Team BKool CycleChat

[Jake the snake]

Will you be drunk or sober during this time?

Seriously, It's reasonably simple.

The bike goes on the metal trainer easy enough, you need to swap the bike skewers over though to the Bkool ones supplied (you can keep them in for road rides as well no worries)
The unit plugs into the mains (i needed a european two pin to uk 3 pin adaptor here)
You need to install the software having signed up to the gold package
Put the dongle into your usb 2 port on your computer
Then find your way around the website and the bkool sim
You need to pair the devices (your bkool unit and the cadence sensor which you need to fit to your bike)
Then you need to cover the entire house in towels and go for it (suggest this be done boxing day?)
If you intend linkling to flat screen telly you will need to negotiate terms with your tv and laptop so they recognize each other (I use an HDMI cable)

You will need space around you to do all this...so not ideal when the familiy are all around and the floor covered in boxes etc

Welcome Jake

I think you can only do it by looking at others stats. But I don't know the software that we'll.

Will you be drunk or sober during this time?

Seriously, It's reasonably simple.

The bike goes on the metal trainer easy enough, you need to swap the bike skewers over though to the Bkool ones supplied (you can keep them in for road rides as well no worries)
The unit plugs into the mains (i needed a european two pin to uk 3 pin adaptor here)
You need to install the software having signed up to the gold package
Put the dongle into your usb 2 port on your computer
Then find your way around the website and the bkool sim
You need to pair the devices (your bkool unit and the cadence sensor which you need to fit to your bike)
Then you need to cover the entire house in towels and go for it (suggest this be done boxing day?)
If you intend linkling to flat screen telly you will need to negotiate terms with your tv and laptop so they recognize each other (I use an HDMI cable)

You will need space around you to do all this...so not ideal when the familiy are all around and the floor covered in boxes etc

Welcome Jake

Thanks for advice guys,however I intend to use the bkool in my garage can i download rides on to computer and then take it the garage,also how would that work if i wanted to come on a group ride?

 

[BigonaBianchi]

The videos are streaming videos so you will need a decent.wi fi signal in your garage.

 

[Peteaud]

Yes you need the wifi signal.

If you have a garmin of any sort and have saved the rides you have done, either to Garmin, RWGPS etc then you can load these into the bkool and either have the elevation or google earth view. you use the up down and side arrows to toggle views. I like the google earth view myself but it did take a few attemps to get it all working. Very good though as you can then load this up and in theory others can then do your ride.

Not sure if you could do that on a group ride????

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Google earth view rides are something i have yet to do. So far I have been riding to the videos. Time for me to poke around and see how the google earth thing works.

 

[Peteaud]

Google earth view rides are something i have yet to do. So far I have been riding to the videos. Time for me to poke around and see how the google earth thing works.

Once you get google earth plugin to work it is really good. some of the hills are way off and you have to zoom out from what seems to be the default setting but other than that i rate it above the video. Try importing a route you have done (GPX file is required i think)

One thing, if you do try it, pick a route you did not stop on, the first time i did it was a route i was adjusting seat post height so it kept stopping !!!


To be fair i am going to have another play today on the routes i have done.

In theory you should be able emial a gpx file and other users could all do the same route......

 

[Peteaud]

http://www.bkool.com/bkoolSessionHistory/showSessionSummary?sessionSummaryId=490301&completed=true

55.9 Km

Knackered ..

 

[Breedon]

Vejle-Hornstrup group session
http://www.bkool.com/bkoolSessionHistory/showSessionSummary?sessionSummaryId=490405
That was freaking hard

 

[Breedon]

http://www.bkool.com/bkoolSessionHistory/showSessionSummary?sessionSummaryId=490301&completed=true

55.9 Km

Knackered ..

Looks a little lumpy to me

 

[Peteaud]

Vejle-Hornstrup group session
http://www.bkool.com/bkoolSessionHistory/showSessionSummary?sessionSummaryId=490405
That was freaking hard

Cadence 104 i cant even do that at max

 

[Breedon]

Is that session you did a route you normally do?
Yea im getting better at spinning, I normally stand out of the saddle but find spinning a way to recover for a short while.

 

[Peteaud]

Is that session you did a route you normally do?
Yea im getting better at spinning, I normally stand out of the saddle but find spinning a way to recover for a short while.

Well it was a route i did in the summer that i have meant to do for ages, then i finally got round to doing it.

Although thats quite a flat route for these parts.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Once you get google earth plugin to work it is really good

How do I do this then? I had a poke around but am clearly missing something. Do I have to install something???

 

[Asa Post]

How do I do this then? I had a poke around but am clearly missing something. Do I have to install something???

I can't remember if the Google Earth plugin was downloaded when I first used BSim, or whether I had to download it separately when I first did a ride that used it. If it's the latter, you'll get a message on screen telling you to download it by clicking on the link provided.

Set up a session (indoor - individual) but then instead of clicking on "Video", click on "Routes". Choose one by using the parameters on the next page, and create the session.
When you come to ride it, instead of a video starting, the Google Earth plugin starts and you see a back view of a cyclist (that's you, that is!) on the Google Earth view of the course. Start pedaling, and away you go. If you're racing a bot, you see a cyclist representing him as well.
Sometimes, I get a message saying the plugin crashed and inviting me to download it again. If this is going to happen, it happens right at the start of the ride (not the warm up). Then I have to stop the ride, decline to save the data (not worth it for a few seconds of riding) and start again. I haven't found it necessary to re-download the plugin - just persevere with it until it works.

 

[Peteaud]

For me (windows 7) i uninstalled google earth and its plugins, then re installed them when asked in bsim. Then it worked.

You also get an error in spanish!!!.

Once it works apart from the odd crash (as above) all is well,

 

[Peteaud]

How to create a route from a profile.

You must have a gpx file from a previous bike ride, or download one from Garmin.

On Bkool click "sessions"

Choose "create profile"

Use the choose file box and import.

A page appears with a little map.

Enter the name and description

Scroll down and check one of the options


Do not create session
distance based session
time based session

I use distance based.

Then click "upload profile"

The next page will be create session.

Make changes, add bots etc as normal and click save session.

It will then show on the calender, Click add to Fav if you need to (i do and you can always delete them anytime)