You can ride the StagesBike as a standalone bike with no additional applications or devices paired, or connect to devices and applications via Bluetooth or ANT+ to control resistance.
Manual mode is enabled any time there is no external controller sending commands to the bike. The StagesBike will default to manual mode:
Change gears using the shift buttons, or use the brake levers to create resistance during a ride. In Manual mode, gear changes (through the use of the shift buttons) affect the amount of resistance, and the gradient is a constant 2% at all times.
A connected application/device can send variables that result in different resistance levels to simulate riding factors such as:
Press the shift buttons to respond to changes in simulation, such as an increase in gradient, just as you would when riding outdoors.
Target power, or “Erg” mode, is another mode in which a connected application/device can use to control resistance. Erg mode controllers send a wattage value that the bike will attempt to maintain throughout a ride. The shifter buttons have no functionality in this mode—resistance is dependent on cadence and the controller device/application’s target power definition.
Level mode is the third mode a connected application/device can use to control resistance. In this mode, the controller connects to the bike to request a range of possible resistance and breaks that range up into equal steps. In this mode, shift buttons will control resistance similar to adjusting a resistance knob or dial.
The number of levels is up to the controller. It can define one level or many. The bike will produce the least amount of resistance when the level is the lowest, and 100% resistance at the maximum level.
To switch between control modes in the Stages Cycling app, select the icon in the top right corner of the StagesBike section to expand the control mode drop-down menu:
| Icon Key | |
|---|---|
| Icon | Control mode |
 |
External mode |
 |
Erg mode |
 |
Simulation mode |
To view ride data on the Stages Cycling app while using another app to control the bike, select External from the menu. The SB20 does not need to be set to external to work with another app – any app can pair to the bike and control it without selecting this mode, however, this mode is required if you are using the Stages Cycling app while another device is controlling the SB20.
