# Why do people use turbos?



## Rhythm Thief (28 Mar 2008)

Following on from Buggi's thread about possible damage to turbo - mounted bikes, why do people use these? (This is a genuine question, by the way.) Is it purely to avoid riding in the rain, or does turbo riding bring fitness benefits that outdoor riding doesn't? 
I've never used one.


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## Noodley (28 Mar 2008)

maybe ask in "health and fitness"..


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## Rhythm Thief (28 Mar 2008)

But there are more people in the cafe.


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## Noodley (28 Mar 2008)

Rhythm Thief said:


> But there are more people in the cafe.



Eating cake....


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## Rhythm Thief (28 Mar 2008)

Alright, Mister Pedantic. There you go.


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## Noodley (28 Mar 2008)

Rhythm Thief said:


> Alright, Mister Pedantic. There you go.



OK, Mr Mod...


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## longers (28 Mar 2008)

I have a friend who used to prefer an exercise bike with the curtains drawn on a sunny day than go outside on a real bike.


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## Noodley (28 Mar 2008)

I have not used my turbo this year, but I did use it a few years ago when I was very fit...it helped get me very fit.

I would not use it now to "get me fit" but it can...


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## longers (28 Mar 2008)

I see what happened but this were in Cafe when I started typing 

Ignore my reply please as it's not relevant to here.


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## Odyssey (28 Mar 2008)

It must be nice being able to step off when you feel like it and be back home... 

I think that's a great motivator in getting on it in the first place.


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## longers (28 Mar 2008)

As an example, if someone were to have broken their leg while skiing then a turbo would be an excellent way to being bike fit again.


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## Dave5N (28 Mar 2008)

How come you can use your superpowers (mod-style) to do that when you can't even carry out a simple tidying up request from a humble, ordinary -yet-prolific user?


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## Steve Austin (28 Mar 2008)

Is this a serious question?

Serious answer: 
Its easier to plan regulated routines for training.
Its a lot less hassle than riding outside.
Can train all weathers.
No restrictions on times of day ie i used to do an hour before work, a roadride at 5/6 o'clock in the dark with sleepy drivers isn't my idea of fun.
Can listen to music/watch films whilst training.

Lots of good reasons for Turbo training


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## yogi (28 Mar 2008)

Here's another good reason to use a turbo-trainer - when my wife's working I can still train and look after our child. Can't go and do intervals with my daughter just yet.


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## Panter (28 Mar 2008)

I must be a bit weird in that I actually quite like my turbo trainer 

Mainly for all the reasons Steve Austin gives above. At the moment I'm doing 4 weeks base training so I can't let my HR go above 126 which is impossible to achieve on the road for me, especially if I spot a distant challenger 

When thats up I'll be back to interval training which is so much easier to control on the turbo. When the evenings are finally lighter I will use it less but it won't be put away for the summer by any means.

The main thing is time though, with having a demanding job and young family I just can't get enough road miles in.


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## yello (28 Mar 2008)

I used mine only when the weather was crap (wind and/or rain, I can dress against cold), I would have preferred to be out on the roads tbh. I'm not really into cycling for fitness per se (it's an added benefit!) so the turbo was only really for keeping my legs used to turning the pedals and having a sense of being on the bike. Incidentally, the turbo was also the only time I'd ride listening to music - trad jazz worked for me!


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## rich p (28 Mar 2008)

It means I can keep fit during the dark evenings otherwise I'd only ride on Saturdays. I'm planning on getting a new rowing machine soon (my old one broke) which I can alternate the trainig with.


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## Amanda P (28 Mar 2008)

I find it makes my diesel engine more powerful.

Oh. _That_ kind of turbo....


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## Frazer (28 Mar 2008)

I find working hard on the turbo for 45 minutes or so is more than enough to get a really good workout, with some intervals. But I only use it when its wet or dark outside and riding wouldnt be much fun.

I set it up last night in front of the TV whilst the world track cyling was on and every time a race begun i would up the pace accordingly...knackering! 

