Team BKool CycleChat

[kipster]

Good afternoon folks and Merry Christmas. This is my first ever post....to any forum. I'm a returning cyclist and have been bought a bkool pro for Christmas. I can't decide if my wife thinks I'm fat or she wants shut of me for an hour everyday or maybe both!!
I have read lots of this thread but still can't get a feel for the speed that everyone rides. Lots of mentiones of triathlon but very little of tail end Charlie's :-) the category I'm sure I will fit in.

My question is, should I ask to join your Thursday cycling club or should I get used to cycling again - learn to walk before I run so to speak.

Any other tidbits you can pass on to me would also be gratefully received
Thanks for reading and thanks to anyone who replies.

@wheely we're all different, a few are training for ironman, a few leisure cyclist, and probably anything and everything in between. I use the Bkool to supplement the road rides, but I need to get some hills in my legs for a sportive I'm doing next year. I am not a great climber, tend to spin them out, I am also not a sprinter, my legs are too skinny. On the road I can put loads of miles in at a reasonable pace (16 mph) or go a bit quicker over a short distance (40 miles at 20mph).

I say join the group / league, see where you are and relish in the improvement you make.

 

[Add]

By trusting my judgement I guess you mean you trust my ability to inflict pain and suffering?

Have you tried the tri-bars on the turbo trainer yet? I'm curious if it would give a rest from the upright position for a bit.

Yep, I use my tri bars on the trainer all the time. I personally, only use them in downhill and flat sections, but it keeps the pins and needles at bay....and gets my head those few critical inches closer to my fan!

 

[Add]

Good afternoon folks and Merry Christmas. This is my first ever post....to any forum. I'm a returning cyclist and have been bought a bkool pro for Christmas. I can't decide if my wife thinks I'm fat or she wants shut of me for an hour everyday or maybe both!!
I have read lots of this thread but still can't get a feel for the speed that everyone rides. Lots of mentiones of triathlon but very little of tail end Charlie's :-) the category I'm sure I will fit in.

My question is, should I ask to join your Thursday cycling club or should I get used to cycling again - learn to walk before I run so to speak.

Any other tidbits you can pass on to me would also be gratefully received
Thanks for reading and thanks to anyone who replies.

Welcome aboard. It is just as important to contribute to the idle banter in here, as it is to cycle on the BSim. Just enjoy it, and ability is of no concern here, there is always someone better than any one of us. Just ride at a pace that suits you, and watch yourself get fitter. In that respect, the Bkool works. Look forward to seeing you, here and on the rides.

 

[wheely]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I've sent my request to join the league. I won't be able to start until after New Years as I'm away frome home at the moment. I'll try and read most of the pages on this thread between now and then. I suppose one thing is good about being indoors ....at least you will be able to get a brew whilst waiting for me.

 

[Add]

19 seconds Geoff.....19 flippin seconds!!! Might have beaten you if I'd had a ghost or flag to race, but was just going on time! I was cooked, coming up to that last hill! But pleased with that effort after an over indulgent break! Back to business now....catching Bill!

 

[gbrown]

19 seconds Geoff.....19 flippin seconds!!! Might have beaten you if I'd had a ghost or flag to race, but was just going on time! I was cooked, coming up to that last hill! But pleased with that effort after an over indulgent break! Back to business now....catching Bill!

19 seconds, that's nothing, how about 0.13 W after a 40 minute warm up and a 20 minutes FTP and damn near exhaustion at the end, then missed active 4 by 0.13 Watts!

Your last FTP value update was on 27/12/2014 08:02 PM. You developed an average power of 264.25 W
To get to the next level you should do any of this:

• Take a FTP test developing an average power over 264.38 W

Ah well, still a good work out I suppose!

Anyway, good ride on El Bosquet-Porrera, well done.

A really nice course (I like the video), but too much downhill, I think.

Need to get next month's league up, I've started putting it together.

Geoff

 

[Add]

19 seconds, that's nothing, how about 0.13 W after a 40 minute warm up and a 20 minutes FTP and damn near exhaustion at the end, then missed active 4 by 0.13 Watts!



Ah well, still a good work out I suppose!

Anyway, good ride on El Bosquet-Porrera, well done.

A really nice course (I like the video), but too much downhill, I think.

Need to get next month's league up, I've started putting it together.

Geoff

What a plum! I rode it in 3D! I was hoping for ghosts, but didn't get any. Should have just rode the video version!

Unlucky missing the Active 4 by so little... Now you'll just have to stay Active 3 with me. Its much easier to do a steep climb for 30 minutes, rather than the FTP's if you want to go up a level though, surely?

 

[gbrown]

Talking about Watts, I got a set of powertap wheels for Christmas, and I've compared their readings with the BKool, and I'm concerned that they are rather far apart.

I set my garmin going during the 20 minute FTP test and when BKool gave a 20 minute average of 264.3 Watts and a max of 391 Watts, the powertap/garmin gave an average of 222 Watts and a max of 401 Watts.

So the Bkool figure is 19% higher than the powertap, which is a lot more than I would have expected.

I've tried calibrating the Powertap many times and every time it comes up with around 505 or 506. Perhaps I'll have to try a static weight test?

I looked back at the posts here and Asa Post gave much closer figures for 20 mins, Bkool being around 4% higher. I don't like the PT being so much lower, it robs me of bragging rights!

Geoff

 

[gbrown]

What a plum! I rode it in 3D! I was hoping for ghosts, but didn't get any. Should have just rode the video version!

Unlucky missing the Active 4 by so little... Now you'll just have to stay Active 3 with me.

Its much easier to do a steep climb for 30 minutes, rather than the FTP's if you want to go up a level though, surely?

Best way to get a ghost is to go into the league results for the stage in question, find the ride you want to challenge and use the challenge button there to add it to your schedule. That way, you get the ghost you want added and it is setup as a league run.

I just thought holding a particular wattage for 30 minutes would be harder than holding it for 20 minutes, unless it is easier to hold a higher wattage on a steep incline, which it probably is.

Geoff

 

[gbrown]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I've sent my request to join the league. I won't be able to start until after New Years as I'm away frome home at the moment. I'll try and read most of the pages on this thread between now and then. I suppose one thing is good about being indoors ....at least you will be able to get a brew whilst waiting for me.

No request waiting on the Thursday night league. Do you want to try again?

Geoff

 

[wheely]

No request waiting on the Thursday night league. Do you want to try again?

Geoff

Thanks Geoff , I think I applied for the cycle chat group instead of the Thursday night group. Hopefully I've applied to the right one this time

 

[Add]

Thanks Geoff , I think I applied for the cycle chat group instead of the Thursday night group. Hopefully I've applied to the right one this time

Lol! We are the breakaway cyclechat group, the non conformists if you like!

 

[Add]

I know its an extra 10 minutes, but a lot easier to keep your power up on a steeper incline! But you do realise Geoff, that if you go up a rating, I will not rest until I catch you?

 

[wheely]

Lol! We are the breakaway cyclechat group, the non conformists if you like!

Ha ha, I'm back to cycling after 20 years and already part of a subversive group!

 

[gbrown]

Thanks Geoff , I think I applied for the cycle chat group instead of the Thursday night group. Hopefully I've applied to the right one this time

OK, you're in!