Considering a turbo trainer....
Comments
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Have you got a power meter yet Bhima?0
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Nearly. Got a powertap unit with all the accessories cheap off a mate but just need to get the rear hub now. Also know someone who's selling one cheap. Just waiting until it's safe to go round and pick it up.0
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When you get it and it's all set up can I come round see what my max power output is?0
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Bhima wrote:Nearly. Got a powertap unit with all the accessories cheap off a mate but just need to get the rear hub now. Also know someone who's selling one cheap. Just waiting until it's safe to go round and pick it up.
WTF?
You've got the "Powertap unit with all the accessories" but need to get the rear hub?
The Powertap is the rear fcuking hub!!!0 -
Yes. It's easier to see your maximum power output out on the road in a sprint for various reasons. Swapping wheels on a ride shouldn't be too much trouble.0
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redddraggon wrote:WTF?
You've got the "Powertap unit with all the accessories" but need to get the rear hub?
The Powertap is the rear fcuking hub!!!
Calm down! I've got everything BUT the rear hub. You can buy it all seperately.
By "powertap unit", I meant the big yellow computer display thingy...0 -
Bhima wrote:redddraggon wrote:WTF?
You've got the "Powertap unit with all the accessories" but need to get the rear hub?
The Powertap is the rear fcuking hub!!!
Calm down! I've got everything BUT the rear hub. You can buy it all seperately.
Yeh but all you need is a rear hub......
That's all I'll be getting in the summer if I get one.0 -
anyway, getting back to the noise thing are you sure you have a suspended timber floor and its not just some timber flooring on a solid concrete slab ?
It will make a massive difference. The noise from it will be transmitted mainly through the structure, ie not airborne. Jump and and down on the floor and you should be able to tell.
jump up and down for an hour and you'll not need a turbo.0 -
I've found out in the past few days that how you set up your turbo can significantly alter the noise levels. I.e. I didn't have the resistance unit pushed hard enough onto the wheel and it made a serious buzzing noise and caused pretty significant floor vibrations.
After reading somewhere how to set it up properly (Tacx Satori btw, dunno if the same aplies to others), the noise levels have gone down ALOT.
Few things that i'd say:
A fan is a luxury not a neccessity. I don't want to waste my money on one, so I sweat my fat ass off just like I should. I'm pretty sure I'd sweat pretty bad WITH a fan.
Is there not any sort of sheltered area/shed/storage room large enough for you to situate your turbo rig? I used a communal bike shed/room in the block of flats I lived in. No-one complained.
Get a turbo with variable resistance so you don't have to worry if your 9 speed stuff goes with your 10 speed stuff. Just whack it in one gear and use the resistance.
Plus they go stupidly hard. I've only ever used 7/10 resistance for intervals. And that's feckin murder.
Mike0 -
You'll find that a fan based turbo is louder than a magnetic one. If you get a magnetic one though, you shouldn't have any problems with the neighbours as they're not that loud. I've got a minoura one that was about £130 with resistance, and that does a good job.
I put my resistance to the top and use my gears for the rest. I've got a garmin 705, so that's really useful for maintaining cadence and heart rate; worth using if you have one or get one.
I wasn't keen on my rollers, I just want to get my head down and grind away whilst I'm training and I found that rollers weren't that conjusive for that.
A fan is nice in the summer when it's hot, but you'll find that your sweat will cool you down anyway when the temp. is not excessively high.
Finally, you'll no doubt have heard about how boring that the turbo can be. You can use You tube, find some clips of great racing and then stick tunes over it. You could train directly to racing, or to music, or, much better, two words only are required: The Sufferfest!
My fourth favourite thing, after my wife, bike and chlid (not in that order).0 -
I got a second hand Elite Volare for 40 quid, should do the job, think it's magnetic.0
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Say if I went out and got totally wrecked, would a good session on the turbo actually be a good hangover cure?0
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I have an old Tacx Magnetic Turbo, it is so noisy that the family have to close the doors so they can watch TV, I wouldn't mind a fluid turbo, but I want one with adjustable control not automatic, whats a good value for money fluid with control?
I also have my Tacx Antares rollers, brilliant and I find a work out on that gets my heart beat higher, makes you a smoother rider as well. I can ride further on the turbo than I can on the rollers.
Just wondered if Turbos require any servicing?0 -
Was wondering if anyone could clarify the position with using a nine speed cassette with a tubo as I was looking to buy my wife a Tacx sirius turbo for use with her allez set up. I have a spare back wheel and cassete having upgraded my own bike.
Read this set up might be problematic if so how do I get round this? Would she be able to get the bike into gear then rely on the resistance unit to moderate resistance?0 -
Utter nonsense about there being a problem with the number of gears.
