A ride less ordinary
Adventure Biking & the art of Going Slow & Getting lost
The Beast Unleashed
On the 24th October the Turbo Trainer arrived and remained in its box for 1 week. On the 31st October I realized that I was going to have to open it. Perhaps my reluctance reflected a sixth sense for the challenges it was about to present. I use the word challenges with a large dose of English understatement. I can think of a lot of other words to insert there, but I like to remain as positive as possible!
“Like a lot of people, reading the manual is always the last thing I do.”
I assembled the Turbo trainer, with minimum difficulty, only viewing the Youtube video after completion. Like a lot of people, reading the manual is always the last thing I do. I then successfully downloaded the Tacx Training App on my phone. So far so good.
After a lot of googling and ‘device interrogation’ I realised that my tablet was neither an Android or an iPad so it was unlikely that I would be able to download the Tacx Cycling App. The Cycling App is the one with all the bike courses and 3D tracks, the one that thrusts you into the virtual world where you can take a spin with Bob from Oregon or Ann from Canberra. It’s what Smart Trainers are all about and was a big part of my reason for buying it.
Having said that, I am so new to the world of indoor training of any kind, even if I don’t achieve the full virtual experience (or at least not for a while), I will still be doing something new, and I like that idea.
Later on in the day, I ordered a rear cassette for my spare back wheel, as rumour had it that trainers ruin tires, and it is easier to swap the back wheel in and out, than constantly change the back tire.
I retired to bed blissfully unaware of the war of attrition that lay ahead.
Summary of trials and tribulations:
- I successfully set the trainer up.
- Downloaded the Tacx Training App on to my phone, with no problems.
- It seemed unlikely that I would be able to access the Tacx Cycling App with my current devices.
A ride less ordinary 