We do it based on power.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe power you apply as a cyclist is the force you exert to overcome all the factors that hinder your forward progress. This force is measured in watts, a familiar metric to most cyclists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In recent years, t<\/strong>he cycling world has become focused on training to power. <\/strong>Years ago it was common to guide training with heart rate data. Now, it’s increasingly common to train using a power meter as the primary data source.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThis power data is what we use at BKOOL to calculate your speed. But we also take into account other factors, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Gravity<\/strong>: if you’re on a climb, you’ll have to fight gravity, but if you’re on a descent, gravity will help you.<\/li>
- Rolling resistance<\/strong>: the friction between the wheels and the road surface will slow you down. The rougher the road, the heavier your weight (or the weight of the bike), the more friction you’ll experience.<\/li>
- Wind resistance<\/strong>: as you ride, your bike and your body must push the air around it, similar to how a snowplow pushes snow out of the way. Wind resistance is directly dependent on your speed (and the ambient wind speed\/direction of the route you’re riding \u2013 something BKOOL incoporates if you enable the Real Wind setting when starting your session).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
How we determine your speed <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Although there are several ways to calculate speed, BKOOL uses Newton\u2019s second law<\/strong>: force = mass x acceleration.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWith this formula and knowing the conditions of the environment, it’s possible to calculate acceleration at any moment<\/strong>. Finally, we calculate your velocity with this second formula: Velocity = acceleration x time.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis method resolves several issues at once:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- The margin of error in the measurement of watts is very small, so velocity is more accurate.<\/strong><\/li>
- It allows any user,<\/strong> regardless of their configuration, to compete with other users<\/strong>.<\/li>
- It makes it harder to cheat<\/strong>, because it’s more dificult to fake power data.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Why is my speed in BKOOL different from Garmin\u2019s?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you synchronize your smart trainer to a Garmin device while using the BKOOL simulator, the speeds may not match. There’s a good reason for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we’ve mentioned, at BKOOL we use our own method to determine your speed based on power. This system is different from simple wheel-based speed sensors or other applications, which directly transfer the speed data from the trainer, without applying any type of correction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The goal of the technical team at BKOOL is to provide you with a more realistic experience, and that’s why the data you see in the simulator has the adjustments mentioned above<\/strong>, utilizing the power and weight of each individual user \u2013 and corrected to account for the slope and wind on the route.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBKOOL continues working to make simulation more and more realistic. Try it FREE for 30 days!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A few weeks ago, we talked about one of the most realistic features of BKOOL: Real Weather\u2122. Exclusive to the BKOOL virtual cycling simulator, Real Weather\u2122 is capable of recognizing the weather in real time for any area on the planet and brings it into the simulator. But it is NOT the only hallmark that differentiates […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":1491183,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
How BKOOL calculates your virtual speed - BKOOL Magazine<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n