Team BKool CycleChat

[Runexeter]

Anyone planning a session xmas morning.....hoping to hit the roads but depends on weather so may be bkool instead

Not me BD, I think my missis would throw a wobbly.

 

[Add]

Pffft, Xmas day....NO CHANCE! Bucks Fizz breakfast, I'll be pissed by 10am! And I am cooking dinner!

 

[BILL S]

Brilliant race guys. Geoff, a very even match for me! Bill.....not so much!

Yeah I was watching you two. Very evenly matched indeed

Completely agree Geoff, good game! You stayed with us though Exeter, for a while, for me it's 90% sheer bloodymindedness and ignoring the pain....or trying too. Bill, you are seriously fast, you flew by Geoff and I like we were stood still.

You could have had me too Geoff, I couldn't have gone much longer at that sort of pace!

Thanks for saying that Adam, but at the end of the day its just because I put in the time. If you guys keep it up and spend a lot of time going up hill, you'll get there. We'll see the gap closing I reckon.

 

[gbrown]

very high cadence readings ( 130 average, or even more, when realistically it should be nearer 80-90) and more worryingly low wattage readings.

Just to be clear, I just need a cable to run from my laptop to the ant +, just a straightforward USB to USB cable?

I hope to join the forum leagues after the crimbo break

The Pro's estimated cadence is a bit rubbish, it's supposed to be improved by the recent firmware update, but an inexpensive ANT+ cadence sensor sorts it completely. The Garmin magnet-less one is a doddle to fit.

I just use a USB extension cable, male at one end and female at the other. Plug the male end into a USB slot on your computer then plug the ANT+ dongle into the female end and drape the cable along the floor so the dongle sits around the middle of the bike.

Most forms of Wireless are generally a bit rubbish, and you can't beat a wire for speed and reliability. If your Wi-Fi is playing up, get a pair of powerline adapters, as fast as possible (I use AV600 with gigabit network ports) and connect your computer using them instead of Wi-Fi.

See you in the leagues, I think it may be quite busy with people trying to work off the Christmas excess!

Geoff

 

[gbrown]

Hi Geoff
I would be happy to have a go at videoing the Haytor Climb at some point when the weather gets a bit better
Still not tried a video yet but would be good to try it out I have a GoPro and a Garmin so that should work ok
any tips for the settings and where to mount for best angle etc?

I won't be in the velodrome tonight as I have just got home from work and not feeling that great have a good ride

BKool recommend mounting it on your car windscreen and driving at cycling pace, but in reality this is hard to achieve as traffic won't generally allow such low speeds.

I found it best on the handlebars, as close to the centre as possible to reduce shaking from one side to the other. On your helmet is awful, as the view moves to much as you look behind, etc.

Just be careful to make sure it is level before you set off, I spent one entire ride videoing my front wheel!

You'll struggle to upload anything too large, so 720p is more than enough. 1080p would almost certainly need reducing anyway.

Synch your video to the GPX file before you start trimming out the rubbish bits.

On long climbs it is nice to have the video to watch, as google earth is a little dull at low speeds.

Geoff

 

[johnny2names]

The Pro's estimated cadence is a bit rubbish, it's supposed to be improved by the recent firmware update, but an inexpensive ANT+ cadence sensor sorts it completely. The Garmin magnet-less one is a doddle to fit.

I just use a USB extension cable, male at one end and female at the other. Plug the male end into a USB slot on your computer then plug the ANT+ dongle into the female end and drape the cable along the floor so the dongle sits around the middle of the bike.

Most forms of Wireless are generally a bit rubbish, and you can't beat a wire for speed and reliability. If your Wi-Fi is playing up, get a pair of powerline adapters, as fast as possible (I use AV600 with gigabit network ports) and connect your computer using them instead of Wi-Fi.

See you in the leagues, I think it may be quite busy with people trying to work off the Christmas excess!

Geoff

Thanks for the help Geoff, it looks like the software + firmware update ( made at about 1 metre from the trainer hub) smoothed out those issues. I had a go at a velodrome ride to test it, and it seems to be the same you guys rode earlier!

As follows: distance 17.5k, cadence 100, power 257w, speed 44.2 kph, time 23:45. Sounds like I could be in the mix chaps!

I've applied for a place in the thursday night league, before I read you wanted us to post in here first. For confirmation, I'm either showing under my avatar, johnny2names, or my real name, jean-michel jacquinot. Let me know if you need anything else from me!

