Anyone on here with any experience of the Turbo trainer things that you put under your bike back wheels and allow you to do indoor training.?
Thinking of getting one but as usual price range from one extreme to the other!
|
|
I looked into getting one during the first lockdown. It seems you have to have a 'spike' going through the back wheel hub (ie a quickly detachable back wheel that leaves the chain and derailleur in place). I didn't have a suitable bike.
|
Yeah am thinking of using my old hybrid bike for it. As far as I can see you just take the spindle out the back wheel and put the other one in.
Well that’s the basic versions anyway!
|
The cheap quick release skewers with an external cam won't fit the locking nut on turbo trainers. You need to use a dedicated skewer made for trainers or fit a proper one from either Campagnolo or Shimano which have the cam enclosed.
Other than that, having used a few turbos I'd rather go out for an hour in torrential rain than spend ten minutes on those mind numbingly boring things.
|
There are basically two types. The more expensive ones effectively replace the rear wheel, with a freewheel cassette being mounted on the trainer connected to a variable resistance with built in sensors. These may or may not be suitable for the bike you want to use - the width of the rear axle, the type and number of gears and the wheel size being possible variables. These will generally be connected using a quick release (or nowadays a through axle which would normally screw into the right hand dropout).
Another type have the rear wheel running on a roller which is connected to the resistance (usually a fan, hence the name 'turbo'). The bike is held in place by clamps on the left and right dropout. Depending on the machine, they may cope with wheel sizes other than the usual 700c used by road bikes. Models for under GBP are available with the better ones being up to GBP 250. A support is placed under the front wheel.
The older type of front and rear rollers should generally be avoided.
To stave off boredom, sensors connected to a laptop running a simulation program (Zwift is an example but there are others) is useful to have and the cheaper models might not be compatible.
I have a dedicated machine (iFit Tour de France) which has trainer videos or Streetview images with automatic resistance changes and gear changes which I quite like.
|
|
I'm a keen cyclist (min 100 miles/week) but whenever I have used an indoor trainer, I just get incredibly bored. Even on a cold winter's day I would rather be out doing 'real' cycling. If you are going to use an indoor trainer, IMHO a fan is essential.
|
I have a reasonable amount of experience with them.
Don’t bother getting one if you just want to sit and pedal while staring at a blank wall, you’ll get bored and sore within 10 minutes. If you have an old PC, or an iPad, or are willing to splash out another £130 on an Apple TV, then they can be good fun.
Best value for money at the moment is the new Zwift trainer, but any “wheel off” version will be fine. Zwift / Rouvy / Trainerroad / RGT all pretty entertaining and will keep you fit over the winter (especially Zwift if you like the races).
You’ll need a big fan too.
Last edited by: Fursty Ferret on Fri 21 Oct 22 at 15:50
|
Bike turbo trainers - bathtub tom
