> I was repairing my Peloton the other day and getting inside made it really obvious how else you can manipulate
That's because Peloton's hardware is ...to put it nicely... "somewhat economical". :P
Peloton's never been intended as a serious sports science tool though, so it really doesn't matter how inaccurate it is. Its experience is much closer to gym spinning classes than outdoor cycling.
A spinning bike is even cheaper in design, it'll just have a "make it harder or easier" screw to tighten a strap round a spinning drum. That's the level they're competing with.
Despite the name you're unlikely to see anyone in the professional peloton warming up for a Grand Tour on either a spinning bike or something from Peloton Inc's current range.
A high end smart trainer like the Tacx Neo family will use electromagnets to generate its resistance. 100 watts of resistance is 100 watts of electrical power to about 0.5%-1%. No calibration necessary because it's connected to a source of electrical power[1].
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1. You can actually use a Neo without connecting it to the mains but it's less accurate and you don't get some of features like downhill simulation.
That's because Peloton's hardware is ...to put it nicely... "somewhat economical". :P
Peloton's never been intended as a serious sports science tool though, so it really doesn't matter how inaccurate it is. Its experience is much closer to gym spinning classes than outdoor cycling.
A spinning bike is even cheaper in design, it'll just have a "make it harder or easier" screw to tighten a strap round a spinning drum. That's the level they're competing with.
Despite the name you're unlikely to see anyone in the professional peloton warming up for a Grand Tour on either a spinning bike or something from Peloton Inc's current range.
A high end smart trainer like the Tacx Neo family will use electromagnets to generate its resistance. 100 watts of resistance is 100 watts of electrical power to about 0.5%-1%. No calibration necessary because it's connected to a source of electrical power[1].
-
1. You can actually use a Neo without connecting it to the mains but it's less accurate and you don't get some of features like downhill simulation.