Nice....used my BikeErg to go from level 1 to level 35 in Zwift! I have a smart trainer but I prefer the Erg as it’s comfortable and smooth. I never thought of doing the FTP test since it’s a dumb trainer but maybe you’ve convinced me to try :). BTW, damper 4 is a tough start. You should try a 2 and just increase your cadence. The ERG really does well at creating power with cadence. I usually do my 225w wake up the leg intervals with damper 1 and spinning 105 rpm. Learn to spin the ERG and you will get bigger numbers :)
Wow! I'm only at level 18 moving on to 19! We don't have a smart trainer, but experimented with using the Bikeerg on Zwift and was floored by how quickly it connects to Zwift and virtually zero drop in connection. It also saves me from adding wear and tear on my bike drivetrain. So this video of my first ramp test was from several months ago before we started this training plan. I learned a lot from my many times doing a ramp test, and yes you're absolutely right when you said damper 4 is too hard to start off! Learned that the hard way! Thank you for watching!
Hello. I imagine that you can recommend to use the BikeErg from Concept2 for Zwift? The BikeErg does not have controlled resistance, is that a big con? What do you think?
Really helpful video. I purchased a BikeErg a couple of days ago and will likely use Zwift for the Ramp Test (on Zwift for running anyway). But interesting re Power v Cadence and Damper setting. Something I'll need to practise with no doubt. Thanks again
Hello. I am thinking about buying a Concept2 BikeErg. How is your experience so far? I read that the BikeErg does not has a controlled resistance. Is that a big con?
Keep at it I just recently started back on the concept 2 and struggled as it let my fitness drop but but being patient then by increasing my volume to around 100km a week can now sustain 200+ watts for 30 minutes In the above sets I do some sprints for about a minute then maintain my average for a couple of minutes before picking up the pace slightly again to also help work through toughening the mind
thanks for this Joy. I am also new to the BikeErg, Zwift, and working to Power in general. My road bike does not have a power meter so it is a foreign value to me and I also struggled with what damper setting to use. Also on a zwift workout today it wanted me to pedal at 110 rpm which I cannot even achieve in damper 1, or if I do it feels really out of control. Instead. My road cycling is generally around 70 rpm average. On the zwift workout, I focused on the power output and less on the rpms which I think is what you did as well. Maybe this will change as I build more fitness.
Hi Julie! I've had the bikeerg for over a year now and still Zwifting with it. I found that for me, the 7 damper is ideal for climbing out of the saddle and 6 damper is ideal for sprinting. Yes- it's impossible to spin at 110 rpms and keeping power low so I don't really pay attention to the cadence. If you want a cost effective power meter, you may want to check out Powerpod by Velocomp. Best of luck to you!
@@JoyJasonRides - thanks Joy. For my road riding, I have been focused on cadence and HR mostly as I have a bike computer that is connected to my HR strap, my cadence sensor, and my speed sensor. Strava displays a calculated power as part of the analytics. Do you think the direct power measurement is that much better on the road? I am working to power on the BikeErg. Do they seem to correlate for you or not really (level of effort for the same power on the road vs. on the Bike Erg)?. Today I did a Zwift Academy Aerobic Power workout. Strava put it at lower than my average relative effort. I'd disagree with that assessment. It felt higher than that.
@@juliecairn5494 The power meter will help you pace- I have mine set to give me a 5-second average power reading. My mountain bike doesn't have a power meter and Strava gave me 1000w power on a climb, which is clearly not accurate! But its estimated average power seem to be close to my actual. On another note, when I ride the road bike (with a power meter), I do feel like the power reading is close/similar to the bikeerg. Also, relative effort only takes your heart rate data, sometimes perceived exertion doesn't correlate with HR as I've seen in my experience. Try looking into your training load or intensity level as that might give you a better indication of the workout.
Zwift has NYC, Richmond, France, Paris, Innsbruck, and now Yumezi (Japan) maps. But these are virtual worlds. In France you can do the Mont Ventoux climb and in Watopia you can do Alpe du Zwift which is equivalent to Alpe d’Huez.
Hey there. Do you still use the concept or have you bought something else? Im using my concept but i am tempted by the other solutions where the feeling is closer to real life.
Hi! Unfortunately, I no longer use the bike erg. We swapped it out for the Wahoo indoor trainer as to maintain consistency and have that "closer to real life" feel as you mentioned.
Hi! Same here. I tried to use my concept for the zwift workouts but the lack of shifting etc. was just a pain to use. reaching down to manually adjust the wheel is just cumbersome. so i ordered a smarter bike too. Good luck with your trainings!@@JoyJasonRides
@@JoyJasonRides Yeah ive really enjoyed my wahoo kickr core. I really wanted to get the wahoo smart bike but for $5500 CAD its just a hard sell. I dont like having actual gears indoors because ive been starting to have mechanical issues so i decided to pick up a bike erg. I think perhaps ill just pedal on it and watch netflix instead of watching my zwift avatar
Great video, thanks! Possibly a dumb question but how do you get the bikeerg to respond to hills in Zwift? Is it just a case of constantly reaching down to adjust the damper to a resistance you feel is appropriate?
