Team BKool CycleChat

[harly]

ah right hopefully they can sort you out ....10 /12 pcent grade is not that difficult on the bkool to cause problems

 

[burndust]

I use a 39/53 with 12-25 rear cassette on my home trainer bike, this gets me up the Alpe d'huez tacx version no problem,but the Bkool version the resistance being applied to the electro-brake is just way too hard, I can't even use it for 10mins.
My FTP test done at the university hospital here in Gent in 310, but I tried the FTP test on the BKool, and I was struggling to hold 240watts for only 10-15mins. I assume it is just a calibration issue, as everything else seems to be working fine?
I also find it strange that in one pedal revolution my watts will jump by 50 when there is no gradient or speed increase.

Anyway, I am babbling on and repeating myself again from my previous posts haha
But hopefully they can find the problem Wednesday when the are calling me.. I was just curious if 10-12% gradient was also perceived as very difficult by you guys as I have seen files with 25-50% gradients in them, which I would never get over!

Aye but then again I'm not very fit so that could explain my struggling

 

[jiberjaber]

So I got a response to my email about wanting to return the trainer:

Thanks for your message. We have seen the picture you sent us and that break is caused by a wrong way of transporting the unit, grabbing it from the wrong part. Because of that it can partly break, and as a result, when you are on your bike it definitely cracks, but it is completely impossible it breaks because you are on the bike, as you don't put pressure on that part of the Trainer while you are riding. You can see the warning indicated in the instructions (how to transport the unit. We will pick up your trainer, but 70 euros will be charged to your credit card for repairing.

So apparently I broke it carrying it and they want to charge me 70 euros to repair it, this isn't what happened of course, but I cant be bothered arguing! I'm just going to be glad to see the back of it, it had so much promise but I think I will spend the extra on a Kickr.

So tomorrows job - boxing it up!

 

[burndust]

So I got a response to my email about wanting to return the trainer:



So apparently I broke it carrying it and they want to charge me 70 euros to repair it, this isn't what happened of course, but I cant be bothered arguing! I'm just going to be glad to see the back of it, it had so much promise but I think I will spend the extra on a Kickr.

So tomorrows job - boxing it up!

WTF that's a shocking email response...

 

[Darryn007]

So I got a response to my email about wanting to return the trainer:



So apparently I broke it carrying it and they want to charge me 70 euros to repair it, this isn't what happened of course, but I cant be bothered arguing! I'm just going to be glad to see the back of it, it had so much promise but I think I will spend the extra on a Kickr.

So tomorrows job - boxing it up!

That's a shocker!!
I can assure you they will be receiving my trainer 'return to sender' if they don't have an immediate solution Wednesday 5pm when they call me!

 

[Runexeter]

I have a compact and on 10-12% I'm in the small ring and struggle, when I did Stage 3 (Usk) Tour of Britain getting up that hill at the end was 70% standing up!.
That said I have no clue if my set-up is right either as my trainer never came with a cable for the turbo unit so it may need up-dating.
That said when I emailed Bkool about it they said my Bsim programme will let me know when to update, seems strange to me but there you go. I even plugged in the unit to see what happens and it just makes the noise when the computer recognises somethings been plugged in but nothing shows on the comp and the programme does nothing.
They did say that the Bsim will sit in my tray and monitor everything but its not even in the tray and only in the quick launch bar because I put it there.

 

[Bollo]

So I got a response to my email about wanting to return the trainer:



So apparently I broke it carrying it and they want to charge me 70 euros to repair it, this isn't what happened of course, but I cant be bothered arguing! I'm just going to be glad to see the back of it, it had so much promise but I think I will spend the extra on a Kickr.

Just awful. If you have a stomach for the fight then you've almost certainly got more rights than you might think, even if the unit was supplied direct from bkool in Spain. I can understand your cutting and running though - I'd probably do the same.

http://www.consumerline.org/search/?cat=Buying+Goods+&+Services&item=Shopping+in+Europe

The Kickr is probably a bit more substantial, as it should be for the money. I dropped my bike repair stand on mine yesterday. The stand broke.

 

[Runexeter]

That's bad service indeed! I will take them all the way if I have any problems with mine.

