Looking for a way to do your interval training with the right resistance for the right amount of time? A way to ride in winter without the cold? The easiest system is with an indoor trainer. Simply stick your bike in the trainer and go! You control the resistance and time. And when you want to stop, all you have to do is climb off.
With an indoor trainer you can ride in the comfort of your home, no matter what the weather is outside or the time of day. You get to simulate hills of whatever length and difficulty you want without having to try find them and then get there. When you’ve finished riding the shower, fridge, couch or bed are all within reach and you’re never more than a few seconds from them. It’s the ultimate in convenience!
There are a range of indoor trainers to choose from, starting with wind trainers, then magnetic
trainers, gel trainers, and then electronic trainers.
Tacx have moved away from wind trainers and start with magnetic trainers for a number of reasons. Wind trainers do have the advantage of being the cheapest. The disadvantages are that your resistance is controlled by your speed (which makes it difficult to simulate a steep hill in a high cadence), and the trainer itself is very noisy (which makes it hard to hear anything other than the trainer, both for you, family members and sometimes even neighbours). It is also hard to push yourself as hard as you could because as you get tired and start to slow down the resistance also drops.
Tacx’s solution is to use a magnetic resistance system which allows you to select a consistent resistance independent of your speed. Your resistance is changed with a lever on your handlebars. Magnetic resistance is also a lot quieter the wind and allow you to listen to music, watch TV or anything else you may like doing while riding indoors.
Even the most dedicated cyclist can sometimes find it hard to ride indoors when you could be riding outside. Not anymore! Tacx’s range of virtual reality trainers ensure you have the ultimate in training tools all wrapped up in an entertaining and user friendly package. Virtual reality systems also allow you ride actual routes, from popular races to stages of the Tour de France. And the resistance also adjusts itself automatically and constantly to accurately simulate the current gradient. If you want to race against others there’s a whole online community to race against. You can download someone’s previous ride and race against his avatar, which exactly replicates your opponents ride at every point.
The unprecedented high quality of the realistic i-Magic programs will immerse you in an imaginary, interactive world while cycling indoors. The environment continually changes during the training session. You can see, feel and hear the virtual world.
The patented brake unit of the Tacx i-Magic, with its specific formulas, closely corresponds to anything you would encounter on the road, reinforcing the virtual reality effect. Your can train hard, with specific training goals, race in competitions or just free-wheel along on a voyage of discovery. The i-Magic programs make use of so many details that each trip will reveal new experiences.
The i-Magic connects to a PC and operates via a USB interface on the handlebars. Using the arrow keys, you select a track of your choice. Fans will cheer you on as you compete with opponents on real cycling tracks, digging deep to stay ahead of your opponents. Alternatively, you will find yourself in a magnificent landscape where the sun is shining, birds are singing, a seemingly perpetual holiday location. You will visit the village of Capricorn, a splendidly situated castle, or cycle past rolling meadows. You are the tour guide and the tourist all in one. You can vary the cycling track in many ways. You can choose between an ATB, Racing or track bike, with or without a guide, with the pulse meter turned on or off and from any camera angle you want. You can also vary the angle as you cycle. This provides some unique perspectives. There are many different camera angles possible. Watch yourself cycle at a distance of two metres; survey the surrounding area from the eye of the cyclist or switch to an aerial view, with a magnificent panorama.
During the competition it is even possible to glance behind you, so you can keep track of where your opponents are. To make things even more exciting, you can compare your current position with those of your opponents on a bar graph at the bottom of the screen. During the race you can call up training data such as speed, cadence, watts, pulse, the number of rounds you've cycled or the degree of slope on the track.
In designing the i-Magic special attention went into the operation of the patented brake system. The computer contains specific programming formulas designed to ensure that, while cycling on the track, rolling, air and slope resistance is realistic and clearly perceptible. The resistance of each millimeter of terrain is fed to the brake, so you can know immediately whether you are cycling on the road (asphalt), the track or the grass.
The Tacx can be expanded with new virtual reality terrain. Under development is a forest/dune terrain specifically for the ATB, along with a programme for serious training activities. The analyser software offers the same possibilities as the Grand Excel. The transparent start-up menu is extremely user friendly. In a single glance you can see which terrain has been selected, with whom you will be cycling and what the settings are. It is easy to change the composition of the cyclists on the terrain. There are countless possibilities. Choose from pre-programmed tracks or plot the course you want to ride yourself.
Combine the I-Magic with the T1905 Steering Frame (NOT INCLUDED) you can experience the interactive game element of the i-Magic to its fullest, and immerse yourself even further in the Tacx virtual world. The bike rests in the easy-to-manoeuvre steering frame without the front wheel. A potential meter sends the position of the handlebars to the computer, so that each movement is visible on the screen. The link with the steering frame gives you the freedom to decide at any moment where you want to cycle. You can make a right-hand turn, pass opponents or deviate from the pre-programmed track and set out on your own. The steering frame is adjustable in length and suitable for all bikes.
Tacx BikeNet (with which the Tacx team works with great enthusiasm) offers untold possibilities including programs that evolve to keep abreast of the times. Via the Tacx BikeNet one can compete with cyclists from around the world. Although real-time cycling with the Tacx i-Magic is still a thing of the future, it will be a reality in the foreseeable future. Currently, we can offer you an opportunity to take part in exciting competitions for both the i-Magic and the Grand Excel. Visit the BikeNet at the Tacx web site. Select a terrain with its accompanying track. Accept the challenge, measure your strength and try to beat your opponent(s). E-mail your performance score to Tacx and you will be included in their ranking list of the world's best cyclists. There are monthly prizes to be won.
• 1000W at 40kph ideal for beginner to professional training
• Virtual reality riding
• DVD real life riding
• Catalyst software for training to heart rate/speed/cadence/power
• Analyser software for performance graphs and charts
• Resistance: Electro-Magnetic
• Power: 1000 Watts
• Adjustable Resistance
• Wheel Sizes: 26", 650c, 700c
• PC Required
• Remote Adjuster
• What's in the box: Trainer, Head unit, Cables, Plug, Software disk, Quick release skewer, User manual
• Recommended system resources
Processor: minimum Pentium IV (3.0 Ghz)
Memory: 1024 MB for XP, 2056 MB for Vista
Hard disc space: 850 MB
Graphics card: DirectX9 compatible 3D card with 256 MB of memory (not shared) GeForce FX or equivalent
Sound card: DirectSound compatible
Various: 1 free USB port; DVD player (for use of Real Life Video & ErgoVideo only)
OS: Windows XP SP2 or Vista SP1 (32 bit)
Recommended internet connection: 2 MB downstream and 500 KB upstream (only for Multiplayer)