Team BKool CycleChat

[JLaw]

Thanks!

Note that I screwed up the Start point on all these rides so please ignore the banner and just go for it after around 0.1 km (0.0625 miles).

Geoff

I'm unlikely to make it today looking at my meeting schedule. It really sucks when folks drop meetings into your schedule in a block marked off as "personal".

 

[bridgy]

I won't make it tonight either - not quite ready to sit on a saddle again yet - but I'll try and drop in as a spectator

 

[BILL S]

But Bill, my good effort and your not so good one were just down to the vagaries of Bkool!

Anyway, knackered after my Zwift ride. Another indicator Bkool flatters me. And it rained;
View attachment 138666

Mine was down to me being too hot and tired.

 

[Soarerv8]

Well I am here although I have just eaten a big hunk of pizza that probably weighs about the same as the figure bkool now thinks I weigh.

Not getting my excuses in early but....

 

[Soarerv8]

Well done Rob just couldn't stay with you to make it interesting for you.

 

[AAAC 76C]

So I've been riding on Zwift for the last month or so (after spending most of the last 12 months in bkool).

As has already been pointed out -- just 3 routes in zwift. You do not get to choose your route (the "world" hack and changing your clock hack don't seem to work anymore). Essentially when you start the application, you're dropped into the scheduled world of the day with whomever is currently riding. The "Watopia" world is, IMHO, the most interesting as it has the most varied terrain, including a good climb. Zwift's 3D worlds have a lot more eye-candy. No action-cam video in zwift.

Gradient changes in zwift are *very* smooth. Dramatically better than bkool.

Structured workouts actually work and you can build your own fairly easily in zwift.

fall/winter.

When you say the gradient changes are smooth do you mean a 0% to 14% change would transition in 1% steps or similar.

If so perhaps the 'success' of Zwift is down to the structured routes as opposed to better algorithms
i.e. they don't have the problems that Bkool has because they tailor their routes to the capability of the SW/FW to react.

 

[theboxers]

N

@theboxers - thanks for the link, I'll certainly give that a whirl through the winter. Since I retired last week I have been out and about riding locally, and just doing the league rides on the turbo.

Mrs GW has prioritised my list of jobs, so not too sure about all this free time, but at least I don't have to
cram everything into the weekend, which would be a problem now that footie season has started.

I'd been keen to hear how you get on with that Rio course as that's next on my list for later this week.

Enjoy the peace and quiet, while it lasts .

The Rio course is painful. Those lumps certainly give you bumps. It is a case of dig in and grind for me . The hills make the 2 following flat sections harder than they should be. I just didn't have it tonight to go under the hour. Best of luck with you run

 

[theboxers]

Just as I am about to save the chapel ride bsim crashes .

 

[BILL S]

well I didn't expect that to be easy. Possible inverse placebo effect perhaps.

 

[rob01792]

Well done Rob just couldn't stay with you to make it interesting for you.

cheers soarev8 I had the same time as the 1 I did on the 19/7 this only mean 1 thing weight increase

 

[Goldwolfie]

cheers soarev8 I had the same time as the 1 I did on the 19/7 this only mean 1 thing weight increase

Yep - I think you are right there mate, but good right tonight - well done.

 

[JLaw]

When you say the gradient changes are smooth do you mean a 0% to 14% change would transition in 1% steps or similar.

If so perhaps the 'success' of Zwift is down to the structured routes as opposed to better algorithms
i.e. they don't have the problems that Bkool has because they tailor their routes to the capability of the SW/FW to react.

They simply don't have that kind of transition -- it'll step you through a series of intermediate slopes. And yes, I believe it's a direct consequence of building their own routes rather than taking .gpx files and trying to smooth them -- they don't really have to be accurate to anything. They can twiddle the slopes and elevation work in any way they so desire.

For zwift, in the recorded .fit file you'll see slopes changing every few data points, usually covering less than .05 miles, the delta in slope changes are tiny and they're often barely noticeable while riding in zwift.

In contrast, I've downloaded a .fit from bkool and I'll see a particular slope held orders of magnitude longer, then an abrupt change (say from 5.5% to 10% with a single datapoint in-between (presumably for smoothing). What I don't have in front of me is the raw data from my garmin that was fed into bkool, so I don't know if that's an artifact of the raw input data or lameness on bkool processing.

If it's lameness from the garmin, it would be real interesting to run a smoother on the slope so that ultimately we still get hte right amount of elevation gain, but a smoother change in slope profile -- then see if bkool would accept that for a ride.

Another interesting test would be to take the .fit from zwift, upload that as a ride to bkool and see what kind of slope transitions you get.

 

[theboxers]

Another interesting test would be to take the .fit from zwift, upload that as a ride to bkool and see what kind of slope transitions you get.

I've seen watopia (sp) sessions have been uploaded to bkool. I've not tried any though. May have to go looking.

 

[gbrown]

cheers soarev8 I had the same time as the 1 I did on the 19/7 this only mean 1 thing weight increase

Oh yes...

262.5 Watts average, that's a great improvement, well done indeed!

Edit: Handicap weight up to 58.5 Kg, if you want to try it again!

Geoff

 

[theboxers]

Oh crap

I was just checking to see what sessions I need to do to get current in the leagues. I have now found out I have set a high bar for myself. I am currently in the top 100 in the Summer Cup . I will have to fight very hard to maintain that position .