I just acquired a 1upUSA trainer and I would like to ask all of you a very specific question.

The 1upUSA trainer has 3 power curve settings (depending on the way you configure some ball bearing). The highest power setting is for climbing, but one of the other settings is almost identical to a Kurt Kinetic power curve. If you look at the table here (http://www.1upusa.com/1uptrainerrcoptions.htm) you can see that when the bearings are in the Outer Pockets (middle column), the power curve is almost identical to the Kurt Kinetic trainer.

Kurt Kinetic has a Power Computer that is calibrated to Kurt Kinetic trainers, so that it translates the speed of the rear wheel into power, based on a known power curve. Do you think this Power Computer would work reasonably well on the 1upUSA trainer?

I asked the 1upUSA guys and I am waiting for an answer, but I thought I should ask you guys as well. In my mind, the Power Computer is nothing but a translation of speed to power based on a known power curve. If the power curve is similar between trainers, then it should give me power measurements that are within the ball park. Right?

I realize this will never equal a proper power measuring unit, but I am Ok with that. I don't really care if my FT is 220 or 235. I do care about being able to train in that zone and I don't feel like translating speed to power, when a device can do it automatically for me. :)

Doesn't KK have an actual curve set to the 1up trainer for use with their power computer?

In all honesty, while on a trainer, accuracy does not matter. Consistency does. If you are putting out 250w and the trainer says 270w, no big deal as long as it consistently reads 270. You can still make training plans based off a consistent number.

I just acquired a 1upUSA trainer and I would like to ask all of you a very specific question.

The 1upUSA trainer has 3 power curve settings (depending on the way you configure some ball bearing). The highest power setting is for climbing, but one of the other settings is almost identical to a Kurt Kinetic power curve. If you look at the table here (http://www.1upusa.com/1uptrainerrcoptions.htm) you can see that when the bearings are in the Outer Pockets (middle column), the power curve is almost identical to the Kurt Kinetic trainer.

Yes it should work just fine for what you want to do, with one caveat -- the resistance unit in the 1up uses a centrifugal friction plate... not mag, not fluid, etc. I've got the nearly identical blackburn ultra and I've found that after 40 or so hours of use that the resistance starts getting skrewy. You'll know it's happening because you'll suddenly be able to put out 40 or 60 or 80 watts more than usual.

When that happens you need to crack open the resistance unit (in the same way that you move the ball bearings, so not a big deal) and sand down the friction disc because it'll get glazed.

Other than that your theory should work reasonably well.

Thanks guys for the advice. By the way, the KK Power Computer does have power curves for several other trainers, but not the 1upUSA.