Kettler World Tours 2.0 (tested on Kettler Racer 9)

Following on from our previous blog entry that discussed the virtues of the Kettler Racer 9 training bike, we now move on to look at the World Tours 2.0 software that is supplied with the bike.

Essentially, the software attempts to tackle two problems associated with indoor cycle training - the first is the boredom factor and the second is how to monitor your training session and then accurately analyse your performance.

Even the most passionate indoor cyclist would struggle to disagree with the fact that cycling on an indoor bike can become tedious unless you have something to motivate you. That can be in the form of a cycling DVD or more recently software based applications, such as World Tours, that offer an interactive means of monitoring your training session.

By recording and displaying key performance measurements and then allowing you to analyse your performance over the training session, World Tours 2.0 adds a new dimension to indoor cycle training. Being able to then compare performance between different training sessions, therefore monitoring how your cycling and fitness is improving, takes it onto a whole different level. And in many ways that's the key to World Tours 2.0 - whilst visually it's very appealing (incorporating Bing Maps and video imagery of certain rides) it's the information that's captured for analysis that will appeal to those cyclists who want to improve their fitness and riding capabilities.

There are lots of predefined tours or routes for you to select - one of our favourites was to cycle the ascent of Mount Fuji - or you can create your own cycling route. This means that you can recreate your favourite ride. Imagine the power of being able to cycle that route whilst collecting your performance data throughout the ride (including cadence; Watts; heart rate; speed etc.). When you've reached your destination you can then analyse your ride - where your peaks are and where you struggled to keep up the pace. With that knowledge, how would you change your riding pattern when you next attempt the route? As we said earlier, for us it's this information that is key to making you want to get on the bike time after time. Graphically it's great but you can't beat a bit of data to get you thinking about how you can improve.

It's simple to get World Tours working in the way that you want - you can change the way that information is presented to you on screen and equally you can set up different users for the same piece of equipment. So, before deciding on your training route, you log into your own profile where all past data is stored and where new training routes can be chosen. You can even connect to World Tours online to compare and race against others who are anywhere in the world.

All in all, this is a great concept that has been executed extremely well by Kettler. Coupled with the Kettler Racer 9 it's hard to find a reason why this isn't the best value for money indoor bike trainer in the UK today.

Kettler Racer 9 Training Bike with World Tours 2.0

The Kettler Racer 9 indoor training bike, complete with World Tours 2.0, is a new bike for 2015. We've taken the opportunity to test one out and were very impressed to say the least.

As a bike it's aimed at outdoor cyclists who want to move some of their training indoors. This isn't the first time that this been done of course and there are a number of other bikes on the market with this objective. What makes the Racer 9 a bit different is that it includes a few trick features that other bikes can only dream of. More of this later - for now let's look at what you get for your money and what features make this bike a real contender.

In the box you get the Racer 9 bike and the World Tours 2.0 software. The bike itself is very impressive in its' own right but coupled with the World Tours software it makes for an unbeatable package for the price.

Let's take a look at the Racer 9 as a stand alone bike. Apart from looking great it's also a joy to ride - this is due to a number of factors which include:

- Adjustability of the seat; handlebars and console mean that you can closely replicate your cycling position on your road bike. The seat and handlebars adjust up/down and fore/aft which means that it will fit riders of almost any size. You can also position the tri-bars during the setup of the bike so that you get the best position for your body shape. Finally, the
console angle adjusts so that you can see the console when cycling.

- Heavy flywheel; belt drive and magnetic braking give a quiet, smooth ride with a good range of resistance that will simulate the steepest of hillclimbs

- Electronic Campagnolo gear shifters that enable quick and responsive gear changes. This is one of the unique features of the Racer 9 bike - the shifters are positioned at the end of the tri-bars with the left hand controlling the front two "chain rings" and the right hand controlling the rear 10 gears.

- The Racer 9 has a console as standard that shows speed; distance; time; cadence; Watts and heart rate (when used with the supplied Heart Rate chest belt). This is an instantaneous readout that shows your performance at that point in time

- SPD pedals are supplied with the bike so you can use your standard cycling shoes. If you don't have cycling shoes then don't worry - you can flip the pedals over and wear training shoes instead

In summary it's the ideal bike for anyone who's used to outdoor cycling on their road bike. It's probably not the bike for you if you're looking for a spinning bike but then again you do have a wide variety of other bikes to choose from.

So, the Kettler Racer 9 is a great bike but what about World Tours 2.0? How does this work with the bike? This is the subject of the next blog entry.....

BH Fitness Spada Dual Indoor Cycle Review

How Easy is the Indoor Cycle to Build?
The BH Fitness Spada Dual is very simple to build. All of the components fitted together very well with all holes perfectly aligned to accept the fixing bolts. You might need a helper, simply because of the weight of this cycle.

What are the first impressions?
The Spada looks like a great bike - stylish looks, water bottle holder and SPD pedals make for a superb looking bike.

What's it like to ride?
The BH Fitness Spada Dual is very smooth, largely due to the 20kg flywheel and belt drive. The programmes on the standard console keep training interesting and will change the resistance for you depending on the training profile that you choose. You can also just select manual mode and change the resistance when you want to. We'll discuss the SmartPhone/Tablet connectivity elsewhere in this review. When pedalling quickly the Spada Dual remains very stable which is a really good sign of a high quality bike.

Any niggles?
Because of the design of the handlebars you don't get as many hand grip positions as with other bikes. Also, when you're out of your seat and really gripping the handlebars they do move a little more than we'd have liked.

Anything else to add?
A nice feature of this bike is the pedals which can be used with cycling shoes or normal training shoes.

Using Your SmartPhone/Tablet as a Console
The feature on this indoor cycle that really differentiates it from other indoor cycles is that you can use your SmartPhone or Tablet as a console (check the compatabiliy of your device to ensure that it will work with the bike). It's really easy to connect your device (we used an iPhone with Bluetooth V4) and once connected you have the power of whatever apps you've downloaded to training with. At the time of writing this review there are a number of apps already available with the promise of more to come - again check details of the current apps and devices that are supported. We chose one of the simpler apps to test out the bike (called Pedal Monitor) and it worked really well - it's easy to think of this as a bit of a gimmick but it really does help to keep training interesting. Depending on the app that you've chosen the resistance level on the bike will change automatically, as it would with a traditional programmable console.

It's worth noting that a number of the apps that are compatable with this indoor cycle require a monthly subscription - prices do vary but it's still cheaper than monthly gym membership. (Please note that the pricing of apps and any subsequent subscription charges are nothing to do with us!!)

Overall Impression?
Superb indoor cycle. The Spada Dual is packed with great features and the build quality is excellent.