Route Archives, Virtual Competitions, Leagues

More and more virtual cycling leagues, competitions and servers are popping up, some dedicated to Fortius and others more general. You'll find free and paid services, membership based and ad hoc, along with a growing variety of courses, terrains and languages. Here are a few sites and while some claim to be offering prizes, as always, caveat emptor.

The I-Magic Route Archive has been around for a while. Quite a variety of distances, routes and runs. Compare your own runs with those uploaded by other users. Routes are sorted by MTB, Real Life Video, Catalyst and course names. Specialised courses include UK time trials, 1 hour record and others. Generally an English language site.

The Virtual Cycling Federation in the UK. A good variety of leagues including the Fortius, MTB, Junior, Flat 10mile TT, Flat 40k (25 mile) TT, Winter League and Velodrome. Also has an Iron Horse Classic league for Real Life Video and I-magic specific leagues. The forum here seems to be linked with Tacx' own so it's possible this is the official racing site? English language site. (Looks like this site is down at the moment - as of January 31st 2008)

The German language site, iMagic-Liga appears popular. With my rough German it looks like better than 360 registered users and routes drawn from the virtual cycling courses.

Virtual Reality Cycling hosts numerous courses and ladders (rather than leagues). Also has an interesting Tours approach.

An Italian language site, the Italian Virtual Cycling League. A handful of racers and way too much music.

Enjoy
FOMT

More Real Life Videos

Check out a few sources of real life videos available from peole who are not Tacx.

RLVideo has Italian and English versions of five routes around Italy: Sella Ronda - Dolomites, Engadina, Brianza, and two Liguria routes. EU20 each or EU80 for all five.

At Tools for Tacx (www.reallifevideo.de) you'll find German and English versions of seven real life video sets, one of which is free and the others available for EU10 each including shipping. Routes are available for Germany, Austria and Switzerland and include Schwarzwald, Karnten, Gotthard-Nufenen-Klausen, Furka-Grimsel-Susten, Schindelberg, Dettenheim, and Gondelsheim (free).

The guys at Tools for Tacx have also been kind enough to provide a detailed guide for creating your own real life videos.

So, if you had your vote, which routes and courses would you include - road, 'cross, MTB or something else?

• All the Ironman courses.
• All the 70.3 Half-Ironman courses.
• Tours in your country.
• Your own regular rides.
• Others?

Enjoy
FOMT

Latest Software and Firmware Versions

Here's a snapshot of the latest versions of all the Fortius software and firmware. Will be kept up to date as new releases appear, including betas.

Fortius Software and Firmware

For the following three items, the best way to download and install them is using the Fortius online update utility included when you first install Fortius.

IMPORTANT: Before cycling be sure you have upgraded the Motorbrake firmware to the latest release, otherwise you may suffer the dreaded Motorbrake adapter burnout.

1. Fortius Software for Windows, version 2.01, released October 31st, 2007.

2. Fortius Virtual Reality, version 2.01, released October 31st, 2007.

3. Motorbrake Fortius, version 0-10-04, released May 25th, 2007.

Real Life Video

The following updates need to be installed manually, by downloading the update and running the .exe file. You need only download the updates which match the Real Life Video's you have installed.

T1956.01 Alpine Classic Marmotte
T1956.07 Aube Valley Ride
T1956.08 Milan San Remo
T1956.09 Heart of Evergreen
T1956.12 Amstel Gold Race
T1956.13 Lombardy Tour
T1956.17 Giro del Mortirolo

Windows Vista

Windows Vista Beta Drivers, released December 21st, 2007.

Enjoy
FOMT

Fortius on Windows Vista

Ugh, what a pain. Avoid this if you can as Tacx have not ironed out the issues and Microsoft's appalling approach with Vista compounds the problems.

Having said that, if you've purchased a new PC to run Fortius odds are that it comes with Vista. Tacx released a new Fortius driver for Vista on December 21, 2007. Simply install Fortius as normal, then download and run this .exe and you should be in business. Note that Tacx explicitly state that users should treat this update as a beta release.

Enjoy
FOMT

Power Supply FAQ

Ok, not so much a FAQ as just the facts about the Fortius power supplies...

• The power unit is known as the motorbrake adapter.

• The most important thing before you ride the Fortius, is to upgrade the firmware which controls the motorbrake and motorbrake adapter. You can do this online using the software that comes with the Fortius. If you neglect this step, it is possible that the motorbrake adapter will blow and you will need a replacement unit. While it is probably covered under warranty, getting a new motorbrake adapter is a pain.

• Tacx supplies two versions of the motorbrake adapter - the 220v/50Hz version and the 110v/60Hz version. The 220v version is designated by part number T1941-50 and the 110v version by the part number T1946-50. See the product overview from Tacx for a good schematic of all parts and part numbers. If you have the 2007 multiplayer model, there is a slightly updated product overview.
  

• Neither of the motorbrake adapters are autosensing the way, for example, your laptop power supply generally is. If you plug in a 110v/60Hz motorbrake unit into a 220v/50Hz supply it will probably blow up either itself, your house circuit breakers or both. Likewise for the 220v/50Hz version if you plug it in to a 110v/60Hz supply. I know, I did it, it was not fun. You cannot use a simple plug adapter or lightweight transformer to modify the supply to the motorbrake adapter.
  

• You can purchase replacement motorbrake adapters from anyone who has stock or is prepared to order you one from their Tacx distributor. Alternatively, you can order them online. If you order online, be sure to specify the power cable type to suit your location. Here's a list of power cable types from Tacx. Purchasing a new motorbrake adapter is not a value-for-money experience. I know - see above. The price runs from USD300 stateside to more than double that in the UK, plus shipping. Mileage varies considerably by country, dealer, stock and the direction of the wind.
  

• If you move between countries with varying power supplies, given the high cost of a new motorbrake adapter, consider a stepup/stepdown transformer. Due to the fact that Tacx feeds power back into the supply during your rides, you will need a fairly powerful transformer. The recommended size is at least 2000 watts. However, these will set you back roughly USD 100 or the local equivalent which is considerably less than a new motorbrake adapter. The downside to these transformers is their weight - they generally come with handles and a warning sign!

Enjoy
FOMT

Welcome

Welcome to a blog devoted to the use, care and feeding of the Tacx Fortius cycle trainer. The Fortius is a beautiful beast which can be not only tamed but trained, to bring you the ultimate outdoor cycling experience indoors.

Feel free to comment, share your experiences and let others know what setup you use with your Fortius.

Enjoy.
FOMT