Rocker plate DIY suggestions?
#1
Curmudgeon
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Rocker plate DIY suggestions?
I want to make a rocker plate for my new kickr core. Any good examples or templates out there that our BIKEFORUM compatriots recommend? I trust you all so better to get your input instead of only a random YouTube video.
#2
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I have posted this many times, simple plate. No bearings, no sliders, no springs, no moving parts, no clamps, can be built in an hour for less than $10 or from scrap. This is for the Kickr, and I built a bigger one for my Kickr bike as well. 40,000 km on Zwift and other apps without problems. I would never spend hundreds on something that has the same function.
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I have posted this many times, simple plate. No bearings, no sliders, no springs, no moving parts, no clamps, can be built in an hour for less than $10 or from scrap. This is for the Kickr, and I built a bigger one for my Kickr bike as well. 40,000 km on Zwift and other apps without problems. I would never spend hundreds on something that has the same function.
#5
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Are the nerf footballs secured in any way to the board? Or are they just sitting on the floor and the board just laying on top them? Did you trim a few inches off of the pointed end to prevent things from sliding around?
#6
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The Nerf football is not secured, they don't slide. At rest, the pointy ends are compressed so that there is a centering force when the board is level. Adjustments to the centering force and balance can be made using 1/8" shims of corrugated plastic and by moving the cones in/out. The Kickr center of gravity is offset to the left due to the flywheel so the board needs to be slightly propped up on that side. A pivot board with a bevel is centered under the dropouts along the centerline of the bike.
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#7
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This is a bigger rocker for my Kickr bike, you can see the pivot strip a little better. The wine box is to get on and off after a race winning sprint.
#8
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I built this, it's got a half-round piece of wood on the bottom, and HD foam pads under the legs.
I can adjust the level of tilt by adjusting the feet on the Kickr's legs.
The tilt is just enough to relieve stress on the body.
I can adjust the level of tilt by adjusting the feet on the Kickr's legs.
The tilt is just enough to relieve stress on the body.
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Rocker plate parts. 3/4” ply, rockers, inserted into grooves (dado) on bottom of plate.
The finished product. I really like it. 5” inflatable dodge balls for rocker springs, located with holes, which allow for easy air adjustment.
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#10
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All these look like great hacks. I'll add that I have a kickr core, with a H shaped stand vs the W shape on these pics but I am still very confident the Nerf footballs will work. Should arrive tomorrow so I'll post pics of my finished work and commentary.
Thanks all.
Thanks all.
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Has anyone ever seen a rocker plate used with a wheel-on trainer? I'm wondering if I can try something like this with my Kickr Snap. I think it would work the same, just not sure I've ever seen it.
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Beginning of linear bearing rocker with side/side rock and fore/aft slide.
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I am starting to think I made a mistake with mine, because it has linear motion but the front wheel is on a platform that doesn't rock. It's much more comfortable than no rocker plate, but it feels very tippy. So I'm thinking of a revision to put the front wheel on its own rocker (linked to the back rocker).
I hate to mention Meta/fb/dunning-kruger national park, but there is a rocker plate group that has a batch of files with rocker plate templates in them. https://www.facebook.com/groups/415329188897706/?
Last edited by unterhausen; 01-10-22 at 04:55 PM.
#14
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Lot's of examples, and pics, on the FB group mentioned above if that's something you'd be interested in checking out.
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No issues with it moving around while riding. I have two small cloth pieces that the rockers sit on, which quiets the noise from the resonance and makes more friction with the floor so it can’t move around. Also, cutting two exactly matched pieces for the rocker will keep it from being wobbly and traversing around the room.
#17
Running on plenty
Just going down the half-plate route after grabbing a Neo Smart couple of weeks ago. Put a few rides on it, enough to know that some sort of motion will make it a better option than the rollers. I've got access to a some handy woodworking people to help me make something smart. Anyone seen/have/have access to a Tacx Neo PDF/CAD(DXF/DWG)/3D format file? I was thinking maybe a set of feet bolted onto the plate so that I could just unfold the legs and drop it straight onto the same location each time might be a good idea.