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Bkool Turbo trainer

PostPosted: 22 Nov 2013 14:45
by andyb99
Yes you read it right....i have a new turbo trainer....and guess what...its brill...so brill i needed to write about it!!

you might remember i posted a bit ago on here.....turbo time is upon us and i hate it.....but at the same time...i really need to use it this year cause i'm determined to have a good year and finish IMS strong. and i've a long way to go.
so i looked at things like i-flow from tacx...knowing their turbos are good...i came very close to an i-flow with TTS software which they tell me is a great improvement on the old i-magic software. The top of the range i-genius is just too expensive but is meant to be great....but for me the flow seemed to tick all the boxes...BUT ONE
you need a really beefy PC to run the software...and everyone i have at my disposal said NO!!
nvidia graphics card is the problem...you need a gaming machine...so i gave up on that.
then i came across Bkool....a spanish company i've never heard of...Turbo looks a bit different...and shiny...so that got the nod....but what intrigued was their software, which is FREE (well the software bit at least but you can subscribe for 8euros a month for the gold experience...which you probably dont need)
I didnt just want something that could tell me how far i've gone, what my HR was and how long i'd hated it for...i needed something to make it interesting...i tried everything to make the turbo interesting...put a TV in the garage and everything but pedaling just ruined the movie for me and i wasnt invested in the session..so this is where Bsim comes in.

basically, you go onto the bkool website which has loads and loads of profile rides on there...some just a gps file but some a gps file linked to a video of a 'famous ride'...though these all seem to be called col de something which means its all uphill...anyway you choose one...and the boot up the bsim software which links to the turbo...and any other ant plus devices to not only change the resistance of the turbo as you are going uphill but also give you power, cadence, speed, HR etc all on the screen as you are watching your ride...the vid even slows down and speeds up as you do...clever eh?
But better than that, if not visually certainly functionality wise...is the ability to import your garmin rides (which if you've lost/deleted them can be exported from endo)...which set up the profile of your ride...elevation and all....and give you the chance to do the ride again..Indoors....you are represented on a 3 d google earth map (little bloke in yellow pedalin along) its brilliant...you can choose either the distance or time as your workout....its really cool because it also shows you the next elevation change and a countdown bar so you can get in the right gear!!
really impressive...and makes the time fly by.
The only thing it lacks is the ability to create a may in mapmyride and import it...you can do this...but it wont give you the elevation profile..and neither does googlemaps/earth...i dont know if the function is missing from MMR or from Bkool...and if you create one yourself its template based...so it might not be as random as a street ride...which i think makes it better..but hey ho....loads of videos and loads of gps files...i've even got a full one of IMS (tho i doubt i'll ride the whole profile)

The turbo itself is really good....it different in that is doesnt jam up against your wheel....your weight keeps it on the roller....which means if you stand up it can slip a bit....not sure if this is good or bad but its countered by the fact that the wheel can move a bit...letting the frame flex a bit...which gives it an amazing roadlike feel and cant be bad for the frame (as its designed to flex a little)
its weighty and solid as a rock.

the whole system is available from either the best bikeshop in the world or from bkool themselves...you have the option to buy a kit through them and pay interest free over 12 months....but you can also just pay for a month and send it back if you dont get on with it so its a low risk way to try it out!!

I'd never heard of them before last week but then i found out mike sells them and Jase (hussler) has one and he rates it the same as me....its not made indoor cycling fun exactly....but i reckon i've a better chance of spending some time doing it!!
www.bkool.com

Re: Bkool Turbo trainer

PostPosted: 22 Nov 2013 15:11
by Jack Hughes
Does it work with Trainer Road? (Although it seems to replicate the functionality a lot)

You can also download from Strava - so, for example, if you follow some of the Pros, e.g. laurens ten Dam, you could download an Alpine stage of the TDF and have a go at that....

Re: Bkool Turbo trainer

PostPosted: 22 Nov 2013 15:21
by andyb99
Jack Hughes wrote:Does it work with Trainer Road? (Although it seems to replicate the functionality a lot)

You can also download from Strava - so, for example, if you follow some of the Pros, e.g. laurens ten Dam, you could download an Alpine stage of the TDF and have a go at that....

i dont know to be honest...i have never used strava...i think you would need to do that...export the file from strava and import it into bsim cause its that that tells the turbo how much resistance to give

Re: Bkool Turbo trainer

PostPosted: 24 Nov 2013 10:52
by sonofsammo
This looks pretty impressive.
Will be interested to see how you get on with it.....

Re: Bkool Turbo trainer

PostPosted: 24 Nov 2013 13:41
by kfjatek
sonofsammo wrote:This looks pretty impressive.
Will be interested to see how you get on with it.....


But of course he will hate it. It's just a matter of time. Question is, will he hate it with LESS passion than the rest of us hate our own turbos? ;-)

:ugeek:

Re: Bkool Turbo trainer

PostPosted: 24 Nov 2013 15:14
by sonofsammo
kfjatek wrote:
sonofsammo wrote:This looks pretty impressive.
Will be interested to see how you get on with it.....


But of course he will hate it. It's just a matter of time. Question is, will he hate it with LESS passion than the rest of us hate our own turbos? ;-)

:ugeek:

I don't hate my turbo - I love it! :-D

Re: Bkool Turbo trainer

PostPosted: 24 Nov 2013 15:41
by Jack Hughes
sonofsammo wrote:I don't hate my turbo - I love it! :-D


This can only mean that you are not doing it right.

Re: Bkool Turbo trainer

PostPosted: 24 Nov 2013 15:49
by andyb99
i know i will hate it!!! its no matter of time...the turbo sucks ass!!!
but its about making it more interestings!!! maybe even fun....there is also multiplayer by the way where you can join a race thats going on with racers throughout the world...that should be cool!!

Re: Bkool Turbo trainer

PostPosted: 24 Nov 2013 15:49
by kfjatek
Jack Hughes wrote:
sonofsammo wrote:I don't hate my turbo - I love it! :-D


This can only mean that you are not doing it right.


:lol: :lol: :lol:

:ugeek:

Re: Bkool Turbo trainer

PostPosted: 24 Nov 2013 19:15
by Bendy Ben
£450 is some heavy investment though.

Looks very cool tbh