Hi all.
I’ve just got myself a Jet Black Victory, it’s not quite as comfy as my old Kickr V5 was, I can’t really afford a rocker plate (or have the room) I was wondering if tennis ball rocker feet are a good idea, or just a fad? Any advice is welcome!
Cheers
I don’t have any back to back feedback on them but I used them over the holiday at my parents on my dads kickr core, my elite suito at home is just fixed. I definitely felt like there was some movement, not too much and not enough to annoy me but also not sure it was enough to actually change anything comfort wise. No plans to add them at home.
Thanks for replying, I’m unsure of them, but they’re quite cheap, so isn’t end of the world if they don’t work I guess.
No advice, but I’m also curious. Wifey wants some on her Victory too.
There’s some old threads about rocker plates in forum if you search around. @mcneese.chad used to have a FB site too (it might not have been his but he’ll know how to access it)
That was my dads take in ordering them.
There are a lot of positive reviews from the Zwift community on using them with the Core. I’ve only used plates, so can’t comment personally. Here’s the FB pages for the Zwift folks: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Byuc2Rj6t/?mibextid=wwXIfr
And Chad’s Rocker Plate page: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/17dCkQTxzX/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Definitely mine and still in use.
They make 1/2 round hedge hog balls . Big for foot exercises and smaller versions that might work. Rubber and inflatable.
I have the tennis ball attachments on my Kickr Core and I don’t notice much difference than before I had them although I’ve always had my core on a fairly squishy yoga mat and on top of that it’s on a carpeted floor. If you have it on something firm or concrete I see where it might make a bigger difference. Like you said, they’re cheap so I figured why not but now I have a Kickr Shift coming so I’ll have to find something new to try with that.
I don’t have anything to compare to other than just the Kickr on a thin mat over gym floor tiles (that we put down in our small home “gym” area. Compared to the stock configuration there is some give and squish/side to side give. I think it’s worth the minimal cost. Like the OP I wasn’t going to spring for a full rocker plate and this is better than nothing. I can’t stand more than about 90 min on the trainer anyway. Longer than that and I’ll gear up and get outside.
Personally, I don’t need much motion to feel a significant comfort benefit. I have a Saris rocker plate which is big, heavy, and is capable of a lot of rocking and fore/aft movement, but the reality is that when I’m seated and pedaling the movement is small, my bars rocking left/right a cm or two and the bike moving fore/aft a cm or two. It’s that small amount of movement that I find helps a lot. I suspect much simpler/cheaper solutions could work as well.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/415329188897706/?ref=share ‘Rocker Plates’
I’ve got them on my Zwift turbo (essentially the same one) and there’s movement, I think they’re adding slight comfort but were so cheap if say it’s worth a shot.
Iv just got some for my wattbike. Surprised there seems to be a decent and noticeable amount of movement. After 3 weeks off I was straight on to a 2 hour session with minimal discomfort
I’ve got them on my Wahoo Kickr. 2 balls per foot. My Kickr is on some horse stall mats that are laid on carpet. It’s a huge improvement over rigid feet on concrete in my gym. I 3D printed the adapters myself as I couldn’t find any commercially available adapters for my model of Kickr.
Something to note: if you do make this change, don’t forget to raise your front wheel accordingly. I did not until recently and noticed a significant difference in comfort.