I have been using my computrainer for probably 10+ years…and I decided to give the new smart trainers a try…so my Neo 2 showed up yesterday.
I’m hoping someone can dumb down the software side of things for me, since there seems to be 972 different applications to run smart trainers today…holy hell.
This may be a very elementary thing, but I could not figure out how this translates from Racermate software to one of the new ones.
A typical training session that I will do in Racermate is the 3D riding option…then the course I select is a flat 50 mile course. My resistance on the Computrainer gets harder if I select harder gears, and easier if I select easier gears. The MAIN thing for me, is that the course is flat and I select the difficulty by my change of gears…not ERG mode. For me, and this specific training session, this is what I need.
I tried Trainerroad, and I dont see how I can do this sort of course. TR seems to be straight up ERG mode.
It seems doable in Rouvy, by creating a course using Slope and setting the slope to zero degrees?
I’m need to check out Zwift still, the app kept crashing on my laptop…does anyone know if Zwift can do this?
I would prefer to duplicate the Racermate course and options…50 mile, flat, gear selected resistance and the ability to pre select how many laps I want to do.
I was so frustrated with what seemed to be a simple change over and finding this type of course I almost boxed up the Neo and setup my CT again…geez.
Assuming you are on a pc… go get perfpro.
As another computrainer person converting to tacx.
Course mode still exists.
You can build courses that are time/grade based ,same as CT
You can use MRC files exactly as is.
An old favorite you can build a workout as an MRC file , so that there are power targets, and then click the button on the screen for “course mode” making it a steady grade (0% included) all while seeing your power targets
You can also build mixed workouts ,something CT didnt have (IE some parts of the workout are grade based, others are wattage based)
I am not sure I understand why you bought a smart trainer if you just want to use it as a dumb trainer?
I switched as well from computrainer to Neo1 and I love Trainer road training program!
It gives me variety and push me harder that I was doing on my own!
TR recovery is easier that was I was doing but intervals are very hard.
I am a back of the pack Ironman and TR helped to bike 1h20 faster than my previous Ironman 14 years ago.
I have been using my computrainer for probably 10+ years…and I decided to give the new smart trainers a try…so my Neo 2 showed up yesterday.
I’m hoping someone can dumb down the software side of things for me, since there seems to be 972 different applications to run smart trainers today…holy hell.
This may be a very elementary thing, but I could not figure out how this translates from Racermate software to one of the new ones.
A typical training session that I will do in Racermate is the 3D riding option…then the course I select is a flat 50 mile course. My resistance on the Computrainer gets harder if I select harder gears, and easier if I select easier gears. The MAIN thing for me, is that the course is flat and I select the difficulty by my change of gears…not ERG mode. For me, and this specific training session, this is what I need.
I tried Trainerroad, and I dont see how I can do this sort of course. TR seems to be straight up ERG mode.
It seems doable in Rouvy, by creating a course using Slope and setting the slope to zero degrees?
I’m need to check out Zwift still, the app kept crashing on my laptop…does anyone know if Zwift can do this?
I would prefer to duplicate the Racermate course and options…50 mile, flat, gear selected resistance and the ability to pre select how many laps I want to do.
I was so frustrated with what seemed to be a simple change over and finding this type of course I almost boxed up the Neo and setup my CT again…geez.
Thanks
Rod
Also coming from many years of CT use to the Neo, I would second the PerfPro recommendation. You can import any of your previous Racermate workouts directly.
Your desired workouts use the Neo simulation mode. If you don’t want to hassle with a PC the Tacx Training app lets you build and run simple workouts where you can pick grade at time or distance. I think the app will record your ride stats, but I’m not sure on output to other training diaries. But with a bike computer you could also record your workout. The Ant+ FE-C capability of the Neo would also allow you to build workouts to load to a compatible bike computer that can then control the trainer. Not sure on slope/simulation mode when going this route.
Have you downloaded the Tacx app, and tried using the slope workout function in it? In your dashboard in Tacx Cloud you can create workouts in slope mode with time or distance constraints.
Do you have a previous workout file with the power numbers you used to hit? You can use this to create a workout in zwift or trainerroad and let erg mode vary the resistance for you. Just an option. I can help you create a workout if you like.
Based on what you are saying, do you need a computer program? Link your neo to your garmin, and have at it (don’t even need to plug in the AC). Stop when you hit 50 miles.
I have a neo, and I don’t connect it to a computer. I have my garmin linked to it to measure my power output and a stop watch for timing intervals. Works great.
I am not sure I understand why you bought a smart trainer if you just want to use it as a dumb trainer?
I switched as well from computrainer to Neo1 and I love Trainer road training program!
It gives me variety and push me harder that I was doing on my own!
I am not sure why you bought a new smart trainer to run software that would work fine on your old smart trainer.
Just use the Tacx app. I find it’s pretty darn straight froward, just as much so as the Wahoo app. Oh yeah, you can use the Wahoo app. For what you’re looking at doing, you don’t need a course. Just go to Slope mode, select a the slope that makes sense for you with some trial and error and shift away. It’s that simple, and it’s free.
to create workouts ahead of time, but from what you’re describing, just use the app in the first link and go to slope and put it at 0% and ride and it will record it and can send your workouts to Strava or TrainingPeaks if you’d like.
Not sure why you dumped your computrainer. The racermate software aged for sure but there are other software options available. Just recently I purchased the Perfpro bridge that allows the computrainer to send wifi signals so it is controlled just like the newer trainers with I suspect most software training programs today. I and am now enjoying Rouvy on my computrainer and it’s great. They even seem to have a beta (which I haven’t tried) to run the old real course videos. The computrainer can also run on Trainer Road and Zwift naturally and of course Golden Cheetah and Perfpro.
Not sure why you dumped your computrainer. The racermate software aged for sure but there are other software options available. Just recently I purchased the Perfpro bridge that allows the computrainer to send wifi signals so it is controlled just like the newer trainers with I suspect most software training programs today. I and am now enjoying Rouvy on my computrainer and it’s great. They even seem to have a beta (which I haven’t tried) to run the old real course videos. The computrainer can also run on Trainer Road and Zwift naturally and of course Golden Cheetah and Perfpro.
CT already worked on PerfPro before Drew added the bridge functionality.
Not sure why you dumped your computrainer. The racermate software aged for sure but there are other software options available. Just recently I purchased the Perfpro bridge that allows the computrainer to send wifi signals so it is controlled just like the newer trainers with I suspect most software training programs today. I and am now enjoying Rouvy on my computrainer and it’s great. They even seem to have a beta (which I haven’t tried) to run the old real course videos. The computrainer can also run on Trainer Road and Zwift naturally and of course Golden Cheetah and Perfpro.
^^ Agree. Could have saved a lot of money for a different toy. My CT is old but still bulletproof and with TR gets the work done with no fuss. Seems a solution to a problem the OP did not have.