BKOOL Turbo Trainer

Hi All

http://www.bkool.com/en-GB/turbo-tra...kool-smart-pro

I am looking at purchasing one of these and wondering if anyone else has one?

Its a turbo trainer for your push bike but the difference is you hook it up to your pc and you can ride in sync with a virtual representation of the road/route of your choice, the trainer also increases the difficultly to compensate for the hills etc on your route. Can have a virtual races wi AI and other users also.

It is quite expensive but need to get fit and don't mind the spinners at the gym.

Akimba

I don't have the bkool one but I use a tacx VR trainer. The capabilities look very similar.

It does help make training at home a little less boring.

I have a standard trainer and I use the iPad to keep me entertained.
All I would chip in with though is that you need to buy a turbo trainer tyre.. I thought I could get away without one and it ended in misery..

I have a Cycleops Jet Fluid Pro trainer. I second the advice on getting a Turbo Trainer tyre. I have a TACX trainer tyre. They're a much harder compound and right fkin bitch to get onto a rim as they're not clinchers but they will last for many many more miles than a regular tyre.
The tyre, not my trainer.
https://wwwstatic2.tacx.com/Media/De...small-left.jpg

As for PC / ipad / laptop hookup, unless you have a really expensive smart trainer, you will need a Cadence meter, a Speed meter and an ANT + dongle so that the Cadence and Speed can be relayed back to your computer / tablet. A power meter is good but not critical.

I've got the ANT+ dongle for my PC and have ridden a bit on Cycleops Virtual Training. However, the application to go for is ZWIFT. -
http://zwift.com/

It seems to be the most popular one and I know a few clubs that use it during the really crappy weather. When you cycle, your speed and cadence is relayed back and this is decoded by the software. So, for every revolution of your rear wheel (ensuring you have entered the correct wheel size into the software), it knows you have effectively travelled X metres and also at what velocity. If you have the smart trainer then technically you don't need the other ANT+ accessories.

They're quite clever because say for example you're travelling at 20mph on what would be a section of flat road, it'll show you doing your speed at 20mph however as soon as you reach an upwards gradient, your virtual speed will drop. Although you physically will still be travelling at 20mph, your on screen speed drops... so, if you want to keep up with other riders or smash a KoM, you need to pedal harder :)

Oh, and make sure you open all windows in your room and have a fan blowing at you. Even in winter you can get ridiculously hot.

Yeah these BKool's have all the ANT+ etc with it, comes with own software which does as described also.

Yeah been told get a fan but used to the spinners at the gym so ready for it.

Good advice about the type tho as I am going to use me mountain bike (don't have road bike) I was going to just get a road tyre for it.

Yeah I have my trainer tyre on my Mountain bike. I have a Carbon Fibre road bike and don't really want to put it on the trainer (rigidity of the trainer etc.) however my MTB is Aluminium and somewhat designed to take more stick :)

Have a look at Wiggle.co.uk

Vittoria do a tyre for around £15, Schwalbe for around £18 and the TacX one is around £22

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dpSparhawk

Yeah I have my trainer tyre on my Mountain bike. I have a Carbon Fibre road bike and don't really want to put it on the trainer (rigidity of the trainer etc.) however my MTB is Aluminium and somewhat designed to take more stick :)

Have a look at Wiggle.co.uk

Vittoria do a tyre for around £15, Schwalbe for around £18 and the TacX one is around £22

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Halfrauds do a trainer tyre for under a tenner.Wouldn't worry about putting your carbon bike on a trainer,many have including me and have had no issues.
I used the CycleOps Virtual Ride app on my N7,bought a cheap cadence/speed sensor and ANT dongle,set up costs including Tacx trainer came to £70

Got me BKOOL had a ride round central park NY yest well say ride around did a few mins test before realised got to tell it your bike specs etc, thought it was hard work pedaling but thought I was on road bike not MTB.

Going for a little ride round naperville Illinois tonight with 2 bot riders ;-)

Got me BKOOL had a ride round central park NY yest well say ride around did a few mins test before realised got to tell it your bike specs etc, thought it was hard work pedaling but thought I was on road bike not MTB.

Going for a little ride round naperville Illinois tonight with 2 bot riders ;-)

hahah, yeah make sure you put in the correct wheel circumference etc. MTB / Roadbike, doesn't make a difference, it's just the wheel circumference, cadence sensor and power meter (If you have one) that it needs.

Remember. Wheel circumference = Wheel diameter * PI

There's no way I would put my Cannondale supersix evo on a trainer. Asking for trouble keeping it that rigid across the seat stays/chain stays when the rest of the bike is flexing. I hate turbo trainers with a passion though, I'd rather get out on the road.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by maltloaf

There's no way I would put my Cannondale supersix evo on a trainer. Asking for trouble keeping it that rigid across the seat stays/chain stays when the rest of the bike is flexing. I hate turbo trainers with a passion though, I'd rather get out on the road.

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Same here, I wouldn't put my CF bike on the turbo either. However my AL 29er MTB is perfectly fine on it. Uses 700c wheels as well so just threw a turbo tyre on that, calculated the correct circumference and off I go. Nothing beats the open road but sometimes, going on the turbo in utterly shit weather is better than nothing :).

Incidentally, here's a cracking little ride I did last week. Only 42 miles but has a decent amount of climbing on it and I'd say probably 30 miles of it is off any major road (Single track tarmac'd surface with passing places). Even the section of the B4391 which actually had a central line was amost clear of any cars (see short clip below)

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/14421704 (I called this Safer Bala ride as the previous version had too much of the A4212 on it)

I use Ridewithgps to create routes as it forms the elevation data in the GPX's for my Gamin Edge 1000 properly whereas Strava doesn't. I use Strava mostly for recording my rides.

Quality of this has been fk'd over by Youtube but still clear enough (and yes I did peer down to see if the camera was recording lol)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqeO6uqFF-4

I just need to get fit got old MTB so thought get on it a cycle, 1.6miles last night and I was frikken knackered I do think me back brakes were rubbing tho so will remove the pads but so unfit its ridiculous so going to be a long road ahead (excuse the pun ;-)

Going on a trainer will be a good start. Before you know it you'll be ramping up to 5, 10, 15 miles and so on. Most people I know generally max out at an hour on the trainer,

Make sure you got a shed load of fluids and if possible a decent fan in front of you.

Yeah that's the idea to build up to 30 mins a night, not want to do too much just get a little healthier. Don't you ever need a fan :-0 was sweating buckets

hahaha, yup, the fan is the single most important piece of equipment you'll need on a turbo :)

http://www.screwfix.com/p/ge-45-18-h...220-240v/2824k

I've got one of these... pretty cheap and does a good job.