Team BKool CycleChat

[Goldwolfie]

Or having done it once and been absolutely battered by it , you only ever dare to look at it out the corner of your eye and hope it doesn't notice you .

@theboxers - I feel you view is nearer the mark. Good luck with that one on Friday.

I made the morning commute ok, so the after effects weren't as bad as I thought they would be.

 

[bobinski]

It does put things into perspective mind you, that Bob, you get Active 3 for your efforts, and yet you can beat me hands down on the huge majority of Bkool sessions. Our Active ratings don't reflect our true abilities at all really.
The fact that I can decimate myself in such a torturous fashion, for a very short amount of time, should not suggest that I am fitter, or more able in cycling circles than you, because I'm not!
Unless of course the Active rating is merely a reflection of ones stupidity....

I sometimes think Bkooling at all is a reflection of my stupidity
Adds, I suspect we are probably about the same fitness wise or you a bit fitter. I don't read too much anymore into what I can do on bkool. Firstly because so much seems to depend on set up and tyre pressure and secondly because My watts or power often seems lower than people on here and yet I am faster. Something's wrong. Nor does it make any sense that for the last 3 months I have not been able to ride on the road coz of my knee/ITB yet I am keeping up with and beating others here who are fitter and stronger.
Last night was hard. 10m slower than my best time. Took so long to warm up my ITB band that the first 6k was spent in some discomfort up and down the leg. I knew it would clear but it took so much longer than on a flat or rolling section coz the cadence was so slow. And by then I had lost my connection too. But I knew everyone else would be in some kind of discomfort so it was ok
I did keep an eye on power. I bet we all have power imbalance between left and right leg. Mine varies by between 30 and 60w depending on how hard I am concentrating on maintaining.
Well done to you, Monte and everyone else for improved ratings

 

[Northern Tortoise]

It didn't feel brilliant, and I think I caught the wrong bus, it was going that slow I thought I was going to have to get of and start pushing, but at least it got to the top eventually.

Thanks though to Breedon and Whorty for the great encouragement, and I've got to say Stuart was brilliant staying with me for the first 5 miles - really appreciated.

That hurt and I think I'll be sleeping downstairs tonight and I'm not looking forward to the morning commute to the station.

Well done to all, at least it's off my list now and I won't be rushing back to try again.

Thanks Goldwolfie didn't know how the ride would go having never done it, the gap to Lars was bridgeable and was hoping to take you with me felt bad leaving you in the end.

 

[theboxers]

@theboxers - I feel you view is nearer the mark. Good luck with that one on Friday.

I made the morning commute ok, so the after effects weren't as bad as I thought they would be.

I did my attempt last year, pre a software update, when the speed was calculated and blue all the way up. It took me 2 hours and 5 minutes and that was with a temporarily lowered registered weight. I have considered redoing but shied away .

 

[theboxers]

I have had loads of problems setting up new pc and running bkool. The Pc kept freezing with no inputs generally half way through a session. So yesterday a re run of the handicap failed just as I got to the downhill.

I think I have found the problem and a bios update seems to have stopped random freeze(hoping)

Intel have now posted the new bios isn't a full cure! I do like my new NUC, it flies with performance when it works

I've been using an i5 NUC for the last 18 months with no major issues. I have only had a couple of unexpected reboots.

 

[Goldwolfie]

Thanks Goldwolfie didn't know how the ride would go having never done it, the gap to Lars was bridgeable and was hoping to take you with me felt bad leaving you in the end.

No problem at all Stuart - I was starting to suffer at 5 miles and knew it was time to let you get on with your ride. I wasn't even contemplating bridging any gaps ahead of me, it was a case of survival only.

 

[CXRAndy]

Thankyou, yes , but completely unsustainable for anymore than 30 - 35 minutes. And once again, low cadence, standing up, grinding it out...good power, maybe, but poor style.

Aero, Aero excellent sustained power. I once saw AAAC ftp test graph, held mid three hundred watts, then went over 400 for the last few minutes

 

[BILL S]

I sometimes think Bkooling at all is a reflection of my stupidity
Adds, I suspect we are probably about the same fitness wise or you a bit fitter. I don't read too much anymore into what I can do on bkool. Firstly because so much seems to depend on set up and tyre pressure and secondly because My watts or power often seems lower than people on here and yet I am faster. Something's wrong. Nor does it make any sense that for the last 3 months I have not been able to ride on the road coz of my knee/ITB yet I am keeping up with and beating others here who are fitter and stronger.
Last night was hard. 10m slower than my best time. Took so long to warm up my ITB band that the first 6k was spent in some discomfort up and down the leg. I knew it would clear but it took so much longer than on a flat or rolling section coz the cadence was so slow. And by then I had lost my connection too. But I knew everyone else would be in some kind of discomfort so it was ok
I did keep an eye on power. I bet we all have power imbalance between left and right leg. Mine varies by between 30 and 60w depending on how hard I am concentrating on maintaining.
Well done to you, Monte and everyone else for improved ratings

