sherbornpeddler

Has anyone tried the Performance cycle version? I'm excited about the idea of racing others via the net but understand Tacx can't do this for US users becuase of capping speeds at 26mph.

DrWJODonnell

If not using the fortius for your only powermeter, then the virtual downhill is not a big deal (They don't go faster than that because I guess the energy required by the unit to spin the back wheel at 40 or 50 mph could either overheat the unit or maybe blow a circuit?) As to the "Rate" question, I will try to tackle it.

Motorized adjustment of the course is the key to any of these (Tacx Imagic/Fortius or computrainer). Huge if you ask me only because on standard trainers you just tend to spin at one cadence, one power. These trainers, while they allow you to do that if you want, do mostly have courses that vary greatly.

The computer capture of complex workouts? With any of these you can create a profile from GPS data (though there is easy to download third party software for the tacx...I believe computrainer can convert GPS and TOPO data itself?? A computrainer owner could better advise you). They all work well to recreate grades of various workouts. Tacx is fairly easy to program a custom workout with you also being able to create one on the fly and saving it for later use.

The computrainer has great Virtual graphics but I believe that the backgrounds are somewhat boring/repetitive (again, users can correct me). Tacx has good graphics with entire virtual worlds to play in (Think of it as a first person shooter game for the bike).

I believe that Ctrainer is coming out with some sort of DVD workouts, but in my mind this is where the Tacx far excels anything out there (and it is what keeps me on the bike for 3+ hours at a time). Tacx has a great library of rides, and for each DVD you can expect in the neighborhood of three to five hours of ride time (you can customize the course so you start wherever you want or do repeats of a certain section for hill repeats etc).

I think computrainer allows online racing through the net via NetAthlon software but maybe there are other ways. Tacx has an online "league" where people from all over the world participate in regularly scheduled races and stage races which I liked, but since I use the trainer in the off season, was a bit counterproductive to my training. Tacx also has a live webracing option that a lot of people are getting into, that I would like to do myself, but sadly, I am having network problems with it. Seems pretty cool. one month free trial but then I think its 50 euros a year after that.

Headset steering. It's "nice" for the virtual world, but bogs down the web racing and can't be used in the leagues. It also does not work for the DVD videos (only for the first person virtual reality so you can ride into the side of a house if you want). Personally, I found it to be a pain in the butt, but if you want to explore and get the most from thevirtual reality side of it, then it is worth it.

Hope that helps.

MacMan

The CompuTrainer I have is amazing. Funny thing though is that it sends my PowerTap into a frenzy. The PT goes insane when I run it on the CT. No, it isn't a wireless PT - wired SL.

sherbornpeddler

My PT is a wired version as well. I've noticed my PT goes on the fritz then recovers when I go by a farm that has an electric fence and dog "invisible" fence. It may be something else but I suspect the fencing.

I'd really like to use my PT with one of these internet capable virtual reality trainers.
It seems the internet version isn't that mature.

sherbornpeddler

I just tried out the Tacx unit at my LBS. It was AWESOME! Projected against a big screen from behind me there were three modes: actual video felt I was really in Majorca. The graphics with interactive steering was a very cool, energy sapping game and third mode was real time data display (with modes one or two displayed as well if you like). It is easy, intuitive and the trainer adjusting to the terrain and my pedal effort, far more real than any trainer or roller. This demos 300% better than the adds, LBS description or my expectation. I didn't notice a 26mph speed limitation complaint for 60Hz models others talked about.

LT Intolerant

i'm selling my TACX Fortius (just over a yr old) w a bunch of RLVs (Lombardy, Pyrenees, Marmotte, & Flanders) + the steering tube for a great price if you (or anyone is interested). It probably goes on eBay tomorrow w a Buy-It-Now price of $ 700, roughly a 40% + discount off list.

gene r

Greg180

Why?

lowracer1

well, if you end up gettin an imagic or fortius trainer, I'll be ready to race you. My runs all get uploaded to the imagic archive.

https://imagic.e-cycling.se/index.php

LT Intolerant

For a few reasons. First I live in Santa Barbara, and the TACX gets very little use, as we can pretty much ride year round here.

The other reason, and this is no secret for those that have done their research, is TACX is a pain in the ass. The product has never worked as advertised. TACX says that you can simulate grades up to 20%, uhhh, no, you can't. You can simulate up to 6%, but not 20%. The support is sketchy and their software releases amateurish (they didnt support Vista for the longest time).

That said, the RLVs are incredible! I was always good for 30 mins tops on a trainer. Using the RLVs I can go for an hour or more and not be bored. They are truly breakthrough. BTW at one time I owned a CompuTrainer, and while it worked more seemlessly than the Fortius, it was booooooring.

