Well, I start to understand better how the thing works, especially in respect with its little brother, the Imagic.
One thing is sure, the choppiness problem occuring in slopes steeper than 10% is recurrent...
I'm considering buying (an used) Imagic...
What will I loose ?
-The inertial effect of the fortius electronic flywheel
-The ability to produce high wattage at low rpm, although nothing about the wattage capabilities of each model is described on the Tacx website. I've post a topic about this on the Tacx forum, we'll see...
As far as slopes and power are concerned, the difference between Imagic and Fortius are as follows :
When you get on a steeper slope with the Fortius, the motorbrake just brakes harder and harder till you get to 10% slopes, then you've got that choppiness feeling. Till 10% Speed, slope and Power on the screeen are the same as in "real life".
To solve the Fortius choppiness problem, Tacx introduced "virtual speed" in late 2007. Which means that to a given power your speed will be virtually reduced. You're going harder to overcome the steeper slope, but your speed will decline... It's like if the software decided that a strong wind would blow in your face as soon as you would get on a slope steeper than 10%.
When you get on a steeper slope on an Imagic the virtual speed kicks in as soon as 5%.
Nonetheless, people who have tried both trainers said the Imagic felt "smoother", less choppy...
As (I repeat it) nothing about the wattage capabilities of each model is described on the Tacx website, I wonder shall I buy an used imagic or send the fortius back to my LBS hoping they'll accept a change for an imagic.
I bought the Fortius, cause I thought it could deliver more power at lower RPM, but maybe I'm not able to sustain that kind of power and an Imagic would be enough for me. (I've got a 400w MAP)
lundi 24 mars 2008
samedi 5 janvier 2008
I've found a guy who was selling his Fortius, I've bought most of his videos... :-)
Now, I own 15 RLV (including the f.....g Ergovideo). Lots of fun waiting for me... the hardest part was to install them all in my new hard disk (yes, as those videos take some room... I've bought a 250mb hard disk to install them all... was it necessary... mpppfff.... don't know... A good thing, is that in the RLV control panel, I've got all the routes at my fingertips, no need to dwell with the DVDs...
I hope it will be possible soon to make (as a Tacx guy wrote it on the forum) multisessions trip out of several DVDs... Currently, it's only possible from only one DVD...
Now, I own 15 RLV (including the f.....g Ergovideo). Lots of fun waiting for me... the hardest part was to install them all in my new hard disk (yes, as those videos take some room... I've bought a 250mb hard disk to install them all... was it necessary... mpppfff.... don't know... A good thing, is that in the RLV control panel, I've got all the routes at my fingertips, no need to dwell with the DVDs...
I hope it will be possible soon to make (as a Tacx guy wrote it on the forum) multisessions trip out of several DVDs... Currently, it's only possible from only one DVD...
I've ordered the Argus Tour this week. On the Tacx website, they were very laudatory about it.
....
I've rode about two hours on it, huuuurkkk... it's ugly... it looks almost like a Youtube video... dull colors, poor definition...
Besides, the ride starts on the Capetown's suburbs, then rolls on highways for about an hour... bwwwaaarkkk...
It gets better latter with some rolling hills on the seaside... one will find there the "like on a bike ride" feeling of the RLV on a Fortius, accelerating on downhills, turns, and hard on climbing...
The rider's simulated view is quite realistic, wide enough to get most of the scenery, and reacting as a real rider would on the turns (i.e. look some meters ahead on the curb, and not just in front of the camera car bumper...)
I've discovered later that the older Tacx RLVs were filmed on DV, then compressed, then stretched, then got their framerate adapted... and eventually end up looking just as Youtube clips...
The next RLV's will be filmed in HD with a higher screen resolution, and could look like this :
pretty good... isn't it ?
....
I've rode about two hours on it, huuuurkkk... it's ugly... it looks almost like a Youtube video... dull colors, poor definition...
Besides, the ride starts on the Capetown's suburbs, then rolls on highways for about an hour... bwwwaaarkkk...
It gets better latter with some rolling hills on the seaside... one will find there the "like on a bike ride" feeling of the RLV on a Fortius, accelerating on downhills, turns, and hard on climbing...
The rider's simulated view is quite realistic, wide enough to get most of the scenery, and reacting as a real rider would on the turns (i.e. look some meters ahead on the curb, and not just in front of the camera car bumper...)
I've discovered later that the older Tacx RLVs were filmed on DV, then compressed, then stretched, then got their framerate adapted... and eventually end up looking just as Youtube clips...
The next RLV's will be filmed in HD with a higher screen resolution, and could look like this :
pretty good... isn't it ?
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