No worries Chad! I greatly appreciate any help!
Dustin
No worries Chad! I greatly appreciate any help!
Dustin
Decided to use stuff in my paincave to test if rocking would be better, here i am 6 weeks later finishing up ssbmv1 and i have no need to upgrade or change my setup.
You will need.
-Hammer H2
-An outdated book of paramedicine for front wheel
-2x specialized storm tires one new and other a bit used
-A training mat with some spring to it!
-A bubble level for tuning
Took a bit of fiddling to get it adjusted, cannot say it has a road like feel but its silent and provides stiff rocking that makes longer indoot rides comfortable.
Ha, the proof is in the pudding. Glad you tried something and that it works. Its darned close to the super simple versions. I’d like to show people for the basic testing and proof of concept to see how they like motion.
Props and happy rocking.
Hey Chad,
I’m imagining the Core mounted on top of half-circle dowel rods, with the hinge mechanism underneath.
What if I used your rockit launcher hinge mechanism with 1x4s, but excluded the top 5/8 ply board (to be replaced by the kickr core with wood half-circle wood rods), and excluded the horizontal 1x4s (Part 2 on your Rockit launcher PDF)?
Foam springs could be mounted underneath the wood half-circle rods to compress directly onto my floor.
The potential issues would be:
having enough space on the dowel rods to mound hinges
less space to mount rubber feet which would lead to unwanted trainer movement. This would be the benefit of having the horizontal 1x4s, but it would raise the height of the unit by ~0.75 inches…
Any thoughts? Thanks Chad!
Dustin
That sounds like a great concept. Using the Core mount to replace the top deck of the rocker. I think it could work and is worth a try.
Chad,
Thanks very much for posting your RP plans here. I’m interested in building one and have a question, apologies if it’s been covered elsewhere in this thread.
I will be using a Kickr. Since it’s weight is not distributed equally due to the flywheel, does that change where the hinge point is located and/or where the Kickr is positioned on the top deck in order to keep balance?
Thanks in advance,
Scott
There’s 3 options, I will list them from first to third in my preference.
Hinge dead center under the bike, add physical counterweight to the right side and use even pressure in the leveling springs.
Hinge dead center under the bike, do not add a physical counterweight to the right side, but use uneven pressure in the leveling springs (higher on the left).
Hinge off center under bike, but on center with trainer weight. Leveling springs will be uneven since rider weight will be off center from the pivot.
IMHO, #1 is best and #2 works ok. I really dislike #3 because it leads to odd balancing and uneven motion at the handle bars too.
Thanks!!
Anyone made a rocker plate for a tacx vortex or similar. What did you use to secure the trainer to the plate?
Plenty of examples on the FB Group.
Most use a U-bolt or Strap Clamp around the rear tube, to the too deck.
Thanks. I was thinking in my head of of securing the front legs only but the rear makes more sense. I think I will go with the U bolt idea.
I just bought the Saris MP1, should see it in a few weeks. I’ll report on it when I get it. I’ve been on my Tacx Neo for 5 years now, and do 5-6 months on avg, out of the year on it. (I live in Montana) so I do many long rides on it and have done 6hour trainer sessions. So I know exactly what the improvements if any, will be. I’ll quantify them to you best I can. Pictures and write up to follow.
If anyone else has one or gets one I’d like to know your experience as well
Very cool. Can’t wait to hear your results.
I use six mr pinky balls. Rubber and never go flat. My rocker plate cost me 26 dollars to make.
2x4 plywood
2 inch wood rod
6 mr pinky balls.
had like 10 wood screws laying around
Any pics of your build?
How do you like it compared to the old rigid setup?
Very simple to make. The Mr pinky balls are 2.5 tall. So i just cut 1/2 inch off, plus the flat part keeps them from roller around. The wood rod is screwed to the plywood, Just place the balls under the plate. They won’t move. You can tune how much “Rocker movement” you get by moving the balls in and out.
I can’t image now not having my rocker plate. My wife won’t ride with out one, she has the same design. It really works and increases comfort a lot, Knees feel better.
jeff
Great simple build. Well done, and do happy to hear that you love the improvement in feel and comfort.
Given how simple and cheap this is, I think I will give it a go. I’m hoping the extra comfort might encourage me to ride some longer sessions!
Can anyone, maybe @mcneese.chad, comment on any benefits there may be of a rocket plate that extends the full length of the bike and supports the front wheel too? Sorry if this has already been answered somewhere
Full length is best if you plan to use the Wahoo Climb. Also, some people say it’s better with respect to pivots and lean geometry vs rear-only. While technically correct in some cases, the difference is so small and all the other variables and freedom of a round rubber tire mask the minor differences.
If you do rear-only, make flat front wheel riser, at the same or slightly higher height of the rear deck. The flat riser effectively replicates the ability of the tire to lean like it does on the road.
For rear-only, I also suggest making a center stand the same height (or even a bit taller) as your rocker. This allows you to mount and dismount easier.
You end up with roughly the same material use, but the 3 separate pieces are easier to move and store compared to a full length rocker due to its large size.
I have rear only. Like Chad mentioned, it’s easier to move if needed. Where I struggle is putting it back to where everything is lined up. Measuring the distance between the front wheel block and the rocker plate helps, but I always seem to be a little off getting it lined up just right. The stool I use for mounting isn’t as big a deal since it sits right next to the block.