Author Topic: Turbo trainer (Read 13229 times)

yoav · « **Reply #100 on:** 09 May, 2020, 04:15:05 pm »

No, as most smart trainers broadcast both ANT+ and Bluetooth. Laptop has to have Bluetooth 4 LE minimum - at least to work with Tacx trainers. Having said that, I invested in a £20 ANT+ dongle as it made the connection more reliable, and I could add my HR sensor into the mix.

Doosh · « **Reply #101 on:** 09 May, 2020, 05:32:22 pm »

Just checked and I think mine is Bluetooth 4.2 so good to go?

Chris S · « **Reply #102 on:** 09 May, 2020, 05:42:44 pm »

My Drivo died

simonp · « **Reply #103 on:** 09 May, 2020, 05:46:45 pm »

Quote from: Chris S on 09 May, 2020, 05:42:44 pm

My Drivo died

Oh no! Is it under warranty?

Chris S · « **Reply #104 on:** 09 May, 2020, 05:59:06 pm »

Quote from: simonp on 09 May, 2020, 05:46:45 pm

Quote from: Chris S on 09 May, 2020, 05:42:44 pm
My Drivo died

Oh no! Is it under warranty?

Should be - I've opened a ticket with Elite, but they're in Lombardy, Italy - so I'm not expecting rapid turnarounds to be honest. I'll switch to walking and maybe even riding outside for a while.

salar55 · « **Reply #105 on:** 10 May, 2020, 02:13:58 pm »

Chris have a look on the Singletrack forum page 2 bike section , one guy had a problem with his Drivo 1. Even in lockdown they sent out a new motherboard after he described the problem. Another Elite plus Part 1 and 2 of the Maratona has been uploaded to the free video workouts gives 130+kms of good quality on 3 videos 😁

Chris S · « **Reply #106 on:** 10 May, 2020, 02:44:53 pm »

Quote from: salar55 on 10 May, 2020, 02:13:58 pm

Chris have a look on the Singletrack forum page 2 bike section , one guy had a problem with his Drivo 1. Even in lockdown they sent out a new motherboard after he described the problem. Another Elite plus Part 1 and 2 of the Maratona has been uploaded to the free video workouts gives 130+kms of good quality on 3 videos 😁

Good to know, thanks!

Chris S · « **Reply #107 on:** 11 May, 2020, 08:06:36 pm »

Wow - next working day response from Elite. Had to remove the side of the trainer and video its start-up procedures for Elite support. T'would appear there's stuff that should be moving that ain't.

Kim · « **Reply #108 on:** 11 May, 2020, 08:26:11 pm »

Quote from: Chris S on 11 May, 2020, 08:06:36 pm

there's stuff that should be moving that ain't.

WD40. And possibly a hammer. It's the universal engineering solution.

Doosh · « **Reply #109 on:** 13 May, 2020, 06:18:10 pm »

Quote from: yoav on 09 May, 2020, 04:15:05 pm

No, as most smart trainers broadcast both ANT+ and Bluetooth. Laptop has to have Bluetooth 4 LE minimum - at least to work with Tacx trainers. Having said that, I invested in a £20 ANT+ dongle as it made the connection more reliable, and I could add my HR sensor into the mix.

Looks like I'll be needing the ANT+ dongle as well, Zwift isn't having BT no matter what, POS!

drossall · « **Reply #110 on:** 13 May, 2020, 07:39:34 pm »

I've just set up a dumb trainer with Zwift. I was using an old Garmin GSC-10 sensor, which is ANT+ only. Couldn't get it to pair with Zwift. Took me a number of tries to spot the ANT+ button in Zwift, which makes it look for that as well as BT

ElyDave · « **Reply #111 on:** 13 May, 2020, 07:42:45 pm »

Quote from: Doosh on 13 May, 2020, 06:18:10 pm

Quote from: yoav on 09 May, 2020, 04:15:05 pm
No, as most smart trainers broadcast both ANT+ and Bluetooth. Laptop has to have Bluetooth 4 LE minimum - at least to work with Tacx trainers. Having said that, I invested in a £20 ANT+ dongle as it made the connection more reliable, and I could add my HR sensor into the mix.

Looks like I'll be needing the ANT+ dongle as well, Zwift isn't having BT no matter what, POS!

