Kurt Kinetic Trainer Issues?

Triathlon Forum
1

I have been using my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine for about 6 years now, I would say it gets about 6 months of use a year, say 3-5 workouts per week. averaging 2 hours per workout. (more like 4-5 per week this year)

Till now everything has been perfect. However, after doing the base Trainer Road workouts from September to December in 2013, I started having problems with the more advanced workouts in 2014.

At first I thought it was asthma issues, though my outdoor rides have been ok. Then I thought it might be the bike so took it in to the LBS yesterday and that’s not the issue. Today, I was going to do a pretty easy workout, one I have easy done in the past but my effort and HR creeps up. Then I decided to just do a Free Ride, and even at 100 watts, my HR is higher than that, even creeping up to 120bpm. When I do my trainer workouts and things are normal, my HR is usually around 130 at 200 watts on the trainer. I NEVER have my HR above my watts, in fact, my HR always seems too low relative to the Power.

I can feel when I am on the trainer that something is not right, at 110-115 W, it should feel like the lightest spin, and once in a while, there is sort of skip and it feels like that for a few seconds. I tried it with another wheel with a regular tire instead of my trainer tire and same problem,

I have contacted Kurt Kinetic tonight, but wanted to see if anyone else had experienced something similar.

Thanks

2

How are you determining your watts?

It seems to me that if you are measuring power and HR you should be able to rule out the trainer as being the source of a problem.

3

I am using TrainerRoad, which I have used for quite a while now, over 110 rides on it. Same tire pressure, same tension

4

OK. So you’re using virtual power and you think something may have happened to the trainer to knock its power curve out of whack.

Any other symptoms besides it just feeling harder? Are your tires making more noise or anything like that? I’ve had issues with my trainer where my wheel wasn’t seated correctly in the bike’s dropouts. (Mounted the wheel while it was in the work stand vs on the floor) Also, any change to your tire like either excessive wear or a new tire?

Edit: you previously answered the question I just asked.

5

Interesting you mention wheel placement, when I took my bike into the shop, he told me that my wheel was not placed properly in the dropouts (yikes) but I think that was a one off thing.This was not my trainer wheel

Yes, it feels harder

Last September I was able to do this following ride without too much difficulty. It was work, but I got it done. Now, I can barely do one of those 20 minute segments. You can see the HR for the Sweet Spots.

http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/409881-Whiteside

I have also been able to do long ones with decent efforts. http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/772403-Mount-Alice
notice again the HR for the Power output.

I did this ride outdoors this week http://www.strava.com/activities/120162739

6

Don’t plan on getting any help from the company. I’ve tried to contact them about an issue with a trainer. They’ll stonewall you and never respond.

7

I emailed,KK last night using their contact form. This morning at 7 Vancouver time I got an email asking for the Serial Number and my address and they will be sending me a new resistance unit. I would call that more than superior customer service.

8

I would suggest the problem may be on the Trainer Road side of things. An update could have reset your trainer preference and would throw virtual power number out the window. Check and recheck your settings. If something is still off email the guys at TR or message there here. They are super reliable and responsive. Good Luck.

9

I don’t think it’s a TrainerRoad issue. It’s not the power numbers that are off, it’s the effort at power that is off. By now I can sort of tell what 115W or 200W should feel like and what my HR should be at those levels. It’s not like those trainers where the program sets the resistance.

So, we shall see once the new KK resistance unit arrives.

Thanks

10

Don’t plan on getting any help from the company. I’ve tried to contact them about an issue with a trainer. They’ll stonewall you and never respond.

I doubt that very much. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Kurt’s customer service.

11

I have a KK road machine and I have trainer road. I also have a power meter. From what you describe the only thing that makes sense to me is the virtual power number is off. The only thing that doesn’t add up is the skipping you mentioned. Why do you stand by the assertion that the virtual power number is correct? Especially when you are giving us info that ultimately signifies it is off?

If 115watts should feel like a light spin but it feels like a lot more odds are its because IT IS a lot more. I.e. the virtual power number is off.

12

Or you speed cadence sensor is giving T.R. bad data. which would throw off its virtual power…

13

I replaced the resistance unit last night. Bliss. I have the trainer for six years and lots of use. I did an Endurance 2 hour ride and it was as it should be, and trainer was so quiet.

I have not done a hard effort but ramped up a few times to 250W+ just to see how it felt, and I could tell the difference, way easier.

So, Kurt Kinetic comes through, replaced my resistance unit under warranty. Fantastic.