Team BKool CycleChat

[Whorty]

HI there, new here from Spain. I rode with you yesterday night just by chance, not a member of the league but it was a convenient time and distance. It was fun guys! One thing to notice, I agree with westmatix about the insane downhill speed that some of you guys with a Bkool trainer reach. I also ride a vortex smart, I didn't give it all out during downhills but I was going pretty fast and several riders that I had past earlier just removed my stickers. Now checking the data I see that they were pumping the same watts or less than me. So I think that there is a significant bias on the trainer used, I will ride with a gun and shoot anyone passing me downhill segments from now on! Hope to see you around some other time!

I'm afraid i was one of those leaving you in my wake on the downhills with my 'muscular' physique, gravity helps quite a bit on the downs, but plays havoc on the ups

 

[Whorty]

Well... it is not a simple as that, it depends on your speed and the watts that you are able to pump. Me, weighing 56 Kg and with FTP around 175watts, I cannot push the trainer beyond its braking power so going uphill 7% hurts and 10% hurts more. In my experience the trainer feels rather similar to the real world in terms of the effort it takes to climb unless you try to go Alpe d'Huez, tourmalet, etc. But I am shocked by the downhill sections, you guys run at 65-70Kph or more like nothing and I would never reach that in the real world except for a couple of seconds and only drifting after a while. In the trainer, I can barely keep 40kph on downhills. So I guess I'll stick to the guns plan.

Well that explains why i go past you on the downs ... I weigh 85kg, so that extra 20kg I carry makes a big difference on both the ups and downs! I need a lot more power on the ups to get anywhere near you, but on the downs I can probably freewheel faster than you can pedal Same happens when I race @theboxers who is a wee bit heavier than me - I can't get anywhere near his ghosts on the downs, I spin out but still he pulls away

 

[Gert Lush]

Hello! I've requested to join them all. My name on there is Michael Watkins.

... Also my name in real life! Who've guessed!?

Will it matter if I don't do well or anything? Or not participate every week?

Thanks

 

[Whorty]

Hello! I've requested to join them all. My name on there is Michael Watkins.

... Also my name in real life! Who've guessed!?

Will it matter if I don't do well or anything? Or not participate every week?

Thanks

The Moose contingent will be more than happy if you don't do too well

 

[RickB]

Hello! I've requested to join them all. My name on there is Michael Watkins.

... Also my name in real life! Who've guessed!?

Will it matter if I don't do well or anything? Or not participate every week?

Thanks

Just saw the emails with your requests to join. Will add you now. Welcome aboard.

Just join in and do what you can when you can

 

[Baldo Mero]

Well that explains why i go past you on the downs ... I weigh 85kg, so that extra 20kg I carry makes a big difference on both the ups and downs! I need a lot more power on the ups to get anywhere near you, but on the downs I can probably freewheel faster than you can pedal Same happens when I race @theboxers who is a wee bit heavier than me - I can't get anywhere near his ghosts on the downs, I spin out but still he pulls away

Damn, I guess I'll have to pick some rocks for the descents then. Anyway, do you guys riding the bkool pro feel that your speeds downhill are realistic? Obviously I have some disadvantage on the downhills but I usually manage to hold on descents with riders much heavier than I, I don't feel such a difference. My rankings on real world local strava segments are not too different to those going uphill, I think that in the real world the air resistance limits the speed very similarly despite the rider's weight (even more to larger riders) so that makes it very difficult to hold those speeds for long. I'll have to check because to me I don't feel much difference in the resistance between flats and downhill sections.I would have to sprint really hard to keep up with you.

 

[LBHIFI]

I was chasing Ricks ghost, but even during my intervals he pulled away. It looks like I go about 4 kph slower at the same watts on the straights.

Just had a thought...Rick, were you drafting on the Chain Gang straights? That could at least explain the speed difference.

 

[RickB]

Just had a thought...Rick, were you drafting on the Chain Gang straights? That could at least explain the speed difference.

Myself and Bill hooked up for part of it which certainly allowed me go drop the watts at times, but I don't think I was any faster because of it. Just allowed me to rest a bit.

 

[Alfonzo]

In the league rides, is there a way to have ghosts of other members attempts and still have the ride recognised as a league attempt?

Gets a bit lonely sometimes out there in the dark on those hills!

Thanks

So here's how I was able to get ghosts for the mountain goats league.

1. Go to the league's page where stages are listed. Each active stage should have a "copy" link in its upper right corner. It shows up in blue in my browser. Click on the link to create a league copy of the stage. Do not click the larger blue emblem on the lower right corner. That link will create a league ride you can't modify. I have *no* idea why they're different, just that they are are.

2. Head to your scheduled sessions and find the ride. Note that you may have more than one in your scheduled sessions. You have to find the one you just created. In theory it'll be near the top of the list of your scheduled rides since the "copy" link will schedule one for the current date.

3. Add ghosts & bots and hit the "Edit" button. You can also remove the splits that resync your ride somehow ultimately resulting in a shorter ride than expected, then some kind of adjustment from bkool after the ride is complete.

4. Ride


Sorry but I forgot who put this on here a couple weeks ago but I copied it so I could add ghosts to
chaingang rides as I can`t make Thursday evenings and still wanted some opponents to ride against.
(or lose to more like!!!!)

 

[GuySJ]

LB Rick Bill and all in the great speed v watts debate. I have recently weighed myself and rather embarrassed to say I am about 6KG heavier than I was in the spring!!!! yes 6.
However having changed my weight on BKOOL I can say this. It makes a MASSIVE difference to the speeds you can attain on the flat and downhill in the sim. Far more than in reality, likewise for uphill.
I ride with a diverse group on the road, old young fit, less so, and the reality is that of the fit people, or should I say the people who have been pushing themselves on the road for the last five years or so we all get up the hills at about the same rate and we can all keep up if someone is pushing on the front on the flat, rider weight has little to do with it, the bigger people naturally put out a few more watts and so on. The sim I think over compensates for weight a lot.
Never the less its all good fun and good training and now I'm fatter than I was! I will be much slower up the hills and much faster down them. I will still sweat like a
B@$^@£d and push myself as far as I want and have just as much fun doing it.
Bloody cold out this morning by the way

 

[BILL S]

Totally agree with you there Guy. In the real world weight makes much less difference. Sometimes it even helps to be a bit heavier if it means that you're fully loaded with energy rather than on diet type food to try ad keep weight down.

 

[RickB]

Anybody up for a Chaingang rerun at 5pm?

Will have to motivate myself to push today. Don't feel much like it currently.

 

[Neilsmith]

On the road it's about strength, power and a good set of lungs, weight only has a smaller part to play, not forgetting bike handling on descents, not one of my strongpoints.

 

[GuySJ]

Anybody up for a Chaingang rerun at 5pm?

Will have to motivate myself to push today. Don't feel much like it currently.

I'll be there. Been for a ride already today though

 

[theboxers]

Can't do the re-run today. Just frazzled my legs doing the last of my booted off league sessions, Wrynose and Hardknott. Time won't set the world on fire but I think I did ok

Normal service will now resume on the T100 league