Bkool FAQ

[Iridebikes]

Re- my above post. I managed to peel my Son from his Playstation and we got the trainer set up in the kitchen using Bluetooth and Aiplay on the Apple TV. All pretty good, VR a bit jittery, but only managed 2 miles in Sweden before my leg told me enough and I realised a fan is going to be needed.
I think I'll probably get another Apple TV, maybe the 4th gen in the hope Bkool make their app for it then I can forget the iPad. Anyone know if you can put the app on TV4 already?
I found the apple lightning/hdmi cable, but for £40 and apparently quite unreliable/breakable, Apple TV makes more long term sense. Besides which, the cable is actually a tiny streamer anyway, works like Apple TV airplay, not a straight through hdmi connection, so possibly wouldn't offer any increase in picture frame speed.

 

[CXRAndy]

Ditch everything apple, just buy a new laptop, + dongle hdmi lead and use a Samsung HD TV

Job done at fraction of price

 

[Gary67]

Hi
I’m new to the smart trainer,i have purchased a Bkool Pro to train and ride through the winter months when the weather will not let me get out and ride my bike.
What I would like to know is?(and I bet this has been answered and asked before). How and where do I turn off the real weather so I’m not Cycling in the dark all time?

 

[Paulf1566]

I have had a bkool pro for a few years but for various reasons I switched from the bsim to Zwift. I now have a spare non smart TV to pair up and thinking of having a permanent set up. Was debating getting a cheap laptop but watched YouTube video using Apple TV 4K and Zwift. However, would this work with a bkool pro as one is bluetoooth and one Ant+. Could be cheaper too.

 

[CXRAndy]

I have had a bkool pro for a few years but for various reasons I switched from the bsim to Zwift. I now have a spare non smart TV to pair up and thinking of having a permanent set up. Was debating getting a cheap laptop but watched YouTube video using Apple TV 4K and Zwift. However, would this work with a bkool pro as one is bluetoooth and one Ant+. Could be cheaper too.

From Menston? Lived there on Brooklands nr Fox n Hounds mid 70s to 80s

 

[Paulf1566]

Yes and we do live on Brooklands too!

 

[Bored Man]

Used to work 15 minutes from there up at Cookridge... my drive home to Keighley took me through those parts on occasion..

 

[CXRAndy]

Yes and we do live on Brooklands too!

Wow, small world! I used to play cricket next to the pub as a teenager. Do you know David Thackeray, he owns or did Mounsey newsagents in Otley? He was a big character in the cricket club. He must be getting on in age now.

 

[CXRAndy]

Used to work 15 minutes from there up at Cookridge... my drive home to Keighley took me through those parts on occasion..

Bought my first house in Keighley, young 20yr old. Gosh so many people in vicinity

 

[Bored Man]

Bought my first house in Keighley, young 20yr old. Gosh so many people in vicinity

I still have one there, up Long Lee area. We have family still in the village. I was fetched up in Thwaites Brow. Then went up market and bought a house in Haworth.

 

[Whorty]

Hi
I’m new to the smart trainer,i have purchased a Bkool Pro to train and ride through the winter months when the weather will not let me get out and ride my bike.
What I would like to know is?(and I bet this has been answered and asked before). How and where do I turn off the real weather so I’m not Cycling in the dark all time?

You have to do this in BSIM. Select your ride, but instead of going straight it to join ride, select 'Settings' and you will see the 'real weather' is set to on. Set it to off. Join the ride now. If you come out of settings and look at say the riders screen the settings for some reason goes back to default!

 

[CXRAndy]

I still have one there, up Long Lee area. We have family still in the village. I was fetched up in Thwaites Brow. Then went up market and bought a house in Haworth.

I lived off Devonshire Street near the top. Did you use to go into Brookes chippy and decorating opposite. I know Andrew Brookes and his dad. My mate was a manager there for years. He infact became my brother in law

 

[Bored Man]

I lived off Devonshire Street near the top. Did you use to go into Brookes chippy and decorating opposite. I know Andrew Brookes and his dad. My mate was a manager there for years. He infact became my brother in law

Aye, the family live or lived up Long Lee. He sold the chippy but kept the DIY shop.

I frequented a pub up that way, The Res on West Lane, many many moons ago...

 

[MasterDabber]

It's been around a year since I first got my hands (feet) on a Bkool Pro. Since then I've drifted away from using Bsim and ride mainly on BigRingVR and occasionally on VeloReality. Things have worked out well and I've had a lot of good use out of my first smart trainer. I can honestly say it's helped my climbing a lot and been particularly helpful in getting me both mentally and physically ready for my go at some serious climbing back in June in the Pyrenees.
In the early days with Bkool HW and SW I had a few questions regarding use and setup and I'd like to thank allof you here who helped me over the learning curve..... and wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a great 2018. Cheers folks.

 

[gbrown]

I have had a bkool pro for a few years but for various reasons I switched from the bsim to Zwift. I now have a spare non smart TV to pair up and thinking of having a permanent set up. Was debating getting a cheap laptop but watched YouTube video using Apple TV 4K and Zwift. However, would this work with a bkool pro as one is bluetoooth and one Ant+. Could be cheaper too.

Edit: Having read your other thread about Zwift Bluetooth and Bkool trainers I thought it worth posting it here for anyone else researching it.

One of the Zwift Facebook forums, sent me this so looks like not possible. https://zwiftinsider.com/bkool-ios/

As I understand it, Bluetooth support of the Bkool Pro is proprietary. Zwift have added bluetooth support for selected trainers, ones with open API's like the KICKR, so that they work on platforms like the Apple TV and iPhones. Bkool have not yet released their API so Zwift can't support them fully.

It is possible to get the information coming out of the Bkool Pro converted to bluetooth and into Zwift, but not yet possible to send anything back, so the Bkool Pro cannot be controlled to change resistance automatically. It is basically acting like a power meter, even though a pretty poor one (as it isn't actually a power meter and is not known for accurate estimates).

Theoretically it should be possible to bridge Zwifts bluetooth commmands to ANT+ F-EC open protocol commands. but I don't think anyone has done it yet!

Thanks,

Geoff

P.S. Any chance the chatter about Keighley could be deleted now, as this is a FAQ thread?