Most realistic turbo

birdy247

I tried my first 2x20 session last night on my Tacx Sirrus (the cheap 1). I noticed that the ride experience felt pretty unnatural.

I have used this turbo many times before and always find it near impossible to get my HR up without my legs blowing up.

I have to mash at around 85 RPM to get my HR even close to my threshold. It feels more like a weights workout than a cardio workout. I usually spin around 105 on the road. This almost seems impossible (without it feeling stupidly easy) on the turbo.

Basically, its either really easy, or really hard. Only way to keep a constant high effort it to push a harder at around 85 RPM (which isn't natural to me, and even then I don't get to threshold)

Does anyone have any tips to change this (I have tried all resistance combo's). Considering buying a more realistic turbo (such as the kurt kinetic road machine), but not sure if its worth the money.

Thoughts?

Anonymous

I went from Sirius (had same experience as you) to Satori (slightly better) to Cycleops Jet Fluid Pro (a freakin' revelation!).

I'm now very happy indeed.

Lots of love from people on here for the Kurt Kinetics, I've not tried them myself and they seem expensive. The Cycleops seems perfect so I wouldn't want to spend any more than I did on that anyhoo!

birdy247

So did it help you achieve a more realistic road feel and not a stomping session?

Anonymous

birdy247 wrote:

So did it help you achieve a more realistic road feel and not a stomping session?

Yes. Very much so.

The change from Magnetic to a good fluid/fan mix is tremendous.

Very natural feel. I train with a powermeter and the speed for a given power on the road and turbo is very similar.

Resistance is achieved through use of your gears.

Top stuff!!

Garry H

Also use the Cyclops and would agree with the above.

jermas

I use the tacx sirius and find it a good machine. I'm not too bothered about it feeling like a natural road experience as long as I get a good workout. I've done many 2X20 workouts and can always hit and hold threshold level. Yes the legs are burning but that's what it's about. You say you've tried all resistance levels, but have you tried using different gear and resistance combos?
What works best for me is having the back wheel spinning pretty fast (ie a heavyish gear 20mph-22mph) and the resistance at about level 6. I find using light gears (slow speed)with heavy resistance produces a "stomping feel".
Also if the tyre is clamped in too tightly this might accentuate the unnatural feeling

birdy247

jermas wrote:

I use the tacx sirrus and find it a good machine. I'm not too bothered about it feeling like a natural road experience as long as I get a good workout. I've done many 2X20 workouts and can always hit and hold threshold level. Yes the legs are burning but that's what it's about. You say you've tried all resistance levels, but have you tried using different gear and resistance combos?
What works best for me is having the back wheel spinning pretty fast (ie a heavyish gear 20mph-22mph) and the resistance at about level 6. I find using light gears (slow speed)with heavy resistance produces a "stomping feel".
Also if the tyre is clamped in too tightly this might accentuate the unnatural feeling

I currently set the resistance at between 2&3, and go at about 25-28 Mph. I use the hardest gear on the bike. I have tried setting a resistance level of 5/6 and using a mid-range gear, but it just turns into a stomping exercise.

With regards to the wheel clamp at the back How loose should it be, Is it the lightest possible resistance without slipping??

jermas

If you are spinning between 25-28mph then the clamping force on the tyre will have quite an effect.Too hard and it will feel like pedaling through treacle.
Personally I tighten it just enough to stop the tyre slipping but it certainly isn't that tight. On first starting it usually slips a little but once the tyre has warmed it's fine. Also try keeping the tyres pumped to the same psi (pretty hard) to give a consistant workout each time you use the machine.

rdt

From what I've read, the most realistic feeling turbo is the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine with the (massive) "Pro Flywhee" fitted - this is supposed to increases the 25mph coast-down time to 60 seconds from around 16-17 seconds with the standard flywheel.

I've got a standard Road Machine, so cannot comment myself on the Pro Flywheel. In standard form, it feels fairly similar to road cycling (albeit with a foreshortened coast-down and easier spin-up). It's in a different league to any magneto trainers I've used, as you'd expect, and is better than a Cycleops fluid trainer I tried several years ago.

The problem with the Kinetic now is the price. When the £ was strong and Planet-X sold them, they were OK, but are now pricey. However, they are built like T-54 tanks, and because of the coupling design between the fluid resistance unit and roller (uses a magnetic field, not a physical coupling), really should last "for ever". Kurt back it with an unequivocal lifetime warranty.

Now I'm dead tight, but make exceptions for top quality things which'll last, and so I'd buy a Kinetic again, even at the now inflated prices. But I use a turbo quite a bit, because foolishly, I live in the Peaks but am scared of rain, so know I'll get years (decades) of usage from it.

bigpikle

love my Kurt Kinetic - just like NapD said, moving from a cheapo fan to a fluid trainer is night and day. I got mine 2nd hand and it was a good piece of kit for the price.

phil s

I got a second hand Kurt with the extra 12lb flywheel. Great piece of kit that I actually enjoy using. I've had Cycleops Fluid, Tacx Bushido, Elite Fluid before that and none of them come close to the ride quality of the KK. They pop up every now and then on timetrialling.co.uk forum.

birdy247

Ok,

I am torn between the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine and the Cycleops Jet Fluid Pro.

Basically, is the extra £££ worth it? If it makes the ride experience more natural, then I will use it more, so it could be money well spent. However, if the difference is negligible, then I will go with the Jet Fluid Pro.

What would you do?

rdt

birdy247 wrote:

What would you do?

Having gathered the info, isn't the "deciding what to do" bit something you're best actually doing yourself, since it's your loot and all?!

Both trainers will do a good job. Only a back-to-back comparison could confirm to you whether it's worth paying the extra or not for one over the other. Since you're unlikely to be able to do such a comparison (unless you know owners of both), you'll just have to take a punt, taking into account your budget and so on.

birdy247

I went with the cycle ops. With the money I saved. I thought I'd get a big fan. Cheapest I could find was 230.