Team BKool CycleChat

[<Tommy>]

It's a bit of a shame the league table doesn't update more regularly. I wonder why it doesn't happen automatically when a result has been approved.

 

[Whorty]

Flat out! Going to have another go.

155 Whorty (Team Cyclechat)

0:38:36,0 0:11:06,0 4 1 19.5 30.2 212.55 74 164 2.56


167 Bobinski (Team Cyclechat)

0:39:14,0 0:11:44,0 4 1 19.5 29.8 237.29 82 152 3.16

Your new turbo is a massive handicap then .... want to join Team White now

 

[AAAC 76C]

This happened to me re-races of stage 1. It would appear that the first time you try the stage it goes into the stage results immediately, however re-runs took several days to be added. It is likely that Bkool have to look at them to approve them.

Edit. Just checked my stage 1 times and the 2,3,4th attempts which were added as faster times has the same x in the same place. Don't worry, it is as above and they will get added.
View attachment 156549

Annoying thing is I actually didn't complete the first attempt.
The stage is 19.46 km and the first time round I only completed 19.39 km

 

[CXRAndy]

Brother in law wants his Bkool pro back Hes coming with me to Tenerife and I think he feels he needs alot more training, but cant get out on the road so much.
So I'm dropping out of the regular winter cup rides and concentrating on trainer-road and Mt Teide route. I might do the odd cup ride to give me markers, but will do all the missed legs after February

 

[gbrown]

Mine's the same

View attachment 156548

I think it's to do with the approval criteria! If they tick the time improved box when they setup the league, any subsequent time that improves on a previous time fails the validation check, hence the cross! It's a kind of double negative, the time did not not improve! Therefore it awaits acceptance by admin, and there is a delay in appearing in the classification.

Similarly for @aac's not completed time. It goes for approval and admin will have accepted it, probably because it was so close to complete. If you don't want it to count, it seems you have to discard it!

Geoff

 

[gbrown]

I always thought the time improved criteria was the wrong way round, a time not improved check would make more sense! If you don't improve on a previous time, why would you want the time entered in a league? If you do improve, that's the whole point in riding it again, so what's the problem?

And as for the checks for heart rate, that fails when you dont have a HRM, and hence a zero rate, and similarly cadence, you get the impression not much thought has been applied!

The weight changed check is broken, as it often has a previous weight of zero and so fails constantly.

Can't be that hard to fix any of these stupidities...

 

[bobinski]

Brother in law wants his Bkool pro back Hes coming with me to Tenerife and I think he feels he needs alot more training, but cant get out on the road so much.
So I'm dropping out of the regular winter cup rides and concentrating on trainer-road and Mt Teide route. I might do the odd cup ride to give me markers, but will do all the missed legs after February

Can't you keep me company Andy

 

[bobinski]

Your new turbo is a massive handicap then .... want to join Team White now

That is very kind of you Whorty!
I have spent a bit of time comparing power and watts per kilo of various riders in the winter league and trying to work out what penalty bkool imposes on other smart trainers. It's difficult because bkool turbo users are affected by deadstops etc. But it seems less that other turbos are handicapped and more that the assessment of power from the roller of a bkool pro or classic allows them to generate wholly unrealistic speeds within the sim. However it happens I don't see how bkool can survive in the medium to long term with a strategy that penalises other turbo users unless their financial model excludes them anyway. Things might change perhaps if they develop a power based turbo, one capable of calibration because then might then require a rewrite of the underlying code. I don't want to sound like I am just moaning. By and large I prefer bkool to Zwift and I have known the strongest riders, TC members naturally, will always come out on or near the top because it's all relative. I am ignoring Pepe. And it's been great to compete and get a sense of how I am doing but that is impossible now. It is really frustrating.
That's my last moan on the subject.

 

[CXRAndy]

Mt Teide won again, but only just. I crested with just over 2 1/2 hours, but then legs went all wobbly due to spinning whilst going down hill and by then I had nothing left so stopped at 3 hours with 5 miles to go-another day I'll do it. I dont want to peak to early, Ha peak, Joke

Good news its recorded my ride this time, so if anyone fancies a stupid few hours laughing at how slow I am, feel free

follow this link and challenge or copy http://www.bkool.com/bkoolSessionHistory/showSessionSummary/3556074

Bob, I'm not disappearing fully, just want to get the hours and miles of endurance so I don't look a twonk in Tenerife.

