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those dead cheap ebay turbos - anyone got one?

neil²neil² Posts: 337
edited January 2011 in Training, fitness and health
Hi,

I need a turbo and am suffering serious post Christmas cash shortage! So, I'm very tempted to buy one of these to get me through the rest of the dark nights when I'm on babysitting duty at home:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MAGNETIC-TURBO-TR ... 1690wt_689

Has anyone got one of these things (or the similar ones on ebay)? Are they usable?
The Riddler
The GT

Posts

  • richardburchrichardburch Posts: 54
    Yep. Ive got one. It looks the same as the one you have seen but is a Tacx one. It doesnt have resistance on it either. I have just finished a session on it for the first time and it was pretty good for what I want it for which is just to lose a bit of weight and get some cardio in when I cant get out.

    The noise isnt too bad....Mine is setup on a stone tiled floor with a back door mat in the kitchen...I have been flat out on it and my little boy didnt wake to it and "The Wife" could still watch the TV without any fuss.

    The only thing I would recommend is a HR monitor so that you can see what is going on.

    I think I will invest in a Sufferfest Video at some point.

    If you want it for just a quick half hour then go for it. You could spend hundreds on a turbo trainer but I reckon that there is no substitute for being out on the road!!!
  • redveeredvee Posts: 11,922
    I like the fact that they fit 26mm wheeled bikes :D
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • ajmitchellajmitchell Posts: 203
    I have a very cheap one (gist) medium (minoura) and expesive Tacx 1940 (motorbrake). The cheap one works but they is generally less resistance on new ones esp those without adjustment. Low resistance can however be overcome by using the top gearing on your bike...but this could get expensive. for example on my dedicated turbo bike I changed to 60T chainring and 11T rear to give a big range. A slight issue is that resistance may fade (or rather plateau) as the magnet heats up. All said and done, cheap one still better than nothing!
  • neil²neil² Posts: 337
    Thanks all. I've ordered a discounted Elite Volare from Wiggle at about £95. I think that I can justify the extra for the 'name' brand and remote control resistance.

    I'm using it for race training and so it might get some abuse and a warranty would be nice.

    The extra skewer should come in useful too, as I'm expecting to need to use different bikes on it as Mrs N² wants to have a go too!
    The Riddler
    The GT
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