I think the fore-aft aspect boils down to relativity. We are rolling at a given speed seated. When we stand, and because our bodies are the highest mass (compared to the bikes lower mass), we maintain our forward velocity in 3D space, while the bike is the item that goes ‘backwards’.
The bike is still moving forward in 3D space, but it momentarily decreases in velocity compared to the mass of our body. It’s effectively the opposite of a bike throw at the end of a race for a sprint.
A fore-aft rocker aims to handle these imbalances in forces and direction. The rocker will shift primarily one direction when standing, and then the opposite direction when returning to seated.
I have a theory on how to video capture these motion shifts while outside. I need a small rig on the bike that captures the pendulum effect I think exists. Then my hope is to reproduce the video on the rocker and see if the pendulum effect is similar or not.
That’s one of a few videos I want to try and capture comparisons from inside and outside.
Hah… true. Totally correct… your bike does not move backward when compared to the road, but it does when compared to the rider. It’s the frame of reference that matters. Since the bike isn’t actually moving forward on the trainer, a move backwards (with reference to the ground) is a simulation of the bike movement relative to the rider. Is it a thing? Dunno. I’ll leave that to you to figure out.
Reality is though… you’re riding a stationary bike. Just accept the fact and get on with it. Each to the own etc but personally I really don’t understand the whole “make it feel exactly like you’re on the road” thing and will no way be dropping coin on any “rockers”.
Sure. I guess what I mean is to me, it will never be the same regardless of what you do to make it feel as it is so I pull up stumps there. I’m there for intervals, for focused training not for enjoyment. If you are on the trainer for fun, because you can’t ride outside for whatever reason then okay… it makes some more sense to me to hunt for realism.
For me, the rocker plate isn’t about realism. It added significant comfort to my trainer time. Before the rocker, I topped out at 1 hour stints on the trainer. With the rocker I can go 2+ hours.
I ordered an h3 directly from saris and it seemed like it was available now. Does anyone know an actual release date in the stars? I’m thinking this was actually a preorder but not indicated as such on their order page.
UPDATE I just got an email from Saris that it has shipped. Just in case anyone is interested, it does appear to be available today and is shipping out now. I also noted that Amazon now has it listed (sold and shipped by amazon) as available today.
Would be interested to know myself… but the way my H1 is performing there’s no need right this minute to upgrade unless there were big big benefits.
Belt replacement kits are available, though not needed yet, might get more years out of it and increase that ROI… then who knows what will be available for purchase Saris Smart Bike integrated rocker trainer??
Only issue I have had so far was the noise level increased but I just took the cover off wiped it down some then put on a touch of belt conditioner quiet as new again maybe a bit quieter actually.
That’s good to know…most of my rides I do with headphones and loud music… but I’m sure after several thousand virtual miles it could do with a little TLC. What conditioner did you use… got an Amazon link?
How are you thinking of visualizing the fore/aft acceleration? I don’t think an actual pendulum will work well. I wonder if a digital accelerometer/microcontroller/LED display would react fast enough (and show up on camera nicely) to visualize this.
I think that capturing the accelerations (both fore/aft and side to side) visually like this on the bike and on the trainer will help understand what the bike/rider are actually doing inside and out.
I plan a quick test a real pendulum first. If it fails, and it may, another option may be a bubble level. A curved linear one or the dome style may work too (and possibly show deltas in both axes).
If those fail, I will look for other more technical options.
I’ve never heard a good explanation for why the bike oscillates, but I don’t think it’s too complicated. As soon as you stand up and separate your mass from the bike, there’s just a rhythmic push and pull generated by your upper body. You’re basically shuffling the bike fore and aft as it rolls along at a relatively constant speed. The bike is free to react and it takes almost nothing to move it.
It is a real thing that’s sorely missing from rigid trainers. Anyone who rides a floating roller knows this. The floating action is like the heartbeat of cycling, and when you take it away, the overall experience feels dead. When I read comments saying motion is irrelevant, I just have to disagree.
When a company like Saris puts so much effort into motion, while other companies like wahoo and tacx totally ignore it…well that’s confusing. I’m not saying Saris got it right with their MP1, but at least they’re trying. My personal rig is the E-motion with a floating fork, which is essentially a floating platform with controllable tilt. You don’t just sit there and passively pedal, you actually ride it, so yeah it just feels right.
Totally correct… your bike does not move backward when compared to the road, but it does when compared to the rider. It’s the frame of reference that matters. Since the bike isn’t actually moving forward on the trainer, a move backwards (with reference to the ground) is a simulation of the bike movement relative to the rider. Is it a thing? Dunno. I’ll leave that to you to figure out.