Bkool - issues and ideas - what do you want to tell Bkool?

[Paulf1566]

A better approach to achievements and rewards

More race information - not just limited to riders around you, rotating to other riders times and positions (especially friends).

Window in window view of other parts of race

More meaningful responses from Bkool

 

[GarethT]

Marketing; I bought the Bkool as a cheaper alternative to Tacx Bushido or Vortex to use with Zwift. Since my Bkool arrived, I've not used Zwift once, after a year of testing through their BETA.

A former club mate of mine, Eric Min, is the CEO of Zwift, and has nailed the marketing side of it in English speaking countries. By getting fan favourite professionals such as Jens Voigt, Tyler Phinney Laurens Ten Dam on board to promote at very large cycle show events and through the use of social media, they have raised their reputation quickly. They have over 600 people signed up tomorrow to ride with Team MTN-Quebeka and are the most popular VR software out there, despite offering far less than what Bkool does.

My friends take the piss out of me stating that Bkool are subsidising/sponsoring me as I'm waxing lyrical about them stating just how much more Bkool offers than Zwift. Their usual response is "Oh, I've not heard of Bkool". Need to make yourselves known at cycle events such as Rollapoluza, London Cycle show, and at event evenings at high-end bike shops such as Sigma Sport.

 

[gbrown]

No rickB, that is not it, the resistance can only be reduced to a minimum and could only be less if the trainer actually rolled by itself. What Bkool does is keep a minimum resistance, similar to the flats, and multiply the trainer speed to display a virtual speed which is much higher, even if you just use a few watts. The effect is that you seem to go much faster with less effort (although the actual bike wheel speed is the same). So the simulation is just on the software, to my understanding there is nothing that the trainer needs "to do" and thus Bkool's answer throwing the ball to tacx does not make much sense to me.

Spot on!

This is what I am struggling with, there seems to me to be no technical reason why the software simulation of virtual speed should not be the same for all trainers, especially smart resistance controlled trainers that have every capability the bkool pro has.

It can't have anything to do with the trainer, you could effectively climb off the trainer and the simulator should continue simulating descending at high speed (apart from the feature where it detects zero cadence and offers to end the session). To simulate a rider slowing to a halt while descending at more than -10% is a very poor simulation indeed!

They just don't seem to understand, or can't explain! I think they are confusing the issue with non-resistance controlled trainers where they cannot reduce the resistance of the trainer while simulating a descent (but could still simulate descending speeds), but this does not apply to the Wahoo KICKR and many other smart trainers.I repeat, these smart resistance controlled trainers have every capability the bkool pro has!

We need to get through to the technical people directly involved with the simulation algorithms.

It destroys the claim to support other smart trainers and ruins multi-player rides, withdrawing the major reason to pay for premium subscriptions.

In my opinion, if Bkool want to keep owners of other smart trainers paying for subscriptions they MUST fix this issue.

Geoff

 

[Lars_engstrum]

Totally agree with everything above. See my previous posts in main section.
Sadly now off to play some more with Cyclops vr on my vortex. Have a look.

 

[Neilsmith]

I'm still on my trial period and I like the software but using the Tacx Bushido and not having the decending option of the Bkool trainers makes me wonder if I need to look elsewhere with the Tacx. I have to push hard downhill just to keep from losing too much time on anybody on the Bkool, the problem with this is you can't recover on the downhill sections so over a full course you have pushed so hard on the downhill you pretty much have o ease off somewhere to recover

 

[Lars_engstrum]

Definitely urge you to checkout the cycleops vr software if you have an alternative trainer. Seems to run on pretty much all devices and after the 14 day premium trial you can pay in the week little euro
Let me know your findings.

 

[Insomina]

So I know I am am going to be shot down here and I know nothing about software etc but being devils advocate.
I would never expect BKOOl software to work on anything but BKOOL hardware. At least not that well.
Thats why I bought a BKOOL trainner as I wanted to use there software. As a business I guess that this is there aim. i.e. sell both areas - hardware and software and not really make 'others' work that well. Apple have done ok working like this i think?

Of course it would help if BKOOL software and hardware was a brilliant experiance (which its not).

 

[Neilsmith]

So I know I am am going to be shot down here and I know nothing about software etc but being devils advocate.
I would never expect BKOOl software to work on anything but BKOOL hardware. At least not that well.
Thats why I bought a BKOOL trainner as I wanted to use there software. As a business I guess that this is there aim. i.e. sell both areas - hardware and software and not really make 'others' work that well. Apple have done ok working like this i think?

Of course it would help if BKOOL software and hardware was a brilliant experiance (which its not).

I understand where your coming from but it will be the death of them long term as Zwift and others grow who are pushing there software not trainers because software will be where the big bucks are, they may think they can catch up but doesn't always work like that

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I understand where your coming from but it will be the death of them long term as Zwift and others grow who are pushing there software not trainers because software will be where the big bucks are, they may think they can catch up but doesn't always work like that

Zwift is lacking in Bkools variety but benefits from actual problem fixes and usability. Trainer Road has stuck to it's no-nonsense get it done training platform that doesn't really have a lot of features(it's really about quality of training and plans), but an awful lot of compatibility as with Zwift

I'm probably riding 5/7 days currently and honestly, I don't see an awful lot of non Bkool trainers listed on leader boards. The odd kickr and neo but mostly Vortex, even then not many.

 

[Insomina]

I sort of wonder if they set up to make a well priced trainner with a great bit of software, and then somewhere they felt they needed to make the software work with other trainners and have been distracted.
A well made (there have been issues it seems but mine has been sound) trainner and a cracking bit of software (its not yet) would mean you wouldn't need anything else and they could take the market place especially with newbies like me.
I think the business model is (was) sound. But time is running out and when customers have lost faith that is what will resonate in the market rather than the product.

After all I was the mug that bought a betamax.

 

[Lars_engstrum]

The man above knows the business model.
Just spectating the 're run of Wednesday and thought I would check out the flow of things.
Bkool is definitely having my card details revoked, it's just taking the yellow smelly P.
The way you guys are flying downhill is the way it should work. Have a look at the power traces of vortex compared to bkool, ridiculous.
I'll keep interested ish in the climbs though group rides and any course with any decline is a waste of time. It seems a real shame that the huge level of hands on research contained within this mighty forum have been totally ignored for the majority by bkool.
To the guy who wants it for bkoolers only.
Go and play with yourself.
Cheers me China's
Lars P. Engstrum

 

[Neilsmith]

I see Zwift doing all the right things at the moment if they add more variety as in Bkool and Tacx with their multiplayer format and get it right That would certainly push me in their direction

 

[Insomina]

To the guy who wants it for bkoolers only.
Go and play with yourself.

is that a pop at me 'me old china'

 

[Lars_engstrum]

Touche darling.
No offence meantime course, not my style.
The concensus is.

We would all like to ride together amidst a certain parity with our equipment.

Is that too much to ask Bkool?

 

[Insomina]

love you too

but if i owned BKOOL.
buy my trainner and i will give you the software and the hardware.

xx