Single Gear/Rouvy - What EBC Mode?

Support
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Hi All,

I’ve got a single speed bike.

I’m currently pushing all workouts to Rouvy (similar to Zwift).

I’ve just started out. What’s the best way to ‘teach’ the Xert model? Should I continue with workouts in Rouvy, or should I use the EBC App to control the trainer? I’m guessing EBC.

When using EBC App to control the trainer, can I experience breakthroughs and really teach Xert my capabilities with a SINGLE gear bike? If so, what’s the best way to do this? Stay in AUTO mode in EBC and just pedal away? Or something else?

Are there particular workouts that would be better suited to a Single speed bike?

Thanks

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Hi Ross, great question, and welcome to Xert!

You’re absolutely fine using a single-speed bike with Xert, especially when paired with a smart trainer. The only caveat is with Mixed Mode workouts, where AUTO mode in EBC switches between ERG (resistance controlled for you) and SLOPE mode (you use gears and cadence to hit targets). Since you don’t have gearing flexibility, SLOPE mode efforts can be tough to manage. Just steer clear of workouts that include the #mixedmode tag in the description and you’ll be good.

When it comes to “teaching” the Xert model your fitness - using the Xert EBC app is a great way to go, especially in AUTO mode with a smart trainer. For most of the workouts (minus those with the #MixedMode tag), the app will hold you at the right resistance for each interval, helping you hit targets consistently. Even with a single-speed bike, there are some specific workouts designed to bring you to failure using ERG mode, making it pretty straightforward to achieve a breakthrough.

That said, one thing to be mindful of is the “ERG spiral of death” - if cadence starts to drop during a hard interval, the trainer increases resistance to compensate, making it even harder to finish the interval. Try keeping your cadence high to prevent that from happening. If it does happen, don’t worry - just pause momentarily, recover, and resume the workout.

If you’re looking for a Breakthrough workout that works well in full ERG/AUTO mode, check out Xert Fitness Test for Breakthroughs - Under Pressure (here) - it’s designed to bring you right to your limits entirely in ERG mode.

Hope this helps! Let us know how your setup evolves - and feel free to share your experience with workouts (& Breakthroughs) on the single speed setup!

2 Likes
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Thanks you Scott @ManofSteele .

I will have a a lot of questions! Grateful fir your advice. :slight_smile:

WorkOut Types

First is, when you say avoid “Mixed Mode” workouts, do you mean: ‘Specificity = Mixed’?

I cannot see anyway to search for a workout that avoids “Mixed mode" as I cannot see it as an option. I also rarely see a hash-tagged reference in any workout notes.

Where are the hash tags**?**.

Gears?

Secondly, am I better using a bike with gears, is it something worth investing £££’s in**?** Or can you benefit sufficiently with a single gear bike, just trying to understand how Xert is best utilised.

Android EBC

Today I used Android EBC for the first time. I did “Smart Higher 30”. I kept the EBC on AUTO, however, it was exactly like when I load a workout into Rouvy. For the first difficult interval I could not surpass the Wattage requirement, as the ERG just adapts to my peddling.

So I switched to SLOPE mode 5 seconds before each interval, with a 1 degree slop. The result was i was actually able to demonstrate what power I could put out. I then got a breakthrough.

So did I do the right thing or the wrong thing by switching to SLOPE**?
**
Here is SMART Higher 30 run using EBC with each Interval (except the first) in SLOPE mode.

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Here is my Previous Workout - Xert Test for Breakthrough, this workout was loaded into and run only from Rouvy. I could not achieve a breakthrough, as peddling hard in ERG mode just resulted in the trainer adapting to my peddling and maintaining the same power output.

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I would be grateful for your thoughts.

STRAVA

I ran the workout on both my Android EBC and Rouvy. It looks like STRAVA has only recorded my Rouvy information.

Is this the correct thing to do run the workout in both Rouvy and EBC (with EBC as the only controller**?**

Note, STAVA doesn’t show a duplicate, Xert Activities doesn’t show a duplicate, though in my Xert Planner it does show a duplicate - shall I just leave it**?**

Strava:

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Xert Activities Tab:

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Xert Planner:

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Is this ok?

Name of Workouts

Why does Xert rename the training session? See the STRAVE information above. STRAVA records the actual workout name “SMART - Higher - 30” whereas Xert renames it to “Difficult Mixed Pursuiter Ride”?

Heart Monitor/Connections

I had my Wahoo Kickr Core connected to both Rouvy and Xert EBC. The one difference being EBC was selected as controller.

My Heart Rate Monitor, Polar H9, I believe only has one bluetooth channel, yet I was able to get heart rate on both Rouvy and Xert - EBC - I’m not sure how? Or is Xert getting my information from Rouvy and that is what is recorded in my Xert Activities**?
**
Sorry for all the questions, grateful for your help

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Above post updated after using EBC today.

