Wheel off turbo trainer advice

[Hudson1984]

Hi all,
So I’m finally able to be back in the saddle and enjoying being on the road again.

That being said, this is Britain and I’m aware the weather will eventually turn - or - I’ll just fancy being indoors for a ride

I’ve had various turbos in the past, all being wheel on variants, I’ve had a wattbike but admittedly I was suffering with hip issues when I had that so went largely unused by me.

Anyway….

I was wondering how easy a wheel off turbo is? I found that because I have a large rear end….and front end….and middle 😂 that wheel on turbos were ALWAYS hard. So even on the cool down sections there was so much resistance that there was never a spot that I could all but freewheel.

Does a wheel off sort this? Or is it just what turbos are? Of course I want to push in the sections I need to push, but equally I want easier green sections.

I’m not looking to jump into getting anything immediately, happy outside at the moment but as the colder whether starts to set in I’ll likely come indoors with it

 

[Dogtrousers]

I was wondering how easy a wheel off turbo is? I found that because I have a large rear end….and front end….and middle 😂 that wheel on turbos were ALWAYS hard. So even on the cool down sections there was so much resistance that there was never a spot that I could all but freewheel.

Does a wheel off sort this? Or is it just what turbos are? Of course I want to push in the sections I need to push, but equally I want easier green sections.

I never found that my wheel on (Tacx Flow) turbo was "always hard". That doesn't ring a bell. But I don't have one any more.

But I can report from my current wheel off (Tacx Flux) that the easy/cooldown bits feel like almost zero resistance.

 

[Hudson1984]

perfect thanks

 

[CXRAndy]

Turbos are a little cheaper to buy in the summer months for obvious reasons you mentioned

 

[Hudson1984]

Turbos are a little cheaper to buy in the summer months for obvious reasons you mentioned

true enough... that being said, i'm eying up the Tacx 3m so need to save the pennies for a while

 

[BSRU]

I love my Tacx Neo 2T, combined with the Tacx video rides it is no longer the chore it was on my old dumb turbo.
I have done many virtual HC climbs and I love them.
My road roading has massively benefited from the hours on the Tacx, as I'm as fit as I was 10 years ago.
Things to remember, speed and distance are not important, power/heart rate/time are the key metrics.
Also it doesn't engage your core when virtual climbing, plus on a road climb getting out of the saddle makes a big difference.

 

[CXRAndy]

⬆️

You get far more bang for your buck riding an indoor turbo trainer. I've done 3+ hours indoors where I never stopped pedalling or soft pedalling.
These are super for building endurance for bigger outdoor events

You can do core work off the bike

 

[BSRU]

I have noticed on real road ride there is a big difference between normalized power and average power.
But on the same ride but virtual, on the Tacx, the difference between normalized power and average power is quite small.