The official TrainerRoad thread

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  • Nick Kanwetz
    Nick Kanwetz Posts: 100
    BlueDynamo wrote:
    Thanks for getting back to me Nick.

    I've only downloaded the Mac version of the app within the last two weeks direct from the TrainerRoad website so assume I would be using the latest version? EDIT: I'm using v2.7.7.

    Course man!

    Ah shoot, I'm sorry. That was my mix-up. Our current production version of our app is what you've downloaded (the 2.7.7 version). We're getting geared up to move our current beta version into production so I assumed that's what you were on — totally my mistake. So, when you can, download our beta version of the Mac app here: Mac Beta. This clears up the issue for the resistance setting.
    After feedback about the ERG mode and Slope/Resistance mode issues when conducting an FTP test yesterday I made sure when I did the 8-minute FTP test last night that I turned ERG mode off and turned on Resistance mode on the test screen.

    By default the resistance mode was set to 15.0 when I started the test. The first half of the test went fine however the during the second 8-minute period the resistance automatically jumped to 60.0 plus causing my cadence to reduce to 45-50rpm like the 20 minute test. I had to pause the test and reduce the resistance back to approximately 15.0 to get within the 85-90 rpm cadence again. Should this have happened?

    Unfortunately, this is the issue that I referred to in my last response. With the older version of our app, the NEO's resistance capabilities surpasses most other trainers and therefore the typical 60% of resistance causes far too high of a resistance setting compared to other trainers during the testing interval. In any case, that beta download that I linked you to will solve that issue and you won't encounter that intense resistance setting again.

    Sorry again for that mix-up!

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad — Cylcling's Most Effective Training System
  • wotnoshoeseh
    wotnoshoeseh Posts: 531
    Well,
    just signed up for TrainerRoad - set my FTP at 200W, and just could not complete the 20 minute test. I got just over 20 minutes of the hour done - holy sh1t.
    Strava averages (ok I know it's not great as a datum point, but it's all I have), gives me 150-160W as an average.
    I think I'm going to have a go again at it, but going to try to measure it to complete the session - maybe I need to knock it back a little, or maybe I need to adapt Rule #5??
    The TR 20 minute average was 130W....
    I also realise it's virtual power.... so the numbers may be out a little..., but just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience and what to do next.
  • Nick Kanwetz
    Nick Kanwetz Posts: 100
    izza wrote:
    Nick

    Newbie here.

    I am receiving my Tacx Flux in early November. The Flux and the Neo are both Ant+ and Bluetooth Smart according to their specifications. However, on reading posts here I will need a Wahoo dongle to use it with an iPad for TR and Zwift.

    Why do I need the dongle if the Tacx units are Bluetooth Smart?

    Ian

    Welcome to the crew!

    You will still need the ANT+ dongle because the flux connects via ANT+ over the ANT+ FE-C profile. The ANT+ FE-C profile is an open, industry-wide communication standard allowing third party apps like our's to easily be used with it. Tacx's Bluetooth protocol, however, isn't industry-wide but instead a proprietary communication standard. That means, only over Tacx's own app will the Tacx trainer's resistance be able to be controlled over BT. The good news is, a lot of fitness devices out there communicate via ANT+, so it'll be useful to have in case you run across a device that you need to use that only communicates via ANT+. :)

    Hope this helps!

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad - Cycling's Most Effective Training System
  • Nick Kanwetz
    Nick Kanwetz Posts: 100
    narbs wrote:
    Nick, another question if I can.

    I'm just completing Sweetspot Base II have done Sweetspot Base I. I'll eventually move on to Sustained Power Build and then Century or Climbing Road Race which are a combined 16 weeks. I'll aim to start those at the end of Jan/beginning of Feb to peak for June/July.

    Between now and then I was planning on going back to Sweetspot Base I and II with my updated FTP and repeating these.

    Does that sound sensible, or should I look to start Sustained Power Build and do that plan twice?

    It's nearly always Coach Chad's suggestion to progress through the entire Base/Build/Spec phases in sequential order. Then, move back into a partial repeat of the Build phase (first half if you're feeling a little fatigued, second if you're feeling rested), followed by as much of the Specialty as you can get through. If you can't get through the entire Spec phase before any event you're planning for, plan the recovery week to use as an effective taper before.

