Travel Trac Real Tour Trainer
Al...@ismael.com
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I've been using this product for months and Im still using it. The February 4th reviewer did a fantastic job, so not much to add. However, if you want to ride vs competitor on the internet, then youll need to spend more $$$ for the real axiom trainer and software. Perosnally, I like the fact that it didnt cost nearly as much as the other vr trainers. I used to go biking in the neighborhood, but it cost a lot of time to get a group together. Now I just hop on my bike and do the video courses. Its great.
This trainer is for the 95% of cyclists for whom a mile-long 5% climb is difficult. It is not for elite cyclists who can climb like a goat and hammer flats.
This unit does what it claims to do. You load a video and start pedaling. As you go faster, the scenery on the video goes by faster. When the scenery on the video shows an uphill, the resistance increases so that it feels like a hill. And, this unit is at least 50% cheaper than ANY other such product.
Even though many of the videos show hills in excess of 5% gradient, the hardware is limited to 5%. If this is hard for you, no worries. You can actually ride the course at 80%, 60% or 40% of the original difficulty. Very good for those days when your legs are sapped. The included video is about 15 miles long with 2 1-mile-long climbs and a few 1/4 mile climbs.
You can also break up a course into 1/2, 1/3 or 1/4 segments so that you can "finish" a course (and thereby get it recorded).
There are a couple of issues so that I could not give it a 5 rating (on a scale of 1 - 10, I would give it a 9 as the issues are not so big):
1. There is a 1-3 second between the video showing a hill and the resistance changing. I got used to this after a few rides.
2. The system comes with one video but additional ones are harder to find. Most of the ones I have seen are for RealAxiom, the "big brother" to this unit. However, I will say that the Larciano and Vivivierre part 1 units are made for the RealAxiom but work fine in the RealTrainer
3. You have to change the screen resolution to VGA (800x600) prior to running the software. It is supposed to change automatically but doesn't do so. If you change after starting the program, then the video does not display.
4. If you do not finish a course or a segmented course, then your performance is not recorded. This helps in measuring your progress, but it's kind of annoying if your kids wakes up early and you can't finish your course.
Overall, this unit is the most cost-effective way to get into indoor interactive, video-based cycling. The features to lesson the severity of the climbs and break down the courses into segments are a godsend for those of us who are not elite cyclists. As a point of reference, I am 45 years old and can ride a 40K time trial at 20-22 mph.
Advanced software automatically adjusts the resistance level according to gradient, speed and rider weight, and then synchronizes with pre-programmed DVD courses to give you a realistic, interactive ride. Electro-Magnetic resistance simulates the changes in course profiles - cruise along the flats, climb and fly down that descent at warp speed. Save comprehensive data from every ride, such as power, speed, heart rate, ride time, distance and cadence so you can monitor your training progressive and measure your improvement over weeks, months or years. CronoForce frame with a wide stance maintains stability during the hardest sprints. Large flywheel and Elastogel rollers keep you pedaling smoothly and quietly without wearing out your tires. QR blocking system uses a one-handed approach for easy, safe and fast bike attachment and removal. For total flexibility, this trainer functions as a stand-alone unit with eight resistance levels. Includes training base, resistance unit, Real Tour software, DVD course (Stage One of the 2007 Giro d"Italia) and control console. Minimum System Requirements: 2.4GHz Pentium III equivalent processor or better, Windows 2000, XP or Vista, 7200 RPM, 10GB hard drive with 4GB free space, 256MB RAM, VGA 800 x 600 monitor, one available USB 2.0 port, DVD-R optical drive.