Team BKool CycleChat

[AAAC 76C]

Did WC Stage 6 tonight.
It's not landed yet but some of my ghosts will be getting messages (in fact all of them but one).
My aim was to get ahead of Jacob and get as close to Thomas R as I could and I also had Artanenc's ghost (the 63 kg U23 who has been topping 7 Watts/kg) as a final 'yardstick'.
Well I worked hard on the first climb and got to the top of it with Thomas R and with Artanenc nowhere to be seen on the board.
I was going to use Thomas R as a tow truck along the top of the ridge but I actually managed to pull away from him so I dug in a bit knowing I could 'rest on the descent'.
Just before the descent started Artanenc appeared on the board some 50+ seconds behind Thomas R who was 25 seconds behind me.
I pretty much manged to hold that gap on Thomas until the end all be it is fluctuated from 25 down to 14.
However Artanenc took all of that 75 seconds back on me to catch me on the foot slopes of Willunga and leave me about 3 minutes behind by the end of it.
He was Richie Port and I felt more like Andre Greipel trying to get in before the time cut.
That said I came second more than 6 minutes ahead of Jacob and 3 ahead of Pep which will do my GC no end of good.

I would have been even less sprightly had I done the whole 145 km odd of stage 5 of the TDU before the final ascent of Willunga.

Looking at Strava Port did the final climb in 6:39 at and average speed of 27.1 kph (which I think equals 3 km) at 419 watts (blimming lightweight)
I will to look at the WC Stats to see what we BKoolers did.

 

[AAAC 76C]

Well here is was Artanenc did
km 29.1 to 32.2 = 3.1 km roughly 28 kph (3.1 x 28 = 86.8)
km 32.2 to 35.5 = 0.3 km roughly 45 kph (0.3 x 45 = 13.5)
Total/3.4 = 29.47 kph = 6.1 minutes for last 3 km

I think its fair to say that Richie Port is a wimp

 

[AAAC 76C]

Well here is was Artanenc did
.......................

Doing the same for Thomas R and pretty much what I did based on what I saw.
18.5 kph (x 3.1 = 57.35)
41.0 kph (x 0.3 = 12.6)
Total/3.4 = 20.57 kph = 8.75 min for last 3km

Well almost as quick as the wimp (not).

 

[Perky77]

Loving the idea of TTT. I'll miss a trainer road session to join in, even though my ftp on bkool has probably expired

 

[AAAC 76C]

Doing the same for Thomas R and pretty much what I did based on what I saw.
18.5 kph (x 3.1 = 57.35)
41.0 kph (x 0.3 = 12.6)
Total/3.4 = 20.57 kph = 8.75 min for last 3km

Well almost as quick as the wimp (not).

Well I never, if I had got to the final 3 km with the leaders (in the TDU proper) I would have beaten Peter Sagan to the line.
IF!!!!

 

[AAAC 76C]

Loving the idea of TTT. I'll miss a trainer road session to join in, even though my ftp on bkool has probably expired

Oh no, not an expired FTP, how will you cope Perky!

 

[Daddy Pig]

Did WC Stage 6 tonight.
It's not landed yet but some of my ghosts will be getting messages (in fact all of them but one).
My aim was to get ahead of Jacob and get as close to Thomas R as I could and I also had Artanenc's ghost (the 63 kg U23 who has been topping 7 Watts/kg) as a final 'yardstick'.
Well I worked hard on the first climb and got to the top of it with Thomas R and with Artanenc nowhere to be seen on the board.
I was going to use Thomas R as a tow truck along the top of the ridge but I actually managed to pull away from him so I dug in a bit knowing I could 'rest on the descent'.
Just before the descent started Artanenc appeared on the board some 50+ seconds behind Thomas R who was 25 seconds behind me.
I pretty much manged to hold that gap on Thomas until the end all be it is fluctuated from 25 down to 14.
However Artanenc took all of that 75 seconds back on me to catch me on the foot slopes of Willunga and leave me about 3 minutes behind by the end of it.
He was Richie Port and I felt more like Andre Greipel trying to get in before the time cut.
That said I came second more than 6 minutes ahead of Jacob and 3 ahead of Pep which will do my GC no end of good.

I would have been even less sprightly had I done the whole 145 km odd of stage 5 of the TDU before the final ascent of Willunga.

Looking at Strava Port did the final climb in 6:39 at and average speed of 27.1 kph (which I think equals 3 km) at 419 watts (blimming lightweight)
I will to look at the WC Stats to see what we BKoolers did.

