Yeah both definitely sound good enough. And I think this is silly question, but to be sure is it impossible to do low cadence high-power work on a fluid trainer if the power increases based on wheel speed?
Didn’t even know wiggle had an ebay account. Is it them selling returned/refurbished stuff? Although I’m looking to buy the trainer from Aus based sites so not relevant for this sale, but cheers!
I know you put out a fair bit of power, it may be worth investigating just how low you can take your cadence & still have enough resistance to force you to unleash it.
The other day - on my KK - I did 50rpm for 4 mins & was putting out 253W. My gearing in 50/34 & 11/32…I think I was in my second smallest sprocket on the rear.
There’s nothing wrong with the cheaper turbos, but you’re not going to get the truly quiet part of the equation. Inertia is also a “thing”. I realised when moving up to a better direct drive turbo just how much the pedalstroke was changed compared to out on the road. You spend a lot more time through the dead spot on a basic turbo, which is not necessarily a bad thing for climbing simulation
Sounds better than my cheap magnetic. Intervals in 50-11 on Tuesday I was 90rpm for 292W, 100rpm for 360W and 110rpm for 410W. Means every session is in 50-11 and increasing cadence to go harder.
Love the compact for climbing hills, especially currently living in NW, but next service/bike change will look for a 52-36 instead
I picked up my Tacx Flux S off the wiggle eBay site and paid £300? for it. The only thing missing was a thru axel.
@jaylen84 I noticed in your blog that you have a KK Road Machine, are you able to help @Chriswim out wrt what sort of power outputs can be achieved at low cadence?
I’ve got a KK Road Machine and did a graph of speed v power but it’s on my work computer. I’ll post it on Monday when I’m back in.
Cadence will depend on gearing to achieve a given wheel speed.
ETA - found it in another thread.
Thanks guys. Either way, threads definitely answered that people respect the KK ones as being definitely good enough. Was only after I asked that I realised how a fluid turbo works in relation to wheel speed.
Seen that graph on the other thread, helped although raised question in that I need far higher Watts for speeds. I need to put out ~220W on good flat roads on aerobars to hold 30kph.
@Chriswim
I would often do low cadence/high power intervals on my KK road machine. I’ve a 50-11 as my highest gear and when I’m working up to the lowest cadence and highest power I go from an interval with the 50-14 through to an interval with the 13 and then the 12 and finally the 11. I’m not quite exactly sure but I reckon I am getting about 330-350 watts at 55-65rpm. That does for me if it is as part of a session and I’m already tired by the time I get to that interval. If I was bigger and heavier and more powerful then the turbo might not give me enough resistance, I think to hit 400 watts you’d need to be doing 75-80rpm. Hope this helps…
Just read your post in more detail. My dumb fluid KK road machine is light years ahead of the old magnetic turbo I used to use. It’s very quiet and smooth and has more inertia so feels a bit more like the road than the magnetic one. I’ve already explained about the power outputs. At around 320-330w I’m on the big ring at 90rpm and somewhere in the middle of my 10 speed 11-28 cassette. I’ve never felt I needed more resistance, I’d say you’d get 600-700 watts out of the highest gear. It’s a big hefty thing, quite bulky, the legs are quite wide but it’s very stable. I bought it second hand for a really good price. Also took the guy’s KK turbo mat and I folded it over on itself and put the turbo on this, again to try to keep the noise and vibrations down. No complaints from downstairs in 3 years… I did do a bit of research on the best turbo to buy for a flat, and how to make a quiet turbo even quieter. I also took the guy’s KK turbo tyre and that is also quieter and runs cooler than a road tyre. The KK riser for the front wheel makes indents in the tyre so I only have an old cheap tyre on the front and I turn the wheel regularly so it gets different positions on the riser. Ive no complaints with it at all. Make sure your rear wheel is true and balanced otherwise you get vibrations through the turbo and bike, and if you store the bike in the turbo as I do, loosen it when you’re not on it (very easy and quick to loosen).
Thanks for that @jaylen84. Going to spend the next month looking to see if any Aus based deals come up to buy so it’s there when I move.
Good luck with the move. Surely with all that sunshine and good weather you’ll not be wanting to be on a turbo…?!
I bought mine a year or so ago and only paid £150 brand new from Amazon. Turbo prices are all inflated at the moment but that may give you an idea of value if you’re patient. It’s the smart model that transmits power via BT to the app
Haha yes hopefully outside (if the move ever actually works out…) but Still goes dark in winter! Plus convenience for option of short spin or intervals would be worth it’s money.
Plus I think if I buy before I go I can arrange to have it with me for the 2 week quarantine = boredom buster.
Forget the ££££, if you were offered a brand new Wattbike Atom or a brand new Wahoo Kickr (not Kickr bike), what would you have and why?
If I had the space I’d consider the Atom - I believe it had some issues with zwift when first released but these have probably been ironed out now
I would go with the wahoo kickr bike based on adjustable crank length and reviews (feel, noise)
Yeah. If the Kickr bike was an option I’d go with that
My mate had a Kickr bike, it broke, the replacement broke in the same place and they couldnt promise another replacement wouldn’t have the same issue.
He got a Stages bike and loves it.
sorry I assumed that is what was asked but can see it’s not.