Sometimes I switch the damper to 7 or 8 so I can get off the saddle to put out power up hills. On sprints I adjust it to 6 so I can get my cadence up and put out power. Zwift will adjust your avatar riding up hills based on your power so you can potentially keep it at one damper setting the entire ride.
i'm just curious, how difficult is it to get your heart rate up on this thing? I tried a spin like a schwin ic4 bike, and you really gotta crank the resistance to get your heart rate up, unlike a real outdoor bike it is so easy to get heart rate up.it looks like that number under neath the heart symbol is your heart rate? going from 60-70
If you want your HR up on easy resistance you have to spin the pedals faster. The reason why it’s easier to get your HR up outside is because of changing terrain, temperature and riding outside just has different variables. Unfortunately, indoor riding is never going to simulate outdoor riding, but it’s a heck of a workout! Also my HR there is definitely higher than 60-70! Most likely 160-190- maybe you’re looking at my cadence? 60-70 is resting for me.
Hi! The concept2 is Bluetooth compatible. I’m not familiar with ifit or peloton ecosystem. As long as they connect via Bluetooth I don’t see a problem.
Hi Durval. Você precisará ter o Zwift aberto na tela "emparelhar dispositivos". Depois, pedale algumas vezes no seu bikeerg para "acordar" o monitor e pressione Menu. Eu sinto Muito. Não tenho certeza se minha tradução está correta.
@@durvalpalomo3713 Faça o download do software Zwift em zwift.com no seu computador. Você usará seu computador como um guia em diferentes exercícios. Você também pode baixar o aplicativo Zwift Companion na loja de aplicativos.
Nice....used my BikeErg to go from level 1 to level 35 in Zwift! I have a smart trainer but I prefer the Erg as it’s comfortable and smooth. I never thought of doing the FTP test since it’s a dumb trainer but maybe you’ve convinced me to try :). BTW, damper 4 is a tough start. You should try a 2 and just increase your cadence. The ERG really does well at creating power with cadence. I usually do my 225w wake up the leg intervals with damper 1 and spinning 105 rpm. Learn to spin the ERG and you will get bigger numbers :)
Wow! I'm only at level 18 moving on to 19! We don't have a smart trainer, but experimented with using the Bikeerg on Zwift and was floored by how quickly it connects to Zwift and virtually zero drop in connection. It also saves me from adding wear and tear on my bike drivetrain.
So this video of my first ramp test was from several months ago before we started this training plan. I learned a lot from my many times doing a ramp test, and yes you're absolutely right when you said damper 4 is too hard to start off! Learned that the hard way!
Thank you for watching!
Hello. I imagine that you can recommend to use the BikeErg from Concept2 for Zwift? The BikeErg does not have controlled resistance, is that a big con? What do you think?
Love my Concept 2 bike erg! Just got started on Zwift also. Thanks for the video!
Hi Megan! Enjoy the sweatfest! 😝
Megan, how are you finding the bike with Zwift ?
@@stuartcareless9550 Interested too!
Really helpful video. I purchased a BikeErg a couple of days ago and will likely use Zwift for the Ramp Test (on Zwift for running anyway). But interesting re Power v Cadence and Damper setting. Something I'll need to practise with no doubt. Thanks again
Hello. I am thinking about buying a Concept2 BikeErg. How is your experience so far? I read that the BikeErg does not has a controlled resistance. Is that a big con?
Thanks for this. Well done.
Keep at it
I just recently started back on the concept 2 and struggled as it let my fitness drop but but being patient then by increasing my volume to around 100km a week can now sustain 200+ watts for 30 minutes
In the above sets I do some sprints for about a minute then maintain my average for a couple of minutes before picking up the pace slightly again to also help work through toughening the mind
Great advice!
thanks for this Joy. I am also new to the BikeErg, Zwift, and working to Power in general. My road bike does not have a power meter so it is a foreign value to me and I also struggled with what damper setting to use. Also on a zwift workout today it wanted me to pedal at 110 rpm which I cannot even achieve in damper 1, or if I do it feels really out of control. Instead. My road cycling is generally around 70 rpm average. On the zwift workout, I focused on the power output and less on the rpms which I think is what you did as well. Maybe this will change as I build more fitness.
Hi Julie! I've had the bikeerg for over a year now and still Zwifting with it. I found that for me, the 7 damper is ideal for climbing out of the saddle and 6 damper is ideal for sprinting. Yes- it's impossible to spin at 110 rpms and keeping power low so I don't really pay attention to the cadence. If you want a cost effective power meter, you may want to check out Powerpod by Velocomp. Best of luck to you!
@@JoyJasonRides - thanks Joy. For my road riding, I have been focused on cadence and HR mostly as I have a bike computer that is connected to my HR strap, my cadence sensor, and my speed sensor. Strava displays a calculated power as part of the analytics. Do you think the direct power measurement is that much better on the road? I am working to power on the BikeErg. Do they seem to correlate for you or not really (level of effort for the same power on the road vs. on the Bike Erg)?. Today I did a Zwift Academy Aerobic Power workout. Strava put it at lower than my average relative effort. I'd disagree with that assessment. It felt higher than that.
