BKOOL

Wireless ANT+ Trainer

Are you are a group ride addict? On every donut ride, coffee ride and training ride to be found in your town? If so, when the frost and drifts of winter snow set in, you're bound to feel let down and isolated —relegated to the basement to spin away the hours on the trainer. BKOOL is a new, internet-based platform aimed at providing complete training support for riders. A combination training program and social media rolled into one package, the BKOOL Trainer will have you up and connected to virtual group rides the world over, before you even pull on one winter glove. 

The BKOOL trainer is a simple, foldable trainer that is fully assembled. All you need to do is place the rear axle in the trainer, tighten the adjustable quick-release wheel lock and you're ready to ride. The bike is gravity swing mounted for compliance and predictable grip against the roller.This also means you won't spend time readjusting the roller each time you place your bike on the trainer. It accommodates any wheel size, though a slick road or trainer tire is recommended. The roller is machined aluminum for a smooth ride.

Metrics are probably the most sought after data for indoor training. The trainer features a power plug, so you'll need to set up near an outlet. That said, it connects wirelessly to your laptop via the supplied USB ANT+ dongle. It is also compatible with ANT+ heart rate monitors so that all your metrics are visible during your ride. How does the BKOOL connect you to riders around the world? Well, BKOOLruns on its proprietary BSim software. The BSim software is free to download and runs on your PC to display and record your training sessions. More importantly, it interfaces with the trainer to alter resistance according to the route or profile that you've pre-selected — you don't need to turn knobs or push buttons while trying to keep your wattage output within your training parameters. The BKOOL trainer provides variable resistance to replicate inclines of up to 20 per cent and power output up to 1200watts.

Using the BSim software, you can share your routes with friends, compete with other BKOOLusers and even stream more than 80 cycling videos. More impressive is that BKOOL is not limited to indoor training sessions. In fact, using the free app, downloadable through the App Store or Google Play, you can use your smartphone to record outdoor ride, speed, distance, altitude, and maps to your BKOOL rider profile. BKOOLis the hub of the system and it stores all of your data and sessions so they are accessible by you anywhere in the world. You are also able to easily create indoor ride profiles based off of your outdoor rides so you'll be ready for those city limit sprints once the donut rides start up in the spring.

The BKOOL system comes with the ready to ride trainer, a rear wheel skewer, a front block and the ANT+ dongle. The BSim smartphone apps are free as is a basic BKOOL account. There is a small subscription fee to upgrade your online profile to premium.

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