    Cheers!

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad - Cycling's Most Effective Training System
  • gaffer_slow
    gaffer_slow Posts: 417
    AFAIK all the Bluetooth Smart Control API for Tacx / Elite etc are fully accessible to third party developers, so it seems that Trainer Road are just not resourcing that (BT Ergo Control) development - and instead insisting a (soon to be obsolete) 30pin dongle is needed. Not a great solution for MANY different reasons.
  • Nick Kanwetz
    Nick Kanwetz Posts: 100
    gaffer_slow wrote:
    AFAIK all the Bluetooth Smart Control API for Tacx / Elite etc are fully accessible to third party developers, so it seems that Trainer Road are just not resourcing that (BT Ergo Control) development - and instead insisting a (soon to be obsolete) 30pin dongle is needed. Not a great solution for MANY different reasons.

    They are indeed fully accessible. I didn't mean for it to come off that we couldn't implement resistance control for Tacx trainers over Bluetooth — I sincerely apologize if it came off that way. We absolutely have plans to do so, in the future. However, the accessibility of the ANT+ FE-C has allowed third party software companies to easily be compatible with trainers such as Tacx's and Elite's. That allowed us to dedicate resources to developing other features as well as the complete overhaul of our apps. The truth is, we've prioritized other features and development plans above creating individual BT layers for each trainer that can be controlled over BTLE since the ANT+ FE-C standard was created. The development resources we have are finite, and we've decided that our recent overhaul to the apps among other features took precedence over implementing individual coding to control trainers such as these over BTLE. Stay tuned for more awesomeness! :)

    I hope this clears up that confusion and that everyone understands our intentions!

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad — Cycling's Most Effective Training System
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    edited October 2016
    Well I found myself home alone on a Saturday evening so I thought what the hell and signed up for TR and did the 8 min FTP test... Hadn't touched my bike in 8 days and I've been at a beer festival the last 2 nights (hence taking it easy this evening), so I wasn't expecting too much!!!

    I'm using the Android app, setting it up was an absolute doddle, I pretty much just got on the bike and started riding and it all worked fine. Very, very easy and a massive step forwards compared to faffing with a laptop and an ANT+ dongle.

    Decided to do sweetspot base low volume 1 as I intend to get in at least 1, preferably 2 outdoor rides per week on top of that. I'm also running a bit at the moment.

    I think I sold myself short on the 1-10 scale thingy and it gave me an estimated FTP of 178, which I thought was a bit on the low side, I've not trained with power before but I'm familiar with my turbo's power curve (I made a spreadsheet and everything... yes I know) and I've been on a couple of indoor trainers with power. The warmup efforts weren't quite enough to figure out exactly how out it was, but it quickly became apparent I needed to step up and my first effort wasn't brilliantly paced. Second effort was good though and it gave me an FTP of 223 which was more what I was expecting (a bit over maybe).

    I would like to be able to set my workout days at the start of the week maybe, as I travel a bit for work and fitting them in on the prescribed days will be difficult. Although it did pick up the FTP test correctly even though it was assigned for Tuesday so I'm not sure it really matters? I'm also unlikely to do the 90 minute ride on a Saturday as I will normally go out with the club unless the weather is diabolical.

    So seems very easy to use, really straightforward and I liked the experience of using "power".

    One thing I need to do is sort out a bar mount for my phone - I'm thinking a car mount might be easy to re-purpose. As a temporary measure I sellotaped my phone to my stem :lol:
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    wotnoshoeseh wrote:
    Well,
    just signed up for TrainerRoad - set my FTP at 200W, and just could not complete the 20 minute test. I got just over 20 minutes of the hour done - holy sh1t.
    Strava averages (ok I know it's not great as a datum point, but it's all I have), gives me 150-160W as an average.
    I think I'm going to have a go again at it, but going to try to measure it to complete the session - maybe I need to knock it back a little, or maybe I need to adapt Rule #5??
    The TR 20 minute average was 130W....
    I also realise it's virtual power.... so the numbers may be out a little..., but just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience and what to do next.

