JetBlack Smart Turn Block // Tested on Zwift's Repack Ridge MTB Course
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
- JetBlack Smart Turn is a Bluetooth enabled front wheel riser block / smart turning device that can be used on Zwift (and other platforms soon?) to steer your avatar on the road and select which route to take at each intersection. In this video I put it to the ultimate test in the 'free steering' section of Watopia in Repack Ridge.
Links:
JetBlack Smart Turn (Official Website): bit.ly/3EOjDWr
JetBlack Smart Turn Technical Specs:
Wireless: Bluetooth Smart
Battery: 2x AA
Battery Life: 1 year (estimated with regular usage).
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#Cycling #Zwift #JetBlack - Sport
Fun stuff. I have a hacked mod to my Elite Sterzo I will share soon. I stripped it down and reworked it to be "lean" activated on my E-Flex Plus, instead of pure steering input. I am having some inconsistent connection issues at times, but when it works it's super fun.
Also, not sure you if you ever use it, but the 1st person view (camera 3) is pretty fun for riding like this and adds to the immersion for me at least.
Waiting for when we can have battle mode with collisions activated.
£25 on Amazon right now. Loads of fun!
Steering in-game as such is pointless for me, but the movement and route selection are welcomed
Well, it's not totally pointless. There are times when you want to draft someone specifically. At times you might even want to *prevent* someone from drafting you. With steering, you can do that.
Repack Ridge is one of the coolest Course in Watopia
The last km is brutal!
It would be nice if Sterzo would step their game up and add the turn selection feature. Thank you for the great reviews 👍🏻
I have a Sterzo Elite and it allows you to do route selection.
That feature is not related with the device it is about the Zwift itself. It is supported (not officially) since September 2022 probably for all steering devices. Check the GP Lama's video czcams.com/video/6arpkphQwK8/video.html
Would be great if the ridges that the wheel slits in could be extendable to accommodate the wahoo climb. Any recommendations for steering with a wahoo climb other than what I’m currently using which is a lazy Susan turntable and the phone gyro ??
Which is much better this jetblack or elite sterzo? Which is your recommendation and is it a good investment ? Thank you
Given that Zwift have partnered with Jet Black for the trainer, do you expect to see the same with this turn block? Perhaps a Zwift branded steering option?
I don't think we'll see a Zwift steering device based on this.
I'd like to try one of these or the Elite Sterzo. My issue is I use a Kickr Core which doesn't need a riser block, so in using a steering device my front end is going to be higher than normal. These things are better for those with trainers, like some Elites, that need a riser block to run at stock.
Put a plate or blocks under your trainer to level it out with the steering unit
Depends what your used to. I use the core with the sterzo all the time. Works fine for me.
I have a KICKR CORE and use the Sterzo. its really not an issue.
I have the Sterzo and it is pretty worthless without them adding the course selection feature like this one.
But does it allow bar spins? 😁
This one does! 🤣 I'll need a BMX to do that trick though.
Any idea how long the batteries last for?
JB say around 1 year of use with 3-4 sessions a week. (I assume average session of 45-60mins)
Hi Shane, does the sterzo also support navigating the turns? Didn‘t work for me and can‘t find anything in the forum…
I've had mixed success with my Sterzo. Works on some corners and then doesn't on other cases. Some may be related to my hack, but according to the comments in other replies here, Z doesn't even seem to be officially supporting the function. So the flaky results I'm getting might be linked to the lack of full support from Z?
Will this Jet Black steering work with a Tacx Neo 2 with Zwift running on an Apple TV or will I have too many Bluetooth connections? Great video!
That'll work but you'll have to pair your HR monitor via the Zwift Companion app or use a bridge device (a lot of messing about, imo).
@@gplama Can you connect a Tacx Neo and a Sterzo via Apple TV and a HRM via the companion app? I thought they all had to be on the same device...
@@1984rbarker Companion App pairing doesn't have the same limits as pairing direct to the Apple TV.
@@gplama I understand that Apple TV can only connect to 2 additional Bluetooth devices. Your reply above suggested I could connect a Tacx, a Sterzo via Apple TV and at the same time a HRM via the company app. I thought you couldn't mix and match. I assumed it all had to be on the app OR via Apple TV.
