snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
I am thinking of buying a Turbo trainer - are they any good? Is it worth it?
- Thread starter postman
- Start date
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I'd find the constant headwind discouraging, can't the fans be placed behind you?
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Tried one, didn't get on. Would rather get cold and wet, but others get a boner for them. Different strokes and all that.
They also do nothing to maintain your control skills and roadcraft.
They also do nothing to maintain your control skills and roadcraft.
Panter
Just call me Chris...
- Location
- Sittingbourne, Kent
Tried one, detested it.
In saying that, it was very good for extremely structured training, I was trying to get ready for a team TT at the time. But, the monotony was evil.
What I resented most of all was scrabbling on it (after setting up enough fans to cool the surface of the sun,) going hell for leather in a rapidly increasing pool of blood, sweat and tears for an estimated 20 minutes only to check the clock and discover that I'd actually only been going for 90 seconds.
Each to their own, a friend of mine absolutely adores his and puts in several hours a week for the fun of it, but it wasn't for me. And I do have to remind myself of that fact when the horizontal icy rain is trying to flay the flesh from my bones at times!
In saying that, it was very good for extremely structured training, I was trying to get ready for a team TT at the time. But, the monotony was evil.
What I resented most of all was scrabbling on it (after setting up enough fans to cool the surface of the sun,) going hell for leather in a rapidly increasing pool of blood, sweat and tears for an estimated 20 minutes only to check the clock and discover that I'd actually only been going for 90 seconds.
Each to their own, a friend of mine absolutely adores his and puts in several hours a week for the fun of it, but it wasn't for me. And I do have to remind myself of that fact when the horizontal icy rain is trying to flay the flesh from my bones at times!
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I completely thrashed myself on a TT for several months after my BIG RELATIONSHIP BUST UP.
'Dull', 'boring', 'tedious', words like that didn't come into it. Absolutely no spare energy for thought - it was more a question of staring at a spot on the opposite wall and trying not to black out from the effort.
I couldn't walk properly after each session. I would crawl up the stairs and then collapse into the bath and fall asleep. When the water started to go cold, I would drag myself out, go to bed and sleep for a further 8 or 9 hours. That is someone who normally has problems even sleeping 6 hours a night ...
Did it do much for me? Well, I lost several stone in weight that winter, and started the next year fitter than I had ever been before!
I also destroyed the turbo trainer! I had doused the thing in so much sweat that it rotted through from the bottom up. I wiped it down after each session, but forgot to do the underside and sweat had clearly worked its way round there.
'Dull', 'boring', 'tedious', words like that didn't come into it. Absolutely no spare energy for thought - it was more a question of staring at a spot on the opposite wall and trying not to black out from the effort.
I couldn't walk properly after each session. I would crawl up the stairs and then collapse into the bath and fall asleep. When the water started to go cold, I would drag myself out, go to bed and sleep for a further 8 or 9 hours. That is someone who normally has problems even sleeping 6 hours a night ...
Did it do much for me? Well, I lost several stone in weight that winter, and started the next year fitter than I had ever been before!
I also destroyed the turbo trainer! I had doused the thing in so much sweat that it rotted through from the bottom up. I wiped it down after each session, but forgot to do the underside and sweat had clearly worked its way round there.
EnPassant
Remember Remember some date in November Member
- Location
- Gloucester
This.
It might not be rational, but I'd sooner go out in a monsoon for an hour than attempt more than 2 minutes on a trainer.
steve292
Guru
- Location
- Weston-super-mare, north somerset
I use a tacx vortex smart and traineroad. I find I need to have a plan to work to, which motivates me to train ( I use the word in its loosest meaning)
I run and swim as well, so the variety is there & its better than busting a collarbone on icy roads.
I run and swim as well, so the variety is there & its better than busting a collarbone on icy roads.
Unimaginative
Über Member
As per the above, just buying a turbo trainer and trying it will make you bored. However if you have a specific goal in mind and start working towards that goal straight away, you have a chance of actually using the turbo more than once. You'll need a way to measure your goal - whether that is FTP or something else - and a structured plan of how you're going to achieve that goal.
Things like Trainerroad and Zwift will help massively with this; I've used trainerroad for six months with an aim to build up my long-distance speed by following their base & sustained power training plans - this has taken me from a 16mph average to a 19.8mph average on my weekend rides, but that has required multiple hours per week spent working through the plans and the willpower to work through the boredom and strain to achieve the targets.
If you just want to maintain fitness, I wouldn't recommend a turbo and instead look to alternatives as others may have mentioned.
Things like Trainerroad and Zwift will help massively with this; I've used trainerroad for six months with an aim to build up my long-distance speed by following their base & sustained power training plans - this has taken me from a 16mph average to a 19.8mph average on my weekend rides, but that has required multiple hours per week spent working through the plans and the willpower to work through the boredom and strain to achieve the targets.
If you just want to maintain fitness, I wouldn't recommend a turbo and instead look to alternatives as others may have mentioned.
Just to say i have agreed to buy the one offered to me on good old CycleChat.So off to Halifax on saturday morning/lunchtime to pick it up.Thank you for the advice,i like the ones about getting bored.Well after 34 years working at Royal Mail and sat facing a 48 box fitting thumping letters in night after night year after year.Sitting on my bike on a Turbo trainer will be like a holiday,can't wait.
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cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
This is the setup I've used for the last 2 winters.
However to stay motivated I needed to introduce stucture into the sessions and track my progress.
For structure I use the following video:
To track my progress I use a Garmin Edge 1000 connected to speed and cadence sensors. Of couse the distance covered and average speeds do not have any absolute significance, howerver since I am using a fluid trainer (CycleOps Pro) which has a defined power curve, then this setup does enable me to track each workout relative to the other workouts and hence enable me to set targets and track progress.
I use the same video , downloaded it to the tablet as my set up has no wifi signal and is a bit more "compact "
Electric_Andy
Heavy Metal Fan
- Location
- Plymouth
The limiting factor IME is one's own motivation. I have a cheap TT which works fine, but it's just so boring.
Joey Shabadoo
My pronouns are "He", "Him" and "buggerlugs"
Ah, the joys of sorting. After one intense Christmas my girlfriend complained my arms were moving in my sleep as I sorted letters.
JtB
Prepare a way for the Lord
- Location
- North Hampshire
Don't forget, you will also need a mat, a riser block for under the front wheel and a good fan.
steve50
Disenchanted Member
- Location
- West Yorkshire