    Ignore the number - You're trying to find out what you can do, not ride to a target power.

    You just want to ride at the hardest level you can sustain for the interval, like in a TT. If that turns out to be 130 or 180W then so be it, it will calculate your FTP and it is what it is - it's just a benchmark to set the other workouts off.

    If you can't complete it at 200W then you need to start at a level you think you can complete it and make small adjustments up and down as needed. You want to be at an effort that you feel you can barely sustain for the time - if you've done any turbo workouts off HR or RPE (e.g., Sufferfest) you should have an idea of what you can sustain (I've never trained with power before but I have done the time crunched training plan off HR and done the 8min HR test that requires, it's the same principle).
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,981
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    wotnoshoeseh wrote:
    Well,
    just signed up for TrainerRoad - set my FTP at 200W, and just could not complete the 20 minute test. I got just over 20 minutes of the hour done - holy sh1t.
    Strava averages (ok I know it's not great as a datum point, but it's all I have), gives me 150-160W as an average.
    I think I'm going to have a go again at it, but going to try to measure it to complete the session - maybe I need to knock it back a little, or maybe I need to adapt Rule #5??
    The TR 20 minute average was 130W....
    I also realise it's virtual power.... so the numbers may be out a little..., but just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience and what to do next.

    Ignore the number - You're trying to find out what you can do, not ride to a target power.

    You just want to ride at the hardest level you can sustain for the interval, like in a TT. If that turns out to be 130 or 180W then so be it, it will calculate your FTP and it is what it is - it's just a benchmark to set the other workouts off.

    If you can't complete it at 200W then you need to start at a level you think you can complete it and make small adjustments up and down as needed. You want to be at an effort that you feel you can barely sustain for the time - if you've done any turbo workouts off HR or RPE (e.g., Sufferfest) you should have an idea of what you can sustain (I've never trained with power before but I have done the time crunched training plan off HR and done the 8min HR test that requires, it's the same principle).

    I'm confused, I thought the basis of Trainerroad is that you start with an FTP test, which then tells you what your FTP is and you use that for the structured workouts, and retest as required or as scheduled by the training plans, and adjust your ftp, hopefully, upwards if the training has been working.
    Am I missing something?

    Why would you set your FTP, before you have run through the test to see what it is?

    Again, apologies, perhaps I missing the point here, would not be the first time.
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,435
    Daniel B wrote:
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    wotnoshoeseh wrote:
    Well,
    just signed up for TrainerRoad - set my FTP at 200W, and just could not complete the 20 minute test. I got just over 20 minutes of the hour done - holy sh1t.
    Strava averages (ok I know it's not great as a datum point, but it's all I have), gives me 150-160W as an average.
    I think I'm going to have a go again at it, but going to try to measure it to complete the session - maybe I need to knock it back a little, or maybe I need to adapt Rule #5??
    The TR 20 minute average was 130W....
    I also realise it's virtual power.... so the numbers may be out a little..., but just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience and what to do next.

    Ignore the number - You're trying to find out what you can do, not ride to a target power.

    You just want to ride at the hardest level you can sustain for the interval, like in a TT. If that turns out to be 130 or 180W then so be it, it will calculate your FTP and it is what it is - it's just a benchmark to set the other workouts off.

    If you can't complete it at 200W then you need to start at a level you think you can complete it and make small adjustments up and down as needed. You want to be at an effort that you feel you can barely sustain for the time - if you've done any turbo workouts off HR or RPE (e.g., Sufferfest) you should have an idea of what you can sustain (I've never trained with power before but I have done the time crunched training plan off HR and done the 8min HR test that requires, it's the same principle).

    I'm confused, I thought the basis of Trainerroad is that you start with an FTP test, which then tells you what your FTP is and you use that for the structured workouts, and retest as required or as scheduled by the training plans, and adjust your ftp, hopefully, upwards if the training has been working.
    Am I missing something?

    Why would you set your FTP, before you have run through the test to see what it is?

