Which Turbo Trainer - I'm no clearer

5parky

What with the weather being so bad I've decided to look at a Trainer just to keep me at a level and use once maybe twice a week. There's also a personal aspect with this for me too so the extra exercise will be a welcome distraction

Having had a look around, I'm no clearer which model to purchase for my needs, all I know is I have a budget of up to £200.00, I could spend more but the luxuries such as wireless and iPhone apps are blurring the my necessities.

I'd like something that I can just place my current Road bike into and go (to an extent); and if I can get something that will measure my miles, then great. Since it will be in my Garage I'm not too bothered about noise level (I'll probably be panting louder). Everyone has their own opinion it seems over magnetic, gel, etc.

Any pointers, recommendations gratefully appreciated

Thanks

richa

Kurt Kinetic are good trainers. No gizmos, just a decent trainer. Get the best you can for the money you want to spend.

I have the KK Road Machine and think it is great.

cougie

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kinetic-Kurt- ... 2334c1ca24

nigeldoyle

Cycleops Fluid 2 for me. Fluid like the Kurt. These have a more road like feel than the cheaper magnetic ones. Don't waste your money on buying the really cheap ones as you'll soon regret it.

5parky

Thanks chaps, did look at the Fluid 2, been round a while by the looks of it but solid bit of kit by all accounts.

I am getting pushed towards non magnetic atm but as you say it's depends on the quality.

Rather like the idea of the Kurt Cyclone too

BrandonA

Does your £200 include accessories such as a mat, tyre, fan and possibly a spare wheel?

I used to have a Taxc Satori and it was a very good trainer.

5parky

BrandonA wrote:

Does your £200 include accessories such as a mat, tyre, fan and possibly a spare wheel?

I used to have a Taxc Satori and it was a very good trainer.

Although those parts have crossed my mind, no.

Starting to wonder whether it's worth the hassle, so many people seem to purchase them only to sell on a short time later (or put it in the corner).

supermurph09

5parky wrote:

BrandonA wrote:

Does your £200 include accessories such as a mat, tyre, fan and possibly a spare wheel?

I used to have a Taxc Satori and it was a very good trainer.

Although those parts have crossed my mind, no.

Starting to wonder whether it's worth the hassle, so many people seem to purchase them only to sell on a short time later (or put it in the corner).[/quote]

The reason people tend to do that is because they havent bought them for a specific purpose. If you are only buying a turbo to "keep things ticking over", the incentive to use it is not going to be too high because you probably wont get that much benefit. Pedalling for the sake of it is probably a waste of time. If you are buying a turbo because you have specific goals and specific training sessions then its going to get a lot of use.

littledove44

I have a Cycleops fluid pro. They are about £200 on ebay. Works really well as long as you are consistent in the way you set it up.
A spare wheel is a nice to have, but not mandatory. Yes, you will wear your tire a little, but they wear on the road as well if I recall.
Mats are cheap as chips. Just get a synthetic off cut from a carpet shop. Shouldn't be more than £10.
Fan? Open the window.

Of course you could buy all that stuff, but it isn't absolutely necessary.

As far as getting it and not using it, well, who can tell? They have a good second hand value so your loss will be small and you might love it.

I have an excercise bike and I hated using it. I got bored very quickly. Now I use Trainer Road and the level of concentration required to follow the profiles keeps me interested for at least an hour.

I have tried a few Sufferfest videos. They are good, but I actually find they distract me so until I am more used to the whole process I will just concentrate on the profile and listen to music.

xavierdisley

If you just want to get on and go then a fluid or wind braked turbo would be more simple than a mag turbo with lots of resistance levels and/or cables and wires everywhere.

Definitely budget for a fan, whole body cooling is important for effective training but you might be alright at the moment (at least for a month or two) if it's cold where you are. Even a cheapo one would do, doesn't have to be a giant industrial fan.

Fluid 2 is a good choice, the Elite Crono Fluid is also one of the quietest, not necessarily an issue but quite handy if you want to listen to something through speakers and don't want the volume doubled.

Xav

5parky

Cheers guys, some really useful words for thought indeed. I just want it as an alternative when I cannot get out due to the Weather. I was intending to set it up in the Garage since I like the idea of going out (as if outside) and warming up, etc, so no need for a mat. I've my own Music source if need-be via stereo or iPhone so I'm ok there.

