Team BKool CycleChat

[Whorty]

@Soarerv8 I'm going for #2. At the start you slipped away and then on the first hill I came crawling back, my game plan was already forming, work hard on the hills and then let the pixie dust blue numbers take me downhill, so with the hill ahead of me I put my head down and turned on the power . Quick look up and {POOF} you were gone and ahead of @BILL S

Bloody time lords, coming over here, stealing the lead. Wouldn't have happened if we were still in the EU...... (Too Soon? )

Well done for finishing that one @RamirezAGC - it's a nasty ride

 

[bobinski]

I looked at the ride again and bailed before starting. Not only is it horrible but it's one of those rides made worse by the failing graphics. We should have an option to flag so bkool can correct them. Well done to those of you that did it, some for a second time too!

 

[BILL S]

I looked at the ride again and bailed before starting. Not only is it horrible but it's one of those rides made worse by the failing graphics. We should have an option to flag so bkool can correct them. Well done to those of you that did it, some for a second time too!

I bailed about half way through this time. I got to the bit where it was impossible to pass the 11% inclines without stopping dead and I couldn't face the rest of the saw teeth like that. I had caught @Soarerv8 after some very hard work then hit the next two sawteeth stopping dead and Soarer was able to get a whole tooth ahead of me because of the two dead stops. He was therefore effectively going 50% faster.
I think we need to find future chaingang rides without sudden gradient changes beyond 10%. @bobinski I agree that we need to be able to flag this problem to bkool because it is the least realistic simulation they have ever built into the software/firmware and this one's not even fun, in fact it's a right pain.

 

[berty bassett]

In descending order of likelihood (least likely first) the reasons for this evening's performance could be:

1) abducted by aliens and they kept dropping me off at the top of hills
2) I have become a time lord
3) I have a fatal disease that @RamirezAGC and @BILL S know about and they were being kind
4) @RamirezAGC and @BILL S were just being nice
5) my week in the hills really toned me up
6) my firmware is scuppered

Hope it isn't 3 any of the others (so long as there was no anal probing going on in no 1) is fine by me.

Interestingly (to only me) I have done about 3 firmware upgrades and seem to get a different outcome on each. Tonight is genuinely the first time I have ever seen blue numbers going UP a hill and also the first time I had ever experienced a slingshot. Have since done another firmware upgrade. Ahhh it was fun whilst it lasted.

turn it off then on again !! thats the extent of my knowledge -- and thats second hand !! i done the updates then went for a ride in zwift - i went like the wind until i turned it off then on ( after i had been rumbled ) - its like riding with your brakes on from then on ! something to look forward to

 

[BILL S]

In descending order of likelihood (least likely first) the reasons for this evening's performance could be:

1) abducted by aliens and they kept dropping me off at the top of hills
2) I have become a time lord
3) I have a fatal disease that @RamirezAGC and @BILL S know about and they were being kind
4) @RamirezAGC and @BILL S were just being nice
5) my week in the hills really toned me up
6) my firmware is scuppered

Hope it isn't 3 any of the others (so long as there was no anal probing going on in no 1) is fine by me.

Interestingly (to only me) I have done about 3 firmware upgrades and seem to get a different outcome on each. Tonight is genuinely the first time I have ever seen blue numbers going UP a hill and also the first time I had ever experienced a slingshot. Have since done another firmware upgrade. Ahhh it was fun whilst it lasted.

No1 would definitely not be fine with me. I used to think it would be but then I watched "The fourth kind".
I was not being kind so you're safe from No3 too.
I was also not being nice and I was out to get you.
It's got to be 2 or 5 but it'd be difficult to choose between them given the choice.

 

[AAAC 76C]

Brought my old saddle (a fizik) with me to Evans and the guy behind the counter said it was a really good saddle nad he had one the same and really liked it. I said I didn't and I was there to find it's replacement. We then went and measured my sit bones and mine are average so the saddle size I have is correct for me. Not actually what I wanted to hear as I was hoping for a fix by getting a different sized saddle. So on discussing the saddles and sizes he mentioned where on the saddle I sit and I said I think I am forward on the saddle and he said this would be the reason it's causing pain. The body will automatically position where it needs to be to make the most power and the saddle has to be moved so that this will align with the correct contact between bum and saddle. Mine was obviously way out. Tried to buy new shorts there too but they were out of stock of the ones they recommended for me (Altura Pro Gel) but they said I should order a couple of sizes online to be delivered to their shop then I can try them both on and return the one that doesn't fit. Anyway back at home with the turbo I have fitted the Toupe and it was uncomfortable as I had it in the same position as the old saddle. I moved it way forward and it became comfortable. I then took off the Toupe and put on the Fizik but in the same forward position. This was more comfortable than the Toupe . So looks like the Toupe goes back when I pick up the shorts. Darn! All that pain and all I needed to do was slide my saddle forward. Some good lessons learned at least