    Again, apologies, perhaps I missing the point here, would not be the first time.

    That's what I'm saying, you just want to ride the test at your maximum sustainable power for the interval. Picking a number first defeats the point.
  • norvernrob
    norvernrob Posts: 1,448
    narbs wrote:
    Nick, another question if I can.

    I'm just completing Sweetspot Base II have done Sweetspot Base I. I'll eventually move on to Sustained Power Build and then Century or Climbing Road Race which are a combined 16 weeks. I'll aim to start those at the end of Jan/beginning of Feb to peak for June/July.

    Between now and then I was planning on going back to Sweetspot Base I and II with my updated FTP and repeating these.

    Does that sound sensible, or should I look to start Sustained Power Build and do that plan twice?

    I've done sustained power build, I doubt you'll want to do it twice in a row :shock: Its hideous, but produces bloody good results.
  • narbs
    narbs Posts: 593
    Nick Kanwetz wrote:
    narbs wrote:
    Nick, another question if I can.

    I'm just completing Sweetspot Base II have done Sweetspot Base I. I'll eventually move on to Sustained Power Build and then Century or Climbing Road Race which are a combined 16 weeks. I'll aim to start those at the end of Jan/beginning of Feb to peak for June/July.

    Between now and then I was planning on going back to Sweetspot Base I and II with my updated FTP and repeating these.

    Does that sound sensible, or should I look to start Sustained Power Build and do that plan twice?

    It's nearly always Coach Chad's suggestion to progress through the entire Base/Build/Spec phases in sequential order. Then, move back into a partial repeat of the Build phase (first half if you're feeling a little fatigued, second if you're feeling rested), followed by as much of the Specialty as you can get through. If you can't get through the entire Spec phase before any event you're planning for, plan the recovery week to use as an effective taper before.

    Cheers!

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad - Cycling's Most Effective Training System
    NorvernRob wrote:
    I've done sustained power build, I doubt you'll want to do it twice in a row :shock: Its hideous, but produces bloody good results.

    Thanks both.

    So I'll go straight to the Build phase and then the speciality and return to Build/Spec to fill the time until May.

    Rob - I've looked at the build phase and am not looking forward to it!
  • Wardster00
    Wardster00 Posts: 143
    I have just signed up to TR and completed my 8 minute test. My question is about uploading to Strava. When i uploaded my ride the time of day was way out. I am presuming that it is on and American time zone but is there anyway for it to reflect the actual time of day in the UK?

    Only a small point I know, but if anyone knows if you can change it, that would be great.
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,978
    Wardster00 wrote:
    I have just signed up to TR and completed my 8 minute test. My question is about uploading to Strava. When i uploaded my ride the time of day was way out. I am presuming that it is on and American time zone but is there anyway for it to reflect the actual time of day in the UK?

    Only a small point I know, but if anyone knows if you can change it, that would be great.

    I've never tried it but the FIT File Tools include a Time and Date Adjuster.
    https://www.fitfiletools.com/#/top

    Edit... just thought, not sure what file format you end up with bit the Fit File Tools are are based on FIT files.
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • narbs
    narbs Posts: 593
    Wardster00 wrote:
    I have just signed up to TR and completed my 8 minute test. My question is about uploading to Strava. When i uploaded my ride the time of day was way out. I am presuming that it is on and American time zone but is there anyway for it to reflect the actual time of day in the UK?

    Only a small point I know, but if anyone knows if you can change it, that would be great.

    In your TR profile, set your time zone to UTC and it'll be correct when it uploads to Strava.
  • barry_badrinath
    barry_badrinath Posts: 154
    Nick Kanwetz wrote:
    Barry Badrinath wrote:

    So what should I go for?! Any advice is much appreciated!

    Hey Barry,

    Like Jason said above, it'll be your best bet to get a solid foundation of aerobic fitness established by performing a Base phase. That article he referenced is a great resource for explaining the logic behind 'why', and also will help you determine whether Sweet Spot Base or Traditional Base is the right fit.

    This Base Training Q&A article should also help in answering some of those more commonly asked questions we get during this training phase.

    Hope this helps!

