Three new ERG settings let you decide how tightly the SB200 locks you to your target, and how much it feels like the road.

Stages Principle Firmware Engineer, Alonzo Marsh introduces SB200's three new ERG Mode options.

Traditional 'smart' trainers and bikes have featured ERG modes asking riders to compromise. You get perfect adherence to the workout file, but you give up some of the feel of riding a bike. Change your cadence and the resistance clamps down. Stand up and the bike fights you. The power graph looks beautiful, and the ride feels a little mechanical.

With the latest SB200 firmware, you no longer have to accept one answer to that trade. ERG mode now comes in three settings — More Controlled, Controlled and Less Controlled — so you can choose how much the bike does and how much you do.

WHY ERG "FEEL" MATTERS

Every ERG mode is balancing two jobs at once: holding your target wattage, and letting you ride like a cyclist. Power is a product of cadence and resistance, so every time your cadence changes, the bike has to change resistance to keep you on target. The faster and harder it reacts, the tighter your graph — and the more you feel the bike working against your natural rhythm.

The SB200 was built to feel like a real bike, and in sim mode that ride feel is a big part of what riders love about it. The new ERG settings let you bring as much or as little of that feel into structured training as you want.

THE THREE SETTINGS

More Controlled (default)

This is the most traditional ERG experience and the setting every SB200 ships with. The bike does most of the work to keep you at the target wattage. You can nudge power around a little with your cadence, but the bike reacts quickly to pull you back to the number on the screen.

It also limits how far you overshoot or undershoot when the target changes between intervals. If you jump hard on the ramp you can still go over, but the resistance will adjust quickly to settle you back on target.

Best for: Short intervals, VO2 max sets, and riders who want the closest possible match to the workout file.

The trade-off: Because the resistance is changing quickly, you'll feel it when you change cadence or move between sitting and standing. Of the three settings, this is the furthest from outdoor riding.

Controlled

Controlled splits the work between the bike and the rider. You have more say in how you pedal into an interval and how you accelerate or ease off during steady-state efforts, and the bike simulates more inertia as you speed up and slow down. When you accelerate, power rises more than it would in More Controlled — just like it does on the road.

That makes it a useful tool for interval starts: if you want to reach a target faster, pedal faster into the interval and let the natural jump in power get you there. During steady efforts, it "rolls" better when your pedal stroke and cadence aren't perfectly even.

Best for: Most structured workouts. It's a balance of steady targets and natural ride feel.

The trade-off: If you change your rpm, you'll overshoot and undershoot your targets more than in More Controlled, and your power graph will show more variation.

Less Controlled

This is the closest ERG gets to riding outside, with just a little help from the bike. Keep things steady and it looks and feels a lot like Controlled. But if you want to really get after an interval, there's more inertia in the resistance and power will ramp up with you.

On long steady efforts, Less Controlled leaves room for the rider input you get outdoors. Want to surge for a few seconds, or drop your cadence and push a bigger gear for a while? Go ahead. Power rises and falls naturally because the bike isn't trying to clamp you to an exact watt. It still adjusts the resistance — you just won't notice it as much. It's the ERG setting that feels most like the SB200's sim mode.

Best for: Endurance and tempo work, long threshold efforts, and riders who want ERG to feel like the road.

The trade-off: You're responsible for managing your effort. If you don't want to overshoot at target changes, you'll need to control your power yourself. And yes, your graph won't be as tidy as it is in the more controlled settings.

SB200 ERG MODE AT A GLANCE

WILL I ACTUALLY NOTICE A DIFFERENCE?

It depends on how you ride. If you hold a perfectly steady cadence through a workout, the three settings will produce very similar results. The differences show up when you ride the way most people really train: shifting cadence, standing on climbs, surging into intervals, settling into a rhythm on long efforts. That's when you'll feel More Controlled hold you tight, and Less Controlled let you move.

WHICH SETTING SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

• Doing 30/30s, 40/20s or VO2 max repeats? Stay with More Controlled. Short, sharp changes in target are where tight control pays off most.
• Following a typical structured plan with a mix of sweet spot, threshold and intervals? Try Controlled. It holds targets well without making every cadence change feel mechanical.
• Riding a long endurance or tempo session, or 2×20 at threshold? Give Less Controlled a go. You'll get the freedom to move around on the bike, and the effort will feel more like a long ride outside.
• Not sure? Start with the default and do the same workout once in each setting. You'll quickly find out which feel you prefer.

There's no wrong answer. Many riders will end up switching settings depending on the workout of the day.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR ERG SETTING

When connected to the SB200 in the Stages App, go to the Settings Menu and scrol down to the ERG Mode Selector. Pick one of the thre options: Less Controlled, Controlled, or More Controlled.

THE BOTTOM LINE

ERG mode no longer has to be a choice between hitting your numbers and enjoying the ride. With three settings on the SB200, you can lock in tight when the workout calls for precision, and give yourself room to ride when it doesn't. Update your firmware, try all three, and find the ERG that fits the way you train.