I finally called Wahoo Fitness yesterday… and told them what was going on. They asked me to send some TCX files over to them to try to find out what’s up.
I generally do a 10-15 warm up on the Iphone using BT, and then a 1 hr hour workout on TR using ANT+. So they have examples of spikes on both BT and ANT+.
Thery also realize that it has to be their issue and not TR since it happens on both the Wahoo Fitness App and TR.
Im sure it is a difficult problem to diagnose…since it doesn’t happen every ride… but when it does, it really pisses me off A 400 watt spike during a 250 watt interval when you are not ready for it sucks!!
I finally called Wahoo Fitness yesterday… and told them what was going on. They asked me to send some TCX files over to them to try to find out what’s up.
I generally do a 10-15 warm up on the Iphone using BT, and then a 1 hr hour workout on TR using ANT+. So they have examples of spikes on both BT and ANT+.
Thery also realize that it has to be their issue and not TR since it happens on both the Wahoo Fitness App and TR.
Im sure it is a difficult problem to diagnose…since it doesn’t happen every ride… but when it does, it really pisses me off A 400 watt spike during a 250 watt interval when you are not ready for it sucks!!
Sounds like it’s well established that the fault is on the Kickr side, not TrainerRoad… but to reinforce this point, I’ve never had this issue on my computrainer.
Sounds like it’s well established that the fault is on the Kickr side, not TrainerRoad… but to reinforce this point, I’ve never had this issue on my computrainer.
I agree, never seen this type of issue with my basically computrainer.
I wonder who has done some real world testing for how accurate the KICKR is.
Sounds like it’s well established that the fault is on the Kickr side, not TrainerRoad… but to reinforce this point, I’ve never had this issue on my computrainer.
Very true…I had the CT for a few years leading up to the purchase of the KICKR. My main problem with the CT was flats on the rear wheel, which occurred way more often than it ever should on a trainer.
No power spikes on the CT using TR though. Hopefully when this issue gets worked out with the KICKR… it will be the perfect trainer for ME
Interesting news on the f/w update. I’ve tried a few times to see if there are any updates since I got mine at the start of the year but it hasnt wanted to update anything yet.
I’ve got quite a lot of time on the Kickr now and have to say its a superb piece of kit. I dont get spikes or dropouts admittedly and my only issue is my Quarq regularly drops out when training indoors, but thats just a few seconds of lost data in an hour session. While my Quarq and the Kickr dont agree on power numbers, they disagree by a constant amount al the time, so working with it is easy. I always do a spindown calibration after the warmup and also calibrate my PM frequently as temps change and the numbers reported by the Kickr are very stable.
When combined with TR the Kickr is a great training tool. I’ve been following the TR 40km TT plan and seen significant development in FTP after being at a plateau previously for 18 months, despite a lot of training. Fingers crossed the next update solves the spike issue some people are suffering from.
I see the power spikes as well, without changing gears, with TrainerRoad requesting a “fixed” wattage (e.g., I see the spikes in the middle of a 5 minute interval when TrainerRoad is asking my Kickr to deliver 200 watts). So this isn’t a correlation with changing gears.
The point being?..
watts are watts. However, 230 watts at 100 rpm is a different workout than 230 watts at 85 rpm. So, gear changes during a workout impact the profile of the workout. Data gives us watts, heart, and cadence. (forget the rest for now). The same erg workout can have very different TSS based on cadence, hr, etc.
The point being?..
watts are watts. However, 230 watts at 100 rpm is a different workout than 230 watts at 85 rpm. So, gear changes during a workout impact the profile of the workout. Data gives us watts, heart, and cadence. (forget the rest for now). The same erg workout can have very different TSS based on cadence, hr, etc.
Just Sayin,
Larry
Larry you seem to be mixed up regarding TSS. The calculation of TSS does not involve cadence or hr. It just uses intensity factor which is the decimal portion of your FTP combined with time. TSS = IF^2 X hours. I do agree that the two workouts you mentioned may well illicit different adaptations but the TSS they generate would be equal.
Point taken. However, the actual physical impact of 1 workout vs. the other will be different. So, is TSS the only metric we should use when assessing training load and effect?
The point being?..
watts are watts. However, 230 watts at 100 rpm is a different workout than 230 watts at 85 rpm. So, gear changes during a workout impact the profile of the workout. Data gives us watts, heart, and cadence. (forget the rest for now). The same erg workout can have very different TSS based on cadence, hr, etc.
Just Sayin,
Larry
The point being that he was asked if the spikes occurred near gear changes. He said he used erg mode and never changed gears. You then got snarky because of something that wasn’t what he asked. Why?
The point being?..
watts are watts. However, 230 watts at 100 rpm is a different workout than 230 watts at 85 rpm. So, gear changes during a workout impact the profile of the workout. Data gives us watts, heart, and cadence. (forget the rest for now). The same erg workout can have very different TSS based on cadence, hr, etc.
Just Sayin,
Larry
The point being that he was asked if the spikes occurred near gear changes. He said he used erg mode and never changed gears. You then got snarky because of something that wasn’t what he asked. Why?
The point being?..
watts are watts. However, 230 watts at 100 rpm is a different workout than 230 watts at 85 rpm. So, gear changes during a workout impact the profile of the workout. Data gives us watts, heart, and cadence. (forget the rest for now). The same erg workout can have very different TSS based on cadence, hr, etc.
Just Sayin,
Larry
Putting aside your error on TSS calculations which has been pointed out, keep in mind that the load controller supplies a constant power resistance load independent of the rotational speed of the flywheel. It has no idea what gear and pedal speed you are using.
IOW you can change gear, yet still pedal at the same cadence and still have the same power demand because the load controller adjusts accordingly to maintain a set power resistance. There are of course some limits, usually such load controllers work best within a given range of flywheel speeds.
Point taken. However, the actual physical impact of 1 workout vs. the other will be different. So, is TSS the only metric we should use when assessing training load and effect?
No one said it was, but for training loads and assessing overall metabolic stress, can you find me something better?
As for training effect, that’s a whole 'nuther ball game, and TSS has never been a training *effect *measure.
Assessment of other specific factors can also be done, e.g. pedal force-velocity plots if you want to examine neuromuscular demands a little more deeply.
The power spikes happen to me too. I get about 1 spike for every 2 hours of riding (roughly). Yes, they are annoying but I agree with others, it’s still a fabulous piece of equipment in my opinion. None-the-less, hopefully the new software solves the issue. Regarding it’s accuracy, I tested it against a SRM power meter and it was within a few watts. That was several months ago. I should test it again.
A 400 watt spike during a 250 watt interval when you are not ready for it sucks!!