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Feedback sports omnium trainer
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Does anyone have one of these?

I bought one a few months ago because of ease of travel but I can not seem to get a good spin or flow. It seems like I am riding with a flat. It feels like there is uneven resistance during the pedal stroke. When I blow the tires up to 125ish it is smoother but still not like the kinetic trainer at home. I have not used traditional rollers so I am not familiar with the "feel", maybe this is normal.

The rollers spin okay manually. I always make sure there is equal contact between the rollers and the rear wheel. I have used it on carpet in a hotel room but have not tried a harder surface.

Any tips?
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Re: Feedback sports omnium trainer [spasmus] [ In reply to ]
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spasmus wrote:
Does anyone have one of these?

I bought one a few months ago because of ease of travel but I can not seem to get a good spin or flow. It seems like I am riding with a flat. It feels like there is uneven resistance during the pedal stroke. When I blow the tires up to 125ish it is smoother but still not like the kinetic trainer at home. I have not used traditional rollers so I am not familiar with the "feel", maybe this is normal.

The rollers spin okay manually. I always make sure there is equal contact between the rollers and the rear wheel. I have used it on carpet in a hotel room but have not tried a harder surface.

Any tips?

Yup. I have one. It's pretty smooth once you get it up to speed. A bit jerky when you first get it rolling, but definitely smooth once you get them spinning. It's never as good as a "real" trainer, but it certainly shouldn't be that different. You may have a defective roller.

"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp
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Re: Feedback sports omnium trainer [spasmus] [ In reply to ]
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Hi there-


Sorry to hear that you're having some trouble with our Omnium trainer. The pedaling sensation you've described of uneven resistance throughout the pedal stroke is something we're aware of and are happy to explain what's going on with the product.


One of the considerations we had when designing the Omnium was portability. As such, we chose drums that had enough mass capable of producing what we consider an appropriate amount of inertia. The lower the drums inertia the less that the drums push the bikes wheel through the low power points of the pedal stroke. On the contrary the higher the drum inertia the more the drums push the bikes wheel through the top and bottom of the pedal stroke. The drums inertia is also speed related, so the slower the drum spins the less inertia that's produced and the faster the drum spins the larger the drums inertia. So the uneven resistance you're experiencing would be greater at lower drum speeds and less at higher drum speeds.

Another factor that contributes to this sensation of uneven resistance has to do with the riders pedaling smoothness. A rider that, say, "pedals in squares" with a lower inertia drum will experience more the sensation of uneven resistance than a rider that's pedaling in squares with a higher inertia drum. A lower inertia drum actually amplifies the smoothness of the riders pedaling motion. We view this as a good thing because the lower inertia drums of the Omnium actually help rider improve on there pedaling smoothness.

We've had pro-athletes who's initial comments are the same as yours and after spending time on the Omnium reported back that the choppy pedaling sensation when away. Hope this information helps and feel free to contact us if you have any further questions--we're happy to help!! info@feedbacksports.com
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Re: Feedback sports omnium trainer [spasmus] [ In reply to ]
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Rappstar wrote:
Yup. I have one. It's pretty smooth once you get it up to speed. A bit jerky when you first get it rolling, but definitely smooth once you get them spinning. It's never as good as a "real" trainer, but it certainly shouldn't be that different. You may have a defective roller.

This is my experience as well and I use it as a daily trainer. It certainly performs best once I'm locked into my pedal stroke and rhythm, or maybe that's just when I feel best. Really, there's been nothing terribly noticeable about the smoothness of the trainer itself.

just your average age grouper . no one special . no scientific knowledge . just having fun.
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Re: Feedback sports omnium trainer [feedbacksports] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks Jordan and Feedback Sports for the replies, great customer service!

So basically my pedal stroke sucks and I need to go faster!!?? haha Im kidding.

I have only used it a few times, however this info is helpful, I will get on there in a few days and test it out.

Thanks again.
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Re: Feedback sports omnium trainer [spasmus] [ In reply to ]
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:) Well...not necessarily. But sometimes this is the case. Please give it a whirl a few more times. We're more than happy to chat with you over the phone about it as well. Sometimes it helps to speak directly with our lead engineer who manages the Omnium. After all, he rides it too!! 720-536-2369.
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Re: Feedback sports omnium trainer [Rappstar] [ In reply to ]
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How would you know if a roller is defective? I noticed a bit of a dead spot in my pedal stroke. I never had this problem with my KK Road Fluid. I also feel like I'm doing about 5-7% larger effort for the same watts (i.e. 250 on the omnium feels like 230 on my KK). I thought my pedal stroke might not be smooth, but wouldn't I feel that on my KK trainer too?

I did also notice that when I spun the rollers with my hand and the front roller does not roll nearly as long as my rear roller does.
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Re: Feedback sports omnium trainer [spasmus] [ In reply to ]
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These trainers have become fairly ubiquitous in the cyclocross world and as such I've ridden them quite a bit without actually owning one.

They will always be more akin to rollers than other trainers / over-ground riding with more inertia. This will inherently give your more "feedback" (see what I did there?) on your pedal stroke such that dead-spots will be amplified.

If anything, view it as a positive training tool to improve your pedal stroke.

I talk a lot - Give it a listen: http://www.fasttalklabs.com/category/fast-talk
I also give Training Advice via http://www.ForeverEndurance.com

The above poster has eschewed traditional employment and is currently undertaking the ill-conceived task of launching his own hardgoods company. Statements are not made on behalf of nor reflective of anything in any manner... unless they're good, then they count.
http://www.AGNCYINNOVATION.com
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