Does look like it's between the Cycleops fluid pro, Kurt Kinetic Cyclone or Elite Crono Fluid, right where's the voting bar

I take it these are the ones people are referring to

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... -09-35268/

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... id-2-9437/

This is Kurt I was looking at too

http://www.kurtkinetic.com/kinetic-cycl ... -l-en.html

EDIT - just ordered a Fluid 2 - Thanks everyone

gattocattivo

I've just bought the Cycleops Fluid 2. This is the first time I've had a turbo. It came with a skewer which the instructions say you have to put in your back wheel (replacing the one which is normally there) as it dangerous to use the turbo with your own skewer. I've replaced it and used the turbo without any problems. However, I'm using the same bike for turbo sessions and riding on the road. When I ride on the road I don't want to use the cycleops skewer, I'd rather put the original one back in, but I don't really want to have to keep swapping the skewers over. Is it really likely to be dangerous to use the original skewer (instead of the cycleops one) in the turbo? (My wheels are Mavic Aksium, by the way)

napoleond

I just keep the turbo skewer in all the time. What's wrong with using it on the road?

cougie

A skewer is a skewer. I'd not swap them around all of the time.

gattocattivo

But it's silver and my wheels are black! Do you see my dilemma?

dw300

Lol, hate that. ^

Yes, it will be dangerous if the regular skewer cant be clamped effectively by the turbo, which will very likely be the case.

It only takes 30s to undo one skewer and put in the other anyway. You don't have to take the wheel off to do it. Just check its seated right when you do it up again.

sloppyschleckonds

If I didn't have the Lemond Revolution I'd go for the KK

wallace_and_gromit

xavierdisley wrote:

Definitely budget for a fan, whole body cooling is important for effective training...

For 2-3 weeks prior to the Marmotte last year, I did my turbo sessions with all the windows shut for heat acclimatisation. (My understanding is that heat acclimatisation takes 2-3 weeks.) I don't know if this had an impact - other than setting a PB for sweating - but I didn't have any problems with the race day temperatures in the high 30s centigrade, despite having spent all spring/early summer riding in winter kit as it was so effing cold in my part of the world.

Was this ability to deal with the heat a happy coincidence or a result of the "windows shut" sessions, would you think? Thanks.

cougie

I think that could well have helped you. I've done stuff like that in the past - I do Ironman races and the run is usually in the 30s- best I can do for that is to run on a treadmill in a few more layers.

xavierdisley

Wallace and Gromit wrote:

xavierdisley wrote:

Definitely budget for a fan, whole body cooling is important for effective training...

For 2-3 weeks prior to the Marmotte last year, I did my turbo sessions with all the windows shut for heat acclimatisation. (My understanding is that heat acclimatisation takes 2-3 weeks.) I don't know if this had an impact - other than setting a PB for sweating - but I didn't have any problems with the race day temperatures in the high 30s centigrade, despite having spent all spring/early summer riding in winter kit as it was so effing cold in my part of the world.

Was this ability to deal with the heat a happy coincidence or a result of the "windows shut" sessions, would you think? Thanks.

You can do that sort of thing for heat acclimation*, yes - that was a good plan to prepare for the temperature. In terms of optimising your training benefit then whole body cooling will stop your core temperature rising so much and you will be able to complete efforts with a higher overall stress (and therefore induce greater adaptations). Other techniques like vest cooling, drinking ice slush, hands in ice, menthol spray for perceived thermal comfort etc. aren't as good as simple whole body cooling

Xav

*acclimation is where you create the environmental stressors, eg. by shutting windows - acclimatisation is where you go somewhere where the stressors naturally exist eg. somewhere hot

wallace_and_gromit

xavierdisley wrote:

You can do that sort of thing for heat acclimation*, yes - that was a good plan to prepare for the temperature. In terms of optimising your training benefit then whole body cooling will stop your core temperature rising so much and you will be able to complete efforts with a higher overall stress (and therefore induce greater adaptations). Other techniques like vest cooling, drinking ice slush, hands in ice, menthol spray for perceived thermal comfort etc. aren't as good as simple whole body cooling

Xav

*acclimation is where you create the environmental stressors, eg. by shutting windows - acclimatisation is where you go somewhere where the stressors naturally exist eg. somewhere hot

Thanks for ther esponse.

Acclimatisation would be my preference, but one plays the cards one is dealt!

Normally, I prefer it to be cold for indoor training as I recover faster and can do more hard sessions. The acclimation sessions were just to be endured for the greater good on Marmotte day. (Mrs W&G got a gold that day with me as water carrier, so it was a very good day indeed!)