Team BKool CycleChat

[LBHIFI]

What a great race. Thanks for the big fight AAAC. You kept me going all the way. Was afraid that you would come back. I was riding on my limit and wouldnt be able to strike back if you came.
One of my best livesession performances ever :-)

I can't believe the kind of power you guys up front can output. I tried some 400 watt intervals on the BKool Pro the other day (my stupid Tacx Genius controller died on me), and I swear it feels like 500 watt on the Tacx. Amazing that you guys can keep that up for so long.

<Rant>
It really pisses me off that my expensive Genius wan't work without the controller, which is a very fragile piece of electronics. The controller is effectively just a very expensive start button. Why the **** can't I just push the enter button on the keyboard to start my session.
</Rant>

 

[Insomina]

On yesterday's ride I found it impossible to pack with the riders that were around me. There were a couple of riders, I recall a Noah and a Jon, possibly Insomina (sorry if I don't remember right) that were hanging around but they seemed to jump forward and back constantly so there was no way to get close to them and draft. One of them, Noah, was jumping several minutes ahead and back in time. He arrived before me but his final time is listed behind. Why is this? Were they using the "pulsing" style that you have been talking about? Again, if the classification is ordered by W/Kg there are some anomalies difficult to explain by team draftings or strategies. Obviously in my case the vortex handicap is involved and I lost time in the descents as always (I made 3,3 W/Kg and should be around the top ten in the W/Kg classification, but ended 16th), but that is more difficult to explain comparing between Bkool pros, isn't it?. It seems impossible to get to the bottom of these variations... Anyway, thanks rickB for hosting the race, it was fun!

I think Noah was on a special mission to confuse us - I've never seen anythink like it. I can only think he was using tardius mode.

 

[Insomina]

i can't believe the difference that changing tyres makes ! i had a 28 with winter tread on as i thought there would be more grip to stop it slipping when i stand up - perfect logic i thought ! but changed to an old 23 continental tonight pumped up to 125 and it felt so much better, showed higher watts even though i didnt feel i was working so hard- well ,till the end when that hill came from nowhere and someone flew pass me !!

I was using the same theory up to the end of last year. Made a big difference when I changed tyres.

Not as big a difference as last night when I changed my stem and did not do it up enough and ended up riding the last half with wobbly handlebars.

 

[theboxers]

I was using the same theory up to the end of last year. Made a big difference when I changed tyres.

Not as big a difference as last night when I changed my stem and did not do it up enough and ended up riding the last half with wobbly handlebars.

I want to use that excuse but the wobbly bit is usually me

 

[BILL S]

How would anyone feel about rolling starts to chain gang races? 5 minutes say, or a fixed distance? Allows for a bit more of a warm up, time to make adjustments to fans, gears, err, tackle I think it would also be a nice way to involve new members by giving them the chance to lead us off.

I was going to say I'd be up for it if it was workable but Rick seems to have come up with the reason why it can't be. Geoffs handicap ride sounds great though. Hopefully we can find a good way to figure out the correct start intervals, which could be more complicated this time with the different trainers involved.

 

[RickB]

Were they using the "pulsing" style that you have been talking about? Again, if the classification is ordered by W/Kg there are some anomalies difficult to explain by team draftings or strategies. Obviously in my case the vortex handicap is involved and I lost time in the descents as always (I made 3,3 W/Kg and should be around the top ten in the W/Kg classification, but ended 16th), but that is more difficult to explain comparing between Bkool pros, isn't it?. It seems impossible to get to the bottom of these variations... Anyway, thanks rickB for hosting the race, it was fun!

No worries Baldo...

Was discussing this with a work colleague today about the watts as he's on An Elite Realtour and averaged over 200 Watts yet came well down the classification despite generating far more watts than the nearest competitors.

Watts/kg shouldnt have been near as much of a factor on this stage as it was so flat for most of it - that just raises more questions then as those who produced more watts should have beat the lighter guys not generating as much. You had a better w/kg than me on that stage.

Drafting will have been a factor for some of course - the likes of Bill and Lars managed to stay together for most of the ride I think. I hung on for about half the ride trying to get some assistance too!

Pulsing was definitely used on some rides - have to say I inadvertently used a 'pulse' when catching up with Bill and Lars at one point. I pushed hard to close a small gap that appeared on a slight downhill and came up too quick so eased off (too much) and then had to press hard again to steady my speed with them only to shoot ahead by about 4 or 5 seconds! The sooner Bkool can program out these Pulses the better!

 

[RickB]

I was going to say I'd be up for it if it was workable but Rick seems to have come up with the reason why it can't be. Geoffs handicap ride sounds great though. Hopefully we can find a good way to figure out the correct start intervals, which could be more complicated this time with the different trainers involved.

Its going to have to be a very recent ride so as to include as many people as possible. Any preferences from the December league? If its a recent ride peoples times shouldnt have changed much, and then the trainer used wont be an issue if we're all on the same set-up we used on that course previously.

