Carbon Bike OK to use on Turbo

baileyjb

Hi

Perhaps a silly question. But I normally use my winter bike on my turbo (BKOOL Trainer). However I have now joined a cycle club so will have to keep switching my rear wheels around when I go out with the club (have a separate turbo wheel with blue tyre). To save the messing around I was thinking I could use my summer carbon bike on the turbo. A few people at the club have said its not good to put a carbon bike on the turbo but I cannot see why not. Does anyone uses their carbon bikes on their turbos?

imposter2.0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh7e4y6wNTI

OnTheRopes

I have been using my race bike on the turbo in winter, I think as long as you don't wrench it about in full out sprints you would be unlucky to have a problem. Most turbo work is sat down anyway.

StillGoing

I've used all my carbon bikes on turbos without problem. They're as robust as aluminium and anyone telling you they're going to shatter into pieces is having a laugh. Do they also think they melt in the rain or bright sunlight?

neeb

It'll be fine. Think about it - the quick release is clamped in the turbo, but the forces going through the dropouts are not going to be significantly different from when you are climbing hard out of the saddle on the road - in the latter case you are distributing your weight in such a way as to put similar forces through the dropouts as if they were being held still - otherwise you would fall over. The only difference should be wheel flex vs. turbo flex, and I reckon most turbos flex as much as most wheels.

baileyjb

THanks all. I thought the same and that all would be ok but thought I would double check just in case.

davidof

The only problem I can see is the frame melting with the extra heat.

trivial_poursuivant

Bikes are generally not mega stiff around the seat and chain stay connected area. They will have a degree of flex to keep the ride comfortable. Frames are stiff around the BB and main triangle but the rear and from fork need not so much , therefore the torsional twisting you may create fixed to a turbo is unlikely to damage the bike. Watch any clip of carbon frames being stress tested in the factories and you will surprised at the amount they will bend under test conditions. A lot further than you would ever put it through.

https://youtu.be/lrjId0-K-Ts

Watch how much the frames bend and flex especially on a top end frame like a Pinarello Dogma

svetty

Whether or not the frame is strong enough it's worth mentioning that a number of manufacturers specifically advise against the use of some of their models on turbo-trainers and you may void the warranty on your frame. Not that this would stop me doing so but you should be aware just-in-case.....

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I'm reluctant to put my Cube on a turbo, should I buy a turbo, because I could have sworn I read something about Cube not accepting guarantee claims for frame issues from turbo use.

Does anyone know of a turbo that would accept the 170mm rear hub of my fatbike, ideally one that that is "smart" and doesn't cost more than a kidney?

burnthesheep

Imposter wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh7e4y6wNTI

This has been my answer many times. Those bikes see lots of hard miles with lots of wattage, probably crashed at least once a season. Then they also use turbos to warmup and cool down after the race.

I bet their warmups on that trainer is harder than most of our actual workouts.

webboo

I have a Bianchi 928 carbon framed bike that got whacked by a car and the bottom bracket shelll came loose. So there is slight play in the BB, however it has been my turbo trainer bike since the crash which was 6 years ago.
Funnily enough it hasn't melted, exploded or even got more play in the BB.
It did start making a lot of noise when I managed to fit a new chain round the outside of the cage on the rear mech.

darkhairedlord

Sell the turbo and ride the bike outside.

Alex_Simmons/RST

Putting a carbon bike on a turbo trainer will result in an implosion so powerful it will cause a rip in the space-time continuum generating a mini black hole and see every single member of this forum spat out into a different part of the multiverse, ones where turbo trainers don't exist thereby trapping everyone with no way to return.

or maybe not.




Use a good trainer, clamp it carefully and use a standard metal rear wheel skewer designed for trainers. IMO if a bike is not going to survive time on a turbo or the manufacturer says not to, I sure as heck would not want to ride it on the road where the forces on the frame are going to be much higher at times.

CptKernow

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

Putting a carbon bike on a turbo trainer will result in an implosion so powerful it will cause a rip in the space-time continuum generating a mini black hole and see every single member of this forum spat out into a different part of the multiverse, ones where turbo trainers don't exist thereby trapping everyone with no way to return.

Are you suggesting that the excessive forces involved may cause a realignment of the dilithium crystal array of the carbon thus tearing the very fabric of space-time?!

I think this actually happened to me whilst doing one of the Sufferfest videos just before christmas...

keef66

Sat and watched my mate being fitted on a full carbon bike on Sunday. Hadn't parted with a penny, so he could have changed his mind and walked away, but the bike shop were happy to stick the thing on a turbo after swapping out the rear QR. He's no racing snake either, but he was at times encouraged to stick it in a high gear and really give it the beans.

So I'd say you'll probably be OK if you're sensible.

Matthewfalle

darkhairedlord wrote:

Sell the turbo and ride the bike outside.

Rubbish. Utter rubbish.

If he does this how is he going to become a Cat 3 Zwift racer (but not tell anyone its Zwift Cat 3).

Amateur mistake to ride a bike on the road.

I am disgusted.

Alex_Simmons/RST

CptKernow wrote:

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

Putting a carbon bike on a turbo trainer will result in an implosion so powerful it will cause a rip in the space-time continuum generating a mini black hole and see every single member of this forum spat out into a different part of the multiverse, ones where turbo trainers don't exist thereby trapping everyone with no way to return.

Are you suggesting that the excessive forces involved may cause a realignment of the dilithium crystal array of the carbon thus tearing the very fabric of space-time?!

I think this actually happened to me whilst doing one of the Sufferfest videos just before christmas...

It depends which multiverse you are in. Performing Schrodinger Intervals may have this effect, but only if you attempt to observe them which in this case it's not the wave function that collapses, rather the rider does.

darkhairedlord

back to the OP,
Just ride your "best" bike.