I posted earlier regarding potentially moving from a Kinetic Road Machine to a Kickr Snap. Based on your replies, I may very well just stay with the Road Machine until I can afford to go all in on a direct drive Kickr. I currently just ride the Sufferfest, on location and some other SYSTM rides and have not ventured into RGT. I find the RM serves me quite well for these rides.
I would be interested in hearing about your experiences using a dumb trainer with RGT? Clearly, the experience would be more immersive with a smart trainer but do you find the RGT experience with a dumb trainer satisfying, or do you really need a smart trainer to get anything out of RGT?
Do you have a power meter on the bike, or does the RM output a power signal or are you riding on SYSTM with heart rate, cadence and RPE only? It may have changed but I’m pretty sure you need power data to use RGT.
Otherwise a dumb trainer would be fine but you’d have to use your speed in RGT to understand the gradient changes as you won’t feel any resistance changes with the terrain changes which is where the value is, as it makes it feel more like riding outside.
Hi Lisa, when I use the Road Machine for my rides SYSTM calculates a virtual power. I think they use an algorithm which calculates it based on the make/model of the trainer. That said, I know Kinetic offers an INRIDE 3 module which supposedly provides a power reading for the Road Machine. If RGT cannot calculate and use virtual power maybe that’s an alternative?
RGT does allow to ride using “only” virtual power (the riders with virtual power can be seen from the smaller-than-usual + parenthesis display in the riders’ list)
This works for sure on free rides and group rides (you can actually just try, it’s free after all )
For races, organisers can choose to either allow or block people from using virtual power
Glen thank you for this. It would then appear that RGT can calculate and use virtual power as is done with the Sufferfest and other rides. I thought that was the case. Im OK with not participating in races, etc., I’m a back of the pack guy anyways.
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