Team BKool CycleChat
- Thread starter Peteaud
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Hazie
Active Member
- Location
- Cumbria, UK
Thankyou BillWelcome Hazie. You're now a member of them both. Hope your bkool arrives soon as you seem pretty keen
Sorry read it wrong to begin with Bill. Mines 3.2 you have to scroll down to where it says Ant+ information to se the trainer firmware number.Same for me. 2.32 also
Heads up all: I know there's been cadence problems with quite a few and I was speaking the Craig Harrison the USA rep form Bkool who has given the following info:
The cadence thing isn't usually hardware, BTW -- it was a firmware problem that is considerably better with the last update (v.3.6). If anyone with a black Pro trainer hasn't gotten a prompt to update their firmware in the past 2 months, they can check their firmware by going to settings in the simulator once it's paired to the trainer, scroll down to "About Bkool Indoor" and click on it. Under "ANT+ INFORMATION," it should show the trainer and a firmware version number. If it reads "0.0" just close and re-open "About Bkool Indoor" until it refreshes. If they have an older version, they should email info@bkool.com -- they can cc me at supportusa@bkool.com and I'll keep tabs on their response from here.
Unfortunately I'm on version 3.2 so mine isnt updating.
Another reason I sent mine back, they could not update my unit, even via remote access.
You really should get them to ring you and remote connect, or your gonna miss out on future updates. They can tell you in 2 minutes if it's faulty or not.
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Just discussing it with a rep now on facebook. He has suggested the following:
Try unplugging your trainer and turning off your computer. Then turn it back on, plug the trainer back in and log into the simulator. It usually takes a few minutes to get the prompt. Are you using the simulator on Mac, Windows or a tablet/iPad?
I'm using a windows laptop, with a use extension cable, so ant+ is few cm away. They tryed updating when they was connected to my system, but the bkool didn't wanna know, Hopefully new one will be better when it arrives. I also tryed what you mention above, but no prompt to update.
If the bkool is not prompting for update, that must be a hardware problem.
If the bkool is not prompting for update, that must be a hardware problem.
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Yeah... feeling left out, lol. quietly pleased with my stage times so far, although I've only ridden 2 stages.
I bought my Bkool over 18 months ago. It's a Classic, as at that time the Pro hadn't been released.
I've only ever had one firmware update, and it was so long ago I can't remember exactly when.
The cadence reading is, and always has been, in perfect agreement with my Garmin. I use the Garmin's sensor to supply data to both systems, so it can't really be different (or can it?). Bkool did include their own sensor in the package, but I've never used it.
I'm not clear on the supposed advantages a Pro provides. There doesn't seem to be anything on the site that is restricted to Pro users. The Classic is perfectly stable, the noise isn't loud enough to bother me and, while it's unwieldy to carry any distance, I can't imagine that the Pro is much better.
The only improvement I wish I had is that the arms didn't fall down when I take the bike out of the trainer. It makes a horrible noise when they hit the frame, and is very painful if a body part gets in the way. I believe the Pro has a different system which avoids this risk.
All in all, I get the impression that the Classic is less likely to malfunction as well as being over £100 cheaper. Maybe I'm losing out on something by not getting the updates, but I don't miss what I've never had.
I've only ever had one firmware update, and it was so long ago I can't remember exactly when.
The cadence reading is, and always has been, in perfect agreement with my Garmin. I use the Garmin's sensor to supply data to both systems, so it can't really be different (or can it?). Bkool did include their own sensor in the package, but I've never used it.
I'm not clear on the supposed advantages a Pro provides. There doesn't seem to be anything on the site that is restricted to Pro users. The Classic is perfectly stable, the noise isn't loud enough to bother me and, while it's unwieldy to carry any distance, I can't imagine that the Pro is much better.
The only improvement I wish I had is that the arms didn't fall down when I take the bike out of the trainer. It makes a horrible noise when they hit the frame, and is very painful if a body part gets in the way. I believe the Pro has a different system which avoids this risk.
All in all, I get the impression that the Classic is less likely to malfunction as well as being over £100 cheaper. Maybe I'm losing out on something by not getting the updates, but I don't miss what I've never had.
I've tried that too Monte but it still wouldn't update. Kipster even sent me a file which should update it direct from my pc but it still wouldn't do it, so I'm pretty sure that in that respect mine is a duffer. Not sure I'm willing to send it back to Wiggle or bkool and be without it for a month, but if I do it'll have to be before October as it'll be a year old then.
So is it confirmed that the garmin cadence sensors or any ant + cadence sensor will override what the bkool pro inbuilt cadence sensor is saying. As not sure if I should buy one even if my replacement bkool turns up working, as garmin could be more accurately
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yes, I had that confirmed that any Ant+ sensor will work - but if you can get the fimrware updated to 3.6 the cadence works quite well apparently (which is what some of us are trying to do now!)
Bill, I bought mine from Sigmasport and they let me hold on to mine til they got the replacement unit - then I sent the dodgy one back when I received the new one. Try them for that to see what they say.
I had a classic on trial last year and have to say it was more reliable than the pro and no real difference. The separate cadence sensor obviously worked better than the in built guesswork of the Pro model. the Pro is that bit quieter but the noise didnt really worry me either. I should have thought that you wouldn't need firmware updates if all works correctly at the minute. The Bsim software updates always have all the new features regardless of unit/firmware. Maybe there'll come a time when the software updates require a certain firmware but for now it doesnt seem to matter!
