I have started to look at indoor trainers or the garden as might be my wifes preference
Does anyone have suggestions, trying to keep it under the 100 mark
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help
Turbo Trainer
(21 posts)- Started 11 years ago by Bruce
- Latest reply from holophrasis
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Posted 11 years ago #
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My son has a cheapo from Decathlon.
He thinks it good value. (I haven't tried it myself).Posted 11 years ago # -
Boring as heck.
Get a fan or you sweat like the pig who knows he's dinner. I used to stick a Yellow Pages under the front wheel but you can get a special thing for that now.
Mine has been sitting folded in the garage for about 15 years, it's that much fun.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I heard they can be boring, but the alternative would be heading out around 8pm which does not hold much appeal for lots of reasons, mainly safety.
Thanks for Decathlon reminder
Posted 11 years ago # -
I've got a taxc (sp?) Sirius which has been fine so far and is reasonably quiet which is good news in a shared household.
Boredom can be staved off with music/videos/e-books/dedicated training vids. Any gym work to me is boring without some sort of distraction! (I quite like the "Sufferfest" "Angels" dvd for a tough session
On the plus side you can get a pretty hard training session in for a very short period of time and you don't have to wash the bike afterwards. +1 for a thick book under the front wheeland a def +1 for a big fan, also worth taping an old towel over the top tube to collect drips..As soon as ouur guests head off I'm going to have to reclaim the man cave and set mine up again, def got some christmas calories to pay for :-(
Posted 11 years ago # -
Thanks folks, picked up an Elite Mag from Halfords yesterday. Now to work out the best way to train on it.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Bruce: "Now to work out the best way to train on it"
Can I be the first to offer a suggestion? Joe Friel's Cyclists' Training Bible.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Something vaguely interesting but unimportant on TV helps pass the time - Six Nations rugby is just round the corner, and fits the bill to perfection.
Smudge's tip for the towel is wise - and you can get the interestingly named:
Posted 11 years ago # -
Can I be the first to offer a suggestion? Joe Friel's Cyclists' Training Bible.
I would suggest The Obree Way, but after the other night, when my wife tripped over the pot of urine Graeme told me to place by the turbo trainer, perhaps that's not such a good idea.
Posted 11 years ago # -
A chap at work has kindly given me Arnie Baker's book on successful cycling.
Will see how I get on
Posted 11 years ago # -
Thought I'd pop this picture here which is the venn diagram showing which The Sufferfest videos are useful for what. I know that many here are not that interested in racing but these things make a huge amount of difference with general fitness which can be applied in any cycling situation. They also stop the boredom.
I did the King of the pennines (100 miles and 9000ft+ climbing) after really only doing hill climb training videos (angels), sprint videos (downward spiral and revolver), and some TT race simulation stuff (fight club), Furthest I'd ridden on the actual bike in months on the road was 60 miles and that only twice. So these vids can be used to improve your ability to maintain pace up hills etc. I love them and now own most of them. they're an important part of me keeping fit at the moment what with the weather and dark and stuff.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'm looking at getting either a turbo trainer, or the alternative of a "roller". Not sure which. Any opinions?
If the turbo trainer, this one on Amazon appears to get good reviews, and is £60:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bike-Magnetic-Turbo-Trainer-Variable/dp/B004JO48K6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_2
On the other hand, if I were to take bikeradar's advice, I'd need to shell out a huge amount of extra cash for either a trainer or a roller:
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/best-turbo-trainers-and-rollers-32041/
Any opinions on whether it's worth spending the extra cash?
If I get one of these, I'm going to attempt to avoid the boredom through two different tactics, ample dvd box sets waiting to be watched, and short and severe punishment rather than long drawn out rides.
Posted 11 years ago # -
weiss, why do you want a turbo trainer?
Posted 11 years ago # -
To train in winter on days when the roads are not conducive to slicks
Posted 11 years ago # -
You could use a turbo or rollers for maintaining base fitness with "long steady distance". If you want to progress towards a target event, through base and on to the build, peak and race stages in training you will be better off with a turbo.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Unless you have a sound-proofed room or a garage/shed to use it in, a turbo trainer is one of those try-before-you-buy things. I have an Elite trainer which has served me well for over 15 years but indoors the noise and vibration travels through the floorboards. You can get silencing mats but I'd guess they only partially solve the problem.
Fluid trainers are generally quieter than magnetic or air resistance ones. It's too simplistic to say you get what you pay for (as some very expensive ones can still make a racket), but it's still a reasonable rule of thumb. If you go mail order, check if it's going to cost you to return it because that won't be cheap if the seller doesn't offer free returns!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Don't buy an air-resistance turbo; even if you can find one that hasn't shattered into a thousand pieces flinging shrapnel around the room.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Cheers for the responses.
I think I'm starting to consider the rollers over the turbo trainer, because from what I have read over the past few days, I would be bored senseless on a turbo trainer, whereas on a roller, you actually have to balance and thus it is a lot more like riding a bike. There is of course the fear of falling off, but that just needs to be dealt with. Starting off using it in a narrow hallway sounds like the way to go.
@Cyclingmollie - is your point about training for an event and thus being better off with a turbo because of the lack of resistance that rollers generally have? Or does a turbo have other advantages over and above that? If it's the former, there seems to be more expensive options which have some form of resistence, including this somewhat more pricey, but well reviewed item:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-v-arion-parabolic-inertial-rollers/
Posted 11 years ago # -
@weiss, yes, just that. Those rollers with resistance look like they might be the perfect solution. I've not tried rollers. The balance issue could be great or really off-putting.
There is a third way - Graeme Obree's stripped down turbo training technique. I haven't the nerve to do that to a turbo though.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I agree re: the balance thing, although from various reviews of rollers (that one and others), the general consensus appears to be that within minutes / hours / a few days at most, people get used to it and enjoy it far more than being effectively stuck on a stationary bike, which would drive me nuts.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I find trainer road (http://www.trainerroad.com/) good for alleviating the boredom. If you've got the various ANT+ sensors on the bike it works quite well. Lots of workouts and training plans plus you can suspend your subscription when you are not using it.
You can sync it with the Sufferfest videos if enjoy pain and sweat in equal amounts. Helps you work out that 9/10 effort really hurts after a short while.
Posted 11 years ago #
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