Rocker Plates

[shaper]

Link?

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/indoor-trainers-and-accessories/410696/indoor-cycling-rocker-sway-natural

[CScriba]

Wasn't thinking, sorry...Instagram has some videos and some more posts to look at:

 

https://www.instagram.com/swaycycling/

[ROCKITRIDEIT]

keep us updated on this thread would love to see the new design

 

So things have been pretty hectic (good hectic) the past month with ROCKIT launches: https://rockitrideit.co.za/#testimonials

 

This is our design for our first full length platform, the ROCKIT BOOSTR, which doesn't incorporate fore/aft movement but is aimed at those who want everything mounted on the same plane and moving around the same axis, e.g. those with KICKR Climbs

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by ROCKITRIDEIT

[MORNE]

something like this should get you close to all the movements for DIY purposes (side to side as well as fore and aft) imo....

added bonus..you can adjust the 'preload' on a  skateboard truck and therefor how much leans.

 

also....cheap to try first

[madmarc]

So things have been pretty hectic (good hectic) the past month with ROCKIT launches: https://rockitrideit.co.za/#testimonials

 

This is our design for our first full length platform, the ROCKIT BOOSTR, which doesn't incorporate fore/aft movement but is aimed at those who want everything mounted on the same plane and moving around the same axis, e.g. those with KICKR Climbs

 

 

that looks really cool.

 

Have you ever considered making the rear plate out of Aluminium - Been watching some Youtube vids of a guy in the states who make kits from Aluminium - They maintain that wood designs tend to walk around the room while rocking and the wooden curves tend to wear unevenly after a few months. Not sure if that's a fact or if they just pushing their AL design.

 

My take on the Linear motion would obv be to mount the 2nd board on top with as small as possible gap between them. Also to keep the overall height as low as possible - So the Linear plate could be cut from Aluminium 3 - 4 mm thick.

 

In my 1st post there are linear bearings  parts that come in different dia's these start at 8mm up to 20mm - Maybe 12mm setups on each side would work - One would have to get the dim drawings of the bearings to check what the gap would be.

With this design you could mount compression springs over the round bar between the bearings to preload the board. - Probably the best, simplist & neatest option.

 

A 2nd option would be to use 2 rails of friction linear runners. this would keep the gap really small, but you would need to preload the board with tension springs - probably on each side edge of the setup. One would also need to check the max vertical load these friction runners could handle they say 3920 N which is approx 400kg. they not cheap though !

 

 

Locally you can source these from DIY Electronics https://www.diyelectronics.co.za/store/ or speak to bearing man - they might also have solutions.

 

A 3rd option would be to find industrial drawer runners mounted on the sides - So the linear plate would slide in like a drawer. Here again one would need heavy duty drawer runners to handle at least 100kg + vertical weight. Preload with tension springs as well.

 

A 4th option would be to design 2 tracks on each edge of your current board with shafts and small roller bearings mounted on the edges of the top board also preloaded with tension springs 

[ROCKITRIDEIT]

Thanks man.

 

Yes Max McAllister from Traxxion Dynamics, Georgia. I won’t lie, his views on rockers v springs v inflatables were a big influence. IIRC he uses ALU because in his opinion it offers a more “lively” action. We haven’t found our birch ROCKITs to be dull, and actually believe your floor surface has a greater effect on action r/t material used to construct your rocker plate.

 

Our design uses 3 rocking ribs instead of 2, and we use industrial standard dimpled rubber on the underside of each rocker, so I’d like to think we’ve addressed and resolved any concerns about uneven wear. Also the 3 rib design means there is virtually zero chance of the wood warping due to the increased contact / rebated / glued areas. We also use superior grade 18mm Baltic birch ply...some designs use only 2 ribs, lower quality wood and/or thinner cuts which obviously increases the risks of things getting out of true.

