Team BKool CycleChat

[AAAC 76C]

Gents,

Looking at my bkool summer cup results it looks like I really have some work to do. By that I mean that I have to re-do some of the stages to get a better result as I am way down the field in a couple of them.
I am therefore looking for someone else to start the chaingang Saturday re-run tomorrow, while I try to claw back some valuable minutes in the summer cup.

Remember that this chaingang is two weeks per stage and there is also a short sprint to go with each main ride.

Bill, let me know what Summer Cup session you are going to do and when and I will try and give you an assist. I can't promise anything because this is my wifes B day weekend and I am not sure what we are going to do yet.

 

[AAAC 76C]

That was about what I saw yesterday. Don't know why there's such a big difference today.

The answer to that is that BKool was not setting your resistance correctly thus allowing you to faster and because you were going faster it gave you more watts.
There is almost certainly a new anomaly in the SW/FW set up.

 

[AAAC 76C]

I found about 50-70 Watts difference Bkool pro and Kickr. I am more inclined to believe the Kickr for power

The Kickr has a strain gauge in it so effectively it measures torque and therefore can display the actual power based on the accuracy of the strain gauge and associated SW. As I said before Bkools calculate power and cannot measure it as they have no strain gauge fitted.

PS: Anomalies aside, your BKool will never show the right power on anything but flats if your weight is not set correctly.
A strain gauge does not need to take into account your weight it simply measure the torque required to overcome the resistance set.

 

[BILL S]

Bill, let me know what Summer Cup session you are going to do and when and I will try and give you an assist. I can't promise anything because this is my wifes B day weekend and I am not sure what we are going to do yet.

Hi AAAC. Very good of you to offer to help. Not sure if it's a good one for getting assistance but the one I've chosen to do is the 3rd stage and I'm in 37th place so in theory best chance to drop some minutes. It's the one which is mostly uphill which could be why I didn't do so well, but it could be I was just having a bad day, or it was too hot. Anyway, planning to do it at 5pm tomorrow and will challenge a ghost somewhere around 15th where I'll be hoping to come in.
After that sometime I'll be looking to improve my 1st stage where I came in 24th.

 

[bobinski]

Bill, let me know what Summer Cup session you are going to do and when and I will try and give you an assist. I can't promise anything because this is my wifes B day weekend and I am not sure what we are going to do yet.

Bill, I cannot help tomorrow but can Sunday if you do a ride then.

 

[AAAC 76C]

Hi AAAC. Very good of you to offer to help. Not sure if it's a good one for getting assistance but the one I've chosen to do is the 3rd stage and I'm in 37th place so in theory best chance to drop some minutes. It's the one which is mostly uphill which could be why I didn't do so well, but it could be I was just having a bad day, or it was too hot. Anyway, planning to do it at 5pm tomorrow and will challenge a ghost somewhere around 15th where I'll be hoping to come in.
After that sometime I'll be looking to improve my 1st stage where I came in 24th.

Best thing I can do is assist you to the climb and then do whatever I can to help you up it and hopefully then be in slightly better shape than you for the descent and so provide some draft.
I will the try and lead you out at the finish by steadily increasing the pace in the last km
Here is the required sign language, if I am dragging you along at an uncomfortable pace then let me go and when I see the gap developing in the wavy line thingy I will back off.
If I see a big gradient change coming I will let you lead into it and follow your lead and once things have settled I will try and lead out again.
If I am struggling I will literally stop pedaling and let a reasonable gap develop.
If you then see the gap closing then make your own decision as to whether you think you may benefit from waiting for me.
If at any point in the last quarter I think I can better my own time I may go for it but if that is the case you will be on for a good improvement regardless.

 

[BILL S]

Best thing I can do is assist you to the climb and then do whatever I can to help you up it and hopefully then be in slightly better shape than you for the descent and so provide some draft.
I will the try and lead you out at the finish by steadily increasing the pace in the last km
Here is the required sign language, if I am dragging you along at an uncomfortable pace then let me go and when I see the gap developing in the wavy line thingy I will back off.
If I see a big gradient change coming I will let you lead into it and follow your lead and once things have settled I will try and lead out again.
If I am struggling I will literally stop pedaling and let a reasonable gap develop.
If you then see the gap closing then make your own decision as to whether you think you may benefit from waiting for me.
If at any point in the last quarter I think I can better my own time I may go for it but if that is the case you will be on for a good improvement regardless.