@@1984rbarker Sorry, yes, it's one or the other. Zwift changed that a while back.
Man $100. That is pretty steep
Hey Shane if you had a choice the Jet Black or Elite Sterzo for steering ,
Either. They both do the same thing.
0:36 I’d like to see you turn your bars without your hands 😂
🤣 Putting one of these on a rocker plate would do it... just lean!
Hey Shane off topic but I don't believe you can use the buttons on a Kickr bike to steer on Repack Ridge unless something has changed?
It should... but it might not... I'd also quickly test it if there was a spawn point closer to Repack Ridge.
@@gplamaI too have a kickr bike and turning does not work. Would be great if it did.
I have the Sterzo,I don’t like the midline return to zero. This looks far more natural.
The worst is when it is out of alignment during a ride and you have to turn your wheel slightly to go straight or it constantly puts you to the side of the road.
Hi Shane - I take it you can't use these devices to steer around other riders on normal Zwift courses...unless they are specifically set up for steering? It would be useful in a race to position your avi on the inside of corners...Mine always get's pushed to the outside just as I'm about to crash and burn!
You can use it to steer around other riders and position yourself better for cornering. The trick in a large bunch is you can't just push through other riders (like irl). You have to find a gap and take it.
@@gplama Thanks - and that would work on everyday normal races? I remember a while back they had some trial "steering" races set up.
@@marccale9890 Races/events need to have steering enabled for it to work.
It basically works for free rides. You can go around riders, easily get behind a rider for draft, shake rider on your tail (unless they can steer as well) However, I have not yet done a group, pace partner, or race where a steering block was allowed. It will be disabled until you finish. Its fun at first but being it only works in freeride or repack ridge, it loses it luster over time.
@@gplama but most are not…
Is the Bluetooth connectivity more reliable that what the Sterzo has become over the last year?
I run Zwift on Apple TV so use the companion app on my iPhone 11 to pair my Neo 2T, Garmin HRM Pro and the Sterzo. The Sterzo drops connection so much that it spends more time disconnected than it is connected, which makes it pretty much unusable.
So I’m left with a £70 paperweight.
It'll depend on the system it's connecting to. No issues with this using direct BLE to Windows 11 for the session I did here.
I bought a couple of Sterzos for the Direto setups I bought for our US home last year.. I didn't have them shipped overseas to me because I 'd already spent 670 USD to get my Neo shipped in to me and steering is a non-essential luxury. Now I'm less excited to unbox them and try them out in June back in the US.
Completely off topic. As a fellow follicly challenged guy what do you find best to wear under helmet at say 10C. Caps just get soaked in sweat for me and not cold enough for a skull cap. Or is the answer a helmet with less vents, like the aero type?
I can get away with thin head-bands (covering the front of my head and ears) or skull cap. I typically wear an aero helmet year round too as it gives more UV protection for the top of my head. I don't have any cooling issues with aero lids and no hair either.
Met Mantra. I wear it from 15C to Queensland summer. Any colder and I don't ride. But it's my ears that can't handle any colder, not my shiny head.
Looks like the steering is actually pretty difficult
True steering on the MTB course is a real skill. There is a bit of input delay and the general game lag also makes it a bit less direct and intuitive. Bit of a learned skill on the amount of angle to input as well as the timing, to get the most from the MTB course.
Outside of that, actually riding on the road/gravel sections is easy. It's more about "lane selection" than actual steering in the other parts of Zwift. It's a less tricky thing to control in this use case than the MTB example shown here.
I want one of these but I don’t understand the Apple TV connections, could someone explain please?
I have a kickr Core and Apple TV, cadence provided by kickr core
Fully covered here: czcams.com/video/6KVkjmeW6AM/video.html
Can I ride this track without turning my handlebar?
Good afternoon. help me please. How do I get to the MTB track? I drove the same track and there was no right turn like yours. Does this only work with control? Thank you
It has been retired from the game. Replaced with Repack Rush (that isn't a MTB course).
@@gplama Thank you. is this as a separate application? can you be a little more detailed?
I’ve never seen beams of light in front of my bike
Just ordered zwift hub, is this product just for off road courses?
