Team BKool CycleChat
- Thread starter Peteaud
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
@Breedon I noticed the other day that you were one of the originals on here setting up the cyclechat bkool group, if you go to page 1 of this thread I think you were the 3rd contributor, lol
Did you also notice that the first page took 3 days to fill, not like now where we probably fill 10 pages a day!
What a growing and great community that bkool aren't taking note of.
Add
Guru
- Location
- Powys, Wales
That's pretty much what my letter said. Here's what I sent to get a 99p coupon!
Adam Morton
Oct 31, 08:00 CET
Why, oh why, have you gone and thrown away all the good progress you were making with the simulator and released this new one. You need to monitor the Cyclechat forum to begin unraveling all the annoying issue we are experiencing with it. People are migrating to Zwift through frustration.
You have a fantastic product, stop trying to make it look 'modern' and funky, and just make it user friendly. I have been away from Bkool for 5 months, and I am questioning why I am bothering to pay my subscription?
From a frustrated Adam Morton.
theboxers
TheBoxers on Cycle Sim sw
- Location
- OTC (on the couch)
I think they are relying on people like me. I've be using bkool on and off for over 2 years. That's a lot of physical and emotional investment. My main target is weight loss with a side of increased fitness. Both are happening but not quite as quick as I'd like,
.I am not a performance/racing cyclist, usually. So many/most of the software platforms out there don't interest me. It's just a matter of finding the right one for me. That, at the moment, is bkool.
I currently don't do much rw riding, ok no rw riding
. The video side of bkool is my prefernce when doing sessions alone 
. The stepped additions they're doing, velo races and now workouts, are great for variety. However the implementation can be a bit of a, maybe even major, let down. Bkool do get it right eventually, but they just take so long fixing stuff they break 
.They need to get a set of good beta testers for their next release of bsim, like people from here, who want the best from bkool and will give good feedback.
Breedon
Legendary Member
- Location
- Long Eaton, Nottingham
3 years ago
theboxers
TheBoxers on Cycle Sim sw
- Location
- OTC (on the couch)
Scary eh3 years ago
Breedon
Legendary Member
- Location
- Long Eaton, Nottingham
I think they are relying on people like me. I've be using bkool on and off for over 2 years. That's a lot of physical and emotional investment. My main target is weight loss with a side of increased fitness. Both are happening but not quite as quick as I'd like,
I am not a performance/racing cyclist, usually. So many/most of the software platforms out there don't interest me. It's just a matter of finding the right one for me. That, at the moment, is bkool.
I currently don't do much rw riding, ok no rw riding
They need to get a set of good beta testers for their next release of bsim, like people from here, who want the best from bkool and will give good feedback.
We would test it quite well i think, with the amount of group rides and leagues we do, we would test every aspect of the software.
theboxers
TheBoxers on Cycle Sim sw
- Location
- OTC (on the couch)
And across all levels of ability from the rockets to goats to the snails
.
theboxers
TheBoxers on Cycle Sim sw
- Location
- OTC (on the couch)
Right I'm in the last stages of prep for my first goat session of the month. I should be starting in about 35 minutes or so with stage 1 Puerto de San Lorenzo, any one can join or chase me down and leave me struggling up the hill 
.
.
Don't you worry about me, I'll be just fine 
Add
Guru
- Location
- Powys, Wales
Is it easiest to sit on the start line in the handicap to get your start time correct?
gbrown
Geoff on Bkool
- Location
- South Somerset
gbrown
Geoff on Bkool
- Location
- South Somerset
The next Handicap Chase is Pico Penas de Dios
Next run is 8pm (plus Start Time) tonight, Tuesday 8th November 2016.
Start Times (Handicaps) are as follows... (when underway time equals or exceeds the given Start Time).
If anyone else wants to take part, can they let us know a competitive time for the stage, or failing that their fitness level and who they usually finish close to.
Your handicap is based on your previous times, and is used to generate a Start Time.
Like golf, the higher the Handicap the more assistance you get, so the earlier the Start Time.
Your Handicap is reduced slightly if you have only completed one chase, and reduced more if you have completed none (and your time is based on doing the stage outside the handicap format). Therefore you are rewarded for completing the handicap chase once, and rewarded more for a second one, as your time should more closely reflect your current potential.
Finally, the Handicap is also reduced slightly for those who are furthest behind the fastest time, as they have more chance of significantly improving their times. The front runners will always struggle to improve their times much, especially after a couple of runs, so they need the full Handicap to stay competitive.
This algorithm has developed across several stages (and previous Chain Gang rides) and closed the bulk of the field from around 10 minutes to around 3 minutes, and hopefully future runs will close it up again slightly.
It is always likely that the win will be taken by an early starter who improves significantly, which is probably a good thing as it improves motivation. It is also possible that any significant under performance on previous bests will result in trailing in at the back, for even the fastest riders. I don't think this can be helped. However, so long as the bulk of the entrants finish close together it should make for a more entertaining session for the majority, and make the format worthwhile.
Geoff
Next run is 8pm (plus Start Time) tonight, Tuesday 8th November 2016.
Start Times (Handicaps) are as follows... (when underway time equals or exceeds the given Start Time).
If anyone else wants to take part, can they let us know a competitive time for the stage, or failing that their fitness level and who they usually finish close to.
Your handicap is based on your previous times, and is used to generate a Start Time.
Like golf, the higher the Handicap the more assistance you get, so the earlier the Start Time.
Your Handicap is reduced slightly if you have only completed one chase, and reduced more if you have completed none (and your time is based on doing the stage outside the handicap format). Therefore you are rewarded for completing the handicap chase once, and rewarded more for a second one, as your time should more closely reflect your current potential.
Finally, the Handicap is also reduced slightly for those who are furthest behind the fastest time, as they have more chance of significantly improving their times. The front runners will always struggle to improve their times much, especially after a couple of runs, so they need the full Handicap to stay competitive.
This algorithm has developed across several stages (and previous Chain Gang rides) and closed the bulk of the field from around 10 minutes to around 3 minutes, and hopefully future runs will close it up again slightly.
It is always likely that the win will be taken by an early starter who improves significantly, which is probably a good thing as it improves motivation. It is also possible that any significant under performance on previous bests will result in trailing in at the back, for even the fastest riders. I don't think this can be helped. However, so long as the bulk of the entrants finish close together it should make for a more entertaining session for the majority, and make the format worthwhile.
Geoff
gbrown
Geoff on Bkool
- Location
- South Somerset
Sorry to repeat myself, but for those doing the Handicap tonight...
I've updated the Handicap Chase instructions to reflect the new interface... Chain Gang Handicap Race
The new recording is here
Once you have prepared the session by trying to join once without a password, it takes about 10 seconds to choose the session from the filtered view, enter the password, click "join" and then click "No" so that you start the session at the start line, so you could wait until the underway time is 10 seconds short of your Start Time, and then click on the session? I would practice a few times during the warm up and before your Start Time is reached.
So, I think we should try with a password, and will use the usual "chase" (without the quotes) to see how we get on!
Geoff
I've updated the Handicap Chase instructions to reflect the new interface... Chain Gang Handicap Race
The new recording is here
Once you have prepared the session by trying to join once without a password, it takes about 10 seconds to choose the session from the filtered view, enter the password, click "join" and then click "No" so that you start the session at the start line, so you could wait until the underway time is 10 seconds short of your Start Time, and then click on the session? I would practice a few times during the warm up and before your Start Time is reached.
So, I think we should try with a password, and will use the usual "chase" (without the quotes) to see how we get on!
Geoff
