Turbo trainer advice

Mark-one

I am new to road biking and want to keep up my fitness during those cold winter months. I would really appreciate any advice on what I should be looking for when purchasing a Turbotraininer?

tramotane

Hi Mark One ,

i have used TACX turbos for ages clocking over 10,000 miles on one.Bear in mind that turbo miles have no correlation with road miles thoough.

if you are planning on doing more than 5 hours a week , i would get something like the tacx excel or i magic, these esp the I magic have loads of numbers and PC connectivity with routes etc.

the power readings you see though are not very accurate mind, but they are ideal for measuring progress abd a hour on the turbo on a frosty Janauary night listening to some banging tunes is nice --- sometimes.

also use a cheap hard tyre vittoria rubinos wired wear well and its fun seeing bits of rubber flying off !+ use a fan for cooling you'll sweat buckets.

Mark-one

Thanks Tramotane. Lots of good advice there. Is it true you shouldn't turbotrain for more than 1 hr at a time? Having never been on one I don't know how much punishment/heat generation they (or my wheel) can take.

Mark

cervelorider

Mark-one wrote:

Thanks Tramotane. Lots of good advice there. Is it true you shouldn't turbotrain for more than 1 hr at a time? Having never been on one I don't know how much punishment/heat generation they (or my wheel) can take.

Mark

You can turbo train for as long as you can stand it Mark, but it's best to start off doing shorter sessions between 30+60 mins so you dont get bored too quickly using it.
I did regular 2hr sessions over last winter, but this was music assisted - I couldn't have done it without.

tramotane

mark one,

turbo trainers can be mind numbingly boring!.If you can rig up a TV +DVD you can watch films whilst you pedal away , tour stages on DVD have a habit of making you ride like you should be there!.

an hour i find is about as much as i can take but there are people out there who have done 5 hours on them but it depends on your goals, i used mine when it was too icy on the lanes and for testing fitness

the turbos i have used have managed fine with the heat build up, fluid ones have cooling fins which get hot to the touch.Old racing tyres do explode at high watts, satisfying

also drink loads

sward29

Joe Beer's website has a range of turbo sessions to develop different aspects of performance. I only recently found out about the link to these sessions so can't yet vouch for their usefulness but he has a good reputation as a coach.

Good luck


http://www.jbst.com

BeaconRuth

I don't think anyone has mentioned yet that big electric fan is a good idea. I can't imagine a turbo session without a fan set up about 12" in front of my nose on full blast. In the middle of winter I start off without it switched on - because I start off shivering in the freezing cold of my shed - but without fail I find I need it after about 15-20 mins.

As far as makes and models go, it's really not necessary to spend a huge amount if it's something you'll use just to tick-over on in the winter. Different turbo trainers do feel very different in terms of how stable they are, how smooth the wheel rolls in them and how much resistance they provide. If you're able to try out a few in a local bike shop I think you'd quickly get a feel for your preference.

Ruth

SteveR_100Milers

Ruth - what's "tick over" in terms of PE?

Alex_Simmons/RST

BeaconRuth wrote:

I don't think anyone has mentioned yet that big electric fan is a good idea. I can't imagine a turbo session without a fan set up about 12" in front of my nose on full blast. In the middle of winter I start off without it switched on - because I start off shivering in the freezing cold of my shed - but without fail I find I need it after about 15-20 mins.

As far as makes and models go, it's really not necessary to spend a huge amount if it's something you'll use just to tick-over on in the winter. Different turbo trainers do feel very different in terms of how stable they are, how smooth the wheel rolls in them and how much resistance they provide. If you're able to try out a few in a local bike shop I think you'd quickly get a feel for your preference.

Ruth

Good advice - as big a fan as you can use and where possible - a cool environment. For some that might mean air-con. Remember that even at moderate effort levels you have a 30kph wind cooling you when riding a bike outdoors.

BeaconRuth

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Ruth - what's "tick over" in terms of PE?

Now, let me just check................. you forgot the winking smiley after that question? Right?

Ruth

campagman

I have a pretty basic turbo, it does have variable resistance. I also use a comp. with cadence and a HRM. This does my fine but I don't just sit on it and pedal away for a long time. I use interval sessions to keep my mind occupied, Joe Beers are ok. A fan is important too.

Pagem

campagman wrote:

A fan is important too.

yeah, nothing like a bit of support to get you through a tough indoor session. i get mine to wave banners and scream "allez! allez!", all whilst pouring evian mineral water over my head and back.

Pagem

Mark-one wrote:

I am new to road biking and want to keep up my fitness during those cold winter months. I would really appreciate any advice on what I should be looking for when purchasing a Turbotraininer?

to keep boredom at bay some cycle/triathlon clubs hold turbo evening one night through the week. hire out a hall and for a few quid you can have a group ride (of sorts).

andrewgturnbull

tramotane wrote:

mark one,

turbo trainers can be mind numbingly boring!.If you can rig up a TV +DVD you can watch films whilst you pedal away , tour stages on DVD have a habit of making you ride like you should be there!.

Hi there.

A laptop, a wireless lan and a subscription to cycling.tv and you're golden.

Cheers, Andy