Also, at the end the rear wheel must have slipped a bit somehow and was rubbing against the frame. I didnt realise and just thought it had got harder because I was so tired, and kept going...until i smelt burning rubber....


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## walker (28 Mar 2008)

as some have said a Turbo is good for interval training, as doing it outside can be a little harder than it appears. for instance if you are doing a 10x15sec intervals and you hit a hill just before you are about to restart it can be that little bit harder to hold the speed. Doing on a turbo is easier, I find rollers easier than turbo's though


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## Crackle (28 Mar 2008)

Wot Steve said, plus illness. Mine's kept me going through the dark months, though it's not as good on the CV side as road riding but is good for keeping leg strength, though the hill climbing muscles still need some real life work.


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## palinurus (28 Mar 2008)

While I'm quite happy commuting in wet weather and in the dark I don't like to go out training in the same conditions (I can treat a commute in truly awful weather as a challenge, but I can't convince myself of the same for training).

Where I am it's a fair ride out to suitable stretches of road with enough gaps between junctions for intervals etc, ok if part of a longer ride, but inconvenient if I want to fit it into an hour or so.


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## walker (28 Mar 2008)

palinurus said:


> *While I'm quite happy commuting in wet weather* and in the dark I don't like to go out training in the same conditions (I can treat a commute in truly awful weather as a challenge, but I can't convince myself of the same for training).
> 
> Where I am it's a fair ride out to suitable stretches of road with enough gaps between junctions for intervals etc, ok if part of a longer ride, but inconvenient if I want to fit it into an hour or so.



Liar


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## Dave5N (29 Mar 2008)

walker said:


> I find rollers easier than turbo's though



Rollers are shoot for intervals: you can't put the power through unless you're very good.


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## stevenb (29 Mar 2008)

The turbo trainers wont damage your bike...unless you have it set up wrong...
They will help you get very fit....infact....I feel fitter than I have ever done in my life......
The turbo has improved my leg power, my climbing, my stamina my cadence efficiency....everything.
I go out now and 50+ miles which I could previously do about 2 months back but feeling knackered after are now a stroll in the park.
Of course I train even harder now so when I go out I go as fast as I can.


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## Cathryn (29 Mar 2008)

longers said:


> As an example, if someone were to have broken their leg while skiing then a turbo would be an excellent way to being bike fit again.



Very belatedly....you called???

I LOVE my turbo. Yep, it's dull as hell but I've worked my way through series one, two and three of Sex and the City and kept my fitness up during cripplehood. However I love it most today because this morning I got back on my bike and hit the canal towpath for the first time and felt better than I had before I broke the old leg. Had the biggest smile on my face the entire trip and greeted random joggers at the top of my voice.

So turbos...not ideal, but brilliant all the same!


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## Jacomus-rides-Gen (14 Apr 2008)

When this week is over, I will be getting back to full fitness - which is very dull, but a turbo makes it happen so fast.

Mon-Fri are done on a 10min warm-up @ 50%max followed by 45mins at 75%max ending with one interval of max power until I run out of juice, followed by slowly spinning down until my HR gets back to 50% 

Usually takes 2 weeks to kick in, and when it does, I back it down to 2 or 3 sessions a week.


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## Blue (15 Apr 2008)

I only cycle for fitness and pleasure. I have never raced and don't commute(retired).

When the weather is foul I keep the fitness regimen going by using my turbo.


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## fossyant (21 Apr 2008)

Haven't touched my turbo since returning to commuting 100% of the time. It's useful for injuries and winter speed work, or just maintaining fitness wen the weather is bad.

I find them terribly boring, and usually do 30 mins of intervals if I do use it.


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## Night Train (24 Apr 2008)

I haven't used mine for a while, not a lot of space for it at the moment. I did find that it didn't have much resistance and I was working out in top gear and it was still easier then real cycling. It was also noisy even after I changed from knobbly tyres to slick road tyres. The droning reverberated through the house.


