Turbo trainer help

[Robmarriott]

I’m looking to buy a turbo trainer but I have no idea what I’m looking at, can anyone give me any pointers?

I live in a first floor flat, the kind of flat that the whole building shakes if someone has their washing machine on, so I’d want one which was mega mega quiet.

My bike has through axles so I’d need one which is compatible.

I’m not fussed about it being able to connect to a tv and display a faux route or anything like that, maybe some sort of app controlled functionality would be ok but purely to measure distance, calories and so on but again I’m not really that fussed there just as long as it’s quiet.

I also don’t want to spend all the money on it.

I’d go in to my local bike shop but I think they’ll try to push one of the models they make the most margin on rather than what I’m actually after.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Usget]

Depending on how much you like your downstairs neighbours, you may be asking the impossible. I've never found a turbo which doesn't cause some ambient vibration when you're working hard.

A direct drive turbo will be quieter than a wheel-on model but that conflicts with your "cheap and cheerful" requirement. DCR suggests that the new model of Wahoo KICKR is quieter than a church mouse in felt slippers, but he's testing it on a hard floor in a basement. I think it's inevitable that there would be some transmission of vibration through floorboards. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2018/07/wahoo-kickr-20...

You can mitigate the vibration to some extent using a nice thick exercise mat - something like this. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Premium-15mm-Thick-Yoga-E...

Have you considered moving house?

[Robmarriott]

Usget said:

Have you considered moving house?

Yeah, I will be but not til Nov/Dec sort of time.

Usget said:

Depending on how much you like your downstairs neighbours, you may be asking the impossible. I've never found a turbo which doesn't cause some ambient vibration when you're working hard.

A direct drive turbo will be quieter than a wheel-on model but that conflicts with your "cheap and cheerful" requirement. DCR suggests that the new model of Wahoo KICKR is quieter than a church mouse in felt slippers, but he's testing it on a hard floor in a basement. I think it's inevitable that there would be some transmission of vibration through floorboards. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2018/07/wahoo-kickr-20...

You can mitigate the vibration to some extent using a nice thick exercise mat - something like this. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Premium-15mm-Thick-Yoga-E...

That's far too steep for me, my bike was less than that Good shout on the floor mat though.

It's going to have to be a wheel driven one, I definitely can't stretch to direct drive looking at the prices, I'd probably want to spend £400 as an absolute maximum.

[snobetter]

I'm having this delivered today to go with my £50 Aldi turbo trainer and my thru axle bike.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kinetic-Thru-Axle-Thread-...

[anonymous-user]

The only turbo I've used which is quiet and vibration free is a Tacx Neo

Turbos are something that you will, sooner or later, learn to hate. So buy one that folds up for easy storage. Or keep the box and take photos for the ebay advert.

[upsidedownmark]

In flats the problem is more likely to be transmitted vibration. My gf's trainer doesn't sound loud in the room, but if walk into the lobby when she's trainig on the 3rd floor the place is humming like it's getting ready for takeoff.

Neo is pretty good, but I'd not say 'quiet'. AFAIK it doesn't seem to rattle through the block like hers does. I do like to run it in the biggest possible gear combination to maximise flywheel tho..

In every case the biggest thing you can do to reduce noise is spin it slowly. Max resistance, smallest (climbing) gears. Of course that has the unfortunate side effect of maxmising the misery by making it as un-roadlike as possible.

The only thing I would throw out as a possible contender is the STAC Zero. Not used, never even seen, but dcrainmaker has reviewed, and it should be one of the quietest options in theory without paying big bucks for smarts.

Basically, you can't have your cake and eat it. Budget wheel on trainers are pretty much of a muchness in my experience and united in their desire to emulate concorde at full chat.

Greg66 said:

Turbos are something that you will, sooner or later, learn to hate. So buy one that folds up for easy storage. Or keep the box and take photos for the ebay advert.

But, if you care about getting faster, you will learn to make your peace with it - I don't know anyone fast who doesn't use one on a regular basis! Tech helps, as does having a plan, and various forms of distraction. Can't say it's ever fun, but it works.

Edited by upsidedownmark on Friday 11th January 15:05

[Usget]

A good solution here would be rollers, wouldn't it? No resistance, but good for training and core strength. Fit a power meter to your bike and you could do power-based training the same as you could on a turbo.

