Very cool. My guess from the pic was clearly wrong.
That may be true, but mounting and dismounting are key points and places people will be in a compromised position. They will have at best, one foot clipped in and a fall with that could be bad. In general, I’d push towards being extra stable than right on the limit. Even if you consider Ray’s tips abnormal, they fall within the “foreseable misuse” case, that addressing it would be a wise choice.
That may be a solution, but not a great one in my eyes. The Kickr leg option is effectively engaging after a tip occurs because:
The E-Flex has to lean 5* to start, hit the hard stop, and then push the additional 2* until the Kickr legs contact.
This effectively allows a tip to occur, and then stops it after the fact. IMHO, a proper design will prevent a tip in the first place.
I can’t speak with experience on this unit, but that feeling of falling back in a chair, only to catch it or hit a limit after that initial “fall” is not a great feeling. I would not want a product sold to have the chance for that feeling.
With an E-Flex extended leg:
It will be lower to the ground and less likely to become a tripping hazard to passers by.
It will also be fixed and not moving like the Kickr legs.
I just can’t see the point in sidestepping the solution with it is relatively easy and likely superior in nearly every way. I am looking at this from the perspective a designer, selling a product, and reducing risk to the customer in any reasonable way. The addition of E-Flex legs are an easy insurance compared to what I see as a poor solution of the Kickr legs.
After watching Ray’s video I don’t see it as an issue. Agree with @SomeGuyInPDX about preferring a small footprint over a bigger, potentially more stable footprint. Four years ago when I bought my road bike there were two times I had come to a full stop, failed to unclip despite trying, and did the slo-mo fall. Live and learn. Shrug.
I understand speculating is half the fun of new products, but this really is a non issue. Either straddle the bike before you get on so your weight is centered, or hold the handlebar still. It really is that easy.
I have 7 hours on it so far and love it. Two hour ride on Sunday and didn’t have the discomfort I normally do at that length. I’m loving this thing.
It’s very much a solvable problem. They just need a larger fork mount that can accept end caps large enough for the axles.
15mm x 100mm seems to be short lived “standard” from the early stages of disc brake road bikes. Most now seem to be using 12mm x 100mm, but we still see some legacy forks and wheels with the 15mm axle. But there are likely enough products out there (Trek in particular used it on a number of bikes) to justify making the fork mount compatible.
I explained that to Larry @ InsideRide, even though it didn’t help build a case to support 15x100. Was traveling today, I’ll check with them tomorrow for an update.
That adapter could lead to a different set of issues.
In theory, the axle in the fork mount needs to allow rotation, that will occur when the fork is turned and the bike leans.
A “locked” axle could leaded to binding in the motion and possible creep of the fork out of the mount (for an open QR at least).
As such, I expect that the FFS mount allow rotation, and that would not work well with an elevated adapter.
The better option would be to replace the original mount design with a larger one that allows proper end caps to support the various axles standards.
I realize I left out the fact that the 15mm x 100mm was also used on a fair number of mountain bikes. So it is a worthy standard to consider. Add in the potential for Boost if IR wants to cover modern XC & Trail MTB’s. Here is a list of the applicable standards that really should be covered:
9mm x 100mm Quick Release
12mm x 100mm Thru Axle
15mm x 100mm Thru Axle
15mm x 110mm Thru Axle (Boost MTB)
They could consider the larger 20mm standards, but those are typically on the heavy hitter mountain bikes (all-mountain, enduro and downhill) that I doubt most people would ever want to mount on a trainer.
Again, all this is well addressed in the fork mount that SeaSucker made, being very adaptable with a simple swap of end caps. The difference would be adding the ability of rotation via bearings or something like an axle. I suspect IR already has something since they cover the first 2 standards. They likely just need to upsize the design to fit the larger axle end caps.
I simply cannot express how much I love this product. I was able to get my own E-Flex this past week. I have 6 rides on it so far. As I shared above, I’m an avid TrainerRoad user and spend about 10 hours each week on the trainer. I ride outdoors on the weekend. I can always tell on the group ride who rides the trainer but doesn’t ride outside enough to develop solid bike-handling skills. Not only does the E-Flex aide in comfort for those longer endurance rides, it helps me not be lazy, sitting “on” the trainer.
I have some experience riding rollers, but they are not my cup of tea. I appreciate their handling benefits, but they just aren’t for me. I like my ERG trainer and the ability to lose myself in whatever race/show/movie I’m watching (not a good idea on rollers IME). The E-Flex is like the best of both worlds. It allows me to engage more of my upper body and core when training like riding rollers, while still watching shows without worrying that I may crash in the living room.
After a week of training, it has not been my experience that I am relearning anything. I find it very natural to get on, off and ride. I never use the steering lockout and honestly don’t know why it is there. I’ve had ZERO problems getting on and off I simply throw my leg over the top tube so I’m standing over the bike, clip in my left foot and then begin riding and clip in my right foot as I would outdoors. I love this thing. The movement is subtle but natural. If you’ve got questions, fire away. I’ll do my best to answer them
So glad to hear how much you love your E-Flex! I can’t wait to order one. I’m checking the website frequently to see when they’re going to be back in stock—site currently says “late October” so hopefully fairly soon.
Regarding purchase availability, I noticed the date change from “late September” to “Late October” on their website. The craftsmanship of this piece of equipment is readily apparent. I am really impressed at their choices of hardware- especially when considering how reasonable the price point is. I hope you are able to order soon!
One reason for the “delay” is the modification of the leaf spring (that holds the Kickr level) to work with older Kickrs. I have a 2014 Kickr and the balance weight is slightly different than newer Kickrs. They modified the leveling spring and made it reversible so it works with all models. Clever design and works great.
And I agree completely with SomeGuyinPDX, I love mine too.
I’m in the same boat; I have 3 bikes with 15 x 100. One has a power meter. I will modify it myself if possible but I will have to go with other options if there is no way to make this work.
Awesome–thanks for the heads up! Looks like they just opened up orders again. I’m placing my order now.
One question—it’s saying $40 for shipping but the Shipping section of their website says shipping is free within the contiguous US. Are you located in the US, and if so, were you charged shipping?