Keeping my backup bike on the trainer was major selling point for me on getting the Kickr without the use of a back tire involved. The drive chain is clean so the whole setup remains clean with just a light oil on the chain now and then. I was just too nervous after reading so many people having trouble with tires and flat using the CT. Maybe it is not as bad as what I have read. One friend that uses a CT on a regular basis told me he had to change 3 flats in the same week. Since I have never used one I don't know and it just made me too nervous after hearing or reading those kinds of issues. I am very time crunched and need to get on and go.

For the Kickr I am not sure about accuracy as I am reading more forum threads these days with unhappy Kickr users stating a difference with their power meters. I tested mine against my TT bike equipped with a Quarq and it was very close on that particular test day. I am getting into the groove for a certain warm up protocol for the equipment before doing a spin down and then I begin the training session. It works for me too since I need a little extra warm up before starting a high intensity session.

Having never used the CT I am not sure what I am missing when it comes to the pros and cons. I do know that the Kickr has been one of the best purchases I have made for training and that is because I do the majority of my training inside year round because of where I live and my work schedule. I was very happy using the combination of eMotion rollers and a Powertap G3 for inside training for a couple of years, but I haven't touched the rollers in a month and I actually look forward to getting home to train on the Kickr. I just hope it holds up for many years.

Well put ... the thread took on a life of it's own and has made the decision even tougher haha. I think I'll let it come down to economics and see which I can get my hands on for less money. Why not save where I can to keep some dollars in the bank to spoil myself on a new set of wheels etc. It seems as though both are good choices to accomplish the task at hand, becoming a better cyclist over the winter months.

Thanks to everybody who gave their input on the topic.

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"Train so you have no regrets @ the finish line"

"not a wire showing".... Don't you at minimum have to have a cable from the load generator to the controller?

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I wanna go fast!

I just smile when I see these threads. What is better, a Ford or Chevy?

When I first got my CT, I wanted to be able to ride courses, ride on line against others, etc. So, I bought sw to play with these things. But after a while I realized who needs all those toys? For years now all I do is basically
erg stuff. No wasted energy. Just let the trainer kick my butt. I need no fancy sw. The existing sw does all I need to get my workouts done.

But, it was product X in the past that was going to kill the CT, then KICKR now, and tomorrow, product Y.

I just keep pedaling away.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

100% agree. We have a first generation Tacx Fortius which has a wired (serial-to-usb) connection as well as well as a 1st gen Tacx Bushido which depends on a proprietary ANT+ communication protocol. My wife rides the Fortius and other than the occasional flat tire as a result of the tire wearing out from all the heat generated by the tire/roller interface, rarely has issues with the trainer. I ride the the Bushido which can be used stand-alone or 'paired' with the Tacx Training Software (TTS) via the wireless handlebar controller. Problem is the handlebar controller is prone to losing connection with the PC due to interference from things like the floor fans we use when training. To combat such issues with the wireless handlebar controller, I use a 2-meter USB extension cable that allows me to place the Garmin Micro ANT+ dongle directly underneath the Bushido handlebar controller which improves reliability of the connection with the PC.

Of course since the Bushido handlebar controller is wireless, it requires two AAA batteries and while the controller display does have a battery life indicator, the indicator is not visible when connected to TTS so unless I am ultra vigilant, I inevitably end up having the controller disconnect and flash a low battery prompt a moment before the handlebar controller powers off in the middle of a training session! It typically takes about 10-15 minutes to get everything setup - to include powering on PC's, starting TTS, pumping up tires, and pairing HR monitors which is why I am contemplating replacing both trainers with Wahoo Kickrs, O-Synce ANT+ remote controls, and PerfPro Studio. This would not only eliminate issues with pumping up tires and tire wear, but would also allow me to run both trainers from one PC. Of course even though the hardware I am contemplating is wireless, I suspect I will still need to use USB extension cables for the ANT+ stick to prevent interference with for the ANT+ connections.

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¯\_(ツ)_/¯

You do have to calibrate the CT, however, for me it was just part of my warmup. I'd do the roll down 2 times during my warmup (could really do it just once at 15 minutes but it takes 2 seconds so I dial it in after 10 minutes).

I haven't had a flat on my CT in over 15 years of use. I really don't understand how folks are getting flats on the CT, maybe they are tossing around beer bottles in their basement or using crappy tubes :)

We are using dedicated trainer tires - Tacx, Kenda, Vittoria, and lately Continental - with our Tacx Trainers, but it is not so much a flat tire as a failure of the tire/casing most likely as a result of the friction of the tire/roller interface. The tires are inflated to ~120 psi otherwise the tire slips and over the course of 50-60 minutes, the heat appears to cause defects in the casing to further deform or the cords in the casing simply stretch/break and then a large bulge forms on the outside and that tire is done!