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## gbb (8 May 2008)

From my perspective RT, the turbo is very reluctantly used when the weathers just too cold for me....usually only in the coldest depths of winter if i've been off the bike for a couple of weeks. I start to feel guilty, but cant drive myself to go out in the very cold.
The irony is, used once in a while, i dont mind. Set it up in front of the telly and spin for maybe an hour. But i couldnt do it regular.


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## Night Train (22 May 2008)

I'm currently using my trainer again to develop myself and collect some personal experience as part of my thesis research.

I am currently building up my strength and stamina under full load. I have the bike on the highest gear giving the maximum resistance. I am doing sprints at the moment 8 mins at 16mph followed by 2mins at 19mph It's not much but I have the aim of eventually maintaining a continuous steady 20mph at maximum load for around 30mins. I don't know if I can do it but I will get fitter trying.


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## Crackle (22 May 2008)

Night Train said:


> I am currently building up my strength and stamina under full load. I have the bike on the highest gear giving the maximum resistance. I am doing sprints at the moment 8 mins at 16mph followed by 2mins at 19mph It's not much but I have the aim of eventually maintaining a continuous steady 20mph at maximum load for around 30mins. I don't know if I can do it but I will get fitter trying.



So what's your highest gear, around 90inches. Which means you have an rpm of 50-55. Are you not just going to knacker your knees.


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## Night Train (22 May 2008)

I haven't worked out how many inches it is, its a MTB so it isn't really high but the loading isn't as much as I get on weights and around the same as I get on the aerobic worker. I'm probably running around 70-80rpm. 

I'll go and count teeth and work out what the gear ratio is.


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## Night Train (22 May 2008)

OK I have 41 teeth on the chain ring and 11 on the wheel and I have 26x1.9 tyres on.

So is that bad?
Is my bike computer reading wrong?


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## Crackle (23 May 2008)

Night Train said:


> OK I have 41 teeth on the chain ring and 11 on the wheel and I have 26x1.9 tyres on.
> 
> So is that bad?
> Is my bike computer reading wrong?




Aaarrrgggh! I just typed a long answer and lost it  Try again.

A 41x11 is 92 inches. Which equals 58rpm. Are you sure it's 41, that's unusual, not 42 which would mean 55rpm. What's your computer saying?

Anyway, I would say that's too low to train with. Most do intervals on a turbo using a higher cadence and a big effort, say 10 minute warm up, 5 steady, 5 fast, 5 steady, 5 all out etc... Try it, it'll tire you faster than using a big gear continuously

Cadence is oft debated as to what is ideal but 70-90 is the average consensus. As an example, I would do 55rpm up a 1 in 10 hill and 80/90 along the flat. I use the gears to maintain my cadence rather than my speed as it's making more efficient use of my power. As you become fitter you get the strength to maintain the cadence as the road/wind rises so you don't change gear as much.

In the last year I have upped my cadence with the result my knees ache less, I am a better climber (still crap though) and I have more stamina because I am being more efficient.


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## Crackle (23 May 2008)

Night Train said:


> I haven't worked out how many inches it is, its a MTB so it isn't really high but the loading isn't as much as I get on weights and around the same as I get on the aerobic worker. I'm probably running around 70-80rpm.



Didn't see this before. Probably? If your computer doesn't have cadence, then count how many times one knee comes up in 15 sec and multiply by 4. For a 41x11 at 16mph you won't be doing 70 or 80 but 58 and at 19mph 69rpm, give or take a few revs as I only 1.5" tyres in my spreadsheet.


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## Night Train (23 May 2008)

Thanks Crackle, I will have another count of teeth and then do a knee count if I can.
I am also going to try and rig up something to calculate power output at the wheel in Watts, probably rebuilding the trainer with an alternator and a load, as that is what I really want to measure against.


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## Plax (27 May 2008)

I've never actually considered a turbo. Are they similar to exercise bikes? I can't stand exercise bikes, hate them. One of the things I avoided at the gym, along with the stepper. Was surprised that I took to "proper" cycling so much given my dislike for them.


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## trio25 (28 May 2008)

I tried a turbo trainer but just wanted to freewheel all the time, I'd rather go out in the rain.


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