So I bought the lifeline one and I’ve done a couple of rides now. I have noticed how tired I feel using it. It is as if it has taken 40w off.
Maybe I have poor technique.
I’m going to do a ramp test to see what the difference is.
I have had my rocker plate for 3 weeks. First few rides took some getting used to but I dont even think about it now. I just learned to turn my front wheel slightly at times and balance is perfect. At the start I felt like I leaned always to the right so I just adjusted the air in the balls slightly and then all was fine.
I feel better on indoor rides these days. I have the KOM one which adds forward/back movement as well. I did my FTP test on it and had a bump in FTP so no negatives here.
Hey Chad, I haven’t topped up the inflation for my Lifeline for the best part of a year. I figured I’d let the pressure drop over time as I’ve got more experience with it. However I’m doing a base block fully indoors with longer then usual time in the saddle at the moment, and let’s just say I could use some extra comfort. I’m intrigued to hear more about your thoughts quoted above.
I guess I’m going to need more on your question.
My comment relates to the saddle pressure mapping testing I did. Vid is super long, but it showed that even a moderate amount of motion present in a relatively stiff leveling spring setting can make a big difference in saddle pressure as compared to rigid. Softer settings may have improved a bit, but most pressure reduction comes from the mild motion and stiff springs.
But, even the best rocker settings are not a cure all. I still employ standing breaks (like 30 secs about every 3-5 mins) to aid the improvement from the seated rocker motion.
Does that help?
Sadly, I’m not much help here. I’ve never built or sourced the parts. There are lots of posts with in on the FB group if you are a member there.
Like anything new, you need some time to adapt. Depending on your spring settings, you may benefit from some changes to your setup.
Is there anything notable to you as you are riding? Might help me to guide in a setting change.
I did a zwift race earlier. My FTP is 340 and I found it a challenge to hold 290w.
I’ve released some air and this evening I did Whorl. That felt much better and comfortable. Maybe it was the steady state that was easier as opposed to racing and the associated surges.
Yeah, sounds like it could have been good to tweak pressure down. Many people start with high pressure because the motion feels to unstable compared to rigid. They end up fighting that “stable” setup that is actually not a great setting.
Letting air out leads to needing more actual control at the bars, but leads to a more typical use of muscles closer to outside. That and giving it a few more rides should help.
Let us know how it goes or if you have more questions. Happy rocking!
Thanks - that does answer my question!
I’ve definitely embraced the softer spring settings for a much more natural motion, but short term while I’m still doing over 15 hours indoors per week, I’m going to trade a little motion for a little comfort.
Thanks for the link - nice N=1 experiment that backs up general anecdote about rockers. I think pressure (to an extent), but mainly movement is my main issue judging by some of my war wounds, so again suggests my sweetspot might be in the stiff to medium range.
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Yup, despite the minimal sample size, and a biased one at that, this puts some numbers to what so many people report in my FB group. Even the most simple and minimal rocker solutions can lead to greater comfort, via the motion and saddle pressure reduction as the trigger.
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There is sure a need to experiment with pressures to find what suits each rider. Personal preference, rider weight, riding experience and more can all impact what someone finds as the “right” settings for them. Takes a bit of time to play with, but I think there is a unique solution for each rider that should give them a better experience than rigid setups.
Yep, as it’s just like how what’s aero for one person, might be totally un-aero for another person. There are so many variables in this equation that it’s impossible to recommend anything other than experimentation. Your video was really helpful in understanding what the likely impacts of different pressures may be, so I feel like I can start off with my experiment not being totally in the dark.
The video really makes me wanna get fitted for a saddle too!
Yeah, that pressure mapper is quite a nice tool. Sadly, ours died not too long after I shot that video, and we have not been able to get it fixed yet. I have a fair bit of new testing I would love to do with it.
As a fitting tool, it can be valuable from the standpoint of putting real clarity to pressure points that can be difficult to discuss sometimes. I miss having it as an option, even though I only used it for about half my fits back then.
What’s also fun and interesting with it is watching the changes in saddle loading from “simple” changes to things like saddle height and front end position. You can totally transform saddle pressure with pure handlebar setup changes. It’s all part of my ideology “Any single change has multiple consequences”. The challenge in fitting is keeping all those impacts in mind and do our best to balance them to attain the desired fit goal.
I woke up this morning with DOMS in my abs.
Are you looking for feedback on that? If so, more details would be appreciated.
No it was an observation.
Awesome work! 
I know I wouldn’t try anything 2 hours or longer with out motion these days. I did a 3 hour one once on rigid and it was torture.
Nice endurance ride. I know I need to up my time on longer rides this winter.
I havent had my rocker plate long but it really is amazing how better I feel doing a longer ride.
I train in an old outbuilding which has a floor which is far from even. I also have a rocker plate on order which am very excited about! I currently have a large piece of OSB on the floor with various shims to get it roughly level for my static trainer.
My question is whether I need to get the base for my rocker plate (Lifeline, full length one) perfectly level? My second question is whether I need the rocker to be level with the trainer mounted or unmounted?
Thanks
The base of the rocker doesn’t have to be “perfectly level”, but close is better. The nature of the separate decks allows for some amount of mismatch between them, still allowing the top deck to be level as desired.
The issues can come in two basic forms:
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For vibration mount pivots, they have a natural “center” or “home” angle. As such, if you have notable mismatch between the bottom and deck, there will be “preloaded” tension more on one side than the other. It can affect the functional tilt with one side feeling different than the others. In the grand scheme, it is a minor difference and one that is likely not noticed, but my OCD engineer brain dislikes the potential hiding within.
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If you have enough mismatch, it is possible that the “high” side of the bottom will lead to a more limited rock angle to that side, when compared to the other side. Meaning, you could have 5* max lean one way, while having 9* the other way. This assumes a typical 7* lean per side for a normal rocker in a level position.
Both of those are likely non-issues, but they may be for some riders and setups.