Sy Reene

Got a 6-pack of these balance pods delivering later today from Amzn.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079N75FG5

Anyone around these parts tried this hack out yet?
skip to about the 14:10 mark

MinnMan

I've seen those and wondered. Their utility may depend on the trainer design. For example, I'm not sure how I'd position them on the supports of my Elite Direto.

You've got a kludge to raise your front wheel by the right amount?

Let us know how it works out.

Sy Reene

I've got a Direto which is what I intend to try on. I'm hoping it's as simple as using 1ea under the 4 Direto feet. The other 2 in the 6-pack I intend to put under my front Sterzo. We'll see. I noticed that you can also buy "balance discs" which are about the same thing but 12-13" in diameter. That might work better up front under a riser or Sterzo.

There's a few example photos of different setups in the Zwift Beginners FB group. None unfortunately that I saw with a Direto
https://www.facebook.com/groups/zwif...3189180752248/

MinnMan

Well, then I'm super interested in how it works out for you. I think the rear end of the Direto is too wide for just one, though. You may need two under that part. But maybe the left and right supports are sufficiently wide that it will be stable with just one in the back.

Sy Reene

Will be giving this a more in earnest spin tomorrow. Looks goofy, but seemed good just doing a quick mount and moving around a bit. It actually really does feel not dissimilar from IRL motion. I added a bit more air to the purple and orange side pods to bring down the rocking a little bit.

MinnMan

oh, I see. The pod-things are bigger than I expected.

If I do that, I'll need a stool to climb onto the saddle.

Updates would be appreciated.

PeteHski

Very interesting. My first thought is that you are probably going to snap your seat stays if one of those legs slips off when you are going for it. Hope I’m wrong!

Buzzkill53120

I was thinking same thing. The Amazon ad showed other options, one with balance pods having a threaded insert. It’s possible that you clamp them to your trainer to prevent them from sliding off.

Sy Reene

Just finished a short race. Nothing explosive -- I don't think I spent much time over 500w. FWIW, none of the pods have moved from where they were placed. Everything seems to be fine. I'll keep my eye on this for a while though.

Certainly a nice, cheap ($20) and I think probably a low risk addition to your setup, even if you only use for your long Z2 or recovery rides. More easily stowable if you don't maintain a permanent pain cave/trainer setup location.

himespau 

I'd be interested to see what happens when you put down a big effort. I'm a bigger guy (6'3, 105 kg) and had to get rid of the Sterzo smart because I kept turning the bars when I would sprint and that was enough to cause the whole thing to move. Would wrinkle up my mat, so I went to interlocking exercise pad squares that also got wrinkled up, and even when I put it on my rocker plate, it still would move enough that it would screw with RD alignment, no matter how hard I torqued down the rear QR.

kcjc

I have those in my rocker plate, center pivot design w/o cutouts. They tend to shift, move inwards, over extended use (in terns of weeks). Not a direct comparison but you should keep an eye.

MinnMan

Something I just notices is that you have the Sterzo in front. I don't. Were I to set-up as you have, I'd need a board or other platform for the front wheel. Probably not difficult.

Update us and let us know how it's working and if the trainer migrates off-center, as has been posited.

Sy Reene

It's been working well for any rides where I'm not doing any full out sprinting. They make wider pods (often referred to as balance discs) as well, which if I had an issue up front I'd probably get:
one example
https://www.amazon.com/PRIMASOLE-Exe.../dp/B0869RL23D

unterhausen

I saw someone say they work better upside-down.

zacster

I was wondering if using these upside down under a board that supports the trainer might even be better. I may have to give this a try.

It's funny, I took one look at these things and I thought about my turntable isolation base that I built out of scrap MDF and semi sphere 1" sorbothane to support the legs of the turntable. I'd build the same thing but bigger to support the trainer. I still have some scrap MDF too.

BTinNYC 

Oh geeez!

zacster

When I took the motor off the turntable and put it on the isolation base all of the noise went away. It was the one tweak that I did that was truly night and day different. No more motor rumble at the lead in or between tracks and a totally black background instead. If you've ever seen one of these super expensive turntables that's the trick they use to make them so quiet. Everything else is cosmetic.

Those steel cubes are fluid filled ice cubes meant to be put in drinks so they don't water it down, separated by the same cork used as the turntable mat, the motor sits on top of the cubes, and held together with rubber bands. I have to replace the rubber bands from time to time as they just fall apart after awhile. The rubber bands are courtesy of the USPS. They bring a fresh supply daily.

BTinNYC 

Nice, the modern light design tables get a solid base and then they sing.
This IS one of those really heavy ones, about 42 lbs. 1976 Pioneer PL-550, their TOTL manual deck from that era. It's superb, I'll be sad when it finally dies.

zacster

The turntable I had prior to this one was a Pioneer PL112D. It was a nice manual turntable but it was stolen out of my apartment in Seattle in the 1970s. I replaced it with a Denon direct drive and it too was stolen in 1985. The Rega I bought used from someone that really wanted the Linn Sondek instead at that time, so I've had it for almost 40 years. The motor is the original which Rega replaced with a quieter one on later models but removing the motor from the plinth solved all the noise problems with it. About 7-8 years ago I started tweaking it with aerospace machined parts to replace the plastic and it made a difference, but nothing like dropping the motor to the isolation base. The other big tweak was an MC cartridge. That made a big difference too.

PeteHski

I could just make out that it was a Rega Planar 3 from your photo. I still have an original Linn Axis from the late 80s, but it has been gathering dust in the garage for the last few decades. These old TTs are pretty cool though. Good thinking on the motor mod.