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad — Cycling's Most Effective Training System
    Great thanks for answering this Nick. I'm now on week 2 of the sweet spot base and enjoying it. I must have got my FTP test fairly right as the level of effort feels perfect. Did have my toddler disrupt me on the final interval of 'monitor' last night though annoyingly, with her teething. Very selfish!

    Will other riding impact my progress at all? I've been riding the odd race or two in the week on Zwift which I have really enjoyed but have been super intense. I will also begin commuting again soon following my crash (10 miles each way with a couple of hills), as well as my club ride on a Saturday if I can make it. This is normally a 40 mile chaingang. I know this is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question and is subjective to me.... I suppose I just need to ensure I rest when I feel tired?
  • gaffer_slow
    gaffer_slow Posts: 417
    Nick Kanwetz wrote:
    gaffer_slow wrote:
    AFAIK all the Bluetooth Smart Control API for Tacx / Elite etc are fully accessible to third party developers, so it seems that Trainer Road are just not resourcing that (BT Ergo Control) development - and instead insisting a (soon to be obsolete) 30pin dongle is needed. Not a great solution for MANY different reasons.

    They are indeed fully accessible. I didn't mean for it to come off that we couldn't implement resistance control for Tacx trainers over Bluetooth — I sincerely apologize if it came off that way. We absolutely have plans to do so, in the future. However, the accessibility of the ANT+ FE-C has allowed third party software companies to easily be compatible with trainers such as Tacx's and Elite's. That allowed us to dedicate resources to developing other features as well as the complete overhaul of our apps. The truth is, we've prioritized other features and development plans above creating individual BT layers for each trainer that can be controlled over BTLE since the ANT+ FE-C standard was created. The development resources we have are finite, and we've decided that our recent overhaul to the apps among other features took precedence over implementing individual coding to control trainers such as these over BTLE. Stay tuned for more awesomeness! :)

    I hope this clears up that confusion and that everyone understands our intentions!

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad — Cycling's Most Effective Training System

    I very appreciate the reply, and hope i did not come as too strident. I am very glad (and not surprised) that you do intend to implement the various BTLE Smart protocols as some point in the not-to-distant future. The lack of a standard, with everyone developing their own flavor is also clearly not your responsibility, and - in general - i would favour Ant+ over BTLE based on experience.

    I also understand that development priorities have to be set, and that it is entirely reasonable to favour Android app development over full BT Smart implementation.

    I won't bore with the reasons why the 30 pin adapter is a deal breaker for me, but the short version is
    - the adapter+wahoo key is the same as a year TR subscription
    - Ant+ (for trainer control) can easily be unreliable when not positioned with a (preferably active/amplifying) USB extension.

    I would also add that it should be a far higher priority to implement Elite's flavour of BT Smart Control than Tacx's :oops: :P
  • Websta24
    Websta24 Posts: 162
    Quick question, which may have already been asked but im not trawling through hundreds of pages on this thread!!!

    Is there a way to edit the training days of the plans?
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,981
    Websta24 wrote:
    Quick question, which may have already been asked but im not trawling through hundreds of pages on this thread!!!

    Is there a way to edit the training days of the plans?
    Nick Kanwetz wrote:
    Daniel B wrote:
    With regards to the workouts, I will be attempting the mid level base again, but due to home commitments, the workout that is on a Saturday, I will complete on a Monday, and I may well end up doing them all different days, so I was just wondering if there might be something I have missed, or something in the pipeline, because what I would find really useful, is if I was able to choose and start a workout plan, and then move the workouts around within the scheduler, meaning I could then log in to the account at work, and see what I am mwant to be doing that day, rather than scoping ahead, and working out which workout I need to target.

    Right now, we offer the ability to start a plan and execute against it. You'll be able to visualize your progress in a calendar format; however, you can't physically "move your workouts around" within the calendar. What you can do though is assign a workout that you did on a different day to the day that the plan intended to have a workout done on. So say you did your Saturday workout on Monday — you'd go to that Saturday workout within your plan and select "assign", where you can then enter in the name of the workout that you did on Monday. It'll just say you did it on Saturday.

