Team BKool CycleChat

[bridgy]

Yep, thats about the height of it. I turn it off in the evenings as it seems pointless riding in a dark 3d world!

Actually that's a good point and 'm glad you've pointed that out to me now. I've often thought it's a shame on a dark cold rainy evening to be riding a simulation of....a dark cold rainy evening! Now I know how to turn that feature off

 

[Rob_H]

I thought you might be interested in a little comparison I did to try and iron out issues between BKool Pro & Vortex:

I've took the last section of the Climb from Goat Stage 1 and analysed it in Strava for me and Bill S. The details of that part of the segment are:

Grade: 7.1
Distance 5.3

I then used BikeCalculator.com with this information and the average power from Strava and our Weight from BKool:

Bill S: Weight 76.8, Watts: 308
Rob_H: Weight 67, Watts: 342

Our times from Strava were:

Bill S: 18.48
Rob_H: 11.37

Bike Calclator predicted:

Bill S: 20.56
Rob_H: 17.05

I think this confirms there is a big inconsistancy with the Vortex. I think the next step is to compare somebody riding the non Pro version of the BKool that raced Goat Stage 1 and see how accurate that is. I'll also try to add a few other results in to see how they look. If anyone has any suggestions for errors I may have made then let me know. thanks

 

[Ryan lawman]

I thought you might be interested in a little comparison I did to try and iron out issues between BKool Pro & Vortex:

I've took the last section of the Climb from Goat Stage 1 and analysed it in Strava for me and Bill S. The details of that part of the segment are:

Grade: 7.1
Distance 5.3

I then used BikeCalculator.com with this information and the average power from Strava and our Weight from BKool:

Bill S: Weight 76.8, Watts: 308
Rob_H: Weight 67, Watts: 342

Our times from Strava were:

Bill S: 18.48
Rob_H: 11.37

Bike Calclator predicted:

Bill S: 20.56
Rob_H: 17.05

I think this confirms there is a big inconsistancy with the Vortex. I think the next step is to compare somebody riding the non Pro version of the BKool that raced Goat Stage 1 and see how accurate that is. I'll also try to add a few other results in to see how they look. If anyone has any suggestions for errors I may have made then let me know. thanks

I used your ghost on the 1st ghost stage and three others ( Bill Al & Rick ) up to the first climb u were last then u shot passed me and gained on the others in no time and could not belive how u left us all behind .. It must be a restance Problem or even just a one off .. It did happen to me one time that on the last 2 km my speed turned Blue showing over 50 kmh on a 7% climb ... and went from 30 seconds behind a ghost and beat it by 5 min ...

 

[Rob_H]

I used your ghost on the 1st ghost stage and three others ( Bill Al & Rick ) up to the first climb u were last then u shot passed me and gained on the others in no time and could not belive how u left us all behind .. It must be a restance Problem or even just a one off .. It did happen to me one time that on the last 2 km my speed turned Blue showing over 50 kmh on a 7% climb ... and went from 30 seconds behind a ghost and beat it by 5 min ...

There is also a clear disadvantage on the descents using a Vortex, you can see that by seeing the massive spikes BKool riders have in speed that I dont get. But in Mnt Goats less of an issue.

 

[Brendan Parker]

No probs Bert. Be good to have you join us! Always more fun when there's a big group in a live race.

(It's Rick by the way )

So sorry Rick,
For some reason been doing it all day in emails to people?

Have you any quick tips so I ensure I start at the same time as you guys? Never done a live ride before, how do you ensure you all start at the same time, is there a warm up?

 

[IrishAl]

I think this confirms there is a big inconsistancy with the Vortex. I think the next step is to compare somebody riding the non Pro version of the BKool that raced Goat Stage 1 and see how accurate that is. I'll also try to add a few other results in to see how they look. If anyone has any suggestions for errors I may have made then let me know. thanks

Interesting read. Here's my Strava effort. Im on the Classic 2..i think...
https://www.strava.com/activities/463812986

 

[Breedon]

So sorry Rick,
For some reason been doing it all day in emails to people?

Have you any quick tips so I ensure I start at the same time as you guys? Never done a live ride before, how do you ensure you all start at the same time, is there a warm up?

Thursdays start at 7 with a warm then race so racing by 7.10 ish, saturdays start at 5 and same again race at 5.10 ish there has been times when it started early for some reason so best get there early.

 

[AAAC 76C]

Are you subconsciously hoping you break it so you have to go out and buy a nice new pro unit?

You read my mind Sir, that was indeed my 'risk mitigation'.
As a good Project Manager you should always have one.
Unfortunatley as an ex-Mechanical Aircraft Technician stripping and rebuilding mechanical bits rarely gives me trouble so all went well so I had no course to visit the Chancelor to approve the required funding.
More is the pity!

