Team BKool CycleChat

[LBHIFI]

I think on the pro it really depends on the slope. Below a few percent you can still power into the slope but more than about 4% its wasted power and you slow to 4mph or so. Sounds like it's even worse with the kickr though. I did notice LB overtake me going into a climb on Thursday before he almost went over the handlebars as he sharply stopped just meters ahead of me. For some reason he was able to go just that little bit further than me before the anchors got slammed on. Possibly he was just going faster at the time.

As the session progressed I found myself riding more like I would do in the real world.
If there was a small foreseeable hill I would really put the power on up, knowing I could get a little break on the other side of the hill. Of course that was also the case before, but it is now much more realistic, and I really have to push hard all the way to the top (and a little longer actually).

If it looked like a longer hill I would not put on the same kind of power going into it, and that is a major difference compared to the old firmware/software, and much more like I would do in the real world.

One thing that still doesn't work for me is the downhills. Before I couldn't accelerate to more than 70 kph. I can do that now but it is a total waste of energy, since the second I stop pushing it will plummet to the designated speed.

 

[MacLehose]

Does BKool still have issues with downhill simulation when using non-BKool trainers? I noted a few posts on the forum, as well as a few reviews on websites, back in late 2015 that you had to spin really quickly to go downhill; you couldn't just "roll" down hill. Has that been fixed since? (Sorry if it's a repeat question; I am sure the answer is somewhere on this thread, but with 1355 pages and counting....)

 

[bobinski]

You went by the top of White Lane, one of the top 100. Also you went past my manor using Layhams Road .

If you see a mamoth riding a GT Grade that will probaby me if you are in the area again

I will keep a look out
I did set a nice PB up Hesiers which as you know is a nasty sharp climb of up to 19%. I normally hit it at speed on the downhill ala old Bkool
but a failed front brake meant I just rolled into it., then I had to slow near the top as other cyclists came blazing down. Nearer 300 watts so 6mph. Lowish HR too. I put that effort down to Bkool.

 

[CXRAndy]

Does BKool still have issues with downhill simulation when using non-BKool trainers? I noted a few posts on the forum, as well as a few reviews on websites, back in late 2015 that you had to spin really quickly to go downhill; you couldn't just "roll" down hill. Has that been fixed since? (Sorry if it's a repeat question; I am sure the answer is somewhere on this thread, but with 1355 pages and counting....)

We're all asleep, except for the odd night owl. Are you in a different time zone? Bkool does still have a little more work to do, but it is improving. The problem seems to be the significant difference between trainers. The main issue now is the sudden collapse of speed when coming off a descent into an incline, speed keeps going down despite more power being applied, it then builds back up to your climbing speed. If they could eliminate this sudden trough, which they will, eventually. In the meantime we have to devise methods to overcome this software bug.

At least Bkool corrected the Kickr slow acceleration issue in this latest upgrade and gave us all ERG mode

 

[CXRAndy]

Bing, light dawns..... I don't need to change crankset for hilly courses, just need to set ERG mode, it alters resistance to cadence I am running at that point

 

[bobinski]

Bing, light dawns..... I don't need to change crankset for hilly courses, just need to set ERG mode, it alters resistance to cadence I am running at that point

 

[Whorty]

What I've noticed with the update is that the 10% plus hills are not that much harder on the resistance (I guess there is a max resistance the equipment can apply), it's more that with the speed being lower you end up pushing up the hill for longer, thus sapping energy. So a 10% may once have taken 1 minute, but now it takes 5 minutes (for example).

As others have said though, much more like real life so as a tool for getting fit it's better. Just a shame that not everyone can update their machines.

 

[Soarerv8]

You went by the top of White Lane, one of the top 100. Also you went past my manor using Layhams Road .

If you see a mamoth riding a GT Grade that will probaby me if you are in the area again

I can see the conversation now "hello chunky gentleman, are you the boxers? No? Oh dear I am now going to cycle away embarrassed very quickly, bye bye!"

 

[Whorty]

Off for another attempt at session 5 if anyone feels like shouting abuse at someone

 

[bobinski]

I can see the conversation now "hello chunky gentleman, are you the boxers? No? Oh dear I am now going to cycle away embarrassed very quickly, bye bye!"

"hello chunky gentleman"!!
I will be saying "hello big boy" .... and hoping for the best!

 

[theboxers]

"hello chunky gentleman"!!
I will be saying "hello big boy" .... and hoping for the best!

 

[theboxers]

I can see the conversation now "hello chunky gentleman, are you the boxers? No? Oh dear I am now going to cycle away embarrassed very quickly, bye bye!"

I should be fairly easy to identify.
On the large / mammoth side...........Check
Riding a GT Grade........Check
Struggling / Walking up hills..........Check
Wearing Fat lad at the back kit......Check
Answers to the name ???????

There's not many people, my size, on bikes around here, too hilly .

 

[bobinski]

 

[bridgy]

@BILL S I've just had another go at stage 4 because my original attempt was post-firmware update but pre-software update (which we didn't know was on its way at the time!), and as a result I was getting extra speed on the flat. My time was nearly 4 minutes slower at 49.30 which proves the point!

So I don't know if you can delete my quicker time from the league and just leave today's time there instead as that would be fairest? Cheers.

 

[theboxers]

What I've noticed with the update is that the 10% plus hills are not that much harder on the resistance (I guess there is a max resistance the equipment can apply), it's more that with the speed being lower you end up pushing up the hill for longer, thus sapping energy. So a 10% may once have taken 1 minute, but now it takes 5 minutes (for example).

As others have said though, much more like real life so as a tool for getting fit it's better. Just a shame that not everyone can update their machines.

That's my experience but at 5-6%. You can get a higher resistance by going faster when the trainer max's out to you weight/gradient, @AAAC 76C has the maths and tech explanation on this somewhere. But generally I am @ max output by that point and can go no faster.

Greater than 6% and odd things happen. My wheel speed becomes the speed of my climbing, generally 6-8mph, often blue. Where the lighter riders will be slowing down to my speed, due to higher resistance and sw/fw adjustments, I can then stay with/close to them until the gradient goes lower than 7%. At which point their lower resistance allows a faster speed. bye bye.

I'm not complaining just hurting earlier and often longer.