Turbo Trainers
Discussion
I would tbh, if you live near urban areas, I used to go out @ 8pm 3 x a week and do laps of the town, using the traffic lights and hills for makeshift interval training, kept me fit during winter. Outlay on lights wasn't too bad as there was streetlighting
Riding in winter isn't too bad, once you get used to it, I feel it makes you a better more rounded rider.
Riding in winter isn't too bad, once you get used to it, I feel it makes you a better more rounded rider.
TwistingMyMelon said:
I would tbh, if you live near urban areas, I used to go out @ 8pm 3 x a week and do laps of the town, using the traffic lights and hills for makeshift interval training, kept me fit during winter. Outlay on lights wasn't too bad as there was streetlighting
Riding in winter isn't too bad, once you get used to it, I feel it makes you a better more rounded rider.
What sort of gear did you wear during the winter?Riding in winter isn't too bad, once you get used to it, I feel it makes you a better more rounded rider.
marting said:
TwistingMyMelon said:
I would tbh, if you live near urban areas, I used to go out @ 8pm 3 x a week and do laps of the town, using the traffic lights and hills for makeshift interval training, kept me fit during winter. Outlay on lights wasn't too bad as there was streetlighting
Riding in winter isn't too bad, once you get used to it, I feel it makes you a better more rounded rider.
What sort of gear did you wear during the winter?Riding in winter isn't too bad, once you get used to it, I feel it makes you a better more rounded rider.
Now I live more in the sticks the temps drop a lot colder , still plan to commute all year round.
I think i'd get too bored on rollers, its too synthetic for me.
Given the choice I'd rather go out, however it's a nice option to have if I'm short on time or it's snowing. I've got an Elite Chrono Fluid and had no problems other than it can be boring and get quite warm without a breeze. Both these can be sorted with a fan and the use of a laptop/trainerroad/sufferfest.
marting said:
With winter coming up, I'm thinking of getting one. What are peoples experiences with them?
They seem massively expensive for what they actually are, should I just man up and continue riding in the bad weather?
Winter riding is all about having good winter kit. And not riding at all if there's ice/snow on the ground. They seem massively expensive for what they actually are, should I just man up and continue riding in the bad weather?
IME a turbo is reat if you have specific goals and specific workouts timetabled. Otherwise it tends to sit there staring at you, and you stare at it thinking "Should I have a go on the turbo? Nah. Can't be arsed". Fortunately most manufacturers anticipate this and ensure that their turbos fold away for easy storage.
A turbo that plugs into a screen and allows you to ride specific terrain (eg Tacx's real life DVDs, or google earth routes) is a slightly better bet. Even then though I find I need a box set or two of DVDs to watch at the same time.
It depends if you want to ride or train. Having good winter kit really helps, especially when the weather is grim but not raining at the start of the ride, you feel like you can continue wthout returning home early when you have tights, thermals and a good jacket etc but if you are just going to bimble along at half the speed of a normal ride due to the weather, you'd be better on a turbo or some rollers and actually get some beenfit from the exercise.
If I get wrapped up in the winter gear and go for a ride, its just a ride, to get some fresh air and have fun rather than try to push myself etc. I bought some rollers which allow me to get 30 minutes really productive activity if the weather is grim and I dont have the time to bimble around South Glos at my "slower than normal because i'm just out for some fresh air, no really, today is a recovery day but you should have seen me yesterday i was flying" pace....
If I get wrapped up in the winter gear and go for a ride, its just a ride, to get some fresh air and have fun rather than try to push myself etc. I bought some rollers which allow me to get 30 minutes really productive activity if the weather is grim and I dont have the time to bimble around South Glos at my "slower than normal because i'm just out for some fresh air, no really, today is a recovery day but you should have seen me yesterday i was flying" pace....
I keep debating a turbo; but they're so pricey and I'm not sure if many can take a solid axle.
It would be a benefit for me I reckon as my riding tails off during the winter; I live in an extremely rural area, in my 7 mile bimble circuit I have less than 500 metres of street lighting and even though I'm lit up like its December 25th, last year I had some very, very near misses.
It would be a benefit for me I reckon as my riding tails off during the winter; I live in an extremely rural area, in my 7 mile bimble circuit I have less than 500 metres of street lighting and even though I'm lit up like its December 25th, last year I had some very, very near misses.
Disastrous said:
For those of you who turbo, and only have one bike and set of wheels, do you bother swapping the rear skewer back and forth? I haven't, and just ride with the Tacx skewer all the time but wondering if that's 'bad' somehow?
It'll be ok only if your front skewer is chrome I bought a turbo trainer a year ago, it sat staring at me for a year.... I have recently had reason to try again and I'm using it quite a bit when for varying reasons I can't go out proper....it's not all bad.
Disastrous said:
For those of you who turbo, and only have one bike and set of wheels, do you bother swapping the rear skewer back and forth? I haven't, and just ride with the Tacx skewer all the time but wondering if that's 'bad' somehow?
It's fine, unless you are a weightweenie/aero/fashion Nazi. Greg66 said:
Disastrous said:
For those of you who turbo, and only have one bike and set of wheels, do you bother swapping the rear skewer back and forth? I haven't, and just ride with the Tacx skewer all the time but wondering if that's 'bad' somehow?
It's fine, unless you are a weightweenie/aero/fashion Nazi. 
y2blade said:
Greg66 said:
Disastrous said:
For those of you who turbo, and only have one bike and set of wheels, do you bother swapping the rear skewer back and forth? I haven't, and just ride with the Tacx skewer all the time but wondering if that's 'bad' somehow?
It's fine, unless you are a weightweenie/aero/fashion Nazi. 
t! On it stays 
. And given I'm already wearing Lycra, there's little point worrying about looks...I used to use one when I wasnt allowed to ride a bike in the open air post shoulder ops. Good to keep the weight off when meant to be resting.
Its bloody boring though so make sure you have tv/radio/ipad etc handy. I used to watch the tv with the sound down and mp3 in on random, cane it to the fast songs and recover in the slow songs. You can get training vids and there used to be a thing called Spin Docter but after 4 or 5 goes with that it became tedious. A big fan wouldnt go a miss as you get very warm, sweat matt and something to go on the bike to keep the sweat of the frame.
Its bloody boring though so make sure you have tv/radio/ipad etc handy. I used to watch the tv with the sound down and mp3 in on random, cane it to the fast songs and recover in the slow songs. You can get training vids and there used to be a thing called Spin Docter but after 4 or 5 goes with that it became tedious. A big fan wouldnt go a miss as you get very warm, sweat matt and something to go on the bike to keep the sweat of the frame.
TwistingMyMelon said:
What about short bursts of sprints out of the saddle, or steep hills, can they replicate that, or is the same angle/resistance all the time?
Use gears and/or use a turbo variable resistance Turbos are also handy in that you can concentrate solely on pedalling, rather than the road/traffic/where you're going etc, etc.
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