank you everyone for replying and helping everyone it really helped

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