The class itself is the same — what changes is who controls your bike's resistance.
When ERG is OFF (Connected Ride)
You ride a Connected Ride — the bike sends power and RPM to the app, but you control resistance.
The Rider Dials show your target zone and target RPM for each interval.
You manually turn the resistance knob to match the target zone, and you pedal at the target RPM.
This is more hands-on and more like the classic studio cycling experience.
When ERG is ON
Your bike's resistance changes automatically to match the class profile zone by zone.
You only need to match the RPM.
If you manually nudge the resistance during an interval, your change only affects the current interval.
At the next zone, the resistance automatically adjusts again to follow the class plan.
This takes one variable off your plate so you can focus on cadence and form.
How to toggle ERG
On the join screen before a Studio Ride, tap Enable ERG. You can also toggle it from the in-class menu.
When ERG isn't available
Your bike must support ERG mode (most BLE FTMS smart bikes do; manual-resistance bikes like the Keiser M3i do not).
If your bike doesn't support ERG, the toggle has no effect and you ride a Connected Ride.