It works on the virtual roads too (as shown at the start/end)
Is it safe to turn handlebar and my rear tire locked to trainer?
These are angled with the fork rake so the bike remains (mostly) stationary when turning. As for it being safe/unsafe.... I haven't seen any reports of it damaging bikes.
This is one difference with the JetBlack Smart turn, The wheel position is offset to work with the fork rake. .
Doesn't really make sense to me cos it's not how you would steer IRL. At that point may as well just mount a steering wheel controller to your bars
You don't ride a bike just going straight either. MTB you use your bars to turn more often compared to road. At the end of the day, it's another thing to do on zwift and other programs.
That's why I have hacked my Elite Sterzo and attached it to the lean angle on my InsideRide E-Flex. Lean angle drives the input angle on the steering device. I've got it mostly dialed and plan to do a short video on it in the near future.
Zwift is a game, not a simulation and this is a game controller.
Some prefer games over simulations and others prefer the opposite. I would much rather see multiple software options sticking to what they offer as opposed to diluting simulations with arcade features and vice versa.
As a simulation the steering is obviously flawed, but as a fun game controller, nah.
I could see how bad habits might be nurtured by it though. How valid a concern is a worthy discussion. (I don't trust myself on handlebar controlled 4 wheel vehicles, muscle memory gives the wrong answers😶)
Is intersection selection a JetBlack-only thing?
"Smart Intersection selection" doesn't seem to work on my Elite Rizer (steering on Repack Ridge is fine though).
I believe it works with the Sterzo Smart too. Not sure about the others, although they should work the same. If not, Zwift Support is the best bet.
@@gplama It might have to do with the values these things output. When I'm on the pairing screen, I see that my Rizer outputs values between -15 and 15. Maybe the other steering blocks output higher values, and that Zwift only triggers an intersection switch at these higher values that the Rizer can't reach...
Sterzo allows you to select route by turning fully left or right. (not 100% though, on occasion I have found it to ignore my selction)
@@gplama I know that this isn't an officially announced feature, but this is funny. I reported it to Zwift, and have spoken to 3 people so far, and all of them refuse to acknowledge that this feature exists 🤣.
Every single one of them have said: "Zwift does not have this feature. The only way at this moment to choose which direction you want to take is that you use the companion app or keyboard controls".
I even gave them a link to your video, but they still stuck to the "Party Line"... Oh well 🤷♂
I've been able to select intersection direction at times with my Elite Sterzo. It's been a bit inconsistent, but I count that on my mods to the unit as potential impact there. It seems that it works when I hit the larger range of my unit, which is around +/-25 input value (which might be degrees, but I am guessing on that).
How are you getting 40 xp per km?
Part of how they dish out XP when there’s new levels released and you’ve earned a TON above the existing levels.
Thanks!
I’d rather see Zwift expand repack ridge then add roads. There are plenty enough worlds and roads for me, like I didn’t need another markuri islands expansion. But if they had more of this, they r it wasn’t as hard to get to, and then navigate back to after it’s over, I’d buy one of these and stop procrastinating on it. I like that you can use it to choose the turns on regular routes.
I have the Elite version . I really don't like it. Don't think that this one would be any better...
What don't you like about your Sterzo?
@@Chader9 I find them a nuisance. Steering feels totally different from reality. So I prefer to simply use nothing or use my kickr climb.
@@peterjvdveen got it, thanks for the info. I agree that the steering input is not a proper match to outside, which is pretty widely known.
Adding some freedom to the bars it at least a step closer to reality vs the typical wheel block that locks the week in very tightly. So it's a bit better in that aspect, IMO.
Really can't see the point it's just a gimmick. Used to have this on Tacx TTS4 and you could explore the whole terrain but used it only a couple of times before the novelty wore off.
Yeah but nahhh
WTF are all the "thumbs up" icons dropping all the time?
Because I can't turn them off....
@@gplama But what are they for? sorry, I'm not a zwift user yet.
@@MrGlenndini They're real-time kudos.
Training indoors is one thing but adding steering that is not natural to cycling is a no for me.
This looks like the gimmick of all gimmicks.... The latency looks troubling
Looks annoying
Hi Shane . It's a no from me .