Here's what it comes down to. If I lived in a cold climate I'd keep this thing and ride it. Given that I don't, a high end trainer is a luxury, and I'd rather put my dough into an upgraded TT bike.

gene r

sherbornpeddler

I just bought the Tacx multi-user from my LBS. I paid a premium relative to used and Ebay but get great, local support. Video is tops. I'm very psyched.

kensuf

I've been using a computrainer one day a week at our local sports performance center and it's a cruel mistress. It definitely gives you a good workout.

sherbornpeddler

Chris, First day on my new Fortius Multiplayer and I'm working out bugs. I'll be in touch to check out your rides.
John

nitropowered

Have fun with the 26mph bug that the 120v/60hz versions have (the us version) If you plan to race multiplayer, don't race against the euro guys.

Greg180

Amen brotha...The CT forces you to ride a full pedal stroke, no dead spots. An hour of Tempo on a CT, if you have your FTP set correctly, will leave you walking stiffly the rest of the day. Forget about the 1000 meter sprint intervals. Brutal.

lowracer1

I race the euro guys. I've got the imagic trainer though with the fortius software, so don't have the speed cap problem on downhills.

I've been doing the webracing this week and it is a blast.

Jim Bonnet

Ive ridden 1175miles on my computrainer since january1. Its a darn good workout.. In fact its the best training equipment I've purchased. If you are serious about going fast and have the money its worth it. IMHO.

sherbornpeddler

Wow! good miles! May I ask the configuration and purchase price (range) ? I'm still getting used to my Tacx and haven't reached the fitness-workout features yet but enjoy the video and virtual reality races. As a newbie, I crash too much to be competitive but the simulated hills is keeping me at better workout rate calories per hour (aka watts aka Kj power) than my Cyclops trainer; probably close to my Krietler rollers.

patentcad

When I called the Tacx's OWN USA SALES REP he allowed that their units were very difficult to assemble, that he got calls like mine every week, that the instructions were useless, and he had no idea why the Dutch manufacturer refused to make this unit easier for the end user to deal with. It was an astonishing cluster**** deluxe. I just packed it up and shipped it back to Colo Cyclist. I asked them if anybody there had uncrated one of these stupid units and tried to assemble it, and he admitted they had not. No shock there. I never had anything remotely resembling any of that with Computrainer. Easy to set up and use. But then it's an American company and they appear to be non-idiots. I'd highly recommend C-trainer.

carpediemracing 

Local guy by the name of Ray (you can see his courses on this page has a few computrainers as well as some other software. He regularly converts maps or something into computrainer courses.

Also, a place sells videos related to power (i.e. real life videos which have related resistances). Ergvideo: https://www.ergvideo.com/default.aspx

Finally a friend of mine made a nice stand etc for the bike on the computrainer. I can get pics or specs or whatever, it works pretty well, stable, easy to pop a bike on and off (cadence pickup is not mounted to the bike and it's adjustable).

cdr

garysol1 

I have one and it is ok. The actual workout it gives me is fine and the video quality is awesome. The biggest downsides are that the power readings and heart rate readings are a joke and inconsistent. I can deal with power being off if it was off by the same each ride but isn't. It is a crap shoot.

sherbornpeddler

The Tacx assembly is odd and a puzzle, clearly translated English is part of the problem. I had no trouble because I did it at my LBS and used theirs as a model. It would take a day to put together a good, easy to use manual as it is easy. Hello? Tacx?

RockyMtnMerlin

Well, I was all set to buy an I Magic. So I logged onto the Tacx forum and came away confused about computer requirements, driver problems and a what seems to be a inordinate amount of glitches in what should be a relatively simple computer hook up. One can not use a "basic" desktop or laptop without at least upgrading the graphics card. The card they reference is no longer made and the Tacx forum guys tout graphics cards that are a couple hundred bucks. And while they say you need a Pentium IV to run the Fortius software, they give no clue as to what version of the PIV and therefore what the processor requirements really are. As I would have to buy an separate computer to run the software, it was important to me to get the requirements right and not spend 8-900 bucks for the new computer. Am I making this a bigger problem than it is?

LT Intolerant

Reread my earlier post. The TACX is a COMPLETE pain the *****, BUT, that said, once you have it working it's better than anything I've used (Computrainer and other high end fluid trainers) for indoor training without the threat of dying from terminal boredom.

That said I may be selling my Fortius, so if you are interested in saving a boatload of $, PM me.

gene r

RockyMtnMerlin

I did, and you addressed some of my questions but nothing about the computer hardware (at least not that I saw). Maybe I should just more to Santa Barbara.

LT Intolerant

Ha! We welcome any and all bike racers to SB! I've been running the Fortius on a 3 year old Dell Latitude laptop w XP and a so-so graphics card and it seems to do ok, when it doesn't crash inexplicably. The Dell configuration includes...

300-MHz Pentium II, 64 MB RAM, and from what I can tell an Intel graphics card w 64mb of memory

I've not tried to run it under Vista on my 3 month old laptop, because I couldn't get it to work, even though I spent hours following advice from TACX and forum members. For all I know they might have it working at this point.

Hope that helps.