However I once did give up on a 9 speed Shimano Tiagra STI Lever that I got cheep and wasn't working correctly.
I was aware of the complexity of the inards but had nothing to loose and boy there are a lot of bits inside on of those things.
There are a couple of companies that will buy them off of you though as there is some profit in fixing them.

 

[Brendan Parker]

Thursdays start at 7 with a warm then race so racing by 7.10 ish, saturdays start at 5 and same again race at 5.10 ish there has been times when it started early for some reason so best get there early.

thanks Breedon,

so you don't all synchronise and start together? what do you do all start your warm up as close to 7 as you think and do the whole 10mins warm up?

 

[kipster]

thanks Breedon,

so you don't all synchronise and start together? what do you do all start your warm up as close to 7 as you think and do the whole 10mins warm up?

Rickb normally starts a session, which is then available through the live tab or you search for Rickb within BSIM. You join that ride and do the warm up until the time counts down to 0, all hell breaks loose and we jostle for places until the natural order of things splits us up. If you're lucky you get to ride with others and draft a little, if not it's a solo slog watching those faster than you pull away while keeping an eye on those behind, making sure they don't get too close.

 

[AAAC 76C]

thanks Breedon,

so you don't all synchronise and start together? what do you do all start your warm up as close to 7 as you think and do the whole 10mins warm up?

Bert,when you join a group ride you all start at the same time regardless at which point you join in during the warm up.
If you join late and the warm up has finsihed you go straight into the ride, but don't select the option to join with the rearmost rider, and that way your time will register for your start and finish time and not the groups start time.

The session will be in the 'Live' sessions once the 'master' has started the warm up so don't go looking in the 'Leagues' sessions as you will end up on your own schedule with no other competitors bar any 'Bots' already in the session and anyone else who joins your now live session.

I messed up a couple of times so join the session by:
1. Clicking on the 'Details' button at the bottom of the session
2. Click on the 'Review' buttton and you should see at least the 'masters' name in the humans column.
3. Once you have convinced yorself you are in the right place click 'back' and then 'Start' unless you want to get rid of simulated weather and darkness in which case you need to:
3a click on the 'Set up' button and deselect 'Actual Atmospheric Conditions' then 'Accept' and 'Start'.

Hope that make sense but be sure to give yourself time to do this.

 

[RickB]

So sorry Rick,
For some reason been doing it all day in emails to people?

Have you any quick tips so I ensure I start at the same time as you guys? Never done a live ride before, how do you ensure you all start at the same time, is there a warm up?

Plenty if replies already on the subject but just to reinforce the fact that you don't actually start a session yourself but join mine under the live tab. I'll be warming up from 7 so best to join in as soon after 7 as possible.

We've had a couple of false starts recently due to a bkool fault with when we were adding ghosts to the rides so we've been avoiding using them for the past couple until the issue is sorted.

Just make sure you have stopped pedalling well before the end of the countdown as you'll be left stuck on the line!!

 

[Brendan Parker]

Rickb normally starts a session, which is then available through the live tab or you search for Rickb within BSIM. You join that ride and do the warm up until the time counts down to 0, all hell breaks loose and we jostle for places until the natural order of things splits us up. If you're lucky you get to ride with others and draft a little, if not it's a solo slog watching those faster than you pull away while keeping an eye on those behind, making sure they don't get too close.

Thanks,
get quite used to riding solo wont be too much looking behind but I'm looking forward to it!
just hoping the good old M25 is good to me tomorrow and I get home in time

thanks guys for the advice

 

[Brendan Parker]

Bert,when you join a group ride you all start at the same time regardless at which point you join in during the warm up.
If you join late and the warm up has finsihed you go straight into the ride, but don't select the option to join with the rearmost rider, and that way your time will register for your start and finish time and not the groups start time.

The session will be in the 'Live' sessions once the 'master' has started the warm up so don't go looking in the 'Leagues' sessions as you will end up on your own schedule with no other competitors bar any 'Bots' already in the session and anyone else who joins your now live session.

I messed up a couple of times so join the session by:
1. Clicking on the 'Details' button at the bottom of the session
2. Click on the 'Review' buttton and you should see at least the 'masters' name in the humans column.
3. Once you have convinced yorself you are in the right place click 'back' and then 'Start' unless you want to get rid of simulated weather and darkness in which case you need to:
3a click on the 'Set up' button and deselect 'Actual Atmospheric Conditions' then 'Accept' and 'Start'.

Hope that make sense but be sure to give yourself time to do this.

I think I've got it
thanks again for the info

 

[Randyberlin]

Rickb normally starts a session, which is then available through the live tab or you search for Rickb within BSIM. You join that ride and do the warm up until the time counts down to 0, all hell breaks loose and we jostle for places until the natural order of things splits us up. If you're lucky you get to ride with others and draft a little, if not it's a solo slog watching those faster than you pull away while keeping an eye on those behind, making sure they don't get too close.

I would just add that you must stop peddling before the count down ends.