As you say Bob, there is much that doesn't make sense when it comes to bkool. There are variables we are stuck with like tyre make and pressure which will give very different power and speed readings for different set-ups while the rider might be producing identical actual performance. I think all we can do with this is to try and make sure we're running as efficient a set-up as possible and hope that we can be as equal as we can that way.
The rest is likely down to bkools own messing around, trying to simulate real conditions when mostly what they are doing is ensuring that riding style is just as big a factor in speed as rider performance. For example, I find I am often as fast as Lars ( and often not) but when I look at his watts/kg his are higher than mine. We are both about the same weight so it must be down to riding style. I think in the case of the last handicap Lars was pedalling more on the downhills whereas I was getting a rest so that reduced my watts/kg without reducing my speed. Slingshotting is another of course. I tend to use it when available, and it definitely gives more speed for less average effort. I think the smoother the power graph the higher the average power generally, but if two riders have similar average power the more erratic the power curve will give a higher average speed. If that makes any sense.

 

[bobinski]

As you say Bob, there is much that doesn't make sense when it comes to bkool. There are variables we are stuck with like tyre make and pressure which will give very different power and speed readings for different set-ups while the rider might be producing identical actual performance. I think all we can do with this is to try and make sure we're running as efficient a set-up as possible and hope that we can be as equal as we can that way.
The rest is likely down to bkools own messing around, trying to simulate real conditions when mostly what they are doing is ensuring that riding style is just as big a factor in speed as rider performance. For example, I find I am often as fast as Lars ( and often not) but when I look at his watts/kg his are higher than mine. We are both about the same weight so it must be down to riding style. I think in the case of the last handicap Lars was pedalling more on the downhills whereas I was getting a rest so that reduced my watts/kg without reducing my speed. Slingshotting is another of course. I tend to use it when available, and it definitely gives more speed for less average effort. I think the smoother the power graph the higher the average power generally, but if two riders have similar average power the more erratic the power curve will give a higher average speed. If that makes any sense.

It does Bill. Whatever the foibles it doesn't affect my enjoyment. If that's the right word.
One of the things that seems to have boosted my performance recently is the use of this;
http://www.wigglestatic.com/product-media/5360014942/cycleops-riser-block.jpg
Bike is much more stable now beneath my frantic efforts to exert more power.

 

[bobinski]

I wont make it tonight due to work commitments.
Enjoy

 

[BILL S]

It does Bill. Whatever the foibles it doesn't affect my enjoyment. If that's the right word.
One of the things that seems to have boosted my performance recently is the use of this;
http://www.wigglestatic.com/product-media/5360014942/cycleops-riser-block.jpg
Bike is much more stable now beneath my frantic efforts to exert more power.

Is that a bit higher than the standard bkool one? And does it make it easier to ride out of the saddle with the height boosted a bit?
I went back to the standard bkool one ages ago whereas before I had it perched on a piece of wood.
I have noticed that I no longer attempt out of the saddle riding as it doesn't feel right or help me any. I think it may be because the front of my bike is too low these days.

 

[bobinski]

Is that a bit higher than the standard bkool one? And does it make it easier to ride out of the saddle with the height boosted a bit?
I went back to the standard bkool one ages ago whereas before I had it perched on a piece of wood.
I have noticed that I no longer attempt out of the saddle riding as it doesn't feel right or help me any. I think it may be because the front of my bike is too low these days.

It is higher Bill, in fact you have choice of 3 heights and i have it on highest. I have not noticed any tyre slippage at all. Conti's as recommended by you at 120-140psi if i can get my track pump to work.

 

[theboxers]

Is that a bit higher than the standard bkool one? And does it make it easier to ride out of the saddle with the height boosted a bit?
I went back to the standard bkool one ages ago whereas before I had it perched on a piece of wood.
I have noticed that I no longer attempt out of the saddle riding as it doesn't feel right or help me any. I think it may be because the front of my bike is too low these days.

It is higher Bill, in fact you have choice of 3 heights and i have it on highest. I have not noticed any tyre slippage at all. Conti's as recommended by you at 120-140psi if i can get my track pump to work.

You can also stack 2 of those cyclops riser blocks one on the other. That creates a greater range of slopes.

 

[designjacob]

Hey looking for an invite to the group on Bkool just started using it instead of zwift and im hooked, makes epic kom look like a pancake

http://www.bkool.com/SurreyClimber

 

[BILL S]

Hey looking for an invite to the group on Bkool just started using it instead of zwift and im hooked, makes epic kom look like a pancake

http://www.bkool.com/SurreyClimber

Best thing for you to do is request to join CycleChat Chain Gang and myself or other admin will accept you. We have a ride starting at 7pm tonight.
It is La Vuelta 2013 E12. 10 mins warmup before the race starts at 7:10.
Even if you don't get joined to the group by then you can join the race.