 

[theedge]

I am on 36 - 28 and stuff that is 15% has me grinding. Saying that tho any negative gradients appear over easy (you could easy get KOM on strava) and power rating seems to be v.low doing 40+mph. I think the bkool is to easy downhill to hard uphill, but its still good for training..

My classic has a usb and what looks like a modem connection on it (although I have read about people connecting printer leads) so I assume this is how to update firmware on the trainer. Anyone know what the current versions are and how to check?

 

[Bollo]

Road it this evening, nice bit of a hill in the middle.. thanks for that one...

I am on 36 - 28 and stuff that is 15% has me grinding. Saying that tho any negative gradients appear over easy (you could easy get KOM on strava) and power rating seems to be v.low doing 40+mph. I think the bkool is to easy downhill to hard uphill, but its still good for training..

My guess is that the difficulty of the uphill is largely a bkool calibration thing, but the downhills is more a bsim/physics model issue. I also did the @Jibberjabber's Margeretting ride and on the kickr the uphill sections felt reasonably realistic and the power numbers didn't look silly. The downhills were just too easy though, especially with the kickr's flywheel spun up. 26m55s is good for my ego, but it ain't happening in the real world!

It feels like bsim only sets resistance by gradient but doesn't take account, or at least not in any realistic way, of the increase in aerodynamic resistance with speed. I can understand how this might be trickier as it sets up a feedback loop between roller speed and resistance, but without it you're never going to get representative times.

 

[harly]

I am on 36 - 28 and stuff that is 15% has me grinding. Saying that tho any negative gradients appear over easy (you could easy get KOM on strava) and power rating seems to be v.low doing 40+mph. I think the bkool is to easy downhill to hard uphill, but its still good for training..

My classic has a usb and what looks like a modem connection on it (although I have read about people connecting printer leads) so I assume this is how to update firmware on the trainer. Anyone know what the current versions are and how to check?

nothing happens when plugging bkool intocomputer / laptop there isnt any downloads or updates that i can find ..i presume when they update the bsim that will calibrate your software on the computer/laptop and thats it ..i think last year when i bought my bkool i got 1 update which had to be plugged in

 

[Darryn007]

On the black unit I see no possibilities to plug into for updates - But Ill check on wednesday when they call me and hopefully have an answer for you then.

Small request, can someone just have a look at this file I uploaded (It is a GPX file from the race website)-
triathlon vallee des lacs
At the very bottom under the profile it gives the following ride info:

• Climb 1.1 Km.
• Average slope 7.4%
• Climbing distance 15.1 Km.
• Maximum gradient 50.0%

Max gradient 50%, is that possible/ride-able on the BKool unit, I thought slope and gradient in percentage were the same, or am I missing something in the terminology BKool uses? I have also noticed some big differences in the different Alpe Dhuez files on the site, some files have 30+ max gradients, Alpe d'hueze has a max of around 12% doesn't it?

 

[harly]

Is it possible for you to try a different ant dongle and download the Bsim software again
Reading through the bkool site they say there is no calibration to do to the bkool itself , it's ready to go
I also can't find the file you mention any chance of a link

 

[Darryn007]

See if this link works -
http://www.bkool.com/profile/detail/534210?durationType=DISTANCE&lapCount=1
http://www.bkool.com/profile/detail/534210?durationType=DISTANCE&lapCount=1
I only have the dongle they sent with the unit, but I have a D-link version of this- http://www.futurumshop.nl/tacx-ant-usb-docking-station-t2026.phtml Maybe it will boost the signal, or stabilize it somehow to stop he dropout of the trainer?
I have reinstalled the software a few times, also on a tablet, but with no change.

Just another quick question, when you are riding do your watts either increase or decrease 20-50watts within one pedal revolution on a steady slope with no increase in speed?http://www.futurumshop.nl/tacx-ant-usb-docking-station-t2026.phtml

 

[harly]

was just wondering if it could be a dodgy dongle causing the problems ...yes thats better hmmm 50 percent must be a gpx file error not possible to ride..id of thought how about trying to get the same gpx route from something like bikehike ..and upload that to bkool see if theres any difference....as for the increase decrease i cant say ive noticed but will be on later and check that out