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¯\_(ツ)_/¯

You're exactly right, of course. As we get older, the lure of more and more choices fades to what works with the time we have. If if were just me, n=1, I'd do what you do and let the CT or Kickr kick my tail in erg mode. But with multiple session for multiple riders, I'm (somewhat) forced to stay abreast of the options and features that the riders want. Oh, well, they keep me banging along, too.

BTW, I drove Fords for 40 years (they were best!) and then I bought a Chevy (they're best!). Let the debate continue.....

Luckily for me, I do not have to compare either. Once I got a Velotron to use, there is no comparison to the other two. :o)

And my best car is the one I drive now, I borrow it.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Ah, Velotron, dream machine! Funny, I don't think I've ever seen a discussion or thread about comparing the Velotron to anything else. It's just so "right" that it will likely be the gold standard forever. If Chuck and his team would give it a bit more compatibility with PerfPRO Studio or ANT+ or multi-rider (who could afford that?), I'd buy some. I'm envious of you!

I've only ever used 2 tires on mine. I had a Michelin (can't remember which model), till Continental came out with the original Orange home trainer tire. I've had the latter on for about 8-9 years (I forget when they first came out).

I do NOT inflate to 120. That is just too high. Higher pressure is actually worse than keeping at 100 as there is less surface area contact. I never had any slippage even keeping it at close to 2.00 for the press on force. I do clean the tire and roller off periodically with alcohol.

Well, you do have to compare your wallet size between the two:)

Yes, they are just amazing trainers. Since they have yet to get the new sw updated to fully work with the velotron, I have to use the old sw anyways which for what I do, works perfect.

I had welded up new seat and handle bar posts so I can set them up as either road bike configs or TT configs.

They have been very tight with not sharing anything on the velotron. (The CT stuff was reversed engineered). Now, one of the sw packages out there was supposed to be given the DLL's for
the velotron but when I tried it nothing worked. They never did get back to me.

I thought I got multi-rider working with my 2 velotrons, but not sure. I keep waiting for someone to move near me and we can train with both velotrons going at the same time.

I could have bought a new one for 4K and kick myself I did not do it.

One of these days maybe they will open their velotron sw up. I just do not see how they have anything to lose.

.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

This is why I am always looking to buy more. Once in a while they get put up for a price one cannot resist. Now, what would I do with 3 in my pain cave? Wife would kill me.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

When I was looking to take my indoor riding experience to another level, the Computrainer and Kickr were at the top of my list. Because I also wanted to use my beach cruiser which wouldn't work with the Kickr without major hassle, I was pretty set on getting a Computrainer until I had a chance to actually play around with a setup. The Computrainer was just so dated and such a turn off that I decided to go with the Kickr and continue riding my beach cruiser on my Fluid 2. I still might get a Computrainer if I can find a used one at the right price.

If I had 10 and 11 speed bikes, I'd only consider getting the Kickr if I was only going to use 1 of them on the Kickr. If I intended to occasionally use the other bike, I'd get a Computrainer.

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Nanoo Nanoo

LOL. You've been had.

The Computrainer serial connection is 2400 BAUD even over USB.
Telemetry updates are sent in blocks of about 42 bytes.

Mark

Sounds to me like Racermate should look for better software engineers! Were they also trying to sell you an Edsel?
While the previous comments regarding Spin Scan may have been true back in the day, I doubt that would come close to competing with ANT+ (ANT2) which has 8 channels running at 2.4 GHz!

So I know PerfStudio installed/running on a PC can pair/control a Kickr via ANT+ but can anyone tell me if this can be configured to work with the Kickr via Bluetooth or is Bluetooth strictly for iOS devices?

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¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Wrong. ANT+ only updates 4 times a second. It's not the quantity of data it's the frequency of the updates. To determine exactly where the crank is during a pedal stroke which takes less than a second it just can't be done with 4/sec updates. It's not that ANT+ couldn't do more frequent updates, they just chose not to in the current standards to save on battery life.

Wow that $6600 price tag is a biggie!

Of course, to put things in perspective, every nonserious triathlete (and most of the recreational triathletes I know) say the exact same thing about my Wahoo Kickr....

The free Wahoo app for the KICKR works very well.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

I think you're boxing shadows my friend. I was talking about the Computrainer.
You are also conflating data collection with data transmission, they aren't the same. And certainly aren't the same on the CT.

FWIW, ANT+ can do transmission rates above 4hz and indeed the Kickr does -- the command channel used to send commands are sent at 16hz.

Mark

Do you buy your bikes at new list price? I sure do not buy most anything in life at list price. :o)

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep