HdB

I purchased the advanced system, and I never use it. I use VirtualTraining (now Rouvy) - you can also create your own routes, your own workouts, or just use the many routes or workouts there is. The Tacx software is once off though, versus Rouvy which is $8 per month for the cheapest option (with the more expensive option you can invite family members, if you and Mrs Slowbee want to suffer together ).

Evobikes also does Tacx, and from what I've read they seem very very helpful

Not the oldest ones - the Rider 20/21/35/40/50/60 don't store the files as .fit. The desktop application (Bryton Bridge 2) gives you the option of saving the tracks to their own BDX, and TCX and/or GPX, which you can upload wherever you like (though for me it messed up the altitude if I didn't first import it on the old Bryton site and then export from there). From the Rider 210 and on it does save as .fit on the device. And as the very old ones don't have bluetooth, they don't support the app either. But even the older ones (prior to the 210) that had bluetooth are not supported by the new app anyway.

Nah, the unit itself is fine, I got my Rider 20 in 2012 as a gift, and it still works five years later. The support is what got me to change - the desktop software doesn't work properly anymore, the new app/website is pointless, and your large hammer is just as likely to reply on an email as Bryton.

Oh, I just plugged it in repeatedly until I saw my PC had correctly picked it up so I could download a ride, and very carefully put the computer down on its side. If the BrytonBridge software didn't pick it up correctly, it would also not charge correctly and show FULL. But I don't think I ever let it go completely flat.

Second attempt at getting to 21. Maybe we should all ride with fatbikes... who cares what gets put in the road by protestors then. Won't be blown away easily either.

Yeah, mine started giving me trouble as well. Definitely the connection with the cable, at least on mine - if I got it just right it would still charge fine. I ended up replacing mine, not a Bryton though as I find their new site absolutely useless compared to the old, perfectly working one. If it ain't broke, replace it with something with a quarter of the features?! Nah. The new 330 and 530 models are very nice - if it wasn't for the software side of things I'd probably have stayed with Bryton.

I'm not running my Argents tubeless yet, just have some cheap Vittoria Zafiras on. Supposedly you shouldn't use tyre levers with these wheels... so it took a lot of swearing over the course of two days to get them on the first time. To remove them, to test if I would be able to do it next to the road, I found that without tyre levers the only way that worked for me was to push the bead into the center channel all the way around, on both sides. Then I could push the tyre off. Still not easy, but at least possible. Which tubeless tyres are available in SA? I see the Zipp Tang on CWC, and two Schwalbe ones on Evobikes, and that is about it.

They are all very close in terms of spec. The Vortex Smart seems ever so slightly better (capable of 7% incline supposedly, vs 6% for the other two), but I am not sure one could even feel the difference. All three have bluetooth and ANT+ FE-C, so you should be able to use any of them with whichever app you want. As the Vortex Smart is probably the oldest of the three, you might need to update its firmware to enable the FE-C support, mind you - I had to borrow someone's iphone for this, but there is an Android app for it too now. I did find some posts on Zwift's forum where people were having trouble with the Qubo's bluetooth support (link). Maybe just check that out first before you make your decision - if that has been sorted out since then with a firmware update, then the Qubo is a good option at the lower price.

Not sure why the Tacx would be limited... they were one of the first (if not the first) to support the standard FE-C protocol. Should work with all the trainer software that matters. I use my Tacx Vortex Smart with CycleOps' VirtualTraining (now called Rouvy), for example, with no issue

A slight route update was announced, as someone at the municipality decided to go speedbump crazy on the Lucas Steyn stretch. I'm not complaining, mind you - even the double-cabs/X5s/Discovery's shouldn't be able to speed there now, so it is bound to be more safe. I've updated the route on Strava.

Can only think of two, both local races. A few years ago on a 90km-ish race, two laps, I crashed early in the first lap. Got back up, couldn't lift my roadbike due to hurt elbows/wrists, and rode the rest of the lap on the front of the group my dad was riding in, and stopped at the start/finish after one lap. I should have left it, damaged my wrist a bit. Second was a mud-fest this year, pre-enterd for four laps, decided to save my bike after one. Not sure if it counts - at the Erik van Enter competition quite a few years ago, I thankfully fell ill before the criteriums, and didn't ride them at all. First year registered rider way out of my depth... I'm ok with that DNF

Did you get a file or link? I can give you the link to my ride from last year, I think you can save to gpx from there

I had issues with sync from Tomtom on Thursday/Friday morning.

You could also consider the Lezyne GPS meter, for nearly the same price as the Timex (though it doesn't include any sensors). Unfortunately they don't bring in all the models to SA, as the new Super GPS is quite bulky (I would have preferred the Micro, but they only bring in the watch version of that). It gives you the option of connecting to bluetooth sensors as well, that the older Timex doesn't, plus can upload the workout without needing to connect via USB.

I don't believe so. You can upload routes onto Cycleops' VirtualTraining, quite a few routes are already there actually

No, I agree. They are supposed to be the same USD cost, but if the Direto comes in at R6k - R8k more than the Flux in SA, I probably wouldn't consider it (unless I win money or something)

According to the Elite website, Nsquared distribution in Cape Town: http://www.nsquared.co.za

Another entry to the direct-drive trainer field that looks quite good. Same price as the Tacx Flux, but better accuracy and max wattage. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/07/elites-new-direto-trainerhands-on.html

At spinning: Italobrothers - Stamp on the ground Dada life - Born to rage Special D - You At home, nothing, as wifey watches TV while I suffer (but if I could, it would be Alter Bridge, Linkin Park.... )

I picked up a Y10 Super GPS yesterday, for about R2300 at the LBS. No sensors, but I had those already. Probably not the prettiest or slimmest out there, but it is about the same height as my Bryton 20 so same difference to me. The Garmins and Wahoos are just too big a jump in cost, just to have even more features that I'm not going to use anyway. It looks easy enough to use so far. With a firmware update out of the way, it was quick to set up most of the GPS's settings from the app on my phone. I should have time tomorrow to go ride with it, to see how well it performs. Now just to decide what information I want on which page.

Wasn't there a stand at this year's nearly-Argus Expo with a few of these? Looked interesting, though the bikes they had on them didn't even have their gears adjusted properly - hard to show off your product when the gears are jumping... Looking at their site, the powermeter part of the trainer sounds similar to that of the Elite Drivo, using optical sensors, etc.? But the price... I don't see how they can compete with the established players, when they are significantly more expensive than even the Neo. Let's be honest, pretty much everyone who gets a smart trainer just wants to ride on Zwift - so their own training platform doesn't seem like a massive draw to me

Entered. Now I just need to move to Cape Town area so I can ride there... sigh

Should not be a problem at all - I don't think the device itself is linked to Strava, just a link between the Garmin/Wahoo/Bryton/Lezyne/Polar service which automatically syncs the workout to your Strava account.