[ROCKITRIDEIT]

Forgot to add, re: the walking around the room point, in our testing this problem was addressed again by using 3 ribs not 2 ensuring more contact area with the ground and more even weight distribution, the dimpled rubber on the ribs for added grip, and by using a riser block to “fix” the position of the front wheel, and/or by sufficiently raising the front wheel to ensure a correct set-up.

[ACE Cycles]

When it comes to designing a rocker plate, springs and inflatables make zero sense to me. I am in complete agreement with Max McAllister (Traxxion Dynamics): Why would you want something exerting upwards mechanical or air pressure on you and your bike as you ride, trying to push you vertical / upright?

 

This isn’t how the gravity physics of riding a bike works when you’re outside, so why create that inside? If you watch some of the videos online the ride looks very rigid, which is even an accusation that’s been leveled at the Saris MP1 by GPLama.

 

Yes we will be incorporating a small amount of fore / aft movement in our full length ROCKIT BOOSTR platform which will hopefully be available in a couple of weeks (currently in prototype testing phase). It won’t be as dramatic as the fore / aft motion you get with the MP1, but it will be a completely different design than anything that’s currently available I.e. not just a full length wooden board

The advantage with inflatables is that you get to easily customize the amount of sway in the board to match your specific requirements and riding style. It's as simple as fine tuning the air pressure in the inflatables

[Ramrod]

The advantage with inflatables is that you get to easily customize the amount of sway in the board to match your specific requirements and riding style. It's as simple as fine tuning the air pressure in the inflatables

Been toying with a prototype for some time now and tweaking to get it right for some time.  Have finally managed to sort out the Kicker Gen 1-4.  Would like to get a Core so that we can get the holes pre - cnc'd.  I agree on the need for inflatable balls is to deal with the counter weight issue. Most "simple' Rockers don't take into account the flywheel weight of the IDT and thus the whole balance is off.

[Ramrod]

.

[ACE Cycles]

Been toying with a prototype for some time now and tweaking to get it right for some time.  Have finally managed to sort out the Kicker Gen 1-4.  Would like to get a Core so that we can get the holes pre - cnc'd.  I agree on the need for inflatable balls is to deal with the counter weight issue. Most "simple' Rockers don't take into account the flywheel weight of the IDT and thus the whole balance is off.

 

Thats a sweet setup you got there bud! 

[Ramrod]

Thats a sweet setup you got there bud! 

Thank you Sir.

[ROCKITRIDEIT]

I agree on the need for inflatable balls is to deal with the counter weight issue. Most "simple' Rockers don't take into account the flywheel weight of the IDT and thus the whole balance is off.

 

Hey Ramrod, you may need inflatable balls (or springs) if your design doesn't make use of rocking ribs (or simply "rockers").  Our design however means you don't need inflatables (or springs) and you can simply use the appropriate weight and location for your counterweights to offset the various flywheels on different IDTs. You just check beforehand that everything is set-up level, either using a spirit level or the Bubble Level free app on your smartphone and away you go.

[ROCKITRIDEIT]

The advantage with inflatables is that you get to easily customize the amount of sway in the board to match your specific requirements and riding style. It's as simple as fine tuning the air pressure in the inflatables

 

I understand and appreciate why you use inflatables in your rocker plate design, I'm simply saying that with a different design you can achieve the desired "customisation" without using them 

[Veebee]

Been following this and decided to get something built. Read up quite on a bit on the FB page, and see a few people had issues with the balls popping so I went the easier "rocker" way.

 

Used ply wood for a full length rocker with 5 rockers, seems stable enough. I spent 3 hours on it so far and seated riding is quite nice but standing and sprinting will take some time to get use to.

Will post pics once i'm done with the paint job.

[ACE Cycles]

I understand and appreciate why you use inflatables in your rocker plate design, I'm simply saying that with a different design you can achieve the desired "customisation" without using them 

Thanks Ross, its refreshing to see that you can appreciate the use of inflatables in our design, especially considering your strong views against inflatables both here and on your social media platforms.