Hey, is there a Flanders cobblestone attachment?
Showing posts with label Tacx Bushido. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tacx Bushido. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
30 min. indoor ride
Just another boring, sore rear, sweat poring Bushido training ride. I really, really need/want the upgrade PC software for the Tacx 1990.03 to allow virtual rides anywhere, e.g., the "olde country", lessoning the boredom associated with training indoors.
Hey, is there a Flanders cobblestone attachment?
Hey, is there a Flanders cobblestone attachment?
Thursday, February 03, 2011
30 min. indoor ride
Just a 30 min. ride to see whether my sit bone could handle an in door ride after yesterday's ride. Similar numbers to yesterday's numbers.
It occurred to me that a lower cadence due to a larger gear and thus a faster speed would equate to a higher power output (high 160s to low 170s today) which should probably leads to a higher consumption of calories burned.,
So why then did my calories burned go down (1,151C vs 1,360C)?
My pass was faster; 03:02 vs 03:07 min/mi.
My distance was greater; 10.00 vs 9.64 miles.
My time was longer; 00:30:27 vs 00:30:09.
My avg speed was greater; 19.7 vs 19.2 mph.
My avg HR was higher; 136 vs 148 bpm.
Also, how does the Garmin calculate calories whether on an inside ride without the wind's resistance or help or on an outside ride? And is there a consideration for elevation gained/lossed during a ride? Or does it even matter?
Perhaps, this is why training with power levels the field because watts produced isn't affected by these various data fields.
And more importantly, why does Jimmie not comment and fill in these seemingly endless questions?
MXS: 22.0 mph.
It occurred to me that a lower cadence due to a larger gear and thus a faster speed would equate to a higher power output (high 160s to low 170s today) which should probably leads to a higher consumption of calories burned.,
So why then did my calories burned go down (1,151C vs 1,360C)?
My pass was faster; 03:02 vs 03:07 min/mi.
My distance was greater; 10.00 vs 9.64 miles.
My time was longer; 00:30:27 vs 00:30:09.
My avg speed was greater; 19.7 vs 19.2 mph.
My avg HR was higher; 136 vs 148 bpm.
Also, how does the Garmin calculate calories whether on an inside ride without the wind's resistance or help or on an outside ride? And is there a consideration for elevation gained/lossed during a ride? Or does it even matter?
Perhaps, this is why training with power levels the field because watts produced isn't affected by these various data fields.
And more importantly, why does Jimmie not comment and fill in these seemingly endless questions?
MXS: 22.0 mph.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Maiden Voyage on the Tacx Bushido
This was the trial use of the Tacx Bushido T1980 ver 2011. Slight learning curve but overall not to bad. After calibrating the brake (power) unit to the Cervélo I started riding. Jimmie is correct. The ride is different in that the bicycle does not rock as one rides. Also, a lack of wind results in a faster ride.
The Garmin did not connect with the Bushido to monitor power but the Bushido did pickup the Garmin's HRM strap. Thus, the power meter was in the range of 150-165 watts. Unfortuately the unit stores but does not allow review without the use of a PC and therefore will require the T1990 Upgrade PC Bushido toggle and software.
That said, a power range this high seems high for someone like myself; what base I may have had surely has suffered over the past three or four months with few miles logged. However, with a 30 min. ride, a distance just under 10 miles and no wind, I would not have expected the consumption of 1,360 calories. This equates to a 30 mile ride in 90 min. consuming almost 4000 calories. That's not possible.
MXS: 21.0.
The Garmin did not connect with the Bushido to monitor power but the Bushido did pickup the Garmin's HRM strap. Thus, the power meter was in the range of 150-165 watts. Unfortuately the unit stores but does not allow review without the use of a PC and therefore will require the T1990 Upgrade PC Bushido toggle and software.
That said, a power range this high seems high for someone like myself; what base I may have had surely has suffered over the past three or four months with few miles logged. However, with a 30 min. ride, a distance just under 10 miles and no wind, I would not have expected the consumption of 1,360 calories. This equates to a 30 mile ride in 90 min. consuming almost 4000 calories. That's not possible.
MXS: 21.0.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Saturday, January 08, 2011
2011 Tacx Bushido 2 Trainer T1980 (Updated Version)
Well, I finally pulled the trigger on a bike trainer. I had pretty much decided to go with Tacx trainers that incorperate power training. That said, it was a toss up between the i-Magic and the Bushido. The i-Magic in the long run would have been less after the updates to the Bushido to render it a VR trainer. The Bushido is a stand alone trainer but can be used with a PC to upload/download files to render a more realistic ride indoors or to store ride data to analyse later.