    I understand what you mean though and we do have plans to create a calendar more like what you describe. Learn more about how following a training plan works here: All you need to know about following a training plan

    Phew! That was a mouthful! ;) But hope this helps!

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad — Cycling's Most Effective Training System
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • mycool
    mycool Posts: 35
    Regarding the implementation of BLE control of smart trainers - I understand the priorities around Android, first then apps etc before starting but is it a case that this hasn't been looked at yet or it has and been pushed down the list. Reason I ask is I understand that the Tacx BLE solution appears to be the ANT+ FE C protocol wrapped in a BLE wrapper - Not sure if that makes it quite simple and quick to implement as opposed to coding an individual BLE control protocol.

    I'll declare a vested interest as I've just got a Tacx Neo and would love to able to control via BLE rather than taking the laptop and ANT+ usb key into the garage at 5:30am!
  • Nick Kanwetz
    Nick Kanwetz Posts: 100
    Barry Badrinath wrote:
    Great thanks for answering this Nick. I'm now on week 2 of the sweet spot base and enjoying it. I must have got my FTP test fairly right as the level of effort feels perfect. Did have my toddler disrupt me on the final interval of 'monitor' last night though annoyingly, with her teething. Very selfish!

    Will other riding impact my progress at all? I've been riding the odd race or two in the week on Zwift which I have really enjoyed but have been super intense. I will also begin commuting again soon following my crash (10 miles each way with a couple of hills), as well as my club ride on a Saturday if I can make it. This is normally a 40 mile chaingang. I know this is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question and is subjective to me.... I suppose I just need to ensure I rest when I feel tired?

    Course! Nice work. Those darn toddlers! ;) Heheh

    Other riding shouldn't impact your training, really. If you're feeling fatigued after your workout sessions in combination with your racing, you can drop one of your workouts and substitute it for your event. Many cyclists who race often sub their club races for one of their workouts during race season.

    When you get back into your commuting, you'll need to play around with your schedule a bit. Just pay attention to your body and feel free to drop one (or more) of your recovery rides and use your commutes in lieu of those workouts if you're feeling too tired after your week of riding. That way you save your intensity days for indoors where you can get the most out of your training time.

    Happy Training!

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad — Cycling's Most Effective Training System
  • Nick Kanwetz
    Nick Kanwetz Posts: 100
    gaffer_slow wrote:
    I very appreciate the reply, and hope i did not come as too strident. I am very glad (and not surprised) that you do intend to implement the various BTLE Smart protocols as some point in the not-to-distant future. The lack of a standard, with everyone developing their own flavor is also clearly not your responsibility, and - in general - i would favour Ant+ over BTLE based on experience.

    I also understand that development priorities have to be set, and that it is entirely reasonable to favour Android app development over full BT Smart implementation.

    I won't bore with the reasons why the 30 pin adapter is a deal breaker for me, but the short version is
    - the adapter+wahoo key is the same as a year TR subscription
    - Ant+ (for trainer control) can easily be unreliable when not positioned with a (preferably active/amplifying) USB extension.

    I would also add that it should be a far higher priority to implement Elite's flavour of BT Smart Control than Tacx's :oops: :P

    Of course! You're most welcome. I wanted to make sure we didn't come off that we weren't able to implement such a thing.

    We don't have any public ETAs yet, but we'll be prioritizing resistance control over BTLE now that our platform work is getting wrapped up.

    Noted! Thanks for your patience! :)

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad — Cycling's Most Effective Training System
  • Nick Kanwetz
    Nick Kanwetz Posts: 100
    mycool wrote:
    Regarding the implementation of BLE control of smart trainers - I understand the priorities around Android, first then apps etc before starting but is it a case that this hasn't been looked at yet or it has and been pushed down the list. Reason I ask is I understand that the Tacx BLE solution appears to be the ANT+ FE C protocol wrapped in a BLE wrapper - Not sure if that makes it quite simple and quick to implement as opposed to coding an individual BLE control protocol.

    I'll declare a vested interest as I've just got a Tacx Neo and would love to able to control via BLE rather than taking the laptop and ANT+ usb key into the garage at 5:30am!

