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Monte

Über Member
Location
Somerset
I did the exactly same route but used my BKOOL trainer this evening and I was over 9 minutes slower over a 20.7 mile course... think I will give the online racing a miss until I resolve this issue (IF)
 

Whorty

Gets free watts from the Atom ;)
Location
Wiltshire
Another 2 hrs worth of lunacy completed :wacko:. A planned session of 40 minutes that was boring as hell. Then I decided to try a couple of the shorter T100 climbs.

To say I :banghead: is an understatement. The Stang wasn't too bad, for me. So I thought I'd have a go at Hardknott Pass:boxing::B):boxing::B). I nearly :surrender: but managed to complete with legs that were barely able to turn the cranks.

Another 2 off the list, where's the zimmer frame :whistle:
I did Hardnott Pass tonight ... took me 14.41. What was strange was cycling at 12% felt the same as 18%. Does the unit have a max resistance?
 

RickB

professional procrastinator
Location
Norn Iron
I did the exactly same route but used my BKOOL trainer this evening and I was over 9 minutes slower over a 20.7 mile course... think I will give the online racing a miss until I resolve this issue (IF)
That's a bummer Monte. We had some good scraps last season in the chain gang so hope you get sorted out ok.

I did Hardnott Pass tonight ... took me 14.41. What was strange was cycling at 12% felt the same as 18%. Does the unit have a max resistance?
Yep. Geoff had worked it out and posted it recently and I've noticed it for myself. Weighing 84kg it maxes out at somewhere approaching 11%. So the lighter guys will still get increased resistance, but the Bkool can't make it any harder for me and then I catch the lighter guys on the real steep parts! :laugh::cycle:
 

theboxers

TheBoxers on Cycle Sim sw
I did Hardnott Pass tonight ... took me 14.41. What was strange was cycling at 12% felt the same as 18%. Does the unit have a max resistance?
The resistance max's out then the software does a few calculations and spits out a number calling it your speed (that's when the speed numbers turn blue, as does the air at times:cursing:). For me currently 18% on a 34/32 @ 60 rpm is about 1.8mph (the garmin speed sensor reports 5mph).

I only get accurate speeds up to about 5.8% after that they tend to be blue numbers.
 

Monte

Über Member
Location
Somerset
The resistance max's out then the software does a few calculations and spits out a number calling it your speed (that's when the speed numbers turn blue, as does the air at times:cursing:). For me currently 18% on a 34/32 @ 60 rpm is about 1.8mph (the garmin speed sensor reports 5mph).

I only get accurate speeds up to about 5.8% after that they tend to be blue numbers.

That's exactly what I've been experiencing, on the flats I'm about 1-2mph slower than my actual garmin sensor reading but on the inclines anything upto 5-6mph slower, the latest firmware update does seem to have effected the heavier riders - I'm a 210lb rider.
 

theboxers

TheBoxers on Cycle Sim sw
That's exactly what I've been experiencing, on the flats I'm about 1-2mph slower than my actual garmin sensor reading but on the inclines anything upto 5-6mph slower, the latest firmware update does seem to have effected the heavier riders - I'm a 210lb rider.
I am on an un-updated classic. I am also the wrong side of 130kg. Anything over 5.8% and I get the max resistance the trainer can give, then it slows the speed down to take account of my weight.

The upside is it adjusts on the down hills. Unfortunately sometimes too much or too quickly and it kicks me out of the session for an unexpected speed. I have had 7 or 8 sessions stopped because I end up outside their parameters for that moment on that session :cursing:
 

Ryan lawman

Über Member
Location
Kempten Germany
That's a bummer Monte. We had some good scraps last season in the chain gang so hope you get sorted out ok.


Yep. Geoff had worked it out and posted it recently and I've noticed it for myself. Weighing 84kg it maxes out at somewhere approaching 11%. So the lighter guys will still get increased resistance, but the Bkool can't make it any harder for me and then I catch the lighter guys on the real steep parts! :laugh::cycle:
I have the problem being 62 kg that when the hills get to steep the resistance keeps working at over 20 % .And on hills over 14% my tyers start slipping .
 

scott1505

Regular
Having done a couple of zwift rides recently directly after a bkool ride I think I am noticing some differences. The main one being that a 10% gradient on Zwift feels a lot tougher than the equivalent gradient on Bkool. Anyone else experienced this?

Also i feel that zwift's change in gradients are much more gradual which is a bit easier on the knees and slightly more realistic. Only problem is they have two courses and you can't choose which is the big limiting factor of it.
 

kipster

Guru
Location
Hampshire
Having done a couple of zwift rides recently directly after a bkool ride I think I am noticing some differences. The main one being that a 10% gradient on Zwift feels a lot tougher than the equivalent gradient on Bkool. Anyone else experienced this?

Also i feel that zwift's change in gradients are much more gradual which is a bit easier on the knees and slightly more realistic. Only problem is they have two courses and you can't choose which is the big limiting factor of it.

I find the zwift rides a lot easier, the gradients not as challenging. I can power up a 10% slope in zwift in a gear I can only dream of using on bkool. I do agree that the gradient transitions are better on zwift.
 

bobinski

Legendary Member
Location
Tulse Hill
Having done a couple of zwift rides recently directly after a bkool ride I think I am noticing some differences. The main one being that a 10% gradient on Zwift feels a lot tougher than the equivalent gradient on Bkool. Anyone else experienced this?

Also i feel that zwift's change in gradients are much more gradual which is a bit easier on the knees and slightly more realistic. Only problem is they have two courses and you can't choose which is the big limiting factor of it.

I find the gradient changes gradual and more realistic too. This is particularly noticeable on the Richmond course. And you know how in real life as you crest a ride and then the bike seems to almost float and then accelerate down under gravity? Well that "seems" to happen in Zwift and quite realisticly too. I was quite surprised by it at first and now look forward to it. Aside from that my general experience is , on the one course you can actually compare to bkool, that they are about the same. The differences in times I see could be down to so many variables that it is difficult for me to suggest otherwise.

It really could do with some more courses though.
 

burndust

Parts unknown...baby
I find the zwift rides a lot easier, the gradients not as challenging. I can power up a 10% slope in zwift in a gear I can only dream of using on bkool. I do agree that the gradient transitions are better on zwift.
Yup me too...I can stay in the 50 at the front everywhere on zwift...different story on bkool...I do think zwift is far more entertaining though...looking forward to the workout mode
 

Bonno

Guru
Location
Tiptree
Another fluffed start on tonights Bkool race at 5pm. I refreshed the page just after 5 and it had already started without me!! Ended up starting with no warm up and about 2 minutes behind some people. Great course though!! Must add it to a league some time! :bicycle:

Thanks for the head start Rick :blush: I logged onto the warm-up but when the countdown got to about 6 mins it quickly changed to 30 secs!!
Needed those few minutes on you going up the last hill , saw you were catching and i was running out of gas fast !
JonBon
 

Piombo

Member
Location
Norway
There is a setting in zwift where you control how "real" the inclines and declines should feel (Don't remember the name of the option/slider just now).
This is set to medium at default. That means that all inclines and declines feel are half as steep, but Zwift adjust the speed accordingly.

I really struggle with flats on Zwift. I think my best Richmond wattage is 188. On Ventoux og Sa Calobra on Bkool I had 250W+. And Ventoux is a far longer course than Richmond.

I like the cyling feel from the Bkool, compared with my old Tacx Flow. On the Flow I would just spinn, while I can really grind on the Bkool. And there is also a sense of inertia on the Bkool. On Flow you could spinn up to 50km/h with a couple of hard pedal strokes.
 
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