I don't use ZWIFT, but as with YOAV, I find it much easier for everything to go through ANT+ for the sake of £20

Doosh · « **Reply #112 on:** 13 May, 2020, 08:21:02 pm »

Quote from: ElyDave on 13 May, 2020, 07:42:45 pm

Quote from: Doosh on 13 May, 2020, 06:18:10 pm
Quote from: yoav on 09 May, 2020, 04:15:05 pm
No, as most smart trainers broadcast both ANT+ and Bluetooth. Laptop has to have Bluetooth 4 LE minimum - at least to work with Tacx trainers. Having said that, I invested in a £20 ANT+ dongle as it made the connection more reliable, and I could add my HR sensor into the mix.

Looks like I'll be needing the ANT+ dongle as well, Zwift isn't having BT no matter what, POS!

I don't use ZWIFT, but as with YOAV, I find it much easier for everything to go through ANT+ for the sake of £20

Yes I think that will be the answer, I got it going after a bodge where you connect via the companion app on the phone, even though my laptop could see the tacx Zwift thought BT was constantly turned off. It seems a bit flaky so I've ordered a dongle.

On another note, jesus wept how complicated is Zwift, I need an instruction manual or something. I can't seem to end a ride without it closing the game, the only option I get is to "save and exit", if I press "back" I just go back to the ride and not any sort of main menu.

Still managed some sort of training, I'm not exactly sure what but I was sweating anyway so must have done some good. I've a long way to go to get the hang of this and make any sort of productive/structured use out of it though.

ElyDave · « **Reply #113 on:** 14 May, 2020, 06:27:55 am »

There are other options, somewhere upthread I was recommended bigringVR which I've now paid for, and just completed the exact same ride as I would have done on holiday.

I've also downloaded the free Tacx software to do my more structured stuff once the tts4 software falls over (no longer supported now they've gone all subscription model, money grabbing Garmin)

toontra · « **Reply #114 on:** 14 May, 2020, 09:04:49 am »

Quote from: ElyDave on 14 May, 2020, 06:27:55 am

There are other options, somewhere upthread I was recommended bigringVR which I've now paid for, and just completed the exact same ride as I would have done on holiday.

What did you think of BigRingVR? Sounds good and cheaper than the others. PC or Mac only though - no tablets or phones?

Doosh · « **Reply #115 on:** 15 May, 2020, 02:59:32 pm »

I use one of the wheel-on tacx jobbies, apart from the calibration via the app do I need to input wheel and tyre size anywhere on Zwift? or is the calibration enough to work all that out to give correct results?

grams · « **Reply #116 on:** 15 May, 2020, 03:11:06 pm »

Zwift moves your in game character based on estimated power, not wheel speed, so it doesn’t care what size your tyre is.

Asterix, the former Gaul. · « **Reply #117 on:** 15 May, 2020, 03:42:07 pm »

Quote from: Doosh on 13 May, 2020, 08:21:02 pm

Quote from: ElyDave on 13 May, 2020, 07:42:45 pm
Quote from: Doosh on 13 May, 2020, 06:18:10 pm
Quote from: yoav on 09 May, 2020, 04:15:05 pm
No, as most smart trainers broadcast both ANT+ and Bluetooth. Laptop has to have Bluetooth 4 LE minimum - at least to work with Tacx trainers. Having said that, I invested in a £20 ANT+ dongle as it made the connection more reliable, and I could add my HR sensor into the mix.

Looks like I'll be needing the ANT+ dongle as well, Zwift isn't having BT no matter what, POS!

I don't use ZWIFT, but as with YOAV, I find it much easier for everything to go through ANT+ for the sake of £20

Yes I think that will be the answer, I got it going after a bodge where you connect via the companion app on the phone, even though my laptop could see the tacx Zwift thought BT was constantly turned off. It seems a bit flaky so I've ordered a dongle.

On another note, jesus wept how complicated is Zwift, I need an instruction manual or something. I can't seem to end a ride without it closing the game, the only option I get is to "save and exit", if I press "back" I just go back to the ride and not any sort of main menu.

Still managed some sort of training, I'm not exactly sure what but I was sweating anyway so must have done some good. I've a long way to go to get the hang of this and make any sort of productive/structured use out of it though.

