Indoor rocker plates?

[makoti]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3FfCBw5noo

I have seen these mentioned on Zwift & used with a variety of trainers, smart & dumb. Anyone actually use one? Worth it? If so, did you DIY & which version? I'm intrigued, but not overly handy so it'd need to be pretty easy to put together.

[shovelhd]

I'm looking into it. When I had a KK trainer, I could sprint flat out. It would rock a little but I was never in danger. I'm using a Tacx Bushido now, and that thing is not stable when pulling on the bars. At best I can do form sprints with a little more. So I'm looking into what it would take to build a rocker plate, and how I would attach the Bushido to it. I don't want it to be too thick as that will throw off the viewing position. It's probably not a project for this offseason.

[thwart]

Eh... just get a set of e-motions and be done with it...

[makoti]

I'm looking into it. When I had a KK trainer, I could sprint flat out. It would rock a little but I was never in danger. I'm using a Tacx Bushido now, and that thing is not stable when pulling on the bars. At best I can do form sprints with a little more. So I'm looking into what it would take to build a rocker plate, and how I would attach the Bushido to it. I don't want it to be too thick as that will throw off the viewing position. It's probably not a project for this offseason.

There's a zwift riders group on facebook. Several different designs out there, if you're handy (I'm not, no tools). Some look pretty easy to put together, though.

[shovelhd]

Eh... just get a set of e-motions and be done with it...

Had them, sold them here. Not for me.

[shovelhd]

There's a zwift riders group on facebook. Several different designs out there, if you're handy (I'm not, no tools). Some look pretty easy to put together, though.

I'm a member, and I saw a few of the designs.

[vqdriver]

i have a 1up trainer i'd be curious to try this out on. i don't zwift or even ride the trainer that much (we all know it's boring) but this seems like a pretty cool idea.

[kramnnim]

I'm a member, and I saw a few of the designs.

Mike Bobelak (sp?) has the best ones

[makoti]

Mike Bobelak (sp?) has the best ones

I saw that! He & Chris Self from St Louis are building some really good looking set ups. Nicer than anything I'm going to cobble together. Side to side AND fore/aft movement. Impressive.

[shovelhd]

I need something I can build without a CNC mill.

[carpediemracing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3FfCBw5noo

I have seen these mentioned on Zwift & used with a variety of trainers, smart & dumb. Anyone actually use one? Worth it? If so, did you DIY & which version? I'm intrigued, but not overly handy so it'd need to be pretty easy to put together.

My biggest thing with the plates is that it tilts the bike on the wrong axis, or at least the axis is at the wrong level. On the road the bike tilts around the BB, give or take. This isn't me sprinting but you can see how the rider's hips aren't over the tire/ground contact area, they're above a point just north of the BB shell:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQFO6CCI0JM/VUeETKmjJGI/AAAAAAAAIsw/j6TNnfjd10I/s480/20150502_23-GoingLeftSide.jpg

On a rocking plate the bike tilts but it's not a natural tilting motion.

The KK rock n roll captures the tilt better, the pivot point is above the tire/ground contact level. It's maybe 4-5" above that.

My set up isn't very good, only about an inch above the tire/ground level:

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w5ylJtCFLT8/V6iUAhA9zLI/AAAAAAAAJN4/p4KdYwOKezg9WsjtAvfHq3qJYfmsmEFJACLcB/s480/20160808_RockingTrainer-1.jpg

If I could do it again I'd make the pivot point up by the BB height, have a corresponding pivot up front somewhere (between the front tire and BB, so the bike doesn't tilt forward too much).

Still, though, the tilting does help a bit, at least I don't feel like I'm trying to break my frame. I returned to the rigid frame (CycleOps/KK) because my set up encourages me to push bigger gears. The rigid frame rewards spinning. I've recently gone to "accurate power" (wireless SRM which talks to Zwift). I may go back to the tilting frame to see if I get any power improvement at max efforts. Right now I'm maxed out about 100w/10% below what I saw on the rocking frame.