Is this a hoax or does it actually work? Can I realisticaly use this in altering my position? What is the Spin Scan telling me? If it is accurate in what it does, how important is it to real world riding? Thanks
Spinscan works a couple of ways. One it identifies which leg is doing all of the work. In my case the left leg was doing more work. Two it identifies how the force is applied during the stroke. # 1 is obvious to see. But # 2. How to determine what it should look like? I’m not sure. I just try not to have a total dead spot. Hopefully someone else will chime in.
It can help your fit by holding a certain wattage and then compare your heart rate. Adjust bike. Compare again. I was fitted this way but it was only part of the fit. It takes a fair amount of time to adjust the fit this way. Perhaps Tom D. or Slowman could respond on what they think of this in regards to fitting. You can always ask the people at Computrainer but they might be a tad biased (aren’t we all).
Hope that helps.
John
the bar graph representation shows different levels of force at different angles of your stroke. the point is to try and keep the bars as equal in height as possible (regardless of how high or low they actually are). do this keeping in mind what has already been said about keeping your left/right output equal.
the circular graph thingie does the same thing but instead what you’re trying to do now is keep the circle as rounded as possible, keeping it from becoming a figure eight or whatever.
there’s also a spin scan number (in the middle i think) which corresponds to your efficiency. the manual says that a good number is at least 50 (with pros above 70). i started out in the high 40s but am now in the high 60s
i personally think it has helped although i don’t use it all that often–preferring to ride outdoors as much as possible. can’t say that’s an objective finding, only that i am improving my riding overall. and a lot of friends say i spin well–i.e. i’ve got a high cadence and i’m not bouncing around all over the place.
Kim
that’s just what i remember from the manual. so it’s a hoax then? why do you say so (i’m sorry if i’m so gullible but the spinscan seems to make sense to me)? how can a pro be no different from the average joe?
Kim
I have been training with a Computrainer for a number of years now. I usually ride it 2 mornings a week, year round. I think it is an invaluable tool. It won’t necessarily make you a better rider, but it will give you a lot of data to help you become one. Power output (wattage) and HR will help you gauge your efforts. Spinscan will help you determine how you put out that effort. My understanding is that you Spinscan number is the ratio of your peak torque to you average torque during your pedal stroke. The CT actually shows 3 SS numbers, for your left leg, right leg, and both legs. As mentioned before, it also shows your power for each leg and therefore the balance between them. One theory of ‘efficient’ pedalling is to ‘pedal in circles’, or apply even power or torque throughout the pedal stroke. This would be represented as a SS# of 100, a flat bar graph or perfect circle on the polar graph. The ‘scrape the mud of your shoe’ at the bottom of the stroke, ‘push over a barrel’, suggestions are all ways of improving your power output at the top and bottom of the pedal stroke and therefore even out your power delivery. The CT and Spinscan will very clearly show the results of those techniques.
I think “hoax” is a little harsh – it implies bad faith, and I think the Computrainer people are respectable citizens. However, Spinscan has almost nothing to do with cycling well.
This whole “pedal stroke” thing has been studied half to death, and the sophisticated training centers have given up on it. Elite riders pedal in various ways, and there is a fairly strong consensus that just how a rider handles peak force has very little to do with power output at given exertion levels or energy burn rates. The most powerful cyclists in the world tend to have very high peak force, and “stomp” the pedals.
Spinscan is “interesting”, but don’t let it control your training in any way. Focus on how much power you can generate, and for how long you can generate it. Power wins races, not pedal stroke.