HammerTime2 wrote:I don't see why, other than need for high price, limited market size, and potential liability issues, someone could not produce something similar to an adjustable inclination running treadmill, but bigger, heavier dutier, and able to handle (much) higher speeds of cycling, with appropriate safety safeguards. I think that perhaps describes the Super Trainer, but perhaps it need not be that large or heavy.
Lemme expand little bit on this topic. Yes treadmill would be the ultimate tool but there is a problem here. It will work just fine on simulating steep incline but what about small grades/flats? Due to lack of air resistance your bike wheel can reach crazy RPM on flats. Insideride handled this situation by basically tying cable to the rear of your bike and that cable was connected to force sensor. This way they can measure your pedaling force and adjust speed of treadmill accordingly to whatever simulation model they run. But then if you ease up on pedals the slack of the cable has to be immediately retracted. This will surely affect force measuring great deal. The same with rocking your bike. This type of movement will constantly pull on cable producing extra force where in reality there should be none. Nightmare of problems. If you were really to design such unit properly the complexity of such mech while keeping accurate measurement and instant reaction would be prohibitively expensive. And try to imagine the sound of treadmill running at 20mph
If however you replace treadmill belt with single large diameter rotor and fix bike's front to avoid employing that crazy cable system you get Lynx As for incline. if Lynx sells in enough quantities it'd be very easy to add an accessory that will raise/lower the front of bike mount and you get your incline.