Team BKool CycleChat
- Thread starter Peteaud
- Start date
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GarethT
Regular
Hey guys - just got myself a Bkool after testing the Zwift BETA for a year, and expected to use it with Zwift, but have been greatly surprised by the Bkool sim, options and have joined up here as part of the UK community. Joined a few groups, but can't find any leagues though, current or past.
So naturally I'm good up hills, but 9-13% rises on the turbo reduces my cadence down to ~50rpm. I really struggle to put out 300w+ due to low RPM, and that's in 39x25. Out on the road, I'd sit and spin 70-85rpm at 450w up similar short kickers, but I really struggle with the inertia of the turbo it seems.
I've done 4 sessions so far. The first one, the average power was spot on (compared to my Power2max). The next 2 read about 50w higher in average, ruining the sessions, and finally the last one today which was also pretty spot on. Other than tyre pressure remaining constant, I can't work out why the changeable discrepancy.
It's a shame the performance plans are time based and not power based. I'd like to see an FTP based plan. Regardless though, for the price, it's absolutely fantastic. Hope to work out the leagues and catch up with some of you in the virtual world! It's great to have a UK community going on!
So naturally I'm good up hills, but 9-13% rises on the turbo reduces my cadence down to ~50rpm. I really struggle to put out 300w+ due to low RPM, and that's in 39x25. Out on the road, I'd sit and spin 70-85rpm at 450w up similar short kickers, but I really struggle with the inertia of the turbo it seems.
I've done 4 sessions so far. The first one, the average power was spot on (compared to my Power2max). The next 2 read about 50w higher in average, ruining the sessions, and finally the last one today which was also pretty spot on. Other than tyre pressure remaining constant, I can't work out why the changeable discrepancy.
It's a shame the performance plans are time based and not power based. I'd like to see an FTP based plan. Regardless though, for the price, it's absolutely fantastic. Hope to work out the leagues and catch up with some of you in the virtual world! It's great to have a UK community going on!
Randyberlin
Guru
- Location
- Sitka, Alaska
Hey Paul F and Geoff,
I broke down and bought a Garmin Virb elite. My first video was denied because of excessive vignetting/ too wide field of view. What setting do you two use? Any tips are appreciated.
I broke down and bought a Garmin Virb elite. My first video was denied because of excessive vignetting/ too wide field of view. What setting do you two use? Any tips are appreciated.
Ryan lawman
Über Member
- Location
- Kempten Germany
I have done none of these stages in real life . But I have tried to upload some files of climbs I have done so I can compare the times but it never seems to work
GuySJ
Senior Member
Didn't stop you taking top spot!!! Well done. I'm off for a ride in the real world, I'll let you all go first this time....
You sound like me ... I feel like a victim at the moment. I get challenged at least 3 times a day! I think people see the slowest and think, I'll challenge that dude, then beat me by 30 mins! JLaw challenging me makes sense .... he's a smidge faster than me so I probably work as a good pacemaker for him. But when someone is knocking 50% off my time it doesn't make much sense.
Maybe someone can fix it so that if someone challenges me they really get Ryan's ghost .... that will freak the egotists out LOL
I'm guilty of challenging u whorty but yet to beat u
I challenged u yesterday on SLOVENSKA BISTRICA thinking I could keep up or near but u finished 6 min up
Welcome Gareth. You're now a member of the Mountain Goats. You've 3 mountains to climb to get you to date in the league. -have fun
Here's a link to the group. Once you've requested to join and its accepted you'll automatically be able to participate in the league.
http://www.bkool.com/group/show/75682
It just happened to me again. I challenged Bill in "Weston Hill" and this time I'm sure I passed him on the line. Yet, I'm listed as 30 secs behind
.I think the BKool Sim has a serious issue when it comes to league session. I was planning on doing some interval training, using the shortest stages of the Top 100(ish) Climbs UK, but there seem to be no way of choosing the stages I wanted 
.
