turbo trainer :o

[montage]

Well I don't have one of these at current - but looking into it. How do you set your turb up? Just whack your bike on? Have a seperate bike you keep on it almost permantly? Change the tyre every time you use it? Have a cheap spare wheel with an old tyre? Use it inside the house or in the garage?

Thanks

 

[mr Mag00]

Hi, I use my road bike just pop it on, in the garage witha small fan , either listening to music or watching a movie. i dont use a special wheel or tyre as it doesnt spend a lot of time on there and i ride it on the road usually in between sessions, avoiding squaring off the tyre, unless the weather is terrible, but it never that bad or a day or two off is not ususally a problem anyay.

 

[Ravenz]

Well I don't have one of these at current - but looking into it. How do you set your turb up? Just whack your bike on? Have a seperate bike you keep on it almost permantly? Change the tyre every time you use it? Have a cheap spare wheel with an old tyre? Use it inside the house or in the garage?

Thanks

Got a TACX flow for sale

 

[Will1985]

I've got a cheap wheel with turbo tyre (including turbo-specific QR skewer). I've used it inside and outside and usually with some audio- or visual stimulation: radio, laptop and DVD or TV, plus fan when I'm inside.

I also put on a temporary rear wheel speed/cadence sensor as well as HR monitor so I can see some figures - at the least you want a way of looking at time to do interval blocks.

 

[doyler78]

If you are going to use it any enclosed space get an industrial fan as this will make the difference between a useful session or getting overheated and having to give up or lower effort (and pools of sweat doesn't mean more effort it just means you have inefficient cooling so no benefit in terms of increasing your fitness).

I got an 18" fan from ebay for £50 all in.

Like Will I use a spare wheel howver I just use an old worn tyre.

Get a turbo with a heavy flywheel as this will add on the road type realism to the ride.

I just watch TV, listen to music or what a training dvd. Anything basically to distract a bit from trainer. I got a Kurt Kinetic Pro and love it though there are lots of good trainers out there along with a lot of rubbish.

 

[montage]

or visual stimulation.

The art of one handed cycling?

Hmmm if I look into this further then it looks like I will need to include the price of a fan aswell....gotta love being at college with no part time job ey?

How much are these special turbo tyres? Might be far easier to just use a worn one I guess.

Possible to grab a cheap 2nd hand turbo for £50ish? or looking more at £100+

Cheers for the advice so far

 

[gbb]

Hi Montage...
It takes one minute to place the bike into the turbo (on a Cycleops Mag). I dont go hell for leather on mine, more just a steady pace for keeping myself in some kind of condition. For that reason, i can use mine in the house, placed on a towel, in front of the tv, with drinks etc neaby. Its all kind of relaxed and i can use it like that for up to two hours.
I dont use a specific tyre, just the gators on my normal bike...never done my tyres any harm. No overheating tyres, no wear or squaring off. That said, i'm very careful not to have too much pressure between the tyre and flywheel.

Beware, some turbos are reputedly noisy (i assume the cheaper ones). The Cycleops Mag is quiet, just a gentle hum, and ive even fashioned a board to divert the airflow from the fan toward me for cooling)

 

[cadseen]

generally not much set-up is required for steady riding. If your doing intense sessions then tyres and roller tension needs a little attention. If you rusing something like the tacx fortius online then tyre choice/roller tension/preperation etc. is very important.

 

[montage]

generally not much set-up is required for steady riding. If your doing intense sessions then tyres and roller tension needs a little attention. If you rusing something like the tacx fortius online then tyre choice/roller tension/preperation etc. is very important.

Thanks,
Well if I were to get one then I would certainly be doing intense sessions.
Any guides/advise on this important information out there?

 

[goo_mason]

Are there any turbos that are best for indoor use in a flat ? Not thinking of one just now, but curious as to whether the guy living below would be up breaking my door down if I was sat in front of the telly on a turbo, spinning away !

Most turbo-using people seem to either have a garage or don't live in a flat with people below them...

 

[doyler78]

Are there any turbos that are best for indoor use in a flat ? Not thinking of one just now, but curious as to whether the guy living below would be up breaking my door down if I was sat in front of the telly on a turbo, spinning away !

Most turbo-using people seem to either have a garage or don't live in a flat with people below them...

Well I have no means of comparison but I have kurt kinetic and it isn't noisy - my fan is actually noisier than the trainer and it folds up so takes up little space. Shove it in the side of a wardrobe or under your bed.

 

[RSV_Ecosse]

Got a TACX flow for sale

I am in the market for a trainer just now and a Flow is top of my list.

I would prefer to purchase new though but what I wanted to ask ( apologies to the OP for slightly hijacking the thread ) is how did you find the Flow was?.

Good, bad or indifferent?.

I really fancied an iMagic but I can't justify the cost so a Flow it looks like it is.

 

[Enso108]

A tyre designed for turbo use like the Conti Ultra Sport Home Trainer certainly will help to reduce the rumble.
I have a Tacx Satori with my summer bike on it I use the workouts on the Tacx website or watch a Sufferfest podcast.
To get the most out of the Tacx workouts you need to know your cadence, I got myself a Cateye Strada Cadence computer of ebay to cure that problem.

 

[montage]

Done a tad of research, ebay seems like the place to buy, simply because the prices seem cheap
No worries about hijacking Ecosse

There seems to be magnetic resistance, fan resistance, fluid resistance etc.
Which of these is the most reliable? i.e. offers the most resistance,quietest and doesnt break?

Cheers

 

[Gandalf]

I am in the market for a trainer just now and a Flow is top of my list.

I would prefer to purchase new though but what I wanted to ask ( apologies to the OP for slightly hijacking the thread ) is how did you find the Flow was?.

Good, bad or indifferent?.

I really fancied an iMagic but I can't justify the cost so a Flow it looks like it is.

I saved a few pennies by buying a second hand flow then buying a T1925 upgrade kit. That way I can use it in Flow mode and just watch a DVD but still be able to monitor how fast and far I'm going or hook the turbo up to the PC and do the full monty RLV thing.

Did I mention that the Giro Di Mortirolo is killing me?