Author Topic: Tacx Films.  (Read 5910 times)

Tacx Films.
« on: 10 February, 2021, 12:28:00 pm »
In case anyone else is getting stale with real life lockdown and being stuck in the zwiftworld bubble.
I've been using some of the films here to augment climbing training.
https://tacx.com/product/tacx-films-tda/
There is a free trial period.
Its a refreshing change from climbing Alpe Du Zwift every day.
The trainer behaves a little differently than on zwift, it gets bogged down rapidly if you don't drop into a low gear before a gradient.
Its lovely seeing the mountain scenery after being chained the rock here for 18 months.
often lost.

Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #1 on: 10 February, 2021, 04:41:29 pm »
Definitely stale with real life lockdown!

It sounds interesting and I guess it has 100% trainer difficulty unlike Zwift default 50%.  I have always fancied trying to get up Stelvio and as my Alpine trip in June is sounding increasingly unlikely this could be my chance.   
Move Faster and Bake Things

TimC

  • Old blerk sometimes onabike.
Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #2 on: 10 February, 2021, 05:28:03 pm »
Not sure what trainer difficulty has to do with it (Zwift 'trainer difficulty' is simply a variable gearing hack), but the Stelvio is available on RGT.

I find the Tacx videos interesting, but the interaction with the trainer isn't great.

Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #3 on: 10 February, 2021, 06:18:38 pm »
Definitely stale with real life lockdown!

It sounds interesting and I guess it has 100% trainer difficulty unlike Zwift default 50%.  I have always fancied trying to get up Stelvio and as my Alpine trip in June is sounding increasingly unlikely this could be my chance.

Did that one yesterday.  Its a slog!
Im not sure what the % difficulty thing means.
Im finding the riding effort more realistic than on zwift once you cotton that you have to gear down in time for a ramp. On the really steep sections it gets a little sticky and you do tend to peddle squares though.
Likewise on the flat sections you don't get up beyond real life speeds for given effort that zwift seems to allow, and of course there is no drafting etc.
There is no popping off to the loo and a coffee as your bike screams down the Alpe D'Zwift sans rider either!
I was thrilled to find a climb this morning that is part of one of the TCRno8 parcour. Went at it like a bull at a gate in the final few km. Pretty much the opposite of how it will be approached on race day.

often lost.

Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #4 on: 10 February, 2021, 07:47:46 pm »
I did Tacx rides most of last year, the Haute Route series is excellent, though they do seem to focus on steep climbs a lot which can get a little wearing. Been sucked into Zwift since December just for a change but fully intend to return to Tacx as some stage.

Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #5 on: 11 February, 2021, 06:33:42 am »
Not sure what trainer difficulty has to do with it (Zwift 'trainer difficulty' is simply a variable gearing hack), but the Stelvio is available on RGT.

I find the Tacx videos interesting, but the interaction with the trainer isn't great.

Just a possible reason for this:

Quote
The trainer behaves a little differently than on zwift, it gets bogged down rapidly if you don't drop into a low gear before a gradient.

My understanding of trainer difficulty is that lowering it reduces the need to gear down before an ascent.

On my non-smart trainer using Zwift I never changed gear at all. At 50% I don't use the lowest gears, at 80% I do.

https://zwiftinsider.com/best-trainer-difficulty-setting/

In real world cycling it makes sense to gear down before an ascent, in N. Yorkshire it does anyway.

Move Faster and Bake Things

Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #6 on: 11 February, 2021, 09:19:40 am »
I've been using some of the films here to augment climbing training.
https://tacx.com/product/tacx-films-tda/
There is a free trial period.
How long does this trial period last for?

Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #7 on: 11 February, 2021, 11:48:48 am »
10 days.
We have since signed up for the subscription though.
often lost.

Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #8 on: 12 February, 2021, 03:10:27 pm »
You can always signup for just a month. Then when it warms up get back outside more and cancel subscription.

RGT Cycling is offering premium for free for up to two members of a cycling group. You can then invite free RGT members to group rides etc.

Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #9 on: 13 February, 2021, 11:20:55 am »
I use resistance rollers which would not be compatible with the Tacx program.

TimC

  • Old blerk sometimes onabike.
Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #10 on: 13 February, 2021, 11:35:54 am »
You don't have the SmartPower device on yours? That's FE-C and BT, and should be compatible with all the well-known apps. I have a set of the Elite Arione Digital rollers - there's some relationship between Elite and InsideRide which I can't remember - and they work fine with the apps. That said, I don't use them these days as I got fed up with falling off on corners...

Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #11 on: 14 February, 2021, 01:53:42 pm »
I don't have a powermeter. My rollers are like the one in the clip.

TimC

  • Old blerk sometimes onabike.
Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #12 on: 14 February, 2021, 07:25:05 pm »
SmartPower isn't (just) a power meter; it allows the computer program to set the resistance of the rollers. It works quite well on the Arione Digital, but I believe the E-motion rollers have a stronger resistance system that allows greater gradients than the Arione will give. Lots more info here: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/08/insideride-smartpower-floating-fork-rollers.html

Ignore the bit about the 'floating fork' (unless that interests you); it's obviously not relevant to the resistance.

Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #13 on: 14 February, 2021, 08:18:55 pm »
SmartPower isn't (just) a power meter; it allows the computer program to set the resistance of the rollers. It works quite well on the Arione Digital, but I believe the E-motion rollers have a stronger resistance system that allows greater gradients than the Arione will give. Lots more info here: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/08/insideride-smartpower-floating-fork-rollers.html

Ignore the bit about the 'floating fork' (unless that interests you); it's obviously not relevant to the resistance.
It involves shelling out a lot of £££s, so I'll give it a miss. My training riding on the rollers is simple; keep my heart rate up for a while, whilst doing a few intervals.

Re: Tacx Films.
« Reply #14 on: 26 February, 2021, 12:18:07 pm »
I've been working my way through the Raid Pyrenees on the tacx films the last couple of weeks.
Apparently they are only compatible with garmin/taxc which is a shame, but there are other "real footage" products out there that jive with alternative smart trainers.
We recently commandeered one of the big smart TV's and have an immersive experience riding through the incredible Pyrenean countryside where it is always conveniently Autumnal and sunny.
We found that downloading the films in advance allowed us to watch them in High definition without buffering issues.
I set my self the target of climbing 30.000 meters for the month of February as race prep for the Summer. I don't think I could have suffered through hill repeats on the local pimple outside here or 30 repeats of the Alpe D'Zwift either.
Its turning out to be a really good Winter training tool.
Highly recommend it.
often lost.