Is it any good? I’m just looking for somethign for the next couple of weeks of rehab on the tubo. I’ve always used TR in the past, and enjoyed it. But i don’t really want to spend any money if i can help it, and Sufferfest are offering a 14 day free trial.
I can’t get on Zwift as i don’t have a smart trainer or a PM.
Is it just like TR but with pictures of a race instead of the effort graph and lots of Euro Techno music? Are there better alternatives … or do i just stick some telly on and just get on with riding. Better than nothing!
I’m WFH home today, so going to give the ankle a go and see if it can cope with cycling. On my own, so i’ll be ditching the pain cave/shed and sneaking it into the kitchen so i can access the WiFi etc and enjoy a bit of natural light! The boss would not be impressed if she knew though! haha. Though i want to see how loud it is to work out if i could get away with using it when the girls are asleep and the wife is out, as the baby monitor gets patchy at the bottom of the garden in the shed.
I think Bkool do a free trial too (30 days?) Workout type rides like TR and real roads as videos or cartoon type creations. Or there is GoldenCheetah & Veloreality which are free offerings similar to TR.
Do you have a speed sensor so something is transmitting to the software? If not there are loads of GCN videos on YouTube where you just follow the instructions in terms of effort level/duration etc.
I love Sufferfest. Only app I use. Plenty of videos now and the 4dp profile really works for me (cause my 5 sec power is pi55 poor, so if thats calculated off my ftp I can’t achieve the rep).
Because of this I feel every workout is at my limit - but always do-able (especially when they back up how I’m feeling with similar commentary on the screen).
I’ve just had THE crziest idea for today though … i’m going to ride my bike outside!!
Who’d have thought such a thing was possible?! It literally hadn’t occurred to me previously as normally my training is restricted to the evening or in work. No i have a WFH Thursday, maybe i’ll do some riding to complement my running. Though having a knackered old bike with a buckled rear wheel and it doesn’t really like changing gear is a bit of a drawback!!
Not here. It’s just pi$$ed it down for the last hour solid. The rain has gone now, but the roads are going to be drenched. Perfect for my first road ride of 2019!!! Think i still have my racing slicks on the bike as well from my last tri in 2015!!! haha
I’ve used Sufferfest stuff for a few years and find it good - and like you don’t have a smart trainer, and frankly can’t be arsed investing in one when we have perfectly good turbos. the Tour of Sufferlandria in February is always a good challenge - 9 days of turbo hell. I have quite a few of the downloaded videos to use but the current model is now a streaming subscriptionso those days are over - but with Sufferfest you can do short term subscriptions so can join in things like the tour and use the newer videos they offer.
I didn’t use to have a PM, so was on Virtual watts with a dumb trainer. My biggest issues were I was constantly having to look at my output to make sure i was hitting the right numbers (even during recovery) and not always being able to match the right cadence to the right power (that was being prescribed in the workouts).
Smart trainer - hit the cadence, it’ll put the resistance at the right level - everything on point. I just found it cleaner, easier, less faff - I could focus on just the effort (and recovery) rather than gears etc.
Obviously in the real world - you need to worry about gears and what power you put out - but I liked the simplicity on turbo of not having that.
Not having to check tyre pressures or wear out tyres. I had a KK and it chewed through a tyre quickly, then I put a turbo tyre on which was better but as I only had one rear wheel I had to change the tyre if I fancied an outside ride, proper faff (though I did get really quick at doing it).
Now I’m on a gen 1 kickr I got second hand and it’s brilliant. Love erg mode and being able to feel the gradient difference when rolling round Zwift. For me, there would be no point to Zwift without it.
I’ve got s smart turbo but also some dumb rollers and use both with s power meter.
I use Erg mode on the trainer but could live without it and actually find having to “manually” hit a level on the rollers more engaging.
Where I do think a smart trainer comes into its own is riding real terrain and replicating gradients. I used my own courses that I rode in real life as well as the softwares real/imaginary ones.
Got my filthy mitts on a BKool ERG one, with ANT+ adapter.
Going to give it a whirl this afternoon…just waiting for the QR to be delivered, as I seem to have thrown out my old one.
I’ve downloaded TrainerRoad and will probably do the 8 minute test
But may do the ramp test…not sure yet.
I’ve got a Bkool, had it from new for about 5 years. It’s worth having a look at the Bkool software too, I think they do a 30 day trial. 1000’s of routes from all over the world plus workouts and you can load your own routes too. I used to find the Velodrome mode strangely addictive too.
Because you don’t tension the roller against the tyre, your weight presses down on it, standing up is not great as it tends to unload the back wheel. I never stand up on the turbo so doesn’t bother me.
Edit: Just opened FB on phone a Bkool 1 month free trial popped up…
