# Turbo trainer question



## FlyingCyclist (19 Mar 2017)

Haven't been on here for quite a while. Gave up cycling, just couldn't be bothered with it any more because each direction I cycle there's a hill (unless I take the bike on the car and drive somewhere). Trying to get back in to it.

I have a bike where they have bolt/nut on the back wheel. Would this be an issue on a trainer?

I'm looking at either
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/tur...-PerformanceHorizon-_-skimlinks_phg-_-TopLink

or

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/turbo-trainers/trainers/cycleops-fluid-2-trainer

I may also decide to connect to an app in the future.

Now my daily routine is get up at 5am to go to work for 6am. Finish work at 2pm. Then I sit at my pc or ps4 playing games/watching youtube videos etc. I seriously need to get out and do something!


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## si_c (20 Mar 2017)

DavidS said:


> Haven't been on here for quite a while. Gave up cycling, just couldn't be bothered with it any more because each direction I cycle there's a hill (unless I take the bike on the car and drive somewhere). Trying to get back in to it.
> 
> I have a bike where they have bolt/nut on the back wheel. Would this be an issue on a trainer?
> 
> ...



The Tacx one is quite good, I'm very happy with mine, aside from a slight issue with noise when over 200 or so watts of effort, it's not so bad in the room, but with our house the noise gets transmitted around the house a bit, so I have to use it in the day / early evening so as not to annoy Mrs C or the neighbours.

I'd not recommend using one with a nut on the back though as it uses a quick release to mount properly and the axle doesn't sit properly in the right side of the trainer without it. I'd speak to your local bike shop and ask them how much they'd charge to change the axle on the rear wheel from a fixed nut to a quick release, this will solve the problem.

I did mine myself using an axle I bought on amazon for 6 or 7 quid, so the parts aren't expensive, but you need the tools (cone spanners, and normal spanners, plus cassette/freewheel removal tools) and confidence stripping down the rear hub to do it properly.


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## Dogtrousers (20 Mar 2017)

I don't know how trainers attach, so this might be rubbish/irrelevant but ...

If you have a wheelnuts as opposed to a QR (Quick-Release) back wheel it's possible that you may have an older bike that has narrower rear dropout spacing than modern bikes. In turn this means it's possible that you may have difficulty fitting your bike to the trainer. 

It may be that dropout width has nothing to do with fitting to turbo trainers (someone who knows about turbos will correct me here). It's just that the presence of wheel nuts makes me think it's possible that you have an older (120mm dropout) frame. See this article for what I mean by "dropout width".

On the other hand I could just be wrong as usual.


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## User269 (20 Mar 2017)

All the trainers I've had supplied a skewer/quick release spindle designed to fit into the trainer mounting. You'll therefore need a wheel with a hollow (quick release) axle. You could buy a budget quick release rear wheel, ensuring that it its compatible with your rear cassette.


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## Alan O (20 Mar 2017)

DavidS said:


> I have a bike where they have bolt/nut on the back wheel.


I got a Tacx Blue something a few months ago (I keep thinking "Blu-Tac", but that can't be right) for about £90, and it works fine with my 30-year-old (ish) steel bike with bolt-on wheels - it did come with a QR skewer, but you don't have to use it.

I think it's great value. I don't use it a lot, but the occasional half hour in front of the telly is a lot better than just sitting in an armchair - and on the trainer it's a lot harder to reach over for a beer.



Dogtrousers said:


> If you have a wheelnuts as opposed to a QR (Quick-Release) back wheel it's possible that you may have an older bike that has narrower rear dropout spacing than modern bikes. In turn this means it's possible that you may have difficulty fitting your bike to the trainer.


I think that is a possible issue, and my back wheel is some way over to one edge of the roller - but it fits and it's still within the comfortable range.

Alan


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## si_c (20 Mar 2017)

Alan O said:


> I got a Tacx Blue something a few months ago (I keep thinking "Blu-Tac", but that can't be right) for about £90, and it works fine with my 30-year-old (ish) steel bike with bolt-on wheels - it did come with a QR skewer, but you don't have to use it.
> I think it's great value. I don't use it a lot, but the occasional half hour in front of the telly is a lot better than just sitting in an armchair - and on the trainer it's a lot harder to reach over for a beer.
> I think that is a possible issue, and my back wheel is some way over to one edge of the roller - but it fits and it's still within the comfortable range.
> Alan



Dropout spacing is not really an issue, my rear dropouts on the turbo bike are 120mm (5 speed freewheel), and although the wheel sits to the left of centre it still engages fine. The problem with the Tacx t2240 that I have is that the drive side clamp is sculpted for a QR axle and although it will securely hold a nut, if the axle protrudes beyond the nut at all the bike is not stable when in place. Different turbo trainers may have different clamps which avoid this, but as I have the same Tacx trainer as the OP listed, my experience may well be more relevant.

Overall though changing a bolt to a QR axle is not a significant job once you know the appropriate axle lengths and have the right tools. I'd estimate it could be done by a bike shop for under £30 including a generous allowance for labour (in total it took me less than an hour and I'm cack-handed).


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## further (20 Mar 2017)

I have a Minoura turbo and it comes with an adaptor for nutted wheels


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## Stephenite (21 Mar 2017)

DavidS said:


> Haven't been on here for quite a while. Gave up cycling, just couldn't be bothered with it any more because each direction I cycle there's a hill (unless I take the bike on the car and drive somewhere). Trying to get back in to it.
> 
> I have a bike where they have bolt/nut on the back wheel. Would this be an issue on a trainer?
> 
> ...



You ABSOLUTELY MUST connect to ZWIFT.

Otherwise you will bore you're bollox off. If you like games/screentime _and_ cycling you're gonna love zwift.


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## FlyingCyclist (21 Mar 2017)

Here's an image of the rear wheel. (I couldn't figure out how to upload them on to this site so if someone could link me to a page to tell me in the future, that would be great!)

Excuse the dust !!

There's some other images of the bike on my flickr if anyone is interested.



IMG_7688.jpg by Daelpix Photography, on Flickr

I've followed GCN on youtube for quite a while, and it shows a video of the most popular 'apps'. Zwift is featured on it....Looks interesting.


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## FlyingCyclist (21 Mar 2017)

Sadly the only place I could put a trainer is my bedroom with the radiator turned off and probably with my windows open since it's the most convenient way to hook up my pc to the bike/trainer. I'm actually thinking it could be a mistake. I'll have to think about it.


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## KneesUp (21 Mar 2017)

I understand that the fluid trainers are a lot quieter.


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