You Sir are a legend. Great that you are keeping up the great British end.
It sounds like Artanenc is a pair of legs on a turbo.... 63kg bloody hell, last time I was that weight I was about 10 years old! I'd have to chop off both arms and legs to get to that weight now, even then I'd still be over 63 kg! Maybe his wife used the trainer beforehand and he forgot to change the weight back...

 

[Daddy Pig]

Not to mention the Bkool Pro anomalies. I feel like I'm back to the point I was before changing to race tire, which means I struggle to produce watts on inclines between 0 and 5%.

I'm not sure a tire change will help this time, as it seems it's the break resistance that is to great in that problem area. Already at 1% it feels very tough and at 5% I'm in my lightest gear (34/28) and have to go well above my threshold to produce 280 watt.

If I stand up during a 5% incline the wheel will sllp. That used to happen at about 8%, so something has definitely changed.
There is no notable difference in resistance from 5 to 8%, but the watts increase and seem to be on par when I reach 8%.

I tried a route today that you did in October which looked a bit like a team time trial. I can say that you were absolutely flying up those gradients so it's quite likely that there is an issue with the trainer. Saying that I'm currently going through a performance dip myself!

 

[Randyberlin]

I tried a route today that you did in October which looked a bit like a team time trial. I can say that you were absolutely flying up those gradients so it's quite likely that there is an issue with the trainer. Saying that I'm currently going through a performance dip myself!

DP,

For an ego boost there is a video route where you pass LBHIFI.

http://www.bkool.com/profile/detail/609153?durationType=DISTANCE&lapCount=1

I think you pass him at mile 1.7 wearing blue.

 

[bobinski]

Lars, I know you have ridden in Zwift before perhaps try that again and see if it resets the turbo? I recall that seemed to happen with me sometimes with the pro applying noticeably less resistance after a Zwift session.

 

[Breedon]

Lars, I know you have ridden in Zwift before perhaps try that again and see if it resets the turbo? I recall that seemed to happen with me sometimes with the pro applying noticeably less resistance after a Zwift session.

On Facebook there saying reboot the trainer and pc which should stop the resistance issue.
Just try switching off the turbo first then back on again to reset it then try the pc.

 

[CXRAndy]

On Facebook there saying reboot the trainer and pc which should stop the resistance issue.
Just try switching off the turbo first then back on again to reset it then try the pc.

This is why you can sometimes feel like you're battling a head wind and other times being blown along and post over the top performance figures. It really is time Bkool introduce a trainer with a proper power meter. There are several us now running either trainers with power meter or pedal/hub power meters and realise how far off Bkool behaves. I dont think their problem lays with other trainers, I see my figures being pretty accurate with regards to speed versus power. The problem lay with Bkool Pro trainers roughly registering correct power over an average but indicating wrong speed and resistance.

 

[bobinski]

This is why you can sometimes feel like your battling a head wind and other times being blown along and post over the top performance figures. It really is time Bkool introduce a trainer with a proper power meter. There are several us now running either trainers with power meter or pedal/hub power meters and realise how far off Bkool behaves. I don't think there problem lays with other trainers, I see my figures being pretty accurate with regards to speed versus power. The problem lay with Bkool Pro trainers roughly registering correct power over an average but indicating wrong speed and resistance.

That's probably right Andy. Is your kickr set up properly?
Interesting though that before the last update took away the ant+fec option ( i know it is supposed to be permanently "on" now) I could reset the pro sometimes, often in between a warm up and and an actual race the difference was that noticeable.
I have ridden two flattish routes in bkool and zwift the last few days. In zwift 160/170w at 74kilos' gives me 19/20mph. In Bkool its nearer 200w and much spikier. To hit 25mph i have to hit near enough 330w in bkool, That is on the flat. Anything over 1% and the resistance is too strong and the differential becomes greater and my effort less consistent or controlled. I can hit 300 w quicker and for longer in zwift/ tacx app than bkool.
I suspect neither is completely accurate and all of these sims are faster than IRL. That differential in bsim is frustrating but just about acceptable so i can race with you guys. But for those running pros you can never really tell who has the benefit of a particular unit and how it performs and who doesn't.
And funnily enough bkool shows me riding at a a higher IF (power output level) in zwift that i can do in bsim!

 

[CXRAndy]

Probably not Bob, I've been riding with a worn shim, most likely adding drag,. It will be interesting to see if spin down test and usage after, results in significant difference in power figures

 

[Brendan Parker]

@BILL S I completed stage 1 of chaingang but stupidly the course wasn't the league version of the stage, is there anyway my results can be added or do I have to do it again