I look forward to joining some session post new year's ( away till then), but might struggle with 7 pm due to child's bedtime...

thanks again for the help

 

[gbrown]

You could have had me too Geoff, I couldn't have gone much longer at that sort of pace!

You wait till I get my carbon wheels ... then I'll have you!

Geoff

 

[gbrown]

On the plus side I had 104% effort!

104% effort, is that like 11/10?

I wonder how it works out effort? Probably looks at your power zones and how far you are above or below Lactate Threshold Power.

In which case, 104% is very impressive!

 

[gbrown]

Anyone planning a session xmas morning.....hoping to hit the roads but depends on weather so may be bkool instead

Oh Xmas morning, I could be tempted. Have to fit it in around the pressy opening, but since Christmas Dinner isn't until around 2pm there is usually a dead period late morning.

Will make me feel better about the pudding and custard if I've burnt a few calories.

I you do get outside, I bet the roads are quiet!

 

[johnny2names]

104% effort, is that like 11/10?

I wonder how it works out effort? Probably looks at your power zones and how far you are above or below Lactate Threshold Power.

In which case, 104% is very impressive!

my last effort came out as 122% effort! haha! I pushed quite hard, but not THAT hard... I agree, it sounds like it runs that off your perceived threshold. I have done the 20 min test, which had dodgy readings and a very dissapointing 210W reading after buckets of sweat. actually, 1.22 x 210 = 256+, and tonight's effort was 257.. QED?

 

[gbrown]

Nice one Geoff, you want to try peak hill the other end of Sidmouth, that's got a nice 20% on it, did it a couple of times now

I came down it once, didn't fancy going the other way at all!

My Sister in Law lives in Sidmouth, so I often use it as a destination for a long ride.

Geoff

 

[gbrown]

Thanks for the help Geoff, it looks like the software + firmware update ( made at about 1 metre from the trainer hub) smoothed out those issues. I had a go at a velodrome ride to test it, and it seems to be the same you guys rode earlier!

As follows: distance 17.5k, cadence 100, power 257w, speed 44.2 kph, time 23:45. Sounds like I could be in the mix chaps!

I've applied for a place in the thursday night league, before I read you wanted us to post in here first. For confirmation, I'm either showing under my avatar, johnny2names, or my real name, jean-michel jacquinot. Let me know if you need anything else from me!

You're in! I noticed the request, thanks for tying it up with your CC tag.

Sounds like you could give Bill some competition, Adski and I were drafting each other quite a lot, I would say.

my last effort came out as 122% effort! haha! I pushed quite hard, but not THAT hard... I agree, it sounds like it runs that off your perceived threshold. I have done the 20 min test, which had dodgy readings and a very dissapointing 210W reading after buckets of sweat. actually, 1.22 x 210 = 256+, and tonight's effort was 257.. QED?

I love it when the numbers add up!

Sounds to me like your FTP should be a lot higher!

Geoff

 

[johnny2names]

You're in! I noticed the request, thanks for tying it up with your CC tag.

Sounds like you could give Bill some competition, Adski and I were drafting each other quite a lot, I would say.



I love it when the numbers add up!

Sounds to me like your FTP should be a lot higher!

Geoff

ha, hopefully I really like the new update, chiefly for giving me much higher power number will have to run another FTP test soon.

How well do you think bkool simulate drafting? I've got precious little experience of it yet, other than it seems a lot harder to modulate your effort to hold a wheel, compared to in real life. Probably because other riders just try and shake me off! in the example of today's ride, where you averaged approx 42 kph, you would expect drafting to save you maybe 25-30% power perhaps?

 

[johnny2names]

@johnny2names do the firmware update released yesterday (v3.30), it fixes the cadence. It may also have fixed the watts issue, but that could've been the USB extension as well.

Kipster, I did just that- with firmware update at approx 1 metre from trainer hub, and it seems to have fixed both cadence and power issues after a trial velodrome ride. thanks for the help

 

[burndust]

mas morning, I could be tempted. Have to fit it in around the pressy opening, but since Christmas Dinner isn't until around 2pm there is usually a dead period late morning.

Will make me feel better about the pudding and custard if I've burnt a few calories.

I you do get outside, I bet the roads are quiet!

Yup the roads are great on xmas day...as long as the weather is ok...Ice etc i'll be out...then its nom nom nom