Indoor training with power?

[xcmntgeek]

My experiences have been that a properly warmed up and calibrated velodyne runs within 5-15 watts of my also properly calibrated SRM amature. Usually, the velodyne runs low (e.g. it says you are at 250, you're really at 260). However, a velodyne that hasn't been warmed up is all over the place. They weren't doing this at the University I attend until I wrote a protocal for them to use. The velodyne was off by 30-50 watts or more.

Justin

 

[RapDaddyo]

a velodyne that hasn't been warmed up is all over the place.

I think a warmup (e.g., 10min) is required for accuracy for all trainers.

 

[frenchyge]

Good customer service.

You saw my link to the nominal charts on their website, right? Probably what they meant is that it's not a calibrated value, and each trainer is not tested nor guaranteed to adhere to that chart.

 

[xcmntgeek]

I think a warmup (e.g., 10min) is required for accuracy for all trainers.

for sure! but the vleodyne specifically requires you to put it into a warm-up mode to get the electric braking stuff up to whack.

J

 

[carpediemracing]

When a spinningbike has a clutch and is not truely fixed with the flywheel: in my opinion it isn't a spinningbike anymore but just another indoor bike.

I am looking for a spinning bike which is totally fixed. Althought I do not want to pop myselve right over te bars, hehe. I have cycled on fixed spinningbike before and I loved it.

not power related but...

a low buck alternative (which I took advantage of) is to find an older Schwinn DX900 exercise bike. I bought mine for $50 or so. I called exercise bike listings looking for a "Schwinn exercise bike without arm units where you can't coast".

40 lbs flywheel, fixed gear, rudimentary cadence unit, a felt-pad brake. I use it to do spin up exercises - max rpm with virtually no resistance. did this after reading about former US sprinter Scott Berry's drills - 300 rpm for 6 seconds (!!).

my quest for this winter is to convert my spinner unit to a 3 piece crank & clipless pedals, dropped bars, and a known cadence unit.

note: the reason why a rider gets ejected on a fixed gear is they try to coast. since the cranks keep going, eventually your knee will lock up and the crank's upward motion will push you up and over the bars. I know this since I tried to coast on a track bike on a track once. As I started to go over, my rear wheel left the ground, relieving the pressure trying to get me over the bars. When I started to land on the seat, the cycle repeated albeit less violently. After a comedic second or two I was stable on the bike and hoping no one noticed.

 

[acoggan]

The design uses an innovative eddy current brake built around a heavy (55lb), large diameter flywheel with an internal freewheel.

There's also nothing innovative about the use of an eddy current brake built around a large flywheel:

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/articles/krogh/index.html

 

[rmur17]

The winter is coming and I am looking for a indoor possibility to train.

Spinning would be my first choice as indoor training. For the flywheel and the fixed wheel. Do you guys know some good spinning bikes? Which also can measure power?

- Schwinn has some good spinningbikes and ergomo build an bottom bracket for spinningbikes that measures power.
- Cycleops has an Pro 300PT indoor trainer, but I don't know if it is a regulair indoor trainer or a spinning bike (with fixed wheel as fixed gear)

not a spin bike but perhaps better as you can use your own bike/pedals etc..

I've used a Computrainer since 2002 - averaging around 10hrs/weekly from Nov-April w/o any issues. Well no issues since I adjusted the load-gen slope to match my road bike PT Given a proper warmup and small external cooling fan for long/hard work, it's remarkably repeatable and accurate to boot.

I use it in fixed resistance mode, fixed power (ergo) mode and 3D course mode ...

rmur

 

[larrynipon]

I'll jump in on this one. I own both a 300 and a Computrainer. The absence of an ERG mode on the 300 is major. The 300 is a great piece of equipment, but the inability to set a predetermined "required wattage load (erg mode) forcdes you to rethink some of your training sessions.

I think if I were considering spending the kind of money it takes to buy a 300PT, I would take a serious look at the Velodyne. Not only is it lab-quality power measurement, but it has an ergo mode. In fact, I am planning to buy one this fall.

 

[JOSHUA BUCKLEY]

Good customer service.

Hey thanks for the props on the customer service, we pride ourselves on it! To clarify, at the time of the call we were working on putting that info on our website and most people see these wattage breakdown in a bike shop setting as part of their marketing tools. Go to the following link and click "compare," http://www.saris.com/c-6-trainers.aspx?skinid=2