Maybe I should just start the sessions from my living room hometheater, and let them run without a trainer. Then I could challenge myself after they appear in the league. Challenges do seem to get in front of the league sessions available.
<edit>
Just a little glitch in my cunning plan: trainer or not, I still have to be able to choose the session from the leagues tab.
</edit>
<edit again>
Found out how to do it
: Go to league overview page (http://www.bkool.com/classification/showIndividualLeagueClassification/1308) and just click "Copy" on the stages you wish to get in front.
</edit again>
.Maybe I should just start the sessions from my living room hometheater, and let them run without a trainer. Then I could challenge myself after they appear in the league. Challenges do seem to get in front of the league sessions available.
<edit>
Just a little glitch in my cunning plan: trainer or not, I still have to be able to choose the session from the leagues tab.
</edit>
<edit again>
Found out how to do it
: Go to league overview page (http://www.bkool.com/classification/showIndividualLeagueClassification/1308) and just click "Copy" on the stages you wish to get in front.</edit again>
Last edited:
Hazie
Active Member
- Location
- Cumbria, UK
Couple of quick questions if I may regarding the leagues.
Mountain goats league. Do all the stages have to be completed by the dates shown, or will it be changed. If not, it doesn't leave a lot of time to get them all in. I'm asking because I'm away for a week or so and want to make sure I will get them completed before it closes.
Top 100 climbs league. What's the end date for this league, as the end date stated is miles away. I'm asking because I'm concentrating on the mountain goats league because the end date on that one is not far away. But don't want to miss out on this one.
Mountain goats league. Do all the stages have to be completed by the dates shown, or will it be changed. If not, it doesn't leave a lot of time to get them all in. I'm asking because I'm away for a week or so and want to make sure I will get them completed before it closes.
Top 100 climbs league. What's the end date for this league, as the end date stated is miles away. I'm asking because I'm concentrating on the mountain goats league because the end date on that one is not far away. But don't want to miss out on this one.
That's something I've noticed about racing ghosts. Bkool always stops them just before the line. Some complicated programming reason behind it no doubt.It just happened to me again. I challenged Bill in "Weston Hill" and this time I'm sure I passed him on the line. Yet, I'm listed as 30 secs behind
Ahh, you may be on to something there. Completely fooled me, and even listed my name before Bill's right after finish.
Another frustrating bkool day for me but not bkools fault! I managed to work out hdmi out on my laptop had failed( laptop screen is broke so I output to a monitor) and so could use vga. Hurrah. Unfortunately, I am clearly not so good at feckling my gears. 2 rides to get warmed up today and dropped chain 4 times. On 2 I managed to peddle backward to reseat the chain but the others required getting off. I figured I could stay in 34'on the front and just move up and down the rear cassette. Started Slovenska spinning up knowing I had upwards of an hour ahead of me and shortly after I began to push through the first steep bit I dropped down to the 25 on the back only to hear a grinding noise and the rear wheel stop suddenly, chain jammed between cassette and hub on my rs24,s. Ouch! I cannot tease it free and the rear mech doesn't look too good pulled around out of shape so it's off to the bike shop tomorrow. Perhaps it is time after all to put the good bike on the turbo? Seems counter intuitive. But needs must when the bkool devil drives
You have my sympathies Bob. After a bit of swapping around in the early days, my good bike is where it belongs and that is on the bkool. I do notice the performance is better than my cheap 9speed aluminium one, and its always a more satisfying experience. Everything works better, carbon fibre frame feels stiffer and that means more power goes to the roller, more gears, better changes and so on.
I find turbo miles are far less wearing to the drive train as there's little or no abrasive substances flying around on the chain. Gears never change as well as they do out on the road for some reason. I did go through a spate of turbo trainer punctures about 6 months ago but apart from bkools own hardware and software problems its been plain sailing ever since and I don't think I'd want to put up with a sub-standard bike on the bkool which is where I put in about 99% of my miles these days. If I did more miles out on the road I'd need another new bike.