 

[gbrown]

Its going to have to be a very recent ride so as to include as many people as possible. Any preferences from the December league? If its a recent ride peoples times shouldnt have changed much, and then the trainer used wont be an issue if we're all on the same set-up we used on that course previously.

It really needs to have a flat or uphill finish to make it close, as a downhill one would mean any non-bkool trainers were quickly overhauled.

I'd try and pick a stage that most people have done competitively, that doesn't have too much down hill and nothing too steep up hill (beyond about 10% perhaps).

A longer stage will give more time between the handicapped starts and make it easier to get away, say around 45 minutes to an hour?

Just my suggestions, I don't have to ride it!

If anyone hasn't done the stage before, they could do a solo run to put a time in (no sand-bagging)!

Geoff

 

[RickB]

It really needs to have a flat or uphill finish to make it close, as a downhill one would mean any non-bkool trainers were quickly overhauled.

I'd try and pick a stage that most people have done competitively, that doesn't have too much down hill and nothing too steep up hill (beyond about 10% perhaps).

A longer stage will give more time between the handicapped starts and make it easier to get away, say around 45 minutes to an hour?

Just my suggestions, I don't have to ride it!

If anyone hasn't done the stage before, they could do a solo run to put a time in (no sand-bagging)!

Geoff

There were a couple of rides shared between the goats and Mooses - we could use one of those perhaps?

 

[LBHIFI]

Bill, for once I was totaly unable to look back much to see what was going on as I spent a good deal of time starring at my feet telling them to keep going.

What exactly did you say to them? I could really use some extra watts in my feet .

 

[Breedon]

Looks like i missed a good race last night, thought I'll give it a miss as i was going to do a big ride today 60 miles as the weather was cold but great
So I'll be there for Saturday's rerun.

 

[bobinski]

No worries Baldo...

Was discussing this with a work colleague today about the watts as he's on An Elite Realtour and averaged over 200 Watts yet came well down the classification despite generating far more watts than the nearest competitors.

Watts/kg shouldnt have been near as much of a factor on this stage as it was so flat for most of it - that just raises more questions then as those who produced more watts should have beat the lighter guys not generating as much. You had a better w/kg than me on that stage.

Drafting will have been a factor for some of course - the likes of Bill and Lars managed to stay together for most of the ride I think. I hung on for about half the ride trying to get some assistance too!

Pulsing was definitely used on some rides - have to say I inadvertently used a 'pulse' when catching up with Bill and Lars at one point. I pushed hard to close a small gap that appeared on a slight downhill and came up too quick so eased off (too much) and then had to press hard again to steady my speed with them only to shoot ahead by about 4 or 5 seconds! The sooner Bkool can program out these Pulses the better!

I don't know if i was using "pulsing" when chasing after Rick and the others. I certainly went for it on the downhills but often quickly spun out and i didn't seem to be closing the gap. I really tried to get some speed up on the 1-3% climbs and that is where i made the most time up. It hurts but no spinning out.

 

[LBHIFI]

On yesterday's ride I found it impossible to pack with the riders that were around me. There were a couple of riders, I recall a Noah and a Jon, possibly Insomina (sorry if I don't remember right) that were hanging around but they seemed to jump forward and back constantly so there was no way to get close to them and draft. One of them, Noah, was jumping several minutes ahead and back in time. He arrived before me but his final time is listed behind. Why is this? Were they using the "pulsing" style that you have been talking about? Again, if the classification is ordered by W/Kg there are some anomalies difficult to explain by team draftings or strategies. Obviously in my case the vortex handicap is involved and I lost time in the descents as always (I made 3,3 W/Kg and should be around the top ten in the W/Kg classification, but ended 16th), but that is more difficult to explain comparing between Bkool pros, isn't it?. It seems impossible to get to the bottom of these variations... Anyway, thanks rickB for hosting the race, it was fun!

The ranking is not determined by who reach the finish line first, but who finishes the stage in the shortest time. So if you joined the race late, then this could be the reason. You simply did the stage faster than him.
This could also be the reason for the jumping, as Bkool can't seem to make up their mind about using absolute time (actual race start time) or relative time (you race start time) as basis of your race position. This also means that it it was probably yourself who jumped (not fact, just a theory).

 

[RickB]

I don't know if i was using "pulsing" when chasing after Rick and the others. I certainly went for it on the downhills but often quickly spun out and i didn't seem to be closing the gap. I really tried to get some speed up on the 1-3% climbs and that is where i made the most time up. It hurts but no spinning out.

Yeah its those 1-3% sections I detest. Actually prefer it to be properly steep rather than a shallow climb!

 

[berty bassett]

i did notice Noah being ahead then dissapearing , popping up behind then popping up back in front , but just thought it was a dodgy internet connection on either my behalf or his , in a strange way it helped as i didnt know where he was so peddled harder so i wasnt dropped