    Interestingly enough, there's been some chatter about that BTLE solution with the wrapper. We'll keep everyone posted if this gets the process sped up at-all.

    Thanks!

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad — Cycling's Most Effective Training System
  • SundanceDragon
    SundanceDragon Posts: 6
    Hi Guys

    With the kickr and Trainerroad what do people think is the best way of controlling the trainer with erg mode. Do you find Bluetooth or Ant + to be more reliable. I'll be using an iPhone 6. I've also got bontrager duo tap speed and cadence sensor and Garmin HRM which broadcast on ant+. My choice is to run it all via ant+ and use the wahoo dongle and a lightning adaptor or I'd have to buy a Bluetooth HRM and swap the speed and cadence sensor to the wahoo one. Not sure I want to do that as when out on the road I'll be using Garmin edge 500 rather than an iPhone.

    So the cost is probably neutral as either way I have to buy another product to make it work but going Bluetooth is more hassle. Is there much difference in reliability in your experience ?
  • vpnikolov
    vpnikolov Posts: 568
    Hello guys,

    Just wondering as I could not see it in the list of supported trainers - Tacx Flux. Is it going to be added anytime soon?
  • gaffer_slow
    gaffer_slow Posts: 417
    Nick Kanwetz wrote:
    mycool wrote:
    Regarding the implementation of BLE control of smart trainers - I understand the priorities around Android, first then apps etc before starting but is it a case that this hasn't been looked at yet or it has and been pushed down the list. Reason I ask is I understand that the Tacx BLE solution appears to be the ANT+ FE C protocol wrapped in a BLE wrapper - Not sure if that makes it quite simple and quick to implement as opposed to coding an individual BLE control protocol.

    I'll declare a vested interest as I've just got a Tacx Neo and would love to able to control via BLE rather than taking the laptop and ANT+ usb key into the garage at 5:30am!

    Interestingly enough, there's been some chatter about that BTLE solution with the wrapper. We'll keep everyone posted if this gets the process sped up at-all.

    Thanks!

    Community Manager at TrainerRoad — Cycling's Most Effective Training System

    Would appreciate if you keep this thread updated re: BTLE for the various manufacturers. Just did a TR 30 day, and the lack of iOS BTLE smart control (Elite) meant it was hardly used sadly. So much easier to use an iPad than set up a laptop.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    vpnikolov wrote:
    Hello guys,

    Just wondering as I could not see it in the list of supported trainers - Tacx Flux. Is it going to be added anytime soon?

    The flux is an ANT+FEC and BTLE trainer. As in standard. They won't need to add support for it. It'll just work.
  • barry_badrinath
    barry_badrinath Posts: 154
    Nick Kanwetz wrote:
    Course! Nice work. Those darn toddlers! ;) Heheh

    Other riding shouldn't impact your training, really. If you're feeling fatigued after your workout sessions in combination with your racing, you can drop one of your workouts and substitute it for your event. Many cyclists who race often sub their club races for one of their workouts during race season.

    When you get back into your commuting, you'll need to play around with your schedule a bit. Just pay attention to your body and feel free to drop one (or more) of your recovery rides and use your commutes in lieu of those workouts if you're feeling too tired after your week of riding. That way you save your intensity days for indoors where you can get the most out of your training time.

    Happy Training!
    HI Nick - you have probably answered this before, but I am being lazy.... Have been given the crappy news that from next week I am going to have to work away from home for most of the following two weeks (Tuesday to Friday, then Monday to Friday) in the beautiful and glamorous city of Rotherham. LOLZ.

    I'm not that happy about this, but gotta pay the bills. It will mean I will only have one or two days at weekend to spare on the trainer over these weeks - would 'pausing' the plan at week 4 for two weeks be a good idea, and just do a random session on the weekend to keep the legs moving?
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,981
    Can you not pack the bike and turbo? Assuming you are driving up.
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • barry_badrinath
    barry_badrinath Posts: 154
    Daniel B wrote:
    Can you not pack the bike and turbo? Assuming you are driving up.
    Nah, getting train down from Edinburgh and staying in a hotel.

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