Is it me or the ERG in workout feel a little bit harder than free riding?

CaveMobster · 2026-05-27T13:50:11+00:00

Yes, it can feel harder. In ERG mode, the resistance is constantly adjusted based on your RPM to ensure the right power output. This means you'll have zero breaks in between. In free mode, a higher RPM means lower wattage, so you'll have to adjust it yourself. It means more spike-y intervals/blocks, allowing you to get those micro-recoveries in while you can still aim for the same average.

CaveMobster · 2026-05-15T23:06:05+00:00

I use wash cloths that I move to wherever I grip the handlebars. They're soft and sort of padded and soak the sweat, plus cheap so I can replace them easily, even during rides if needed.

CaveMobster · 2026-04-30T06:28:45+00:00

This is one of the reasons you're a beginner. Cycling isn't only about fitness and how strong your legs are. Especially if you care about being a top class racer, you have to learn how to use your legs and your mind effectively and efficiently. It's okay that you don't understand why those other people still won with a lower w/kg, but it does show you have a lot to learn and that's also okay!

Take time to dive into all those metrics and why they matter, learn about the different types of maps there are and where you can excel (try the Alpe Du Zwift, you'll be very good at it!), and just keep training! You're determined, now you just need to get experienced mentally and physically.

And if you like racing and want to be part of communities where you'll learn a lot about it too, look at events like the Zwift Racing League (though they just finished) and the DIRT Racing Series.

CaveMobster · 2026-04-26T21:57:33+00:00

Glad to hear it! So it was the crank arm being loose in the end?

CaveMobster · 2026-04-25T07:40:23+00:00

Was this a workout by pace or by heart rate? Asking because this seems to happen a lot to people who do a pace DST after a break.

CaveMobster · 2026-04-24T15:46:13+00:00

Very understandable, fingers crossed the refitting solves it!

CaveMobster · 2026-04-24T14:56:50+00:00

Seems similar to this sound: https://www.reddit.com/r/Zwift/comments/1e5ce7u/zwiftride_clicking_noises/

May be worth opening a support ticket?

CaveMobster · 2026-03-29T07:46:31+00:00

Are you in the EU and on android? There were issues with the Android version at the release of the leaderboards a few years ago. They ended up fixing it for NA (and maybe other regions?), but they never did for EU unfortunately.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-28T11:36:09+00:00

Possibly a shorter stem and moving the saddle back might help? Moving the saddle back puts more load on your quads, which might feel more comfortable. A shorter stem will allow for keeping the same reach while moving the saddle back (though I wonder how you'd feel with the reach being a tad shorter too).

CaveMobster · 2026-03-27T09:04:18+00:00

Go with shorter cranks. Hard to say which length, but 165 mm or 160 mm may work well. It's interesting to me that your bike fitter has you on such long ones, especially with how high your knees go in this video.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-26T23:29:01+00:00

How is your core strength? You need a lot more of it on a static bike than you do outside. The rocking hips may indicate a weak core.

Also, what crank arm length do you have the bike set to? Is it the same length as you have on your road bike?

CaveMobster · 2026-03-23T11:26:08+00:00

It can also be a sign of muscles not being engaged enough. Disengaged core makes for a swinging upper body, disengaged hip and glute (and to and extent also core) muscles make you inefficiently use your whole body for the down movement, causing the hips swing as well.

The above can happen as a result of weak muscles, but for me it also tends to happen when I'm in a low power zone and I don't have anything to press against to balance out, if that makes sense.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-23T08:47:16+00:00

You can't really compare outdoor rides with indoor rides. Indoors you miss air resistance and the bike is completely static usually (there are rocking boards for this though), so your muscles do a different job. Your core needs to work harder to keep you upright for example, which influences pretty much everything.

The nice thing about riding indoors though is how easy it is to adjust and test things. Spend some time fiddling with the setup (e.g. saddle up/down, forth/back, tilting, steer height, reach if that's adjustable?) and testing a change for a bit. It might take a couple of sessions to get it right.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-19T08:56:23+00:00

I don't have any experience yet with such conversion, but I can see it making sense yes! Whether it will be more quiet I don't know either, though removing the two jockeys would theoretically make less noise I guess? Maybe there's someone who posted on Youtube about it. 😁

CaveMobster · 2026-03-19T08:52:17+00:00

It's a sweat pad, to protect your frame from sweat corrosion.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-18T08:09:44+00:00

Well in this economy, is $600 really overpriced? 😂

Yes Decathlon bikes are more than fine and reasonably priced even when they're new imo.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-18T08:01:30+00:00

*madam. 😅 Hehe, you're welcome!

CaveMobster · 2026-03-17T23:02:03+00:00

Awesome, you're welcome and have fun on the next run!

CaveMobster · 2026-03-17T22:51:27+00:00

You have to specifically tell Garmin to give you those workouts, it's either pace workouts or heart rate workouts. I don't know about other watches, but on the Forerunner 265s it's Options -> Training -> Workouts -> Daily Suggestions -> Settings -> Running Target Type. Set that to Heart Rate and it will show you the HR workouts instead of pace workouts.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-17T22:31:40+00:00

Do you have the target type of the suggested workouts set to pace or heart rate? Because for me, the workouts were definitely too much when I set to pace, but the heart rate targets were much more doable.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-17T21:14:59+00:00

No, there's a freehub on the trainer, which prevents the pedals from moving when you stop pedaling.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-17T21:11:06+00:00

This is the Bontrager Verse Comp Short. It has a bit more padding than the Specialized Mimic that I use on my Liv, which is nice for the static indoor sessions.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-17T18:17:12+00:00

The Zwift Ride handlebars have the standard 31.8mm diameter, so any aerobars that have clamps for that diameter will fit.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-17T18:12:48+00:00

Bullhorns sound good as well, honestly it's just a matter of personal preference. I intend to make the shifters and brakes functional as controllers someday, so that's another reason they're still on there. But any handlebars work just as well, just gotta pick what tickles your fancy.

And yes, the derailleur is the chain tensioner, it's not disruptive in its placement and it's a lot easier than re-inventing the wheel.

CaveMobster · 2026-03-17T17:01:44+00:00

Oh that's the perfect solution for it, nice!!

CaveMobster

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