Regarding disadvantaged trainers, I doubt things will change with bkool unless like you say bring out a power based trainer, don't see that happening anytime soon. We have to suck it up and accept our lot

 

[Daddy Pig]

Mt Teide won again, but only just. I crested with just over 2 1/2 hours, but then legs went all wobbly due to spinning whilst going down hill and by then I had nothing left so stopped at 3 hours with 5 miles to go-another day I'll do it. I dont want to peak to early, Ha peak, Joke

Good news its recorded my ride this time, so if anyone fancies a stupid few hours laughing at how slow I am, feel free

follow this link and challenge or copy http://www.bkool.com/bkoolSessionHistory/showSessionSummary/3556074

Bob, I'm not disappearing fully, just want to get the hours and miles of endurance so I don't look a twonk in Tenerife.

Regarding disadvantaged trainers, I doubt things will change with bkool unless like you say bring out a power based trainer, don't see that happening anytime soon. We have to suck it up and accept our lot

Then again Andy, if you get the bkool back at some point, you'll likely notice a massive difference with all the training you are doing. I'll expect you to be near the top of the winter league, swooping in last minute with fast times everywhere!

 

[bridgy]

That is very kind of you Whorty!
I have spent a bit of time comparing power and watts per kilo of various riders in the winter league and trying to work out what penalty bkool imposes on other smart trainers. It's difficult because bkool turbo users are affected by deadstops etc. But it seems less that other turbos are handicapped and more that the assessment of power from the roller of a bkool pro or classic allows them to generate wholly unrealistic speeds within the sim. However it happens I don't see how bkool can survive in the medium to long term with a strategy that penalises other turbo users unless their financial model excludes them anyway. Things might change perhaps if they develop a power based turbo, one capable of calibration because then might then require a rewrite of the underlying code. I don't want to sound like I am just moaning. By and large I prefer bkool to Zwift and I have known the strongest riders, TC members naturally, will always come out on or near the top because it's all relative. I am ignoring Pepe. And it's been great to compete and get a sense of how I am doing but that is impossible now. It is really frustrating.
That's my last moan on the subject.

I'm not sure they'll ever get this completely right. Remember Bkool with bkool pro doesn't calculate speed from power, but the other way round. So I suspect the speed is correct - as in that's actually how fast your wheel's going round (unless it's blue). However, if the trainer applies insufficient resistance for the slope you're on (taking into account rider weight), you'll obviously go faster than you should - and you'll therefore be credited with unrealistically high watts. I suspect this is what's often happening with bkool trainers. Direct drive trainers are probably more accurate in how the resistance is applied. Also, if you think about it, we know that the tyre used on a bkool pro can make a huge difference to the speed you can generate - this variable alone is enough to mess up any attempt to even out the difference between a bkool pro and a direct drive trainer surely?

 

[AAAC 76C]

I always thought the time improved criteria was the wrong way round, a time not improved check would make more sense! If you don't improve on a previous time, why would you want the time entered in a league? If you do improve, that's the whole point in riding it again, so what's the problem?

And as for the checks for heart rate, that fails when you dont have a HRM, and hence a zero rate, and similarly cadence, you get the impression not much thought has been applied!

The weight changed check is broken, as it often has a previous weight of zero and so fails constantly.

Can't be that hard to fix any of these stupidities...

The check appears to be looking for values equal to or less than 0 so I assume a 0 or negative means you have not improved and so the ride is automatically accepted and your previous ride remains as your mark.
Only if you improve are you subjected to review which does make sense.
It's just the wording of the check that is confusing as it should say 'Not Improved'.
I have never really looked before but I was concerned that my value was possitive when my time was a lot better.

 

[AAAC 76C]

It's a bit of a shame the league table doesn't update more regularly. I wonder why it doesn't happen automatically when a result has been approved.

Ask the admins!

 

[bridgy]

It's been updated now AAAC - you're top of the league for stage 4

 

[bridgy]

Great to see so many from team cycle chat on the first page of results!