Last Chance to See: Some Inspiration Films

Look, if I argue , I must take up a contrary position

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I agree, that window has closed. Wasn’t thinking that part through when I responded.
And I do think a LOT of people got more into home exercise than pre-Covid, and I think the residual effect is still there, but diminishing some.

My own “leap” into home exercise was much more prompted by the KICKR Bike than anything else. I never used a trainer because it wasn’t terribly necessary and would be another hassle, so I learned to deal with our winters here in the mountains of western Virginia. Never was into “training” for events, at least not since college days many decades ago. I just stayed in good shape because I love mountain and road biking and do it as often as I can.

But the KICKR Bike changed everything for me. I could ride with my Garmin Edge controlling the bike as if on all the roads I ride so frequently, but now rainy days don’t matter so much, the bike tilts naturally to follow the terrain, I can ride with my own actual videos of the roads (or mountain trails) playing on the laptop (and try to stay with the pace, which is a challenge!)
So those possibilities all came together for me last January and I finally jumped in and made it a reality.

Then I discovered SYSTM when I got the KICKR because I got a free year plus as a gift from the shop I bought from, and honestly, probably wouldn’t have seen the value had I just tested it for a week or two. I ride outdoors as much as possible, but because I had it free for long enough to actually USE it, I eventually found real value in the app.

The SYSTM workouts force me AND enable me to do things I really WOULD NOT do on outdoor rides. I’ve thrown in interval work from time to time over the many years I’ve been riding, but mostly it just is dictated by the mountainous terrain and occasional whims, like doing hard intervals all the way up a long climb (very hard to recover between but I try.) But now it is easy to poke through SYSTM Library and find some great workouts that turn an hour on the KICKR into a more effective AND stimulating use of that time than I would likely have gotten without it. And because I’m not much of a fan of computer graphics generated video as I ride, I don’t think there’s much else out there that I even want to try. Actual video, whether it’s On Location (my favorite of all,) or Race Video (I’ve enjoyed it more than I thought I would,) is what I really enjoy because it’s the closest thing to riding outdoors and enjoying scenery.

I’m at least encouraged that the article about Wahoo’s financial woes does leave me with hope that if they do file for some protection/restructuring whatever, there is potential for recovery and comeback. I hope that will work out for the best because SYSTM seems to me to be a unique platform for what I enjoy most with indoor cycling!

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As some of them are in my current plan will they get replaced with a similar workout?

I have the same question. The GCN workouts were.

I totally understand the necessity of keeping the inspiration section fresh especially with the documentaries being videos which I totally would never watch a second time, even if I liked them. However, how do you make sure that downloaded videos don’t consume space on my hard drive, if I have downloaded them in the past?

Go to the library, click on Cycling and then under Filters, select DOWNLOADS On This Device. Any video you no longer want just click on the checked box. You will get a popup to delete the video. Takes just a few seconds.

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Sir David I don’t know if you own these films or are licensing them, however, if you own them, how about a crazy idea? Bundle them up and sell them to subscribers for their personal and permanent use. Inspirational videos on their own aren’t going to reduce subscribership.

Just a dumb idea I thought I would throw out there.

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I am planning to ride Thursday Fields one more time before it disappears.
With so many people liking it, maybe @David.McQuillen.KoS it can get a reprieve.

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The decision to rotate these videos, dropping some older ones while adding new, is the only responsible way to manage a finite budget for a category where most people shun repeats of the same item.

Even if the financial cost to Wahoo to offer these videos were zero, there is still the cognitive burden of wading through a huge list of re-runs to pick the most interesting on days I really need a light session. That sort of burden is enough to discourage me from using No-Vid workouts as often as I might- if I’m too tired for GOAT, I’m too tired to think that hard. Limited choices are better here, as long as they are refreshed.

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I would, or, I wouldn’t?
I hope this is a Gah! moment of fat fingers or autocorrect in play.

Because I wouldn’t.

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The only way for us to know with any degree of certainty that Sir @David.McQuillen.KoS hasn’t been kidnapped (note: a kid is a baby laser goat) or replaced by a Real Bot, is if there are typos, grammatical errors, and other such things in his posts.

I think it’s in his contract and ensures the rest of us are paying attention. At least that’s what I overheard at the water cooler when I was last at the Ministry of Pedantry :wink:

Edit: I thought the same thing as you Sir @Dan

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By the way, what happens with the All Inspiration badge? Are these departing videos being deleted from the badge requirements?

It is rumoured that if you do a Full Frontal for each inspiration sessions you are missing then you will get the credit.

It may not be true - there is only one way to find out.

(switch @Glen.Coutts mode off)

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@Critmark I wouldn’t expect an impact on customers. The key issue will be getting fixed cost debt versus floating.

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If the debt is unsustainable, they many not get any financing. It might have to go through bankruptcy court.

@Heretic Yeah - that was what I was thinking. Whether pre-packaged or reorganization, they likely do it in bankruptcy. Equity gets squeezed and debt restructured to something manageable in the new environment. But the customer likely isn’t affected.

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@Heretic & @JSampson you are correct, but someone still has to be willing to bet on the future viability. Debt can’t get restructured if no one is willing to put up the money.

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@Critmark Generally the restructuring would be with existing lenders so the money is there already.

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@JSampson I have restructured debt a dozen times as a CFO. Always with a new source of capital. That includes once when the company I went into was on the verge of bankruptcy. I guess every circumstance is different.

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I’ve finished all the January ones now, enjoyed Poulidor and Thursday Fields. Any recommendations for the February ones?