I watched his video earlier on it. Looked lonely!
The Indoor Riding/ Zwift/ TrainerRoad etc. Thread
- Thread starter randomshenans
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I watched his video earlier on it. Looked lonely!
Haha yeah, looked great, but very empty! It's such a big landscape, but then obviously we're comparing it to how 'busy' Zwift looks. Even on the fairly large Watopia it can look very busy, smaller circuits like Richmond actually look crowded and can cause massive slowdowns due to all the player avatars on screen.
Woo! Interested in how you're finding it
Ok, so first run on the Core done.
Still not as much time spent on it as I would like, but I did ‘John’s Short Mix’ on Zwift just now.
Bear in mind I’m coming from an low-budget Elite Velo Mag, wheel-on dumb trainer, to a mid-high range direct drive smart trainer… first impressions are really good.
It’s not as ‘silent’ as the DCRM review had me believe, but it’s much quieter than the old trainer, especially at high RPM.
I’m going to double-check everything is ‘as it should be’, then I might do a quick video to show the noise level.
I was able to listen to music with my headphones on without having to max out the volume, and I guess once a fan is running it will hide the noise of the turbo anyway — I don’t have a fan at the moment (long story) but I need to reinstate that pronto. I forgot how hot it gets on a turbo!
I have so much more confidence that the power output displayed in Zwift is accurate, and I also like that I don’t have to try and regulate the power with gears and cadence any more.
On the old trainer, I would sometimes miss a star on the shorter sprints because it would take me so long to get the power output right. No issues with that now!
I don’t know how much of the perceived benefit is the Core itself or how much is simply from having a direct drive smart trainer, but suffice to say, I’m really pleased with it (so far at least).
Happy to answer any specific questions if you have any.
I am looking to get a smart trainer to use with Zwift as its too dark for the early morning rides I was doing earlier in the year and want to keep making progress after getting back into cycling this year. I have been looking at the TacX Vortex but my PC is in a carpeted study, if I use a turbo trainer mat should this be a problem if the bike is clean? It wouldn't go down well if sweat/dirt ruins the carpet/walls. Also not having owned a turbo trainer before will it be "quiet" enough to use downstairs without waking up kids upstairs? From YouTube videos it looks okay, but hard to tell. Recently tried a dumb trainer and didn't seem too noisy but was in a large store and different brand.
Since the study is what used to be the garage the only other option to have a semi-permanent setup (else it won't get used) is in one of my sheds but they have no power so would need to run an extension cord every time as well as bring the laptop which is less than ideal.
Since the study is what used to be the garage the only other option to have a semi-permanent setup (else it won't get used) is in one of my sheds but they have no power so would need to run an extension cord every time as well as bring the laptop which is less than ideal.
The sweat mostly drops down so not much of an issue if you keep an eye on it. I have the vortex - it's good enough. Noise is too loud to hear the laptop sound, not sure how to describe it but at steady state fairly controlled and pretty noticeable in a sprint.
Thanks, hopefully it should be fine then. I have read its best to use headphones anyway once the trainer and fan(s) are all running.
Good to hear, hopefully you've got some more rides done too!
Wasn't after anything specific, as the only concern I had was just how silent it is. Was also after your initial experiences/thoughts, so thanks for those
A Vortex will be too loud.
I was running a Vortex in an adjoining garage and it was noisy enough to wake up our baby in his room, not directly above but 'adjacent above'. I replaced it with a Flux (Direct Drive) and it is loads quieter. It doesn't wake him now, I don't think, but I have thought about adding some insulation to the roof to help absorb some of the noise. I would hazard a guess if indoors it would come closer to doing so. A KICKR Core/KICKR 2018 another step quieter again with the Tacx Neo being the quietest you can get.
I'm racing in B and it's utterly brutal as I've reduced my training miles a little, really feeling the lack of sharpness.
Theres a 13 mile race 8.10pm tonight - tempted to jump into B cats.
Certainly do! I find that even if I've ridden a few times outside that I can't just jump on Zwift after a break, it's something about the way the torque works, it takes my legs a few sessions to get back into it. Quite hard to explain but there's certainly something 'missing' when you first jump on after a break.
Good to see you briefly mate! That start blew me away, thought I had more legs than I did! sorry I couldn't help but a good 8th place for you! Kudos
My 40 mins of SS intervals prior didn't help, but with my FTP set lower I thought I might be ok. Am now at 250W (knowing I've lost power from my previous 270W) which seems to be accurate. Need to get another test done but need more rest, less fatigue and some more base sessions first.
Good to see you briefly mate! That start blew me away, thought I had more legs than I did! sorry I couldn't help but a good 8th place for you! Kudos
My 40 mins of SS intervals prior didn't help, but with my FTP set lower I thought I might be ok. Am now at 250W (knowing I've lost power from my previous 270W) which seems to be accurate. Need to get another test done but need more rest, less fatigue and some more base sessions first.
