Been a bit sick this last week so haven’t trained much. The one session I did do on the replacement trainer showed new issues that the old one didn’t have (yay!).
Problems with the Zwift hub making an odd noise / moving out of position, and also (worse), the trainer no longer seems to be detecting my cadence properly, halving or more on a regular basis. Vibration seems to be about the same as the one I had replaced.
If I knew the answer to that, I’d probably be able to download the update. Because everything is more or less meeting my expectations using BT, I’m not pursuing the issue just yet. I’ll wait for the public release of the next firmware.
Do you use an Android device? I think it was mentioned that there are issues with specific versions of Android and the JetBlack app.
Did you ever try that firmware update 04.13.09?
I continued to use 4.13.9 and I had no issues. Wi-Fi worked as expected and I had no 1/2 cadence readings.
I did notice that if I freewheeled on a descent it took about 10 seconds for Zwift to report 0 watts and 0 cadence. I reported this to JetBlack.
There is now a preview version 4.13.15 released (code 04_13_15). I updated to it late last night and I am taking part in Tour de Zwift Stage 5 Distance A at 13:00 so I will report how that performs.
Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for users testing out 4.13.15 and having issues. 
If you still want to download/update the firmware let me know and I will walk you through what has been working for me.
I am curious how you are figuring out what the latest preview version is; do you have access to a site the talks about it, or are you punching the next code number to see if there is a new preview release out there (like in a couple of days try 04_13_16 to see if the code is valid).
Thanks,
Ron
I try the next batch of codes once a week and see is there a version
Just completed a session there and had no issues with 04_13_15
The issue I mentioned about freewheeling taking about 10 seconds for watts and cadence to go to zero still seems to be there, but I think that could be a Zwift issue and not specific to JetBlack.
I guessed as much; I have been doing the same. I updated to 4.13.15 about 15 minutes ago. Thanks
I wish I had inside info Ron but I don’t. I felt this approach as so far served me well as updating to 4.13.9 was a game changer for me. Resolved the major issues that I had with the trainer.
Well I got this back today - seems like they have designed a new bearing - however they won’t accept a return without the original box? “in line with our Love to Ride 30 Day return policy, returned units must be in their original packaging. If we swap out the unit, you can use that packaging, but unfortunately, I can’t accept a return without packaging and I can’t refund you either. I suggest we get you a new unit. Unfortunately there is a wait on these, end February. We may be able to send you a unit with an upgraded bearing sooner if you are open to that.”
Last question, do you know if there is a way to revert back to previous firmware versions?
Possibly not. I believe the original batch of units were handbuilt - the first set that were production built at the factory they (for reasons unknown and who decided) chose to use cheaper bearings - I dont believe that was a Jet Black decision tho.
Believe later factory production batches had the original bearings again - but that first shipment werent so lucky. Had 2 units with the bearings swapped out after one went into full rattle mode.
From emails with support, it appears a roll back is not an option. When I updated to 4.13.9 support said they would have to release an update to address the update to 4.13.9
I never received an email from support saying here is the version I should now update to.
I’ve reverted back to an older version (4.10.01) after I felt that the newer one didn’t resolve the issues. I used DFU app on iOS and was emailed by Jetblack support a link to download firmware 4.10.01 and a pdf on how to. Warning: One time I did this it gave me an error and I had to abort the procedure. After turning off the trainer and unplugging it and plugging it back in and turning it on, I repeated the procedure and was successful. I was also told by Jetblack support from an email I received yesterday that they are soon to release a new firmware next week to address the cadence issue which I am also having at the moment. I have to add that when Jetblack emailed me the link to version 4.10, that was when it was the latest firmware preview they had. I was not given it as a reverting back option. I tried and did that on my own.
Can you share the “How To” information and the link to download the 4.10.01 firmware? I think that a lot of folks (me included) would appreciate having that information.
For some reason I’m not able paste the link directly so I had to post as images… In any case please do so at your own risk…
That’s really interesting to hear. I’ve checked the bearings, and all four (3x 6002zz’s and 1x 5202zz) are Japanese Nachi’s which are Hambini approved fwiw, lol. The 5202 bearing on the flywheel side is a bit of an oddity though. It’s a double-row angular contact bearing. From my reading, the races are constructed with inherent preloading. In other words, there’s no slack to take up by tightening things down. These bearings are typically used to limit end play for high precision equipment (e.g., CNC mills).
The other side of the flywheel shaft has a standard, deep-groove 6002 bearing. It’s preloaded by a wave spring and flange bolt on the flywheel pulley. My suspicion remains that the 6002/wave spring side has a bit of slop and can lead to rumbling and power inaccuracy if not properly loaded. In fact, I’ve been able to recreate this effect accidently when reassembling my trainer.
I ordered a set of 15mm shims to try and get my flywheel pulley aligned better with the freewheel, and through experimentation, it’s possible screw accuracy by ~10% simply by putting a 0.1 mm (paper thin) shim on the flywheel side. Everything is working best for me now with 0.5mm of shim on the flywheel pulley side and the flange bolt coated with lock-tite and torqued down properly. I used oil on the shaft (not grease) because there was already some galvanic rusting where the flywheel key, shaft, and pulley all come together. Looks like there’s 2-3 different type of metals all contacting one another there. On a previous assembly, I coated the shaft with a bit of marine bearing grease, but it seemed to harden and make disassembly a pain. I probably should have known better, because the same thing happened with my outboard boat motor steerer tube. It’s best to use a thin oil or silicon lube over grease.
If anyone is interested, and outside of the return period, I’d be happy to take some pictures detailing the disassembly/reassembly. It’s a piece of cake with the right tools. As I said previously, I think with proper care and replacement of wearable parts (belts and bearings), this thing should outlive me.
If you could post some photos, that would be great. Thanks.
David
Here’s my (probably) final update. I was concerned about power accuracy (reading low) but today I compared it against my 4iiii one-sided crank PM, and the results were good. Power tracked well across an FTP ramp test, both in the power steps and in the computed FTP. I also did a race and power was within a few Watts for the whole event. If the power does read off or low by a little bit that can be explaned by drivetrain losses (2-3%), 2% accuracy or sampling variation. And the 4iiii is only one-sided so that’s another small error. In short, power accuracy is fine.
In summary, my problems were due to the Zwift Cog - I just don’t seem to get on with it. There is a difference in feel compared to my Kickr but I have adapted. I think the Victory is good quality (unless you get a bad one I suppose) and good value … considering I paid nearly $1000 for an original Kickr way back in the day when Zwift was in beta. Actually, considering that you get a Zwift Cog, Zwift shifter and some free months of Zwift subscription, it’s excellent value.
