Online Turbo Trainer racing - Testers required

[Bollo]

Over the past year I've been developing an online training/racing site that will allow riders to race live using their turbo trainers and ANT+ speed or speed/cadence sensors (used by most higher end bike computers). Website here....

www.cycli.co.uk

Don't try and register yet - it won't work!

Imagine Stava crossed with Trainer Road crossed with Daly Thomson's Decathlon crossed with one of those £1000+ turbo trainers

I'm at the 'not quite beta' stage and need some help testing, particularly the race functions. So, if you own or can acquire the following......

Essential
Any turbo trainer
ANT+ speed or speed/cadence sensor
ANT+ USB Stick (any - I use this one)
PC (sorry not Macs/tablets yet - at least for the live racing)
Any modernish browser IE8+, Chrome, FF
Reasonable Internet connection at point of use - wireless is fine.

Nice to have
ANT+ power meter (*yes please!*)
ANT+ heart rate monitor

and fancy getting involved, then get in touch either through a PM on here or email on

race.director@cycli.co.uk

I'm especially interested if you're a member of a club that runs turbo training sessions. If that club runs in the Hampshire area, then I'm extra-specially interested. Interest from outside the UK is also welcome.

If it looks like the concept has legs I'm intending to run it as a commercial concern. All testers will receive free life membership!


Cheers,

Bollo

 

[Dusty Bin]

Unless you can monitor roller pressure, it's a non-starter...

 

[Bollo]

Unless you can monitor roller pressure, it's a non-starter...

There are quite a few factors that affect resistance, the prime one being the make of turbo, how it's seat up, the tyre being used, temperature........

In the longer term I will have to fill in the turbo database in the style of other training software like trainer road (only a few generic entries at the mo') and the functionality is already there that allows you to calibrate your speed vs power curve if you're lucky enough to have your own power meter. These will factor out the biggest variations.

BUT

The idea behind the project isn't to measure power to the nth decimal place - its to provide a bit more interest and sociability to a turbo training session for riders using reasonable levels of equipment. To that end there are a number of functions that aim to 'level out' riders of differing abilities and with different equipment to make for a decent workout with a bit of competition thrown in. Also, for an individual rider looking to track progress, it'll be a reasonable training aid.

SO

The original post was a request for testers. It wasn't a request for why it can't be done. If you think it's pointless, then I'm fine with that. Believe me, there are sufficient technical challenges that could till scupper the idea. So I'd ask that anyone who feels the same as Dusty to keep their council rather than post in this thread for time being. If it ever makes it as a commercial proposition, then feel free to open a thread somewhere saying that it's crap.

 

[Dusty Bin]

I didn't say it was crap. But unless you have some way of remotely ensuring consistent roller pressure on everbody's turbos, it's a non-starter. If you can't do that, it's not worth developing as a commercial proposition.

 

[Spinney]

Mod message: please respect the OP's request and restrict your posts here to discussing the testing.

 

[Harv]

I was looking at getting an indoor bike with built in ant+.

Would this be ok or are you only interested in turbo trainers?