@@juliecairn5494 The power meter will help you pace- I have mine set to give me a 5-second average power reading. My mountain bike doesn't have a power meter and Strava gave me 1000w power on a climb, which is clearly not accurate! But its estimated average power seem to be close to my actual. On another note, when I ride the road bike (with a power meter), I do feel like the power reading is close/similar to the bikeerg. Also, relative effort only takes your heart rate data, sometimes perceived exertion doesn't correlate with HR as I've seen in my experience. Try looking into your training load or intensity level as that might give you a better indication of the workout.
Does Zwift have real life routes? Would be nice to tour the world while training.
Zwift has NYC, Richmond, France, Paris, Innsbruck, and now Yumezi (Japan) maps. But these are virtual worlds. In France you can do the Mont Ventoux climb and in Watopia you can do Alpe du Zwift which is equivalent to Alpe d’Huez.
I just took my first one today. I"m sure I will do better next time.
You have to almost have a strategy/technique doing a ramp test. But the good news is the more you do it the better you get at it. Happy riding!
Hey there. Do you still use the concept or have you bought something else? Im using my concept but i am tempted by the other solutions where the feeling is closer to real life.
Hi! Unfortunately, I no longer use the bike erg. We swapped it out for the Wahoo indoor trainer as to maintain consistency and have that "closer to real life" feel as you mentioned.
Hi! Same here. I tried to use my concept for the zwift workouts but the lack of shifting etc. was just a pain to use. reaching down to manually adjust the wheel is just cumbersome. so i ordered a smarter bike too. Good luck with your trainings!@@JoyJasonRides
@@JoyJasonRides Yeah ive really enjoyed my wahoo kickr core. I really wanted to get the wahoo smart bike but for $5500 CAD its just a hard sell. I dont like having actual gears indoors because ive been starting to have mechanical issues so i decided to pick up a bike erg. I think perhaps ill just pedal on it and watch netflix instead of watching my zwift avatar
I have just got the same set up as you but I hadn't heard of this test before so maybe i will give it a go. It looks pretty brutal though :)
It's absolutely brutal. I have done at least 6 ramp tests after this first one and not one ever gets easy!
So what did they end up giving you for an ftp afterwards 170w?
Great video, thanks! Possibly a dumb question but how do you get the bikeerg to respond to hills in Zwift? Is it just a case of constantly reaching down to adjust the damper to a resistance you feel is appropriate?
Sometimes I switch the damper to 7 or 8 so I can get off the saddle to put out power up hills. On sprints I adjust it to 6 so I can get my cadence up and put out power. Zwift will adjust your avatar riding up hills based on your power so you can potentially keep it at one damper setting the entire ride.
@@JoyJasonRides Thanks Joy! Happy pedalling!
what kind of sensor that you used to connect to zwift?
The Concept2 monitor (PM5) has Bluetooth. Once you pedal it will connect to your device.
i'm just curious, how difficult is it to get your heart rate up on this thing? I tried a spin like a schwin ic4 bike, and you really gotta crank the resistance to get your heart rate up, unlike a real outdoor bike it is so easy to get heart rate up.it looks like that number under neath the heart symbol is your heart rate? going from 60-70
also, i'm 230lbs, can i right out of the saddle in this thing? like standing up.
If you want your HR up on easy resistance you have to spin the pedals faster. The reason why it’s easier to get your HR up outside is because of changing terrain, temperature and riding outside just has different variables. Unfortunately, indoor riding is never going to simulate outdoor riding, but it’s a heck of a workout! Also my HR there is definitely higher than 60-70! Most likely 160-190- maybe you’re looking at my cadence? 60-70 is resting for me.
Use a dumbbell on hand it will increase ur HR
My zwift not picking up the PM5 (bike) but the PM5 connects to my iPhone using ErgData... any tips?
Try pedaling to "wake" the PM5 monitor and press the Menu button.
can u mount your own bike saddle and pedals on the BikeErg?
Yes!
Can the concept 2 connect to other apps? Ifit, pelaton etc?
Hi! The concept2 is Bluetooth compatible. I’m not familiar with ifit or peloton ecosystem. As long as they connect via Bluetooth I don’t see a problem.
at least 80-100 cadence to offset lactic acid and knee strain
Como se conecta ?
Hi Durval. Você precisará ter o Zwift aberto na tela "emparelhar dispositivos". Depois, pedale algumas vezes no seu bikeerg para "acordar" o monitor e pressione Menu. Eu sinto Muito. Não tenho certeza se minha tradução está correta.
@@JoyJasonRides Yo tengo Bike erg pero debe comprar algo un aparato para Zwift ?
@@durvalpalomo3713 Faça o download do software Zwift em zwift.com no seu computador. Você usará seu computador como um guia em diferentes exercícios. Você também pode baixar o aplicativo Zwift Companion na loja de aplicativos.