Experiences of cycle trainers please
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samthepanda
Posts: 569 Member
Hi all
I'm thinking of getting a turbo cycle trainer for indoor training especially in bad weather, and hope to get my son, who isn't confident to ride a bike ( he's 14 with autism and learning disability). Anyone got any experiences of these good or bad? I keep my bike in the house anyway so easily accessible - how easy are they to put in and out of the trainer etc?
I'm thinking of getting a turbo cycle trainer for indoor training especially in bad weather, and hope to get my son, who isn't confident to ride a bike ( he's 14 with autism and learning disability). Anyone got any experiences of these good or bad? I keep my bike in the house anyway so easily accessible - how easy are they to put in and out of the trainer etc?
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Trainer are very easy to use, the part of mounting is easy as well. A couple of caveats, they can be loud and you most likely will run hot. The amount of actual work for the amount of time is usually higher, no real coasting or breaks. Riding one is an acquired taste. But with some you tube videos or regular TV, you can do it.
You can do a lot of quality work, on them. Plenty of used ones on craigslist, cycleops is a very reliable brand.
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I have a Tacx with an old road bike dedicated to mine. They can be a good workout, but you need to have some structure to get the best from them.
I use Sufferfest videos but if you get a more modern one that connects to a laptop you can use Zwift or other online services. For what you describe Zwift might be most appropriate0 -
Turbo trainers are extremely boring and I used to would never use one. Zwift makes it bearable and I now use one three or four times a week. Twenty-five miles is all I can stand with Zwift. When riding outside I ride more than fifty miles regularly and usually get home feeling like I could enjoy riding farther.0
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My go to had been trainerroad and Netflix.
As for specific trainers - there are 3 types: rollers, wheel-on and wheel-off trainers. Rollers are the old school balance the bike on 3 rollers. Wheel-on are the traditional trainer, the stand that you put the bike on and pedal. Wheel-off are the newest, cassette mounted to the trainer itself. Take the rear wheel off and then put the bike on it.
I don't have the balance for rollers
Either go to zwift or trainer road and find out which trainers work with them and pick the one in your budget. All the trainers that work with those two are at least decent quality. Or go to dcrainmaker.com and read his recommendations.0 -
OP, some good suggestions here. I'm fairly familiar with bike trainers. Based on your stated needs, I think a trainer that you attach to your back wheel would be a good fit. Some examples of this type of trainer are the Kurt Kinetic or CycleOps Fluid trainers. They are fairly simple to mount and very stable to use. The fluid type trainers are also not very noisy. Other options would include the more sophisticated, power based trainers, such as the Wahoo Kicker or Kicker SNAP models. I think these are a step beyond what you are looking for.
Beyond the trainer, I use a rubber base to hold my front wheel still and a rubber mat to catch water and sweat that drips onto the floor below the bike. Finally a fan will help keep you cool.
As others have mentioned, trainer rides can be tedious. Beyond watching TV shows or Netflix, there are a bunch of software apps to pick from, such as Trainerroad, Zwift, The Sufferfest series and others.
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I have one for training when the weather sucks and also when I can't get out on the road for whatever reason...ie flying solo with the kids or something. Mine is really easy to mount the bike...takes me maybe 10-20 seconds.
It's not my favorite thing in the world, but it keeps me active when I wouldn't otherwise be. I primarily do interval work and watch YouTube virtual cycling channels. I have one virtual group ride interval that I do that's about 40 minutes and that's about as long as I can bear to be on the trainer...most of my interval sessions are about 30 minutes. Occasionally in the winter I'll get on and just ride and throw on a football game.
It gets the job done in winter and those times I just can't get out on the road.0 -
I've been using an ancient Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer that I bought used as a way of keeping up my bike fitness over the winter for a number of years, they're built like tanks and come with a lifetime warranty (from what I've heard they're very good about warranty service if needed, I've never needed it) I'm planning on switching over to rollers this year, a decision I may live to regret!
If you're thinking of getting one pick up a trainer specific tire, they tend to be hard on regular tires (or even better, have a spare 2nd wheel with a trainer tire so you can swap them out if it's nice enough to go outside for a ride)
There are lots of great workout videos on youtube and the Spinervals DVDs can be pretty challenging too.0 -
since I have to drive upwards of an hour to get to any place where I feel safe riding outside (yay DC traffic) - I use my trainer a lot - I have a Kurt Kinetic that I bought in 2009 that I am still using and its going strong
I use trainerroad, or my coach gives me workouts - if I'm just looking to do a workout, i'll put a TV show on and make up a workout (i.e. ride fast for a minute when x person speaks; or something happens) etc0 -
My cycle trainer got me through 5 winters in Alaska. It is a great option if you have the space to set up. The only issue I found was that my bike rocked a lot when I wanted to stand up, I am also a large dude.
