Turbo Trainer Advice

Roadrookie

I have been riding my new Road Bike (Giant) regularly since I bought it about 6 weeks ago but as the evenings draw in I am not able to go out on it after work. I live in a rural area with little street lighting. I am new to riding as you can see and would like to keep working on my fitness levels during the winter, or at least not lose the progress I have made so far. I was thinking about getting a turbo trainer and my question is are there any recommended ones that don't cost the earth? In fact are they recommended at all? also, once your bike is fitted to one is easy to remove to get out on the roads at weekends? I have seen a Cycleops one on Wiggle that is £135, are they worth having?
Would appreciate any advice.

Mr Dog

Yes they are worth the cash. Whichever you buy it will be torture. Cycleops are a good brand, I use a Tacx Satori. Check out the Sufferfest training videos, an absolute essential for indoor traning. Good luck. Oh get a cheap back wheel with a specific training tyre too!

fast as fupp

and a sweat cover for your frame!

Roadrookie

thanks guys much appreciated, I hadnt thought about the training wheel/tyre issue! I wonder if I could use my old mountain bike instead, its got a road tyre on it.

Bobbinogs

A mountain bike would work but you would be much better off using your normal bike for the fit, etc. I just use an old towel for a sweat cover... so you could spend the saved money on a second hand wheel, say £30 for an Shimano R500 (I just use my other rear wheel which is an Aksium in the summer and an RS80 in the winter). Then, keep one of your old tyres on it and just swap the rear wheel as you want. Turbo specific tyres can be quieter and run better with the higher temperatues generated but I just trash my old tyres...and turn the ipod docking station up!

Turbo training really is great for fitness if you use them right (intervals, etc.). See napd's thread over in Road Beginners, loads of great advice there. When I broke my collarbone last year I did 3-4 sessions a week for 2 months and when I resumed outdoor riding was roughly the same level as when I had the injury. I had lost my endurance fitness but soon got that back with some hard work. Sufferfest, make it your friend!

Turbos are also great for cadence work, fettling (gears, pedals, etc.) and setup mods...and for when you get back late from work, fancy a spin but cannot be fagged with all the rigmorole of getting ready for outdoor riding (some old shorts, an old t-shirt and off you go).

p7rider

also source a cheap fan boot sales are good they do help keep you a little cooler 8)

navrig

Bobbinogs wrote:

Sufferfest, make it your friend!

That's a bit like saying "Go cuddle a cactus".