Thanks Roady, great to ride with you albeit yes just briefly. It wasn't good timing for you after 40 mins of efforts.
It actually turned out to be a pretty terrible ride for me - wasn't properly warmed up, ate far too much beforehand and then basically it just turned into a complete and utter slog.
At around 8 miles I was in all sorts of trouble, there were no hills (which play to my advantage as I'm quite lightweight) so it was impossible to make ground/drop people. The whole field seemed really quick too, plus then tbh I usually do 3.1 w/kilo on Zwift but I only managed a 2.7 w/kilo over the 13 miles. The numbers don't lie - I was down 12% on power and I certainly felt it.
Better planning needed!
Soldato
Cross thread quote
- Need some advice on buying a turbo trainer after being off the bike for a year...ish.Looking at getting my legs back up to speed and then some with being able to actually train properly come next year, I'm currently happy to spend money on a Tacx Neo, but should I bother or real back to a Flux-S? Or something else?
Main reason for having one is living where I do, it's impossible to get a quick hour or so session in that isn't just traffic/red lights, so it would open up being able to ride before or after work properly.
Weekends I can get out and about properly as I'll have the time, but during the week, I don't have many options besides my short commute.
One of the huge things a turbo & Zwift give you is convenience. Even better if you can ride without care of the noise (direct drive/KICKR/Neo) or annoying neighbours (Garage/solid floor etc). Zwift gives you the variety - training plans, structured sessions, races, group rides, challenges/PR competitions, 'just jump on and ride' as well as the social aspect. Even better is the flexibility - jump on any time and there are other people there just doing their thing. 
Some people do prefer more structure, they tend to go with TrainerRoad and quite often will tie it into coaching. Some people don't care about social aspects or choice, just hurting themselves, they'll go to Sufferfest or just staring at the wall. Some people care about price and graphics so they'll avoid any subscription services and use whatever is free and looks nice, currently that's RGT.
I wouldn't say you need a Neo, but you certainly need to ride a turbo more than a handful of times to 'get into it' and decide if it's something you can see yourself doing. It's quite a different aspect to riding outside and some people just can't get to grips with it, complaining about 'staring at the wall', 'getting bored', or 'it's just not fun and doesn't feel like riding outside'. If you can address those things and take steps to avoid/negate them, then you'll 'enjoy' it. At the moment I'm personally kicking myself as without dedicating myself to any structure I'm just not riding. Zwift is my only way around that but I need to structure and organise my week better to get time enough to ride.
Some people do prefer more structure, they tend to go with TrainerRoad and quite often will tie it into coaching. Some people don't care about social aspects or choice, just hurting themselves, they'll go to Sufferfest or just staring at the wall. Some people care about price and graphics so they'll avoid any subscription services and use whatever is free and looks nice, currently that's RGT.
I wouldn't say you need a Neo, but you certainly need to ride a turbo more than a handful of times to 'get into it' and decide if it's something you can see yourself doing. It's quite a different aspect to riding outside and some people just can't get to grips with it, complaining about 'staring at the wall', 'getting bored', or 'it's just not fun and doesn't feel like riding outside'. If you can address those things and take steps to avoid/negate them, then you'll 'enjoy' it. At the moment I'm personally kicking myself as without dedicating myself to any structure I'm just not riding. Zwift is my only way around that but I need to structure and organise my week better to get time enough to ride.
Well, I've done just under 50 miles on my Kickr Core (mostly with TrainerRoad as I got a month free) and unfortunately the Kickr is now a Klickr — it seems to be a common issue:
So tomorrow I will have to contact CRC / Wahoo to arrange for a replacement.
So tomorrow I will have to contact CRC / Wahoo to arrange for a replacement.
Soldato
At the moment I'm personally kicking myself as without dedicating myself to any structure I'm just not riding. Zwift is my only way around that but I need to structure and organise my week better to get time enough to ride.
Think that's the most important point to make really, rings true for me hence being off the bike for so so long.
I've spent the past 3 months organising my work and life (calendars galore!), and am now at a stage to get cycling into the mix as well.
I have £230 of work vouchers to play with as well, so either (old) Tacx for £220 or go all the way and grab a Neo for £750.
Bought a set of these and a more expensive model back in January: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0749GJWQK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Work well, great for the money, sweat proof and comfortable. They're that good me and the other half have been using them when watching normal TV/films when the little one is in bed
Work well, great for the money, sweat proof and comfortable. They're that good me and the other half have been using them when watching normal TV/films when the little one is in bed
Some of that may depend on the setup you want, the cheaper one is obviously a Flow/Vortex 'wheel-on' trainer. So you'll ideally have another wheel to use on it (switch from road wheel to turbo wheel), with a cassette and an old tyre (or a trainer tyre). The more expensive Flux/Neo end of things is 'Direct Drive' with no wheel requirements. The Neo coming with a cassette and the Flux not.
