Why doesn't anbody offer a.....

ariege_cyclist

How come there are no turbo trainer specific wheels available on the market?

There are turbo tyres, turbo sweat protectors, turbo bits to lift the front wheel a fraction (never heard of using a book?), computer bits and pieces etc..

But a dedicated turbo trainer wheel would actually be something useful, made out of a single casting (iron rather than aluminium as its heavier and cheaper) it would be pretty cheap, easy to machine the tyre surface and hub internals for press fit bearings (no sideways forces on a trainer), no need to worry about braking surfaces. It could be very heavy or just heavy depending on design and would help us all to get a much better "road feel" due to the inertia of this mass spinning round, much more so than the cr@ppy little flywheels most turbo trainers have.

Add in some profiled spokes to add resistance if required and there'd be no need to use our regular wheel on the turbo, so come on someone, who will be first to market? (I'm tempted to try it myself but I can't afford a mold for the casting and starting from a steel blank would be quite a bit of machining!)

lae

Cast iron is so brittle you'd have to make it pretty thick, or you'd risk cracking it if you dropped it or knocked it. I don't think you could spoke a cast-iron wheel at all (not springy enough), so it would be solid and incredibly heavy.

You could use an old 27" steel wheel - they're pretty heavy and very robust. Probably quite easy to weld weights to, if you wanted it to be heavier.

softlad

wonder what the postage would be on a 29" cast iron disc...?? Can't see the postie putting one of those in his bag....plus you'd have a job finding billet in that size....

plastic would make more sense...

schweiz

softlad wrote:

plus you'd have a job finding billet in that size....

Why would you need to find a billet? It's cast iron!! you just melt it and pour it into the mould!!

As for postage, plenty of places offer to deliver spinning bikes which have a fairly hefty flywheel. An aluminium billet would be easy enough to machine and it could be designed to have the ability to increase the mass by adding tungsten weights to rim.

Saying all that though, I often think one of the disadvantages of sprinting on a spinning bike with hardly any brake applied is that the flywheel can tend to take over and drive your legs which is not realistic, the rotating mass is just too high when compared to a road bike. Also, I think one of the advantages of turbo training is that you can't freewheel thus making the workout more efficient! And if it's more efficient I can justify to myself to spend less time on the damn thing!!

softlad

schweiz wrote:

softlad wrote:

plus you'd have a job finding billet in that size....

Why would you need to find a billet? It's cast iron!! you just melt it and pour it into the mould!!

If you read his post again, the OP also mentioned machining from a 'steel blank', as well as casting from a mould...

either way, it's not going to happen...

skyd0g

The other problem (materials aside) is the fact that you'd have to mass produce and sell it in sufficient quantities to make it commercially viable - especially when comparing the projected retail price against an old cast-off wheel.

ariege_cyclist

Interstingly price rarley seems to be a driver in cycling kit that offers some benefit (and many times no benefit) when you look at the thousands of pounds that some folk throw at components saving 5 or 6 grams, or clothing with the R@pha name on it.

If a dedicated turbo wheel actually made riding on the damn turbo a bit more realistic it should be easy to sell 2 or 3 thousand a year to the northern European (long dark winter) market.

I've designed commercial SG cast iron components at similar quatities that can be produced quite cheaply, so it shouldn't be too difficult for one of the big names to persuade us all that we desperately need to buy one to be faster and fitter at the end of the winter, and make a half decent profit from it.

I like the idea of plastic but I would think you'd need in excess of 10kg, maybe 20kg to make the turbo experience something like riding a 80kg bike and rider combo along the road. No need to spoke the wheel, the large spokes would be part of the casting, concentrate the wheel weight at the rim where it provides more momentum.

schweiz

softlad wrote:

schweiz wrote:

softlad wrote:

plus you'd have a job finding billet in that size....

Why would you need to find a billet? It's cast iron!! you just melt it and pour it into the mould!!

If you read his post again, the OP also mentioned machining from a 'steel blank', as well as casting from a mould...

either way, it's not going to happen...

If you read *your* reponse again *you* specifically replied about the cast iron option!!

Anyway, like you say it ain't gonna happen.

softlad

schweiz wrote:

If you read *your* reponse again *you* specifically replied about the cast iron option!!

Anyway, like you say it ain't gonna happen.

why are you arguing about this..?

If it's important to you, then I did address both the casting and billet issues - both are evident in my post.

I thought it was clear enough, but if you want to score a meaningless point, then go right ahead.....

rake

heavy :P

teagar

I'm surprised turbo-dynamos arn't more popular.


Good way to help you burry yourself. Try and boil an electric kettle! Ouch.

cougie

Far easier just to use an old wheel.