[anonymous-user]

upsidedownmark said:

Greg66 said:

Turbos are something that you will, sooner or later, learn to hate. So buy one that folds up for easy storage. Or keep the box and take photos for the ebay advert.

But, if you care about getting faster, you will learn to make your peace with it - I don't know anyone fast who doesn't use one on a regular basis! Tech helps, as does having a plan, and various forms of distraction. Can't say it's ever fun, but it works.

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 11th January 15:05

I think that's the core use for a turbo: getting faster. Which sounds trite ("why would I buy one other than to get faster?") but the reality is that the context of getting faster means racing. When I raced tris I used one a lot in a structured way. And duly got faster (and no, it never got fun - the longest turbo session was 6h 8mins of dripping unpleasantness!)

But if you're not racing, and are thinking of one to use as general fitness device (which is what the OP seems to be looking for) it is a fking ballache of the first order. And unless it leads to racing, it *will* end up in a cupboard or on ebay.

[Jimbo.]

Usget said:

A good solution here would be rollers, wouldn't it? No resistance, but good for training and core strength. Fit a power meter to your bike and you could do power-based training the same as you could on a turbo.

Still noisey. Not much quieter than a (wheel-driven, magnetic resistance) turbo IME, and you can’t hold the same power levels you can with a tubro. You can hit them momentarily, but even spinning like a mad thing in 52-11, it soon tails off.

[Gareth79]

I have a Tacx Neo, and owned a Flux for a month or so (until it broke). The Neo is much quieter and produces much less vibration, but does have a higher pitched whine when riding at higher speeds/gears (but it's not obviously loud). With the Neo you are pedaling directly against an electric motor, so there's no heavy flywheel to create the vibration.

Obviously it's expensive though, if you can find the old version it might be around £800. edit: Ok this might be over your budget....

Definitely do not use the road-feel feature though, THAT will be heard/felt downstairs

[anonymous-user]

This one, from passoni, comes with a free app called magnetic days

http://www.passoni.it/dettagliprodotto.php?id=12

[Rich_W]

Honestly, unless you hate everyone in your block. Don't use a Turbo inside. You'll come home 1 day from work, find your door kicked in and bikes and turbo stolen! And NO ONE will have heard a thing.

Personally, when training for Ironman. I only use it in my parents back garden (I bought a cheapish gazebo from Amazon so I can carry on if it's raining) Obviously any friends with suitable areas could be persuaded. If I was in another flat I've been in, (ground floor and properly solid concrete floors) Id have possibly entertained it.

You could use it in your communal grounds if you have any. Or perhaps inside a garage

[lufbramatt]

Kinetic road machine about the quietest wheel on trainer but still not that quiet tbh. Once I’ve got a fan on too I can’t hear an iPad speaker clearly and have to use a more powerful external speaker to listen to music/ films etc. Mine is in a concrete floored garage, can’t imagine using it in a flat.

I do quite enjoy trainer sessions though, it’s good for clearing your mind and zoning out without worrying about getting run over

[Usget]

Jimbo. said:

Usget said:

A good solution here would be rollers, wouldn't it? No resistance, but good for training and core strength. Fit a power meter to your bike and you could do power-based training the same as you could on a turbo.

Still noisey. Not much quieter than a (wheel-driven, magnetic resistance) turbo IME, and you can’t hold the same power levels you can with a tubro. You can hit them momentarily, but even spinning like a mad thing in 52-11, it soon tails off.

Fair enough - never used them myself and assumed they'd be less vibration-y because of not having a flywheel.

[Paul Drawmer]

I use a Cyclops magnus. Magnetic resistance trainers are quieter than mechanical. It also generates power/speed/distance data.

Mine is in the garage, and I think it is quite quiet on the concrete floor in there. No idea how noisy it would be in an apartment building.

I wear a wahoo HRM, and connect to the Wahoo Fitness app on a tablet. I use this to basically do workouts according to a pre set pattern of efforts and recoveries with warm up and warm down at each end.

I have the radio on, and following a plan keeps my concentration ok for my 45 minute sessions. I've been fairly regular using it when it's raining in the summer, and at least 4 times a week when it is too cold to be fun out.

Using the turbo has become a regular part of regime and I no longer find it a chore or boring. I do tend to do a lot of mental arithmetic when I'm on the trainer playing with the numbers and times, and whilst there's physical effort, my mind get very relaxed.

Edited by Paul Drawmer on Saturday 12th January 08:01