Which Fizik do you have?
One of the older ones with/without anatomic relief or one of the newer ones with and even deeper cut out.
I tried a straight forward Arione way back and it was a definite no for me.
Strangely enough I am having to place my Rido Lt way forward on the rails so my sit bones rest behind the peak of the two convex support areas to spread my weight forward onto my butt cheeks and it helps stop my pelvis rotating forward and putting too much weight on my hands.
This might also be what you were doing and thus inflicting so much pain on your wrist.
PS: It never matters what someone else thinks of a saddle but it never 'hurts to know'.
I missed the 5pm today as the gardening was more important whist the weather stayed good.

 

[rob01792]

Sorry guys but the wife insisted I do a short ride tonight and have a few beers with her whilst watching the Wales/NI game. So I did a 30 min ride instead
@rob01792 - I re-challenged you on one of my rides that you recently demolished my best time on. The Thai ride. You produced a ride 4 mins 40 secs faster than me. On my ride tonight I pulled back 2 mins 35 but I was still 2 mins 5 secs slower than you. Flippin heck, how fast was you going to get that time
I'm going to have to get much faster on the flat to beat your time

Yes nice ride that 1
I challenged ur stage 5 ride again lastnight up until the second climb im ok in front by about 40 secounds then i lose it on that climb but after that we stay about the same distance apart so if i can work on my climbing and u the flats we should get around the double d in daylight

 

[<Tommy>]

I looked at the ride again and bailed before starting. Not only is it horrible but it's one of those rides made worse by the failing graphics. We should have an option to flag so bkool can correct them. Well done to those of you that did it, some for a second time too!

Shame about the graphics being so crappy. Although it sounds like it was painful it looked like the sort of course I'd return to.

 

[BILL S]

Which Fizik do you have?
One of the older ones with/without anatomic relief or one of the newer ones with and even deeper cut out.
I tried a straight forward Arione way back and it was a definite no for me.
Strangely enough I am having to place my Rido Lt way forward on the rails so my sit bones rest behind the peak of the two convex support areas to spread my weight forward onto my butt cheeks and it helps stop my pelvis rotating forward and putting too much weight on my hands.
This might also be what you were doing and thus inflicting so much pain on your wrist.
PS: It never matters what someone else thinks of a saddle but it never 'hurts to know'.
I missed the 5pm today as the gardening was more important whist the weather stayed good.

I have no idea which Fizik it is but it came on a Canyon Ultimate about 2 years ago so it can't be very old. It has no cut-out but is very light compared to the Toupe I bought today. I think the bike geometry means that the seat post places the seat quite far back so when settingup the bike originally it's easy to make the mistake of pacing the saddle in the centre position and expecting it to be close enough. Possibly I am even better suited to a small frame instead of medium although it was the medium that came up when using the Canyon bike fit measure.
Anyway, tonights ride was much more comfortable than previously and no I think I just need to get decent shorts or bib shorts and I will be sorted. Looks like the saddle will be going back tomorrow and hopefully getting the Altura bib shorts.
I was expecting to see you on the ride today AAAC. I only just came in fro the gardening in time myself. Th 11% over the bars stops hacked me off though so packed it in when I reached the half way point and the stops became unavoidable. I'm wondering what bkool will say if I write them and say their new software is good in a way but really rubbish the way you stop dead hitting inclines. Bet they pretend they don't know anything about the problem and it's just me. Their usual response.

 

[AAAC 76C]

I have no idea which Fizik it is but it came on a Canyon Ultimate about 2 years ago so it can't be very old. It has no cut-out but is very light compared to the Toupe I bought today. I think the bike geometry means that the seat post places the seat quite far back so when settingup the bike originally it's easy to make the mistake of pacing the saddle in the centre position and expecting it to be close enough. Possibly I am even better suited to a small frame instead of medium although it was the medium that came up when using the Canyon bike fit measure.
Anyway, tonights ride was much more comfortable than previously and no I think I just need to get decent shorts or bib shorts and I will be sorted. Looks like the saddle will be going back tomorrow and hopefully getting the Altura bib shorts.
I was expecting to see you on the ride today AAAC. I only just came in fro the gardening in time myself. Th 11% over the bars stops hacked me off though so packed it in when I reached the half way point and the stops became unavoidable. I'm wondering what bkool will say if I write them and say their new software is good in a way but really rubbish the way you stop dead hitting inclines. Bet they pretend they don't know anything about the problem and it's just me. Their usual response.