Thanks AAAC. Sounds like a plan. I will start my 10 minute warmup at 5pm as usual. Hopefully I can draft you a bit at the start and I'll try and keep up as best as I can up the hill. Feel free to go for it at any point if you want to or if you can improve your time. The sign language is understood and my default mode will just be riding at maximum sustainable pace.
I don't think there is any sudden gradient changes so hopefully no dead stops to contend with.

All welcome to join in if you don't fancy the same long flat chaingang ride again.

 

[BILL S]

Bill, I cannot help tomorrow but can Sunday if you do a ride then.

Thanks Bob. Not sure I'll be fit enough to ride on Sunday though. I think we're going to try to get together to ride stage 6 which is a shorter sprint sometime next week. It'll be good to have your help then if you can make it. Not sure when atm.

 

[CXRAndy]

Bill, AAAC what you need is team intercom. Speak to Kipster, see if he can set it up in time for tomorrow.

 

[LBHIFI]

The answer to that is that BKool was not setting your resistance correctly thus allowing you to faster and because you were going faster it gave you more watts.
There is almost certainly a new anomaly in the SW/FW set up.

Yes, but apparently it has something to do with the course. Since we could all be affected I think I did the best thing by waiting for Bill.
Kind of leave things status quo and keeps the competition alive for the remaining stages.

 

[berty bassett]

i am getting a bit fed up with bkool at the minute - i dont think we are all set up the same and its feeling less enjoyable as i dont really know what effort is really being put in ! i was promoted from reds straight up to blues and effort doesnt seem to any harder- if not easier - the wattage is all over the place and i am getting higher watts on the flat than up hill . i have tried zwift and its so much smoother and i think if i can get my head round it and work out how to semi compete with others then i am off till bkool get sorted

 

[Monte]

Hi All, after spending the last 3 months living at my mother in laws house, this week I set up the bkool and have done a couple of sessions on Zwift using the bkool trainer. Zwift uses power readings to work out your speed, where my understanding bkool uses speed to work out power, anyway I personally found the bkool power way down comparing it to my power tap G3 wheelset I use on my road bike which in turn put my speeds way down riding the ride London course.

I can't bring myself to put my carbon wheels with the powertap on my turbo...

Apart from the organised races on bkool I personally prefer Zwift but I need to get accurate power from somewhere as cheap as possible, do I buy another power meter or better smart trainer ?

I know Bobinski uses Zwift with the bkool trainer and his set up works - mines all over the place

 

[AAAC 76C]

Hi All, after spending the last 3 months living at my mother in laws house, this week I set up the bkool and have done a couple of sessions on Zwift using the bkool trainer. Zwift uses power readings to work out your speed, where my understanding bkool uses speed to work out power

I know Bobinski uses Zwift with the bkool trainer and his set up works - mines all over the place

Unless you have a power measuring device fitted Swift will use your speed and conditions to work out your power.

Also it's a long shot but if you do have a power Meter operating it is possible Swift could be confused as to which method to use

 

[bobinski]

Hi All, after spending the last 3 months living at my mother in laws house, this week I set up the bkool and have done a couple of sessions on Zwift using the bkool trainer. Zwift uses power readings to work out your speed, where my understanding bkool uses speed to work out power, anyway I personally found the bkool power way down comparing it to my power tap G3 wheelset I use on my road bike which in turn put my speeds way down riding the ride London course.

I can't bring myself to put my carbon wheels with the powertap on my turbo...

Apart from the organised races on bkool I personally prefer Zwift but I need to get accurate power from somewhere as cheap as possible, do I buy another power meter or better smart trainer ?

I know Bobinski uses Zwift with the bkool trainer and his set up works - mines all over the place

Hi Monte,
I rode Zwift this morning as I have done a few times this week and I am confident my set up is pretty close to real life riding. Trying the London and box hill course were pretty reassuring. I know that does not help you. Here is how my set up looks just before i go into a ride though i can do a screen grab of the set up screen too:

 

[bobinski]

And this...