First and foremost (and unique to this segment), it's fully wireless: the ANT+ communication protocol connects the resistance unit to both the handlebar mounted controls and USB PC dongle, and even the resistance unit itself draws its energy from your own pedal power via an on-board generator so it doesn't have to be plugged into the wall.
In theory, you could even train on the Bushido outdoors if you were so inclined. From a more practical perspective, the upside is a quicker and easier setup relative to its competitors, not to mention a much tidier arrangement than having to string wires and cables everywhere.
The resistance unit is whisper quiet – aside from when the small cooling fan periodically kicks in to dissipate accumulated heat – and the folding quick-release frame is easy to set up and quite stable provided the somewhat hard rubber feet aren't resting on a slippery floor.
More versatility and functionality with PC upgrade
Even by itself, the Bushido is more than just a standard turbo. The generously sized LCD on the bar mounted console displays the expected array of information – such as speed, distance, elapsed time, grade, power output (which is surprisingly accurate relative to a Powertap), and heart rate – and also serves as the input interface for user and bike profiles.
The intuitive interface lets you program in prescribed workouts, too, and the resistance will adjust itself to suit – handy if you’ve got a strict training regimen to follow.
Connect the Bushido to your PC via the optional software and ANT+ dongle, however, and it really comes into its own, making indoor winter training far more palatable than usual.
Users have their choice of several on-screen environments, from video game-like animations with preloaded or self-created courses to optional real-life video (yes, you can actually ride with the Schleck brothers and no, they won't drop you).
Embedded road grade information adjusts the resistance based on your position 'on course' so aside from physically being on the roads depicted, it's a reasonable approximation of the real thing, though of course without the wind-in-your-hair feeling.
One especially engaging feature is the well-integrated Google Earth plug-in, which you can use to create a course using virtually any route on the planet. Simply plot your course on the screen and the Bushido PC software will create the resistance profile based on the elevation data – a novelty for most riders but something that could be very useful for those looking to prep for an upcoming event for which they won't have the benefit of a pre-ride.
You can also upload route information from a GPS device so you can replay favourite rides at will or download other files from a large library of user-created programs online. When riding the virtual course, one of the display options even projects an icon of your position over an actual Google Earth satellite map as you cover ground – neato.
The Tacx Bushido is the Dutch company's latest entry into the ultra-premium computer-controlled indoor trainer market and it's an impressive collection of hardware.
In theory, you could even train on the Bushido outdoors if you were so inclined. From a more practical perspective, the upside is a quicker and easier setup relative to its competitors, not to mention a much tidier arrangement than having to string wires and cables everywhere.
The resistance unit is whisper quiet – aside from when the small cooling fan periodically kicks in to dissipate accumulated heat – and the folding quick-release frame is easy to set up and quite stable provided the somewhat hard rubber feet aren't resting on a slippery floor.
More versatility and functionality with PC upgrade
Even by itself, the Bushido is more than just a standard turbo. The generously sized LCD on the bar mounted console displays the expected array of information – such as speed, distance, elapsed time, grade, power output (which is surprisingly accurate relative to a Powertap), and heart rate – and also serves as the input interface for user and bike profiles.
The intuitive interface lets you program in prescribed workouts, too, and the resistance will adjust itself to suit – handy if you’ve got a strict training regimen to follow.
Connect the Bushido to your PC via the optional software and ANT+ dongle, however, and it really comes into its own, making indoor winter training far more palatable than usual.
Users have their choice of several on-screen environments, from video game-like animations with preloaded or self-created courses to optional real-life video (yes, you can actually ride with the Schleck brothers and no, they won't drop you).
One especially engaging feature is the well-integrated Google Earth plug-in, which you can use to create a course using virtually any route on the planet. Simply plot your course on the screen and the Bushido PC software will create the resistance profile based on the elevation data – a novelty for most riders but something that could be very useful for those looking to prep for an upcoming event for which they won't have the benefit of a pre-ride.
You can also upload route information from a GPS device so you can replay favourite rides at will or download other files from a large library of user-created programs online. When riding the virtual course, one of the display options even projects an icon of your position over an actual Google Earth satellite map as you cover ground – neato.
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