Yup, got half way up Alpe du Zwift stopped for a tea-break and now it won't let me get back on. Says I have to do a workout or Innsbruck. I've done Innsbruck; once is enough for now.

L CC · « **Reply #118 on:** 15 May, 2020, 05:56:08 pm »

Quote from: grams on 15 May, 2020, 03:11:06 pm

Zwift moves your in game character based on estimated power, not wheel speed, so it doesn’t care what size your tyre is.

It estimates your power based on the speed of your wheel...

Doosh · « **Reply #119 on:** 15 May, 2020, 06:20:57 pm »

So seeing as I can't see anywhere to input wheel/tyre sizes I presume that if the tacx calibration is OK then there's nothing else to do?

DuncanM · « **Reply #120 on:** 16 May, 2020, 09:53:59 am »

If you have a smart turbo then I think that the turbo does the math and sends the power data (probably with speed and other stuff) over BLE/ANT to whatever software it's talking to (TR, Zwift, Sufferfest, whatever).
The only case where the software needs to do the math is where you use a dumb trainer and they are doing virtual power (and the chances of that being accurate are remote).

ElyDave · « **Reply #121 on:** 17 May, 2020, 06:01:24 am »

Correct, the power based speed from my StacZero that gets to the software is way different from that indicated on the Garmin display. Tbh I should probably stop using g the Garmin as well, it only creates issuesvwith multiple tracks.

I'm not sure why this is as I think/thought the StacZero used power to derive speed, but it also has a wheel magnet, so is clearly sending both bits of data. I've not really played with the road feel settings too much, but I do seem to be in a higher gear than the indicated speed would suggest

giropaul · « **Reply #122 on:** 17 May, 2020, 08:29:27 am »

Unless you have a properly calibrated power meter the information going to the i-platform are always going to be guesstimates. This doesn’t matter as long as you don’t change anything, you will still be comparing yourself against previous results, and hopefully tracking improvements.
During lockdown a group of riders who previously attended Wattbike Classes are having fun with some 10 mile TTs etc. Some are on Wattbikes ( rented out from the studio) but others are using various smart or dumb trainers. I know their FTPs etc from before lockdown, and some data now is wildly different.
I know that some take i-racing seriously, but the same issues exist - and I gather that it’s not unusual for riders to use clever manipulation to their advantage.
If you haven’t got an accurate power meter, your pulse rate is the best available indication of power - slightly lagging behind the effort level though.

ElyDave · « **Reply #123 on:** 17 May, 2020, 10:15:57 am »

the StacZero is based on a calibrated powermeter, I belive the power numbers coming out from it, the speed algorithm is somewhat irrelevant. I'm only curious as to why it is so different from the wheelspeed

Doosh · « **Reply #124 on:** 18 May, 2020, 12:11:03 pm »

Quote from: Giropaul on 17 May, 2020, 08:29:27 am

Unless you have a properly calibrated power meter the information going to the i-platform are always going to be guesstimates. This doesn’t matter as long as you don’t change anything, you will still be comparing yourself against previous results, and hopefully tracking improvements.
During lockdown a group of riders who previously attended Wattbike Classes are having fun with some 10 mile TTs etc. Some are on Wattbikes ( rented out from the studio) but others are using various smart or dumb trainers. I know their FTPs etc from before lockdown, and some data now is wildly different.
I know that some take i-racing seriously, but the same issues exist - and I gather that it’s not unusual for riders to use clever manipulation to their advantage.
If you haven’t got an accurate power meter, your pulse rate is the best available indication of power - slightly lagging behind the effort level though.

Yes I didn't expect the power to be anything like accurate enough to not take with a pinch of salt, I was more worried I was a country mile out because I'd potentially failed to input any wheel/tyre size but that seems a non issue.

On a further note I'm really enjoying Zwift now I've got the hang of it, I've finished sessions on there at an effort level I've never been close to on the road, for one reason or another.

What I seem to be finding when doing a higher intensity is that I'm not getting severely out of breath or an overly increased heart rate, it always seems to be lactic in the legs that has me backing off, where as with running it is the complete opposite, the legs feel fine and it's just due to breathing through my arse on the verge of collapse that I have to stop.