Team BKool CycleChat

[Paulf1566]

Hi all
Can somebody help me please. Just got the trainer and have done several sessions but about 50 minutes in I get a message saying "do I want to end the session" and the speed and rpm go to zero yet I'm still peddling away. The only way to get rid of the message is to stop peddling and then start again. This goes on for about a dozen times before it seems to clear for good. By that time my times are stuffed. Any ideas?
Cheers

Not had this but perhaps you may be losing your wireless connection from the bkool to the computer.

 

[Gazza SRC]

I thought that at first but it always seem to be after I'm into a session and pushing hard. As soon as I ease off and the wheels has almost stopped the message clears.

 

[theedge]

I have imported a few routes into the Bkool software and all I see is a map view currently. Am I right in thinking that in time BKool will alter this to a 3D representation? If so, how long does it take? Is there a need to connect to Google Earth somehow to improve this?

As for videos, it would be brill to create some of rides I do. The Garmin VIRB Elite looks just the job for this, but out of my price range. Any suggestions for cheaper alternatives with long battery life? Is it easy to match none GPS camera videos with suitable files such as tcx, fit or gpx?

Thanks

I have only one in 3d so far and that is one of my Video routes. 3D Conversion seems to take a long time and bkool do the conversion.

For video routes getting the size and format correct is key 720p30 and under 2.5gb (use Handbrake to do this). You will also need a GPS really to log the route.

I recorded my routes with one of these, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Generic-Waterproof-Camcorder-Bicycle-Driving/dp/B00E9QEY76 battery life isn't great (a few hours) and I think the picture quality ASA has is better (but this one is acceptable). Because of the file size limits, battery life shouldn't be a limiting factor. Splitting the route into several section might be a good way to go..

 

[Asa Post]

As for videos, it would be brill to create some of rides I do. The Garmin VIRB Elite looks just the job for this, but out of my price range. Any suggestions for cheaper alternatives with long battery life? Is it easy to match none GPS camera videos with suitable files such as tcx, fit or gpx?

I have only one in 3d so far and that is one of my Video routes. 3D Conversion seems to take a long time and bkool do the conversion.

For video routes getting the size and format correct is key 720p30 and under 2.5gb (use Handbrake to do this). You will also need a GPS really to log the route.

I recorded my routes with one of these, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Generic-Waterproof-Camcorder-Bicycle-Driving/dp/B00E9QEY76 battery life isn't great (a few hours) and I think the picture quality ASA has is better (but this one is acceptable). Because of the file size limits, battery life shouldn't be a limiting factor. Splitting the route into several section might be a good way to go..

My SJ4000 camera battery is supposed to last for 70 minutes at 1080p. I haven't tested it at 720p. I usually change the battery after about an hour, anyway.
Regarding GPS files and matching them to a video: I use a Garmin 500. I've had a problem with the GPS signal showing me up to 100 yards off course to the side of the road. This, in turn, gives false altitude data as the land at the side of the road is rarely the same height as the road itself. Bkool suggest dragging the points back onto the road on the map on the video upload software, but there are hundreds of them. It's fiddly and would take hours.
What I've tried instead is to draw the route on mapping software, save it as a gpx file and match that with the video. The problem is that most mapping software assumes a much higher travelling speed than I'm actually doing, so the gpx file time is much shorter than the video time. I fix this by using BikeHike, because it allows me to set an average speed when saving the gpx file. With a bit of trial and error, I can find the speed that makes the two files run for the same length of time.
So a GPS unit isn't essential, but if you use one and the track is accurate, it makes the job easier.

 

[burndust]

="Gazza SRC, post: 33it 7070, member: 39348"]I thought that at first but betwees seem to be after I'm into a sessio pushing hard. As soon as I ease off and the wheels has almost stopped the message clears.

Bsim uses a hell of a lot of system resources so it could be that communication between the trainer and the laptop etc is dropping out....or there is a calibration issue with your trainer

 

[theedge]

I would suggest checking the connectivity to the trainer.. I was having issues with it only going from really hard resistance to really easy and that it wouldn't switch the profile following on screen. I moved the laptop closer to the trainer and the problems were gone.. It doesn't seem that ant+ is that great over any distance or helped by things in the way of its signal path..

 

[Paulf1566]

I do have a camera with a video function but battery life will be about an hour. If I change batteries and start recording again, I will end up with two video files for the route. Can these be joined together into one file, which I can then link to the total gps file? Sorry, I am a novice with all this stuff!

 

[Asa Post]

I do have a camera with a video function but battery life will be about an hour. If I change batteries and start recording again, I will end up with two video files for the route. Can these be joined together into one file, which I can then link to the total gps file? Sorry, I am a novice with all this stuff!

Not in the Bkool software, I don't think, but most video software allows you to join files. If you are using the Windows operating system, you may have a version of Windows Live Movie Maker on your computer. That will do the job.

 

[bowtomephil]

The gamin virb has a 2 hour battery life great bit of kit....

 

[bowtomephil]

Anybody else get disconnect errors?

I have a great signal after adding a wifi booster/extender. I run speedtest app and a wifi analyser, all good, but I can disconnect from Bkool and then immedietly check and WIFI is perfect.

 

[Asa Post]

Anybody else get disconnect errors?

I have a great signal after adding a wifi booster/extender. I run speedtest app and a wifi analyser, all good, but I can disconnect from Bkool and then immedietly check and WIFI is perfect.

I had one a couple of days ago. When I went to the website to see if there was any explanation, the site was down for maintenance. Rightly or wrongly, I decided that was the reason.

 

[jiberjaber]

Yippeeeee.... great week, new bike showed up yesterday and shipping notification of bkool arrived today, so hopefully it will be here in a few days

Looks like some nice weather leading in to the weekend and then horrible after, so timing couldn't be better, looking forward to it..

 

[kipster]

Anybody else get disconnect errors?

I have a great signal after adding a wifi booster/extender. I run speedtest app and a wifi analyser, all good, but I can disconnect from Bkool and then immedietly check and WIFI is perfect.

Other than my logging in issues over the weekend I've not had any issues. I used to have problems streaming the videos in my garage over wifi so installed some powerline adaptors and those problems went away.

 

[PhotoBiker]

So I just got back from a BKool demo event at my LBS. They had two BKool reps give a pretty decent demonstration, answering questions, letting people ride, etc. I was all set to pick up a BKool black this evening and get a $50 discount in the process when one of the reps said something about Strava not exporting altitude data from routes. All my data is in Strava. I'd actually created three BKool routes from Strava routes a few weeks ago (I have a BKool account, just no BKool trainer) so I let them log in as me and check this out. Turns out all my data was flat, including my "Southern Maine Hill Tour" route which I can guarantee is not flat.

Is there a way around this? I'd rather not have to recreate each route in Google Earth to get this to work. I do know that veloviewer seems to have no problem determining altitude when it creates those stunning 3D graphs from a Strava route, perhaps I can get something out of Veloviewer?

 

[bowtomephil]

I have got that twice Gazza, when I look at the slope on the screen is says 22% and then gives me the message. Maybe a corrupt GPX file?

We should start a petition where we can preload a gpx or video onto your device pre ride.