My unit came with a video of 3- 60 minute rides. You can also stream or download rides, purchase videos, ride to music, ride in silence, listen to an audio book. It is your ride.0 -
Something to consider: Don't use an expensive bike with a trainer. While it is unlikely the trainer will damage the bike I have found that the bike I use on the trainer becomes unridable due to sweat running down the head tube. I have had so much salt accumulate that the front wheel is hard to turn until you take the fork out and clean it.0
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Thanks for all the advice guys. We have a 'spare' bike, well it was reconditioned for son, who won't go out on it. Can it be any bike, I mean does it matter it its as mountain bike or does it have to be a road bike? I don't think I'll be doing more than 30-40 mins at a stretch,and it won't be at any great speed but its better than nothing when it's hard to get out and exercise.0
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TimothyFish wrote: »Something to consider: Don't use an expensive bike with a trainer. While it is unlikely the trainer will damage the bike I have found that the bike I use on the trainer becomes unridable due to sweat running down the head tube. I have had so much salt accumulate that the front wheel is hard to turn until you take the fork out and clean it.
or you wipe down and clean your bike on a regular basis as part of regular care and maintenance...I ride a 2K+ bike regularly on one and have for many years with no issues because it routinely gets cleaned, oiled etc0 -
samthepanda wrote: »Thanks for all the advice guys. We have a 'spare' bike, well it was reconditioned for son, who won't go out on it. Can it be any bike, I mean does it matter it its as mountain bike or does it have to be a road bike? I don't think I'll be doing more than 30-40 mins at a stretch,and it won't be at any great speed but its better than nothing when it's hard to get out and exercise.
smooth tires on the bike are key - knobby tires (like you see on mountain bikes) aren't good0 -
samthepanda wrote: »Can it be any bike, I mean does it matter it its as mountain bike or does it have to be a road bike?
You'll need to change out the rear skewer for one that'll come with the trainer, and on a mountain bike I'd swap the tyre for a smooth one. My trainer has some adaptors that would allow me to use a smaller circumference tyre, as on an MTB, but I' not sure that applies to all.
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deannalfisher wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Something to consider: Don't use an expensive bike with a trainer. While it is unlikely the trainer will damage the bike I have found that the bike I use on the trainer becomes unridable due to sweat running down the head tube. I have had so much salt accumulate that the front wheel is hard to turn until you take the fork out and clean it.
or you wipe down and clean your bike on a regular basis as part of regular care and maintenance...I ride a 2K+ bike regularly on one and have for many years with no issues because it routinely gets cleaned, oiled etc
Wiping down the bike does nothing for sweat in the head tube. The only way to clean it is to remove the fork. It isn't hard but it is time consuming and I don't enjoy doing it very much.0 -
Easy but a hassle, I dedicated one of my bikes for trainer duty. Consistency is the key with wheel on trainer. Keep the same air pressure and roller tension. Some advise releasing the roller after each ride but I don't bother. I also don't bother wirh trainer specific tires. Have a mat underneath the bike to catch the sweat and a bra over the bike (towel will do). Keep a hand towel handy. Fans, keep the air moving over your core. Some also recommend flow over the tension rollers but I haven't found my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine needed it. After three years on my KK RM, I switch to a smart trainer, Elite Drivo. It's a dream and a splurge. I have used Netflix, youtube, and Sufferfest for distractions but nothing beats Zwift especially on a smart trainer.0
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TimothyFish wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Something to consider: Don't use an expensive bike with a trainer. While it is unlikely the trainer will damage the bike I have found that the bike I use on the trainer becomes unridable due to sweat running down the head tube. I have had so much salt accumulate that the front wheel is hard to turn until you take the fork out and clean it.
or you wipe down and clean your bike on a regular basis as part of regular care and maintenance...I ride a 2K+ bike regularly on one and have for many years with no issues because it routinely gets cleaned, oiled etc
Wiping down the bike does nothing for sweat in the head tube. The only way to clean it is to remove the fork. It isn't hard but it is time consuming and I don't enjoy doing it very much.
not really - I have no issues with my head tube and keeping it clean and functioning. my bike goes it once a year to my LBS for an in depth clean. No issue and I do probably 90% of my rides on the trainer right now0 -
I have another recommendation and years of experience teaching kids how to ride bikes and coaching teenagers in road racing.
Balance can be a scary thing for kids who have never learned to ride. When I have taught older kids how to ride bikes I remove the pedals and lower the saddle so their feet comfortably touch the ground. They can push themselves with their feet and as they develop confidence and stability can coast by lifting their feet up. It's basically making a balance bike for older people. Once they can coast for 20-30 feet with their feet up, they are ready for the pedals and an increase in saddle height.
Another thing I've taught my road biking kids is that steering comes from your core, not from your hands. Once people recognize that, biking becomes a lot less scary for them (and some go on to learn to ride hands free!)
A trainer is a solid idea and will help to get someone in good shape, but the core issue will probably be balance and trainers don't really give you practice with that skill.0 -
deannalfisher wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Something to consider: Don't use an expensive bike with a trainer. While it is unlikely the trainer will damage the bike I have found that the bike I use on the trainer becomes unridable due to sweat running down the head tube. I have had so much salt accumulate that the front wheel is hard to turn until you take the fork out and clean it.
or you wipe down and clean your bike on a regular basis as part of regular care and maintenance...I ride a 2K+ bike regularly on one and have for many years with no issues because it routinely gets cleaned, oiled etc
Wiping down the bike does nothing for sweat in the head tube. The only way to clean it is to remove the fork. It isn't hard but it is time consuming and I don't enjoy doing it very much.
not really - I have no issues with my head tube and keeping it clean and functioning. my bike goes it once a year to my LBS for an in depth clean. No issue and I do probably 90% of my rides on the trainer right now
Perhaps you don't sweat as much as I do.0 -
Lots of good advice about trainers here. I like my Kenetic fluid trainer a lot.
But, what about getting an exer-cycle? People are always selling used ones. They are more stable. Just a thought.0
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