Kurt Kinetic Question

[keno]

I have been a 1upUSA fan for years, but this year decided to try a Kurt Road Machine Pro, which I got through 1upUSA.

In doing a training routine I found that the effort required on the Kurt for a specific mph is much harder than on the road for that mph based upon heart rate. I don't have watt meter any more so I have no power reading to key on. Their Road Machine is calibrated, they say, to be equivalent pretty closely to the experience on the road. I want to know if others have had a similar experience.

keno

[Peter P.]

These units are calibrated for a 160-165lb. rider, I believe. If you weigh less/more, the perceived resistance vs. speed will not be realistic, though that unit will provide more resistance than you'll ever need. Just change your perspective and take into account that you're on a trainer, and you should be fine.

[keno]

I'm ok with the unit, which I like, and am not trying to replicate road ride. The issue is calibrating it for workouts given me by my coach. For example, on a flat road at 20 mph my heart rate is about 115-120. At that speed on the Kurt it is 160 or so. So if he gives me mph objectives, which relate to my personal goals, I have no way to calibrate them for use on the Kurt as yet.

keno

[Peter P.]

The error seems to be with your coach. Your workouts should be given in heartrate OR watts, as I presume your coach tested you for the variouse threshold levels like lactate, and anaerobic, which are the benchmarks when speaking of workout intensities.

The problem with referencing SPEED is that as you improve, a given speed will be achieved at a lower heartrate, thus speed X is no longer productive for whatever it is you're trying to achieve.

I recommend explaining to your coach that you've just purchased this new trainer and see if they'll convert your workout levels to heartrates for you.

[PaulE]

I weigh 180 and use the Kurt Kinetic. To me it feels as if the Kurt's resistance is higher that what I feel on the road for a given speed. At least that's what I tell myself when I look at the distance covered and average speed after a workout on it. Even with the big flywheel it slows down pretty quickly when you stop pedaling.

[11.4]

I bought and then sold a Kurt Kinetic Road Trainer. It had gotten good reviews but honestly, it didn't convey a road feel at all, the power curve (I was using an SRM on it) was massively non-road-like and also very inconsistent, and I couldn't put on a bike that I was riding on the road or track -- I had to change tires, etc. It's burly and quite stable, that's for sure, and perhaps that's what people want, but the 1-Up does a better job if you're looking for a trainer. I'm a huge fan of the Trutrainer rollers (www.trutrainer.com). I know they're not a trainer, but the internal flywheel is by far the best thing to emulate road riding -- the acceleration is similar, the load is similar, and power curves (again with an SRM) are consistent and do emulate actual riding. It's also about the easiest roller to ride smoothly and with high-powered jumps and other efforts, because it's so well engineered and the flywheel is so well done. But as far as a Kurt, I just wasn't impressed. By the way, mine also came with one leg slightly off level from the other three, so I always had to shim it, and there's no way to adjust leg length as there is on the 1-Up. I'm not sure why it gets the ratings it does -- perhaps from riders who don't know better.