Expensive bikes and turbo trainers

ut_och_cykla
ut_och_cykla Posts: 1,594
edited November 2008 in Training, fitness and health
Good idea? and more importantly WHY might it not be a good idea. Ideally I'd like some nice physics type numbers to support any conclusions.
Personally I think the forces involved are no worse than those experinced when road riding but a bloke I know is CERTAIN i'm wrong - there's at least one beer riding on this so come on chaps give a gal a hand!

Comments

  • gkerr4
    gkerr4 Posts: 3,408
    this has been discussed a lot - which different people quoting various physics qualifications / experience and I still haven't found anything definitive!

    Some say that the anchoring of rear axle puts unusual forces on the frame - some say it is no more than on the road.

    Personally - i see the way an aluminium frame flexing at the BB when it is on the turbo means that I don't let my S-Works roubaix carbon frame anywhere near it!
  • andrewgturnbull
    andrewgturnbull Posts: 3,861
    Hi there.

    Quick answer - in the saddle, no problem. Out of the saddle sprints - don't do it.

    I used my old oclv for 5 years+ on the turbo, no problems.

    These days I usually use my TT bike on the turbo/rollers, as it's the only bike that doesn't get ridden in the winter months, so it's handy to leave set up for the turbo.

    Cheers, Andy
    http://www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk
  • Sfelt
    Sfelt Posts: 55
    Why doesn't someone with an disposable frame TRY and break it, then give us some feedback. :wink:
  • andrewgturnbull
    andrewgturnbull Posts: 3,861
    Sfelt wrote:
    Why doesn't someone with an disposable frame TRY and break it, then give us some feedback. :wink:

    Hi there.

    A friend of mine snapped a chainstay on his Madone while sprinting out of the saddle on his turbo...

    Cheers, Andy
    http://www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk
  • ut_och_cykla
    ut_och_cykla Posts: 1,594
    Aha - someone who has a 'friend' who broke his bike on teh turbo. Anyone actually done it themselves?
    I know the BB wiggles about a bit if you don't peddle smoothly but... what happens on the road - the tyres/wheels don't usually jump about if you do the same thing.

    Looking forward to more replies....and my beer! :)
  • gkerr4
    gkerr4 Posts: 3,408
    ut_och_cykla wrote:
    Aha - someone who has a 'friend' who broke his bike on teh turbo. Anyone actually done it themselves?
    I know the BB wiggles about a bit if you don't peddle smoothly but... what happens on the road - the tyres/wheels don't usually jump about if you do the same thing.

    Looking forward to more replies....and my beer! :)

    no - but the whole frame moves about - possibly side to side if you were throwing it about - the frame can't move in a turbo - or at least the rear axle can't - so the rest of the frame must flex to take the energy.

    this theory above is not accepted by all and thats fair enough - but i still won't put my posh bike on the turbo - the exception being to gently run it through the gears for maintenance and sorting indexing etc.
  • andrewgturnbull
    andrewgturnbull Posts: 3,861
    ut_och_cykla wrote:
    Aha - someone who has a 'friend' who broke his bike on teh turbo. Anyone actually done it themselves?
    I know the BB wiggles about a bit if you don't peddle smoothly but... what happens on the road - the tyres/wheels don't usually jump about if you do the same thing.

    Looking forward to more replies....and my beer! :)

    Hi there.

    No really I do have a friend...

    "Out of the saddle" is the crucial bit of info you missed here.

    The difference when you're out of the saddle is that you tend to throw the bike from left to right, and vice versa. Out on the road, that's fine. On the turbo the bike is held in place, hence the snapped chainstay.

    Personaly I have no problems, and my similar carbon-framed bike lasted many years - but then I'm a time-triallist type and hence don't ride out of the saddle much!

    Cheers, Andy
    http://www.andyturnbull.co.uk
    http://www.stirlingtri.co.uk
  • lfcquin
    lfcquin Posts: 470
    Ride Titanium and then don't worry :D
  • Al_38
    Al_38 Posts: 277
    Wouldn't make a difference what frame material you use on it. When the axle is clamped and you are out of the saddle then you are putting a reasonable amount of force into the frame (laterally and also a twisting moment) (this is in a manner that no frame is designed for - but the more optimised for light weight, the less the frame will be able to take as material will have been removed). The frame material and tube shapes have a finite amount of times they can be loaded (elastically) before failure (Miner's empirical rule). So if you did this for prolonged periods of time when really trying to swing the bike, something will fail. Sitting down is fine as the unusual forces are so small as to be negligble in the frames lifespan.

    Looks like you may owe your mate a pint :wink:
    Al
  • alien8
    alien8 Posts: 16
    Uncle Al has a little bit to say about this "Bike Damage from Indoor Trainers" in this weeks issue of the RBR newletter (http://www.roadbikerider.com/currentissue.htm).

    Cheers, Alien8
  • ut_och_cykla
    ut_och_cykla Posts: 1,594
    Thanks Alien8 looks like I might get my beer after all :) -but I'd love to see some figures. Also I've never seen any disclaimer with the common turbo trainers (like - this trainer is not intended to be used with a carbon framed bike) .
    perhaps I should contact TAcx. :!:
  • thetrotter
    thetrotter Posts: 258
    No-one has yet mentioned the problem of sweat. Sure a carbon (or titanium) frame won't corrode but an aluminium one will as will bits like cranks, headsets etc. Draping towels over the frame and wiping it down after every session will help offset this but it is worth bearing in mind. Personally wouldn't used a decent bike on a turbo for anything other than warming up for events.
  • ut_och_cykla
    ut_och_cykla Posts: 1,594
    I've been in touch with tacx who said that trainers are designed to absorb some of the forces involved using a bike on a trainer and also pointed me to an article in one of last years TOUR ( a German publication) whcih measured the forces invloved and concluded that road riding placed greater stress on bike frames than turbo training.
    My beer me thinks!
  • mclarent
    mclarent Posts: 784
    thetrotter wrote:
    No-one has yet mentioned the problem of sweat. Sure a carbon (or titanium) frame won't corrode but an aluminium one will as will bits like cranks, headsets etc. Draping towels over the frame and wiping it down after every session will help offset this but it is worth bearing in mind. Personally wouldn't used a decent bike on a turbo for anything other than warming up for events.

    Only problem with that is having the space for a spare bike...
    "And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
    - eccolafilosofiadelpedale
  • Al_38
    Al_38 Posts: 277
    Does give you the perfect excuse to have another one though 8)

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