My trainer has 8 gears, and I have used my normal road bike which has 10, you can even use a fixed wheel or single.
All turbos can accommodate nearly every width of rear, not all can cope with certain wheel diameters though.
HTH0 -
I think the issue was with Will mixing 10 speed and 9 speed drivetrain components when using a turbo.
Slow-N-Old/OATEA which Tacx turbo have you got? Make sure it's pressed firmly on the back tire, mine's gone from screaming noisy to smooth light hum. Supposedly: Engage the Flywheel/Resustance Unit. Turn the knob so it just touches the tire. Disengage the Flywheel unit. Turn the the adjusting knob three full turns. Engage unit. Should require significant force.0 -
Well I got this turbo trainer, I'm sure it'll keep me ticking over, but on my commuter, 50/12 I think it is even on the highest difficulty on the trainer it's still pretty easy, don't know if that's just me though.
Anyway, do you NEED a special skewer for them? I was not suplied with one as it's second hand, the Shimano skewer on the bike seemed to fit in ok.0 -
EKIMIKE wrote:I think the issue was with Will mixing 10 speed and 9 speed drivetrain components when using a turbo.
Slow-N-Old/OATEA which Tacx turbo have you got? Make sure it's pressed firmly on the back tire, mine's gone from screaming noisy to smooth light hum. Supposedly: Engage the Flywheel/Resustance Unit. Turn the knob so it just touches the tire. Disengage the Flywheel unit. Turn the the adjusting knob three full turns. Engage unit. Should require significant force.
Hi,
Its an old (6 years +) turbo that I bought in an attempt to get fit, Tacx T1450 Cycketrack speedmatic, probably only done a 500-750 miles.
I have adjusted it so it just touches the tyre as when I get on it it flexes a little and pushes quite hard against the tyre. If I tighten the tyre up too tight it shreds the tyre, even the conti turbo tyre.
It might be that I need to look at a new one, would certainly like a fluid one, but one that is adjustable as opposed to one that apply increase pressure the faster you go.0 -
The skewer I got with the turbo is basically the shimano quick release skewer. There's no way I could use the mavic ones i've also got.
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-t ... 5000000000 Looks like a good deal John.
Mike0 -
Ah kool, so my Shimano ones should be ok?
I fixed my commuter to it, and well, I almost bent the skewer, I damaged the end bit but I have spares. So would I have overtightened it?0 -
Well from the pictures I can get of the Elite Volare, you can use more types of QR Skewer than i can.
Well you don't need to go mental with clamping it in the turbo. Make sure it's secure. The important thing being that the resistance unit it pressed hard enough BUT not too hard against the tire. If it's not hard enough then the resistance is less and it makes noise (in my experience) too hard and you'll probably damage your tire as slow n old suggests.
Dunno what's going on with the resistance.... If i had mine on the highest resistance and 53/12, i think my muscles would come away from my bones like a slow roasted joint of meat. :?0 -
Maybe yours is just a better trainer than mine?
I can still knacker myself out, if I pedal hard enough for 30 seconds it'll kill me on number 5 and 50/12.
I had it on but it's not solid if you get me, it certainly stays in, but I can see play when I'm on the bike and pedaling hard.0 -
Yeh i get some 'play' too. I think it's a combination of play in the fixing on the turbo and simply flex at the BB. You've won't see it out on the road because you're moving too fast and there's too much going on.
If it kills you pedalling for 30 seconds on 5 then that's plenty enough surely? I find that resistances that seem pretty easy at first can be a real effort after 10 minutes. If you want to make it really hard, then try efforts where you have it in the highest gear and resistance, the trainer slow down for a few secs then try to power your way up to a cadence of 80,90,100 rpm. Try and do one of those every minute for 5 minutes then have a break then reapeat or something along those lines. I tried it last night and it got my heart rate peaking and the lactate flooding my muscles. I'm no expert but it felt like it worked.0 -
Yea I guess it's fine. Unsure how hard to have the roller pressed to the tyre though.
It's abit cramped in my room like:
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1st pic. Bottom left, under desk - Big sub?????
If yes, why the funk have you ever considered worrying about turbo noise?0 -
It's not that big, only a tiny 10" driver in that. I don't turn it up constantly, the turbo is a constant sound, whilst the music has breaks inbetween and I might only play it 5 mins at a time, and the guy above likes some of the music I play.0
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Big enough for home use
Good point about the constant noise, but there's nothing worse than a repetative baseline pumped out by a sub when you can't hear anything else of the song.
What music eh?0 -
Drumb and bass, Bassline, Bass testers, then 80s music, jazz and anything really, but mainly drumb and bass.
I was going to spend 400 quid on a 12" sub, must be good, was called a BK Monolith
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