Should i get a turbo trainer, need some advice guy's

wollow007

Hi Guy's,

I have got a couple of events this year, first in May. What with the inclement weather and work commitments I don't foresee getting out as much as possible and I'm a little worried about my fitness level for the May event.

I manage to get to the gym a couple of times a week and ride on the x-stream machines which are like mountain bikes and you race others or the computer. There pretty good and It seems to get my heart rate up.

Do you think I would benefit much by buying a turbo trainer and attaching it to my hard tail (don't use it much, got a full sus commencal), this way I could commit to more training, but is it required, at circa £300 should I just go to the gym more and go out riding in the dark, could put the money towards a Extreme Six Pack.

What do you think guy's?

ride_whenever

Save the money, buy some lights and do night rides on your local loop.

Maybe grab a garmin so you can race your own times round the loop.

wollow007

Got the Garmin 705, so I'm half way there

ride_whenever

lights then.

There's a lot more to mtbing that fitness, so i'd head out purely because you just wont get the variation onthe turbo.

slimboyjim

I've got a turbo and, trust me, it takes dedication. If you can set it up in front of the tv at home then it's not so bad. Unfortunately my wife goes mental if I bring it out from the shed... It works for me as, with kids, I don't get to leave the house so much any more. I also live in Birmingham so it's a fair trip to any decent trails...

I would suggest it is worth putting some money aside out of your budget for a trainer tyre and a heart rate monitor if you decide it's for you though - first stops your mtb tyre slowly shedding lots of small bits of rubber onto the floor, whilst the second means you can actually have targets and goals to work to rather than just hopelessly spinning away... I kind of think it's pointless without some form of measuring yourself.

Mangoman

I got a turbo trainer and never used it, but the did this through Rowhire and it's one of the best decisions I've made. I use it with the Spinervals series or some RPM vids regularly.

I started by hiring the bike for 40 quid a month, but then liked it that much I paid it off for £80 over ten months.

http://www.rowhire.co.uk/exercise-bike-hire[/url]

bike-a-swan

If you can't get to some trails for a short evening blast easily I'd spend the money on roadifying the hardtail and going out and doing some traffic light sprints- amazing how quickly the time goes racing between bits of street furniture!