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My understanding from this is that slope means you control the slope and mixed mode means the workout controls the slope. What Trainer Modes Are Available in Xert’s Workout Players? – Xert

Specificity relates to how you do the work. Specificity Rating – Xert

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Mixed Mode workouts is not the same thing as Mixed Specificity.

You cannot search specifically for workouts without a Mixed Mode tag, but in the list of workouts you can see which workouts have this tag.

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Your experience with ERG is exactly how it’s designed to work. The trainer is keeping the resistance at a fixed power regardless how fast you peddle. It’s not possible to get a breakthrough unless the workout is designed to generate a breakthrough.

In SLOPE mode it’s up to you to keep the power in the same range as the workout is prescribing. This is done with the combination of gear selection, cadence and the incline of the slope.

In AUTO the EBC app automatically changes between ERG and SLOPE according to the steps in the workout. Workouts that automatically changes between ERG and SLOPE is tagged with Mixed Mode.

If you select a workout without Mixed Mode tag and keep the EBC on AUTO the workout will usually use ERG mode.

TL;DR; If you want to follow the workouts prescribed wattage to a T you should select AUTO/ERG. If you want to surpass the workouts wattage to i.e. get a breakthrough select SLOPE.

3 Likes
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Thanks very much - this is super helpful.

I will try and find some MixedMode workouts and see how they work when left in AUTO mode on the EBC. Disappointing you canot search for them, but will do what I can.

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STRAVA

I ran the workout on both my Android EBC and Rouvy. It looks like STRAVA has only recorded my Rouvy information.

Is this the correct thing to do run the workout in both Rouvy and EBC (with EBC as the only controller**?**

Note, STAVA doesn’t show a duplicate, Xert Activities doesn’t show a duplicate, though in my Xert Planner it does show a duplicate - shall I just leave it**?**

Strava:

image

image1224×180 17.5 KB

Xert Activities Tab:

image

image1668×627 102 KB

Xert Planner:

image

image447×482 45.5 KB

Is this ok?

Name of Workouts

Why does Xert rename the training session? See the STRAVE information above. STRAVA records the actual workout name “SMART - Higher - 30” whereas Xert renames it to “Difficult Mixed Pursuiter Ride”?

Heart Monitor/Connections

I had my Wahoo Kickr Core connected to both Rouvy and Xert EBC. The one difference being EBC was selected as controller.

My Heart Rate Monitor, Polar H9, I believe only has one bluetooth channel, yet I was able to get heart rate on both Rouvy and Xert - EBC - I’m not sure how? Or is Xert getting my information from Rouvy and that is what is recorded in my Xert Activities**?
**
———————————————————————————————————-

Any view on these items, still much appreciated.

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Strava detects duplicates - whichever file was received by Strava first will be the only file kept there. FWIW, when I dual-record my rides, I’ll only actually save one of the rides & discard the other. For example, discard the EBC version and keep the Rouvy version to get the virtual elevation and speed/distance from Rouvy. This generally helps me avoid issues with duplicate files for the same activity.

Yes, that’s the way I prefer to run all my workouts - I let Xert EBC control my trainer and whatever virtual app I’m using will only passively ‘listen’ to the power data from my power meter.

The planned workout will expire at the end of the day, so you can leave it if you want, or you can choose to delete the Planned workout yourself once you’ve finished it. We have some improvements planned to make it easier to match planned to completed workouts.

We default to using the Strava title (if syncing from Strava) or the workout title if the activity is saved from the Xert EBC app. Other activities imported to Xert will be assigned a name based on the Difficulty Rating, Specificity, & Focus Rating (e.g. Difficult Polar Rouleur).

IIRC, some Wahoo devices can rebroadcast ANT+ HR data in the data stream with the trainer, which might explain how HR is in both places. You’d need to look closely at the file saved from EBC & the file saved from Rouvy to determine if both have the data.

1 Like
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Thanks for this , much appreciated.

Two follow ups if you don’t mind.

Naming of Training Sessions: Strava has retained the original Workout Name, yet Xert gives it a new name.

STRAVA

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XERT

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These are the same workouts, Strava has the original workout name, yet Xert saves it with a new name.

HR Rebroadcast: No idea what happened but that first time, when I had both my laptop and EBC Android connected via Bluetooth to Polar H9, but that promptly stopped the next time! Just an FYI.

Thanks for the help

11

Hum, why don’t you use the virtual shifting on Rouvy ? You need a Zwift Click device, and you’re good to go. Rouvy also has a “slope control workout”, so you can adjust the slope to your taste, and follow the workout on your Xert app.

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Thank you. But as the workout would be controlled by the EBC on my phone, that unfortunately would not work

Cheers