A Canyon, I love their frames to look at.
I bought one of their bottle cage mounted chain catchers because it looked so simple and effective. Unfortunately my bottle cage is a good inch or so lower so it didn't work as planned so I had to rework it a bit by drilling another hole an slotting it and then cut an inch off of the bottom but it is is working just fine.

 

[LBHIFI]

Th 11% over the bars stops hacked me off though so packed it in when I reached the half way point and the stops became unavoidable. I'm wondering what bkool will say if I write them and say their new software is good in a way but really rubbish the way you stop dead hitting inclines. Bet they pretend they don't know anything about the problem and it's just me. Their usual response.

But hitting an 11% incline would make you dead stop in the real world. Isn't the problem with the course itself? I don't think there are any roads in the world with a sudden +10% gradient shift.
Of course we now have a problem with the remaining "slingshot'ers", who can't get their units firmware updated. Maybe we should ask Bkool how they plan to make the different trainer versions compete on equal terms?

 

[CXRAndy]

I think what has happened, is the SW/FW changes have made it so realistic now, where as before the Bkool trainer flattered to deceive, a big change.

Look at 'Boxers' attempt compared to the strongest riders on the Evening ride. He wiped the floor in time, no disrespect to Boxer, he put in a strong effort exceeding his usual power level.

It is a lot closer now to real riding, there is still room for improvement. Hopefully the upgrades will come quickly.

 

[RickB]

I bailed about half way through this time. I got to the bit where it was impossible to pass the 11% inclines without stopping dead and I couldn't face the rest of the saw teeth like that. I had caught @Soarerv8 after some very hard work then hit the next two sawteeth stopping dead and Soarer was able to get a whole tooth ahead of me because of the two dead stops. He was therefore effectively going 50% faster.
I think we need to find future chaingang rides without sudden gradient changes beyond 10%. @bobinski I agree that we need to be able to flag this problem to bkool because it is the least realistic simulation they have ever built into the software/firmware and this one's not even fun, in fact it's a right pain.

Thought that course would have been interesting but the lack of slingshot since the update has obviously made it too frustrating.

Just realised the league is coming to an end but I'm off on holidays soon and doubt if I'll have time to get another sorted. Bill- could I leave it in your capable hands?

 

[RamirezAGC]

Please can one of the league admins approve my ride. I had a weigh in yesterday and forgot the impact of changing weight mid league.

Cheers

 

[theboxers]

But hitting an 11% incline would make you dead stop in the real world. Isn't the problem with the course itself? I don't think there are any roads in the world with a sudden +10% gradient shift.
Of course we now have a problem with the remaining "slingshot'ers", who can't get their units firmware updated. Maybe we should ask Bkool how they plan to make the different trainer versions compete on equal terms?

I think what has happened, is the SW/FW changes have made it so realistic now, where as before the Bkool trainer flattered to deceive, a big change.

Look at 'Boxers' attempt compared to the strongest riders on the Evening ride. He wiped the floor in time, no disrespect to Boxer, he put in a strong effort exceeding his usual power level.

It is a lot closer now to real riding, there is still room for improvement. Hopefully the upgrades will come quickly.

I am the exception that proves the rule .

It was obvious, to me, that my brain/body combo would eventually resort to the slingshots (I'm weak like that), if I could, due to the impossibility of the course . When on the session it became a how long can I continue to ride in this manner, interval training is not popualar in casa de boxers . After about 1/3 distance it became a 'just one more' session . Just one more sprint up a hill then I'll trundle to the end .

I have no problem losing the slingshot in a fw update. I would, however, not like to lose the wheel speed match on the climbs. If I am peddling hard enough to turn the wheels at a speed, at max resistance, I want to have that speed reported (I know it's not realistic). There is nothing worse than struggling on a session like alpe d'huez and having your 5 to 6mph wheel speed cut to 2 or 3 . That would turn d'huez from a 1hr 15-30m sesson to a 2.5-3hr session, btdt, not pleasant .

But, hey, I'll take my little victories wherever I can find them. At least until AAAC comes along to inject some realism .